Students who are part of the Magnet and Communication Arts Program at Blair take eight class periods a day, and were still in class when the teach-in began at 2:10 p.m. Several teachers decided that instead of instruction, their classes would attend the teach-in.

"It was part of class that day," Blair social studies teacher and sponsor of Students of Global Responsibility George Vlasits says. "We were trying to expose students to views they may not get in The Washington Post."

Blair principal Phillip Gainous says he was "not aware" that some classes attended the teach-in. He says that if had known, he would not have allowed the students to attend as a class. "Nobody has the right to force an opinion," he says. According to Gainous, this would be violating students' rights.

The teach-in had a clear anti-war stance, as only speakers from the Anti-Arab Defamation League and Green Party had presentations. However, according to Vlasits, speakers from pro-war groups were invited but were unable to attend.

The speaker from the Anti-Arab Defamation League said that the United States could be victorious with noninvolvement in Iraq, while the Green Party promoted a resolution in the Montgomery County Council against war.

Blair student Armin Rosen felt that the teach-in was inappropriate, as he believed he was forced to attend a biased teach-in that did not educate, but rather tried to convince students to be anti-war supporters. "I wouldn't call it brainwashing, but I'd call it propagandizing," Rosen says. "It almost felt like they were trying to convert the [pro-war]
students."

Vlasits disagrees with Rosen. "I am not sure how you can call [the teach-in] propagandizing," he says. "I think that the statement [made by Rosen] is not necessarily an accurate statement."

After the teach-in, Montgomery County students, organized by the Montgomery County Students for Peace and Justice, held a protest at Four Corners. Although the protest was separate from the teach-in, students were made aware of the protest. "It was rather a pre-rally before the rally," Rosen says.

Vlasits explains that the purpose of the teach-in was to give students a view not regularly presented in the media or in "government press conferences." He adds, "I am sure there are people who would be against [the speak-in] who would like us to follow orders like good little Germans."