Volume 33, No. 3: November/December 2016

November/December 2016 1 TOWNSEND HARRIS HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENS COLLEGE

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November/December 2016 - Volume 33 No. 3

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Class of 2017 secureS third SING! WIN IN A ROW

By Rabia Hasan, Ada Liu, and Shirley Mai, News Editor and Staff Writers

AFTER THREE months of grueling practice, Semores emerged victorious at the annual SING! event, the third win for the Class of 2017.

Regarding the win, Semore co-director Jillisa Drayton said, “Raya and I have worked so hard for this, and it was the best feeling to see all of our hard work pay off. I was scared of disappointing my team, but I said as long as we stick together, we’ll end up as winners, and that’s what ended up happening.”

Similarly, co-director Raya Kazdan stated, “It feels amazing.

I have put all my blood, sweat, and tears into this show, and it’s amazing to have that recognition. I am so proud of both

of the shows I’ve directed, and everybody who has been a part of them.”

Despite the loss, Freshiors co-director Caroline Salazar remarked, “All I can say is that no balloons can tell me or any of the Freshiors that we weren’t winners that night. My first year as SING! director was beyond amazing. Even though it comes with a lot of responsibility, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. My team has a bond that will never be broken, and I’m glad that we can call each other family.”

Freshiors co-director Daniella Babayev added, “To my Freshiors: I’m so proud of each and every one of you. You worked

hard, and it definitely showed on that stage. I love you guys.”

This year, the theme for SING! was Townsend Harris High School in the year 3016. The plays had to touch upon social issues, while having a song sung in a foreign language, in addition to having a THHS teacher play a role in the show with at least five lines.

Such a theme had never been done before, as in recent years, the characters and plots were based on those from existing movies. This year, students were able to take their creativity to new levels.

Keeping the theme in mind, Freshiors and Semores produced very different and

unique storylines.

The Freshior plot focused on a society in 3016 that was divided into “elites” and the “lower class.” Friends Ava (junior Francesca Filiberti), Isabel (junior Alexandra Ge), Ethan (junior Shawn Roy), and Megan (freshman Savannah Sclafani), stumble across an ancient book causing them to travel back in time, not knowing that the rich Prince Liam Henry James Scott (junior Noah Sadik) followed behind. They end up in the year 2016 at THHS, where all cultures were celebrated, there was no social division, and money was not valued as heavily as it was in 3016.

Continued on pgs 6 & 7 PHOTO BY DANIEL SOTELO-REINER

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NEWS the first floor into the nurse’s office to use a gender neutral bathroom.

Most students have class on the fourth, fifth or sixth floor and going all the way down to the first floor would take too much time.

Thus, having a gender neutral bathroom on the sixth floor is more convenient for everyone.”

Assistant Principal Veronica York, the new advisor of the GSA, added, “The idea of gender neutral bathrooms is something adults have to think about, not students.

It’s a non-issue for them, since they are growing up with this concept, rather than being introduced to it recently. To me, it’s just a way of life.”

In regards to cost and expenses, Ms. Fee commented that the school was able to “avoid any costs” by “making repairs in the sixth floor girl’s bathroom [to] re-purpose [it].”

GSA Board members shared their thoughts about the new bathroom.

Co-president Michelle Illescas said, “I’m really optimistic about the opening of this bathroom as well as the reaction that the student body will have...my biggest fear is probably that some people will be opposed to the opening.”

Webmaster Vicki Jagdeo is

happy with the new change, but similarly expressed, “My biggest fear about this bathroom is that people will make a joke out of it and still make gender non-conforming people and other people... feel uncomfortable.”

In accordance with these expected fears, there have been mixed responses from the student body regarding the bathroom.

Incidents of minor vandalism, including toilet paper being strewn about, and other rumors prompted the administration to respond. Most recently, the sign outside the bathroom has been modified to state, “Student restroom.”

Principal Jahoda addressed this issue in another email to the school, stating, “The sign for the bathroom on the sixth floor has been changed....This bathroom was put in place to accommodate all students and is a safe space.

Students found to be abusing this bathroom will face disciplinary consequences.”

Vicki remarked, “People have to be mature about it [the bathroom]. They are saying that we should’ve had a single stall bathroom instead of a multiple-stall one, but how long would that take?

Best of both worlds: being mixed race

by Nabiha Zaman, Staff Writer

PHOTO BY SARAH GAFUR

Gender neutral bathroom sign outside of sixth floor stalls.

“The issue should not be the fear of what students can do but should be why people can’t be mature about a gender neutral bathroom being implemented into a school.”

Similarly, junior Fariba Islam said, “The administration should have [taken] the lack of maturity into account.”

Despite these setbacks, Sarah still considered the bathroom a win for students who need it, adding, “The bathroom will foster a new hopefulness within gender nonconforming students and students who are transgender. [The bathroom] allows students to feel safer and more secure in their own identity. This is a small step, but a step nonetheless, that leads to

total acceptance of people in every shape and form.”

Ms. Fee stated that “everyone’s process of coming out as LGBTQIA+ is different and can happen at a variety of times in life. By opening a multi stall gender neutral bathroom on the sixth floor, we are attempting to create another safe space that validates all gender expressions.”

Ms. York shared her final thoughts with us: “I trust the student body. They know what is right without being told. I believe they know what to do and how to act, even when there is not a teacher near. If you believe in all those things, then there shouldn’t be any fear.”

Candidate Jill Stein takes top spot in Election Simulation

PHOTO BY ADAM SOSNICKI

Jill Stein, this year’s Election Simulation winner, at the 2016 kick off rally.

by Isabelle Guillaume & Ashley Zhao, Staff Writer & Copy Editor AFTER SEVERAL heated weeks of campaigning, the Townsend Harris High School 2016 Election Simulation has finally come to a close, with the results being announced a day after the actual presidential election.

This year’s simulation ended with an unexpected third-party presidential win by Jill Stein, who was portrayed by senior Raya Kazdan. “I am honored to have won the simulation this year,” Raya said.

“Sadly, it did not at all reflect the real-life election,” she stated.

The simulation included the elections for the U.S. Senate, Congress, and New York State races. Democratic candidates Grace Meng played by senior Sarah Yu, Carolyn Maloney played by senior Fiona Calberson, along with Republican candidate Frank Spotorno played by senior Jagjot Singh, won their seats in Congress for the sixth, twelfth, and fourteenth districts, respectively.

Senior Gleb Zavlanov, who played Joe Crowley, the Democratic opponent of Frank Spotorno, expressed positive views on the election simulation in spite of his loss. He stated, “At first, I was a bit disappointed with my loss. Then, I realized it was a very fierce com-

petition, that I had tried my best, and that I lost to an extremely worthy opponent.”

In the New York State State Assembly race, Democratic candidate Nily Rozic, played by senior Raeanne Edwards, was victorious over her opponent Republican Usman Chohan, played by senior Michael Guzman.

Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Chuck Schumer, who was played by senior Andrew Nektalov, won the U.S. Senate position over his opponents, Republican candidate Wendy Long played by senior Klaudia Hanus and Green Party candidate Robin Laverne Wilson played by senior Katerina Jou. Katerina emphasized the unequal distribution of money at the start of the simulation. She remarked, “I firmly believe that every campaign should’ve had the same amount of money, though there were third party races, so that everyone had an equal chance from the beginning.”

While many candidates agree with her on this point, most believe that this serves to highlight the extent to which the election simulation adheres to real-life politics. Jagjot, speaking about the unequal division of time between candidates during the debate, said, “I think that is sort of unfair, even though that is what goes on in the real world.”

In relation to real-world politics, the candidates also faced the

challenge of enticing students through various advertising techniques. While there were many rehashed methods, such as posters and radio and television commercials, some candidates used unique ideas to win over voters.

“This year’s simulation saw crazier attempts at publicizing the candidates, whether it was an ice cream truck or a chugging competition or a hectic kool-aid giveaway,” said Gleb.

As is always the case, the underclassmen were very appreciative of the candidates’ numerous attempts at gaining their votes.

However, this year’s election seemed to have brought about a more serious undertone, with several students emphasizing policy and relatability above other factors.

Junior Anil Singh also added, “The candidates need to be more engaged with the student body.

They can’t just ask two or three people to be in their ad, they have to actually sit down and talk with students.”

This lack of direct candidate-voter communication has also been cited as a possible reason as to why less than half of the student body registered to vote.

Some blame the new implementation of voter registration and student procrastination, such as senior Kortney Coburn, who said, “Registering to vote is a new idea, so many students were confused. In addition, many students

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NEWS/ FEATURES

THHS adds gender neutral bathrooms to sixth floor

by Rabia Hasan, News Editor RECENTLY, TOWNSEND Harris High School opened a gender neutral bathroom for student use only on the sixth floor, located to the right of the elevators.

Prior to this, the bathrooms on the sixth floor were closed, as the school robotics team used one for storage purposes, while the other remained empty. The latter room was altered to be the new gender neutral bathroom.

Principal Rosemarie Jahoda announced the opening of the bathroom on November 16, crediting the GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) club, School Leadership Team, and the custodians for proposing and executing the idea.

Senior Sarah Gafur, one of the presidents of the GSA club, explained, “The new bathroom [is] for all students to use regardless of gender identity or expression.”

Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee stated, “Gender neutral bathrooms should be accessible in public spaces in general. Our school has had a gender neutral bathroom since 2011, but it hasn’t been very publicized.”

However, referring to this stall, Sarah said, “It was not efficient for students to go all the way down to

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don’t check their emails, and others just like to procrastinate.”

Some students did not feel that they were in the right position to cast their ballot. Junior Savannah Young commented, “[Some students] didn’t care, others weren’t motivated. They may have not felt comfortable due to a lack of knowledge.”

Katerina pointed out yet another parallel between the election simulation and the actual election in regards to the lack of voters, stating that “the additional requirement of showing IDs and physically signing up, as opposed to previous years during which students could just vote, reflects how the real election works with either misinformed or oblivious individuals who are kept from exercising their privilege.”

In the end, the majority of students agreed that this year’s election simulation was not an accurate representation of the real election, although both results triggered shock and surprise throughout the student body.

Senior Nicholas Doss-Hom, who played Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, noted, “Given that New York is a very liberal state, I think it is a very accurate representation. The Green Party is a very liberal party, so it’s an accurate representation of New York, but not necessarily of the rest of the country.”

“WHERE ARE you really from?” and “Were you confused growing up?” are just a few of the many questions people still posed to those who come from a mixed racial, ethnic, or religious background. In society, multiracial and interfaith individuals are sometimes still perceived as uncommon or noticeably “different” and “exotic.”

For junior Aaron Fernando, the aforementioned questions are the ones he’s tired of being asked.

While he comes from a Persian, European, and Guyanese background, Aaron chooses to simply respond, “I’m an American.” He went on to say, “If you really want to know my ethnic background, wait for me to tell you. Or at least have the decency to ask, ‘What’s your background?’, or, ‘Where are your parents from?’, rather than a bold and incoherent, ‘What are you?’”

As someone who is both black (Congolese) and white (Italian and French), sophomore Jacqueline reveals, “Most of the time people don’t know that I’m black because I’m really lightskin.” She adds that a reaction of disbelief when someone finds out is, “super offensive.”

Like Jacqueline, sophomore Tyler Conway also faces the commonality of people refusing to believe in his biracial background simply because of his physical appearance. As a mixed Afro-Indo Caribbean, Tyler remarks, “ I’m tired of people asking if I’m sure about what I’m mixed with and suggesting that I’m a completely different race when I tell them I’m biracial, simply because I don’t ‘look like it.’”

While Tyler and Jacqueline often get questioned about their mixed races, sophomore Salima Ali gets asked about growing up with two different religions. With a Muslim father and Christian

mother, she explains that often, she looks like “the outsider” amongst her father’s Muslim side. She explains, “Almost all of my female cousins and aunts from my father’s side wear a hijab and I always look different from them in picture.” She continues, “I always get questioned on why I don’t wear a hijab or why I don’t follow Islam strictly.” In response to those questions, Salima adds, “ Pe o ple

need to realize that it is possible to grow up with two religious influences around and find a balanced harmony between them,” Freshman Ashley Facey , who is both Chinese and Jamaican, believes that you should be able to express the facets of your identity however you see fit. She commented, “People exclude me from

a group because I am mixed.” She shares, “Someone didn’t think I could relate to the black lives matter movement even though 75% of my family was brought to Jamaica from Africa through slavery,” Ashley also brings another common misconception society has for mixed individuals to light.

She states that it is often surmised that, “mixed people are automatically prettier than other people.”

ART BY AMANDA LIN

T y l e r concurs with Ashley saying, “One thing I’ve seen that disturbs me is the fetishization of mixed people.”

He explained, “When people are more attracted to someone because they’re mixed, or because they just want their kids to be mixed [and] get involved with people outside of their race for that sole purpose, [it] makes me feel like an object.”

Freshman Elizabeth Brandwein adds to the conversation saying that although she may be Filipino and Polish, “I really don’t like being referred to as ‘exotic.’

The term ‘exotic’ is most often used to describe plants and animals.” Elizabeth argues that the term is not a compliment, adding, “I’m still a person [and I’m] not something to be gawked at.”

For most mixed race or interfaith indivudals, one of their specific races or faiths provide them with a greater sense of privilege than the others.

Jacqueline comments, “I have been told that my life is easier because I look very white, and I honestly have to say I agree because people of color experience so much oppression in our society and I’ll probably never know what it’s like to be scrutinized for having darker skin.”

Jacqueline shares that she especially tends to receive these types of degrading comments from others. She reveals that the words ‘You’re not black enough’ directed at her have become a commonality and argues that since, ‘I was mostly raised by my family on my mother’s side,’ she in turn has, ‘always grown up with a strong black influence.’”

Likewise, Tyler faces the same scrutiny from both of his races. “I have been told that because I’m not amazing at basketball and am educated that I’m ‘not black enough.’

And the same goes for my IndoTrinidadian side. Since I don’t watch Indian movies and love all of the food that comes with the culture, [I’m] ‘fake brown.’”

Jacqueline concludes with a final message about how proud she is of her mixed background: “We aren’t ‘half breeds.’ We’re lucky that we have multiple cultures of our own to celebrate.”

The Classic wins 12 Newsies! awards at annual awards ceremony

The Classic staff at the annual Newsies! awards ceremony.

RECENTLY, THE Classic

newspaper won 12 awards at the

annual Newsies! awards held at Baruch College, the most ever earned.

The newspaper was named best in the city for national, arts and entertainment, election-related, data-driven and sports reporting, The Classic was commended in seven other categorizes, including runner-up for former Editorin-Chief Jason Lalljee’s “Deferred Inaction: Undocumented students on the challenge of high school and higher education” in features writing, and honorable mention for former Layout Editor Tasnim Abdelkarim ‘s front page illustration for that article, entitled “A Dream Deferred.” Tasnim and former Multimedia Editor Rebekah Jones

were also runner ups for multimedia storytelling with their book “Introducing the Class of 2016.”

Former News Editor Olivia Chan, current Editor-in-Chief Sumaita Hasan, and current Managing Editor Mehrose Ahmad received honorable mentions in the social-media assisted storytelling category for the article “Drug Possession Derails Six Flags Trip.”

An anonymous writer also won honorable mention for the opinion article entitled “The Nine Determining Digits of Identity.”

The Classic placed runner-up in best overall print newspaper and honorable mention in best overall online news site.

Microsoft now providing students with free programs

by Thient Thien, Staff Writer MICROSOFT HAS recently partnered with the New York City Department of Education to provide free resources to all NYC students and school staff. With this new development, students and employees with a schools. nyc.gov email can install up to five copies of the Microsoft Office Suite program, which includes both Office 365 and Office 2016.

This package includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and many other programs.

Aimed at helping NYC students attain their necessary digital resources, students and teachers are excited about the Microsoft-DOE collaboration, deeming it highly beneficial. Junior Bailey Chan thinks that “it’s a wonderful step for students to be more engaged and to have the contrivances to prosper.”

When asked of the motives behind this deal, junior Milly Raj responded, “I think [Microsoft’s] motives are to promote more advanced technology for public school students and ultimately make sure that all young adults have the opportunity to be more technologically educated.”

Assistant Principal of Humanities Rafal Olechowski added, “[Microsoft] is probably trying to reenter the market. Well good for them; I commend their generosity for sharing their wealth with public schools.”

With many students in THHS using Google applications similar to that of Microsoft’s, it was integral to discover which software the students preferred. Junior Emma Fujita said, “There are still students who prefer Microsoft Word. Personally though, I would still use Google Drive more since it allows multiple people to work on a document, which is extremely helpful for group collaterals.”

Milly further added, “I don’t think [the partnership] is futile because even though our school’s technology is heavily dependent on Google applications, Microsoft also provides [a] great source.”

Mr. Olechowski, however, had a more reserved outlook on the collaboration. “Many Microsoft products are poorly designed, but the real reason why I think it is irrelevant at this point is Google Docs; students [already] have a free word processing feature available to them,” he remarks.

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PSAT/SAT/ACT 2017 2017 Weekend Schedule (7 weekends) Saturday, July 8, 2017 – Sunday, August 20, 2017 Class 1: Test 1 (*Wed* July 5) Class 2: Review 1 (*Thurs* July 6) Class 3: Test 2 (Mon, July 10) Class 4: Reading (Tues, July 11) Class 5: Math (Wed, July 12) Class 6: Grammar (Thurs, July 13) Class 7: Test 3 (Mon, July 17) Class 8: Reading (Tues, July 18) Class 9: Math (Wed, July 19) Class 10: Grammar (Thurs, July 20) Class 11: Test 4 (Mon, July 24) Class 12: Reading (Tues, July 25) Class 13: Math (Wed, July 26) Class 14: Grammar (Thurs, July 27)

Class 15: Test 5 (Mon, August 1) Class 16: Reading (Tues, August 2) Class 17: Math (Wed, Aug 3) Class 18: Grammar (Thurs, Aug 4) Class 19: Test 6 (Mon, August 7) Class 20: Reading (Tues, Aug 8) Class 21: Math (Wed, Aug 9) Class 22: Grammar (Thurs, Aug 10) Class 23: Test 7 (Mon, Aug 14) Class 24: Reading (Tues, Aug 15) Class 25: Math (Wed, Aug 16) Class 26: Grammar (Thurs, Aug 17) * Class 1 will start on Wed, July 5, 2017

Summer Camp Weekday Schedule Wednesday, July 5, 2017 – Thursday, August 17, 2017 Queens Location: Parker Towers Building 104-40 Queens Blvd Suite 1C; Forest Hills NY 11375 Manhattan: 370 Lexington Avenue Suite 800; New York 10017 (41st and Lexington) Register and Pay Online: www.KwellerPrep.com.

Please Register Early. Space is limited.

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November/December 2016

PSAT/SAT/ACT/SHSAT Saturdays

Sundays

Class 1: January 7 Class 2: January 14 Class 3: January 21 Class 4: January 28 Class 5: February 4 Class 6: February 11 NO CLASS: February 18 (President’s week) Class 7: February 25 Class 8: March 4 Class 9: March 11 Class 10: March 18 Class 11: March 25 Class 12: April 1 Class 13: April 8 NO CLASS: April 15 (spring break) Class 14: April 22 Make-up session: April 29

Class 1: January 8 Class 2: January 15 Class 3: January 22 Class 4: January 29 Class 5: February 5 Class 6: February 12 NO CLASS: February 19 (President’s week) Class 7: February 26 Class 8: March 5 Class 9: March 12 Class 10: March 19 Class 11: March 26 Class 12: April 2 Class 13: April 9 NO CLASS: April 16 (Easter Sunday) Class 14: April 23 Make-up session: April 30

( 1) 8:00 am to 12:00 pm OR (2) 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm OR (3) 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Class 1: Test 1 (July 8) Class 2: Review 1 (July 9) Class 3: Test 2 (July 15) Class 4: Review 2 (July 16) Class 5: Test 3 (July 22) Class 6: Review 3 (July 23) Class 7: Test 4 (July 29)

Class 8: Review 4 (July 30) Class 9: Test 5 (August 5) Class 10: Review 5 (August 6) Class 11: Test 6 (August 12) Class 12: Review 6 (August 13) Class 13: Test 7 (August 19) Class 14: Review 7 (August 20)

AM Session: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm/ PM Session: 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm Queens Location: Parker Towers Building 104-40 Queens Blvd Suite 1C; Forest Hills NY 11375 Manhattan: 370 Lexington Avenue Suite 800; New York 10017 (41st and Lexington) Please Register and Pay Online: www.KwellerPrep.com Registration Deadline: January 1st 2017. Space is limited. Call 1(800) 631-1757

Kweller&Prep&provides&Advanced&Test&Preparation&in&Small&Group&Settings&&

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Townsend in 3016: SING! performers set the stage for THE FUTURE After meeting the 2016 students, based on past graduates of THHS, Ava and her friends return to 3016 and Liam tries to persuade his father to change his ways of ruling, but to no avail. His father, Donald Scott (junior Kostadin Kostadinov), mysteriously and abruptly dies, making Liam the new king. As king, he breaks the division between the elites and lower class while announcing his love for Ava. In a twist ending, however, the Queen (junior Natalia Turowska) and Megan reveal that they were plotting against the King and the group of friends the entire time.

Junior dancer Kelechi Ibeh summed up her experience in Freshior SING!, stating, “My dance directors always made me smile. Watching the people who came into SING! not knowing how to dance slowly improve just made me strive to become a better dancer.”

Actress Savannah, who played the cunning Megan, added, “My favorite part of SING! was meeting and being able to work with so many amazing people who put in so much effort to put on an incredible show...to think that a group of high school kids got together and created not only one, but two performances is a pretty incredible concept. So congrats to both the Semores and the Freshiors for being able to do just that.”

One freshior dance director Elana Muradov commented, “It was truly an honor to work with such a talented group and to actually see my vision of the whole thing come to life.” However, she was disappointed with the result, saying that she was “honestly shocked when we didn’t win, and I really hope the judging system changes in the future.”

The Semores’ plot revolved around a girl named Harper Goodman (sophomore Daniella Pardo) who was forced to transfer into Townsend Harris Boarding School in her senior year, leaving her best friend Pax (senior Michael Schmitt) behind. Harper

Continued from THE front page Read the full story on The Classic webiste

photos by daniel sotelo-reiner and justice williams Art by kathy chang

ends up outside the campus borders along with three new classmates: Dot, Nova, and Maci (senior Caitlin Cassidy, senior Marina Aweeda, and sophomore Sarah Deonarain, respectively). The three girls attempt to get her back in school, but they all get locked out. With no options remaining, the girls take a public subway toward Pax’s house and are exposed to the real world issues like catcalling and poverty that they were shielded from.

With the help of Pax, the girls eventually discover Headmaster Bigsby’s (senior Erela Datuowei) plans to isolate her students from the world to prepare them to start a colony on Mars.

The headmaster is arrested by a security guard played by English teacher Ryan Dunbar. The performance ended with a kiss between Pax and Harper, and the cast recited the Ephebic Oath.

The plot was further enhanced with complex dance moves ranging from ballet to hip-hop to free-style and creative covers of songs, in addition to glitter, metallic makeup, and costumes produced by the costume department to embrace the futuristic theme.

Semore senior backstage director Alexis Sarabia said, “It’s nice seeing how we succeed not only in academics but also in the arts. I especially loved the involvement of teachers.”

Senior actress Erela, who played the antagonist in the Semore plot, recalled, “My last experience of SING! was so unexplainable. I was scared we [were not going] win, but I had so much love for the family I made [and] was sad to let them go. When I saw the balloons come out of the trash can with our colors, I was in shock. I just about cried.”

Director of the singing department senior Tiffany Huang said, “I still haven’t gotten rid of the feeling that I get whenever everyone has to go on stage to perform as a unified team.”

Tiffany’s co-director Michal Davydov added, “Watching everything come together is really magical.”

November/December 2016

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OPINION

Not now, not ever

by Ashley Zhao, Copy Editor THE ELECTION of Donald Trump as our next Commanderin-Chief has been a shocking revelation of the painful and deplorable truths of American society.

In the face of this great misfortune, many students have taken to social media to express their anger and concern, standing behind the trending hashtag, #notmypresident. Still, several people, though they may not support Trump, have called for unity within the nation in this time of crisis. They argue that the results of the election cannot be changed by protests and that the best course of action for our nation now is to stand behind our new president as a united country.

This is quite a noble thought, I admit, but a highly flawed and idealistic one that fails to take into account the immediate dangers facing marginalized groups who have been targeted by Trump’s campaign and the consequences of advising these groups to stand down in the face of these dangers.

One of the most controversial aspects of Trump’s campaign was his infamous slogan, “Make America Great Again,” as many people argued that the times Trump might want to return us to

featured many terrible things for marginalized groups. Now, if we are to make America united again under Trump, we must ask: was America ever truly united in the first place?

The truth is, this election has not created anything in America that was not already present from the start. Trump himself did not plant new seeds of racism, misogyny, and bigotry; he was simply the catalyst that revealed the long-standing prejudices which, though most were aware of their existence, no one realized the true depth of. For the past year or so, his constant spew of ignorance and hatred has emboldened those who would have otherwise kept their intolerance to themselves.

Perhaps Trump’s words were nothing more than brash, offensive publicity stunts. Perhaps his intentions for America are good and well-founded. Perhaps he will turn out to be a decent president.

However, our refusal to stand united now does not stem from Trump himself, but from a fear of the reaction of his many supporters, who feel that his victory in the election serves as validation for everything he has done.

When people of color are harassed with threats of deportation, when women are groped by men who feel entitled to their bod-

ies, when students proudly walk into school proclaiming white supremacy, we cannot “stand united.” It goes beyond simply accepting Trump as our president; to stand behind him now is to relinquish every basic human right we have fought for thus far.

It is to admit that we deserve to be treated as less than human, and above all, it is to turn our backs on every woman, every member of the LGBT community, every Muslim, and every person of color in America.

Regardless of your political beliefs, know that this is not the time for conformity. It’s no longer a question of what Trump will do as president, but of how the people will respond to his presidency.

A fair portion of the population has already made its decision to respond with acts of violence and hatred against numerous minority groups in America.

Now, the rest of us must decide whether we are to stand quietly in fear for the sake of uniting our country under a man who embodies the very worst of what America has to offer, or to “stand united” against every wrong that has been committed out of bigotry and intolerance. Now is the time to stand in solidarity, not under Trump, but with one another.

Divided we fall, united we prosper

by Aly Tantawy, News Editor SOMEHOW, THE people of the United States of America have succeeded in electing an intolerant, chauvinistic human who has based his entire campaign on fiery rhetoric and hollow promises.

This has left friends separated and families estranged with seemingly no hope for a truly united country.

The most important matter right now is that this nation be united. Yes, we have elected a president who many people disagree with. Yes, we are facing an internal crisis that has left many in tears. However, only one choice remains now: to support our president and our country.

The hashtag (#notmypresident) has been going viral on social media. Many Americans do not want to support their new president-elect Donald Trump.

However, they fail to realize that he is not going anywhere. There should be a peaceful transfer of power to the presidency. Protesting does nothing but divide an already disunited country. It is fine to criticize Trump, but to completely withdraw support for him is a foolish act. This is not the time to be complaining about who is supposedly “privileged” and who is not.

One of the most appalling responses that I have heard in reaction to the result of the election is that one would move to a different country. However, what does that tell us about the American people?

That we flee in the face of adversity? Americans have always prided themselves on their ability to unite and face hardships with their chins up. This value should also apply in this case. If one is unhappy with his government, then he should speak out. To run away only strengthens the opposition.

One should not say that he or she is not proud to be an American because of our current president-elect. Our president has

“ Only one choice remains now: to support our president and our country. ”

never defined our whole country, and he should not define it now.

The people define our country. I am not asking for people to stand behind hatred and bigotry. Rather, I am asking for our citizens to come together.

I have witnessed students in classes no longer standing up for the pledge, and in more extreme cases, as reported on the news, people even burning the American flag. Both of these events are equally immoral. You are who you are because of this country. Anyone who does not stand up for our pledge is a disgrace to themselves

and a disgrace to the United States of America. How can you turn your back on the country that has clothed and fed you, the country that has given your parents a job and you an education?

Yes, it is true that it is neither unconstitutional nor illegal to refrain from standing up for the pledge or to burn the American flag.

Just because it is not illegal does not make it right. By not standing for our pledge, you are disregarding the very thing that gives you the freedom to do so.

You are disrespecting all of those in service who have lived and died by the pledge. You are telling the world that you do not care enough to stand with your own country.

The president-elect’s haughty talk was simply that: talk. The government still has two other branches to keep the executive in check, and I have complete faith that even a Republican dominated legislative branch will follow their consciences to quell any dangerous rhetoric.

Now is the time when the real strength and character of the American people will prevail.

This is the test to which we must respond with solidarity. Regardless of the fact that I do not agree with him, I accept Donald Trump as my president and would ask of my fellow Americans to do the same. Divided we will fall, but united, we will stand tall and prosper.

THE CLASSIC

THE CLASSIC

The Classic FROM THE EDITORS

by Justin Chen, Staff Writer typical American girl, except her parents hold low paying jobs. Like Jake, Ava goes to THHS and finds out she gets accepted into Harvard.

When Ava and Jake receive their college acceptance package and apply for financial aid, Ava receives a full ride through college while Jake receives practically nothing. If Jake is stuck in this position, there are only two options remaining for him: either apply for full cost at Harvard and have his parents drain their bank account to put him through college, or leave his college offer to go to a cheaper, more affordable school.

In what world is this possibly fair? If Jake chooses to go to his first choice college, this would leave him with a bankrupt family, but Ava, on the other hand, would be able to have a free ride through college with no consequences. If we continue to stick to our current financial aid system, we are basically redistributing the wealth of our country, which is nothing short of communism.

If we have a need from practically every student in the country, what justification is there to only provide for a small portion of the group? We cannot expect the slightly wealthy to fend for themselves and be denied financial aid when, in actuality, both families are in need of support. In our given situation, the best way to decide who would receive financial aid is simple—flip a coin.

If we distribute financial aid based on luck in a draw system, we would remove any preconception of favoring one economic group over another and provide equal opportunities for all students to receive support. Granted that this system will have much trouble going into effect with namely lower class families protesting the unfair division of financial aid, it is the only reasonable way of determining who receives and doesn’t receive financial support.

We have exhausted our other options to create a fairer yet ineffective system, such as expanding the financial aid budget in order to broaden the economic groups that the government helps. We would have to completely redistribute the federal budget to make room for additional funding, which raises many additional problems, or we would have to add more money into our budget, which is not a good idea with our already growing $21 trillion debt.

Given our current situation, a draw system is the best and most practical course of action to make college admissions and financial support equal and fair for everybody.

9

OPINION

A broken financial aid system YOU TEAR open the envelope and discover your college acceptance letter—you got in. You break the great news to your parents, siblings, family, and everyone you know. However, the euphoria dies out once you realize that your future is now riddled with debt and bankruptcy. What was supposed to be the brightest moment of your life is now dim with the shadow cast by potential debt.

Millions of hardworking middle-class families are struggling to put their children through college.

Though Harrisites look forward to a bright future after graduation, soon they realize the future is not as great or affordable as it seems.

The golden rule of financial aid is that college is not an entitlement. The government does not guarantee affordable college grants, but merely promises to attempt to make higher education more accessible. However, when put into perspective, financial aid is practically a given for lowerclass citizens, and the government basically guarantees a free fouryear ride for those part of that community.

Why must we delve all our resources into one particular group of people? Has the phrase, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” gone in one ear and out the other? The argument for providing more aid for the lower classes is that they require more support when, frankly, we all do. The only people who do not need to receive financial aid are the top one percent consisting of the extremely wealthy. Aside from them, all students are in the same pool in requiring financial aid.

The middle class is defined as making 67% to 200% of the median household average ($52,000). If all families alike, ranging from the poor to the upper-middle class, face the same inability to provide for higher education, then why must the government only help one part of this “pool” and leave all of the middle class to fend for themselves?

Townsend Harris High School is comprised of working class families, ranging from the lower to upper-middle class. The amount of people who would consider us to be “too wealthy” to receive any support for our higher education is astonishing. This should greatly frighten you as a college-bound student and leave you protesting outside City Hall.

Consider this scenario: Jake is an all-American average boy whose parents hold middle-class jobs. Say Jake goes to THHS just like us, and when he rips open his college acceptance letter in senior year, he finds himself accepted into College X, one of the most prestigious schools in the country Now let’s take Ava. Ava is a

November/December 2016

EST. 1984

The Classic is an open forum for the expression of student views. The opinions expressed therein should not be taken to represent those of the administration or faculty, or of the student body as a whole.

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ilyssa Delos Reyes Sumaita Hasan

PHOTO BY MEHROSE AHMAD

NEWS EDITORS Rabia Hasan Aly Tantawy

SPORTS EDITORS Agastya Vaidya Alexander T. Velaoras

FEATURES EDITORS Jillissa Drayton Sarah Gafur

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Sarah Yu

OPINION EDITORS Mohima Sattar Diego Ramos

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Renaenia Pangan Adam Sosnicki

A&E EDITORS Francesca Filiberti Kristiana Deur

LAYOUT EDITOR Tara Jackson

COPY EDITORS Ashley An Ashley Zhao

MANAGING EDITORS Mehrose Ahmad Arifa Baksh

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Laura Marsico Mahira Raihan

Changed bathroom sign outside the sixth floor gender-neutral restroom.

Stalling progress with immaturity

T

he recent installment of a gender neutral bathroom on the sixth floor has incited mixed responses from the student body. Though some expressed their joy at this progressive step, criticisms have been posted to social media platforms, such as on the anonymous THHS Confessions page and on Snapchat, with students claiming that the gender neutral bathrooms would make them uncomfortable. In addition, some suggest the bathrooms would influence students to partake in inappropriate behavior.

Such weak and baseless claims diminish the needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals who need the bathroom as a safe space.

THHS prides itself in its welcoming community that ensures respect for all. The school maintains a reputation that upholds maturity to a high degree, and yet, our students are proving quite the opposite—they are dismissing this step as flawed and unnecessary.

The bathroom should not be a source of entertainment or ridicule. In addition, misuse of the bathroom should not be glamorized on social media.

There are individuals who believe that the school neglects the needs of other students by paying too much attention to the students from the LGBTQIA+ community.

Some also claim the transgender population in the school is small, bringing into question the necessity of the bathroom.

However, this claim does not take into account the students who have not yet revealed their gender

identity to others.

Even if there is a small population, this is a school that tries to be inclusive of all, regardless of how small they are in number.

Likewise, this bathroom is not LGBTQIA+ exclusive; it is open for all to use.

If students feel uncomfortable using it, they do not have to; there

“ It is our job, not only as Harrisites, but as tolerant human beings, to set aside these trivial fears and stop perpetuating the puerility that is so often attached to teenagers. ” are other bathrooms on every floor of the building.

Some fear the bathroom welcomes lewd behavior from students, and some on social media have already alleged that students are using the bathroom as a place for sexual activity.

To partake in sexual activity in an unhygienic facility is already foul in itself, but to do so in a place that was intended, not only as a bathroom, but as a safe space for others, is beyond disre-

spectful.

There have already been minor acts of vandalism in the bathroom a day after it was opened, including toilet paper strewn across the floor and the flooding of a toilet.

Such behavior even prompted an announcement from S t u dent Union President Alex Chen, during which he stated, “It was brought to my attention that some students have been abusing and trashing this facility; our janitors had to clean up a flood due to this vandalism. These actions have jeopardized our new bathroom.”

These actions are indirect forms of bullying; students who genuinely need to use the restroom can easily perceive them as discriminatory. This removes the purpose of the bathroom in the first place.

Instead of blaming the administration for not taking possible negative consequences, such as the aforementioned chance of sexual misconduct, into account, how about we prove to them we are mature and that they were right in trusting us? How about we embrace this as a way of alleviating the constant anxieties those of the LGBTQIA+ community face?

Most recently, the principal emailed the students that the bathroom was still open for all to use, once again placing her trust in the student body to act appropriately.

It is our job, not only as Harrisites, but as tolerant human beings, to set aside these trivial fears and stop perpetuating the puerility that is so often attached to teenagers.

ADVISOR Brian Sweeney

We welcome letters to the editor.

Townsend Harris High School 149-11 Melbourne Avenue Flushing, NY 11367 thhsclassic@gmail.com

The Classic reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and concision.

FROM THE EDITORS

Introducing the Class of 2017: Find our page on Facebook, which profiles the senior class as they prepare to graduate.

FROM THE EDITORS

Have an opinion on an article published in The Classic?

Want to have your thoughts on a topic published?

Write a “Letter to the Editor” and email it to thhsclassic@ gmail.com.

10 November/December 2016

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS Girls bowling team rolls to victory

Senior Stefan Mirkovic receives soccer scholarship from University of Massachusetts

by Michelle Hong, Staff Writer

THE CLASSIC

len explained, “We play a lot of scrimmages to get into the habit of bowling everyday. Working on things like our follow through, our sets, and just doing this over and over, muscle memory. Personally, this is one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen.

Generally we have pretty p ro d u c t ive seasons. I think we lost our only game to Bayside by just four pins, which isn’t much at all. It was an unbelievable match and both teams played fantastically. I know that last year we were defeated in our regular

“

season, and when we got to the playoffs, we lost by missing a lot of people; I myself wasn’t there. I feel like we want to continue having this season streak, make it to playoffs, and actually show up this time. For this year, we just want to continue having this great streak, take it to the playoffs, and play hard.”

Maya has so far averaged 122.92 pins per game, and scored a total of 1475 pins in her last ten games.

To prepare for the season, the girls practiced almost daily during the school year, participated in countless scrimmages, and went to workshops during their off

Their dedication, their commitment, and their hard work. That sounds really cliché but that’s what makes a winning team. ”

Introducing Mr. Lemanczyk

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELISABETH HYDE

Physical education teacher Mr. Lemanczyk.

by Daniel Singh, Staff Writer THIS YEAR, the newest physical education and health teacher, Matt Lemanczyk, made his debut.

Mr. Lemanczyk comes from an interesting background, having been a former professional baseball player. Reflecting on his career, he said, “I played baseball in college and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. I played in the Minors for about five years and I got as high as Double A, but unfortunately I suffered an injury that forced me into early retirement.”

Afterwards, Mr. Lemanczyk attended Queens College and received his physical education degree. He had also previously acquired a bachelor’s in sociology, a master’s in education, and a minor in psychology.

“As for teaching, I spent the last six years teaching in the Great Neck Public Schools district,” Mr. Lemancyzk added. He went on to comment about how he was

introduced to Townsend Harris High School through Queens College. “I heard about how reputable the school and faculty [was] and [the] caliber of students, so when I saw there was a potential opening,

“

I’m thankful to be part of the team. ” I was very excited and threw my name in the hat as fast as I could, hoping for the opportunity.”

Aside from teaching, Mr. Lemanczyk also coaches many sports. He explained his passion for coaching, saying, “I’ve coached three different sports—girls soccer, boys basketball, and baseball.

I’ve been trying to work on becoming the baseball coach here at Townsend Harris as that’s some-

thing that I really really enjoy.

I’ve coached baseball for about fourteen years now. I’ve been coaching it at various levels from 13U to 18U in regional to national tournaments. I’ve learned from the best. In fact, my father was a professional baseball player and he played for eight years in the Major Leagues so I kind of grew up in that environment. He pitched for Toronto, California, and Detroit.”

Mr. Lemanczyk also teaches sophomore health, and many students have responded well to his style of teaching.

Sophomore Gen Kramer explained, “Mr. Lemanczyk seems pretty cool. I like how passionate he is about the topic and he tries to make teaching more along the lines of learning new information than just going with a curriculum.

He’s an athlete that changed his career to pursue his goal of informing people of health and raising awareness for it and it shows in his teaching style. I admire that about him.”

On a final note, Mr. Lemanczyk shared a message for all of the THHS students, staff, and faculty.

“I think being around the different faculty and the students, you can really see that there’s a really good family atmosphere and everyone kind of has the same purpose,” he commented.

He concluded, “I’m thankful to be a part of the team and I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to improve or help the school move forward in any way, whether it be teaching my classes, just helping students on the side, coaching, helping out a club, in any facet— just being involved is a privilege in itself.”

season.

The girls were also able to refine their skills with the help of their coach, Ms. Maria Assante.

Junior Emily Gomez said, “She always tells us to follow through and when we do we usually bowl better. We all have been steadily improving our averages and Ms. Assante has done a good job making sure everyone bowls.”

Junior Irene Anastasi added, “It’s really fun because you get to be with your friends, while also learning how to bowl and ways to improve.”

When asked about the secret to the team’s success, Ms. Assante responded, “Their dedication, their commitment, and their hard work.

That sounds really cliché but that’s what makes a winning team. And they are a unified group, they support each other, and they really have a desire to win.”

SPORTS UPDATES -The Boys Soccer team finished with a record of 6-6-2.

-The Girls Soccer team finished with a record of 9-3-0.

-The Boys Varsity and JV teams finished 4th and 3rd in Queens respectively.

-The Girls XC Varsity and JV teams finished 3rd and 1st in Queens respectively.

-The Boys Bowling team finished with a record of 9-3.

-The Girls Bowling team finished with a record of 9-1.

-The Girls Swimming team finished with a record of 9-0.

-The Girls Tennis team finished with a record of 9-1.

-The Boys Fencing team finished with a record of 6-4.

-The Boys Badminton team

SENIOR STEFAN Mirkovic is proud to announce that he will continue his soccer career in college, as he received an athletic scholarship from the University of Massachusetts, which partakes in Division 1 athletics. Although Stefan was never a member of Townsend Harris High School’s Varsity Soccer team, he continued to thrive as a soccer player while playing on club teams, such as Everton FC. “I started playing soccer at the age of seven, and it only got really serious at around age thirteen. I started to train four times a week and began to travel, which gave me a different mindset on soccer. I played for a US Developmental Academy for three years and was exposed to college coaches as well as national team coaches.”

He continued, “When it came to school, in all honesty, I put soccer before school for the past four years but was still able to manage to keep my grades up. Things weren’t all so easy but with special people, like my mom, my coaches, Caitlin Cassidy, and my good friends, I was able to keep my head up. I was scouted by several schools, including Michigan State, Lehigh, Lafayette, UMass, and Columbia. I decided to commit to the University of Massachusetts to play division one soccer the summer before my senior year.”

Describing what he loves about the school, Stefan added. “I find this school to be a perfect combination of education, financial support, and a great soccer program. I am confident that it is the right fit for me and I was fortunate enough to establish my program for the next four years. The coaches showed great interest, provided me with financial aid and athletic scholarship, and promised to provide a comfortable environment. ” Stefan hopes to use this opportunity to play in college as a stepping stone for a future career in professional soccer.

11

SCIENCE & TECH

Harrisites join world science academy

by George Adamou, Staff Writer

TOWNSEND HARRIS High School’s girls varsity bowling team is currently at the top of their respective division, losing only one tight match out of ten by four pins. For a while, the team was tied for first in the division with its rival, Francis Lewis High School. However, after the final match of the regular season, the Hawks were able to rise to the top.

The bowling team later rolled its way into playoffs.

The Hawks also had a successful 2015 season, in which they were divisional champs and placed first in the Queens I League with a noteworthy 12-1 streak. They were also the number 15 seed out of 30 in the playoffs, which allowed them to get a first round bye in the playoff bracket. As a result of the dominant season, the team feels motivated to build onto their prior victories and carry on their legacy.

Senior and Captain Maya Al-

November/December 2016

commented, “[Given] the limited number of spots, I would recommend that the students getting involved love science and are willing to do scientific research in the future.” The World Science Academy is a commitment that will demand much time and thought, but it is one that Mr. Stern believes in. He goes on to say that “the program will affirm students’ desires to pursue careers in science. It’s a great opportunity for students to connect with renowned scientists.”

The program is composed of many parts, one being workshops, which accepted students are required to attend. These workshops are specific to certain topics and are led by scientists who specialize in those areas of scientific research. They are a way for students to hone in on a certain topic that might interest them, then learn more about that subject by

speaking to a professional. Accepted students are also mandated to tour at least one lab site and to complete an online science course.

Sophomore Rhea Singh, a student who partakes in the program, commented, “I was able to learn so much about my chosen topic, which is [part of] the Shark Global Research program.

This program has given me the opportunity to talk with an expert and gain more knowledge. I even had a chance to go up above the tanks and see the animals without a covering over their tanks.”

The World Science Academy gives students much more than credentials for college applications; it imparts real-world experience to them. Scientists teach these students about what it means to be a scientist and how laboratory work functions, ultimately guiding them to decide how they want to spend their futures.

“ The World Science Academy is focused on helping students learn about the many aspects of scientific research.

PHOTO BY RENANENIA PANGAN

Students part of the World Science Academy with liasion, Physics teacher David Stern.

by Joshua Tsai, Staff Writer RECENTLY, TOWNSEND Harris High School partnered with the World Science Foundation, setting up a program for students to learn about science research. This pre-college immersive program is a great way for students to learn from scientists who have real-world experience

about topics they are interested in and would like to possibly pursue.

The World Science Academy is focused on helping students learn about the many aspects of scientific research. As an introductory course for aspiring scientists, it draws on the experience of well-reputed scientists and allows the students to gain experience in actual labs, exposing them to the professional work that scientists

do when conducting research.

Sophomore Michelle Lee remarked, “Being a student involved in the science research program at Townsend Harris, I know that I will eventually need a mentor and this program will give me an opportunity to get one.”

Physics teacher David Stern, a liaison between the students and program, believes that this opportunity shouldn’t go unheeded. He

”

Uber introduces selfdriving service

Invention of the month: MacBook Pro

by Andrew Glus, Staff Writer

by Christopher Gerbasi, Staff Writer

UBER, AN ever-growing American cab transportation company, released its first self-driving car this past September in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A year and a half ago, the company set up an Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh to develop self-driving cars, which would allow consumers to ride without having an actual driver. As of now, this option is only accessible in Pittsburgh, but it is expected to expand.

The self-driving Uber operates with an array of sensors, cameras, and radars. The car has an LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor that uses 1.4 million laser points to visualize the car’s surroundings, sense the colors of street lights, and cover the blind spots from all sides. There are also twenty cameras on top of the car to watch for other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles in general.

The vehicles are expected to provide enormous benefits; they will reduce traffic accidents, free up space used to park cars, and clear up street congestion. Travis Kalanick, the CEO and Co-Founder of Uber, hopes that self-driving Ubers will have the potential to improve society.

Many students use Uber to travel around conveniently and comfortably with the private

luxury that public transportation lacks. Senior Bernard Silverstein commented, “I use Uber weekly.

It’s convenient to call one whenever I want because I can do it on my phone and without waiting on anyone.”

Despite all of the positive talk about the self-driving Uber, there are some prominent downsides.

Junior Zayyan Alamgir voiced some of these issues as he said, “The problem is that it could replace the jobs of thousands of Uber drivers.” In addition to displacing approximately 1.5 millions drivers from their jobs, there is the natural suspicion surrounding the safety of cars that are driverless.

Physics teacher Joshua Raghunath, who believes autonomous transportation is the future, commented, “It’s where we’re headed [but] I would be apprehensive about having a autonomous car in New York City.”

The new, self-driving Uber vehicle was not expected to be implemented for another ten to fifteen years, but the increased business and popularity that it is expected to attract spurred developers to pioneer the invention.

“I hope it exceeds my expectations because it’s a revolutionary idea,” concluded Zayyan.

SINCE THE announcement of the new Macbook Pro from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, the world has been fascinated by the addition of a Touch Bar and the laptop’s major updates in graphical power. Critics in the tech community who previously denounced Apple for arming their new lineups with mere incremental upgrades have lauded the latest editions of the MacBook as a revitalizing force surrounding both the product and the company.

Apple centered the release around a touch-enabled display that provides quick access to user tools and is accompanied by a Touch ID sensor for faster logins.

Apple designed the addition to replace the set of function keys at the top of the keyboard and to act as an application-specific, quickaction interface.

Despite these features, junior Derrick Mu, who reserved an order for a 15-inch Macbook Pro, commented, “The touch bar won’t help at all with anything specific to me (i.e. coding and testing new iOS applications), but it’ll be a cool gimmick to have.”

Physics teacher and Technology Coordinator John Tsai commented, “My buying decision would be quite negatively impact-

ed by how impractical the Touch Bar is to me and the large price bump that accompanies it.”

As per usual, the new Macbooks will come in 13 and 15-inch models, however the two sizes come with their differences. The standard 13-inch model will have the option of adding the Touch Bar (at a base price of $1,799), while the 15-inch model will have the feature by default (at a base price of $2,399). Within the 13-inch lineup without the Touch Bar (starting at $1499), there is a 900 MHz base difference in computational ability, a lack of two USB-C ports, and a full generation downgrade of graphical power. Within the 15-inch lineup, there is only a 100 MHz base difference in CPU power.

In response to Apple’s removal of the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), SD card slot (Secure Digital), and USB 3 ports, Derrick disclosed his concerns and added, “My only complaint are the ports or the lack thereof, but I can live without them.”

The new laptop models offer a 200 nit increase in the brightness of its displays, a larger F o r c e T o u c h trackpad, a louder set of high dynamic range

speakers, new CPUs with higher boost clocks, up to 1TB more storage, USB-C ports that offer a charging ability as well as twice the throughput of bandwidth as USB 3, and, for the first time ever, more advanced graphical computation.

Physics teacher David Stern commented, “The newest MacBook Pro seems like a really cool device, and if it weren’t for the fact that I just bought a MacBook Pro five months ago, I would have probably picked this one up.”

Junior Sabiq Shahab commented, “I am buying the newest MacBook Pro because the older editions had storage capacities that were just pathetic, and my 2012 edition really can’t seem to handle displaying higher-quality videos on YouTube or loading up AutoDesk (a program used for CAD) without burning my legs.”

With prices starting at $1,499, this new generation of MacBook Pro’s seems to not only have cleansed the reputation of its most recent progenitors, but also mot ivate d Townsend students to purchase it.

ART BY ANGELA HUANG

12 November/December 2016

THE CLASSIC

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artwork by Bailey Chan and Kathy Chan

A “Fantastic Beast” of a Movie

by Kathy Ling and Valerie Mui, Staff Writers SINCE THE release of the first Harry Potter novel, J.K. Rowling has had readers hooked on the wizarding world and the iconic trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them gives us yet another look into this mythical world. For all the Harry Potter fans out there, this film definitely did not disappoint with its ambitious characters, witty humor, and delightful, but dark twists.

Arriving by ship, Newt Scamander travels with only a briefcase, causing trouble the moment he steps on land.

The luggage contains a variety of magical creatures, but with a flick of a switch on the side, the contents immediately appear to be normal clothes, shielding the creatures from the prying eyes of humans. Through a strange encounter and

switch of briefcases with a No-Maj, or muggle (a person without magic), Jacob Kowalski, several creatures within his suitcase escape into a human world that already suspects and despises the existence of witches.

With the help of Jacob, Tina Goldstein, a former Auror (equivalent to a police officer) and Tina’s sister Queenie. Scamander and the others use their magic (minus Jacob, of course) to recapture Newt’s endangered creatures and save the muggle world from an Obscurus, a black mass created by a child’s suppression of magic within him or her due to a fear of persecution, capable of immense destruction.

The film perfectly encompasses New York City in the early 1900s with the characters’ attire and mannerisms. The familiar landmarks are transformed to capture

the essence of immigrant America, along with antique cars and lamp posts lining the streets of Manhattan. The winter landscape of Central Park, is nostalgic for everyone who grew up in the city.

Leaving the No-Majs behind, the wizards of America have their own world woven into what already exists, with an impressive administrative building, similar to what we saw in Harry Potter.

The most unforgettable few shots of the movie involve the contents of Scamander’s suitcase; at first, it seems to be an ordinary briefcase containing day-to-day objects, but it is revealed to be far from usual.

An entirely different world exists within the case, containing the wizard’s creatures that roam in magical forests, deserts, and tundras, all somehow in the same small space.

The admirable use of dramatic lighting and color added to the impact of the film and the characters within it. Specific characters were constantly placed in darkness and shadows to emphasize their emotions and also to depict their true identity.

The use of top and frontal lighting assisted in portraying the humanistic side of Newt’s magnificent creatures , focusing on their benevolence, despite their irregular figures.

However, when a creature was depicted as harmful and destructive, the lighting shifted to envelop the creature in an ominous gloom accompanied by black and white colors.

Similarly, the setting reflected the atmosphere of the scene. Jovial scenes had vibrant visuals while dramatic scenes again transitioned into something darker.

Although a prequel to

the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows a completely different storyline.

The few references to Hogwarts and the wizarding world across the pond engages the audience and would delight any Potterhead.

Although the plot was slightly lacking in the fact that there were two substorylines that were not terrifically combined, the adventure factor of the movie made up for it.

With a star-studded cast consisting of Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, and an appearance from Johnny Depp, no movie-buff would miss out on this.

Whether a fan of the books or not, this fantasy film will make you want to believe that magical creatures really do roam among us.