SUPERIORITY
ARTS REVIEWS
SUMMER DAYS
taurants, and more to learn -
social media challenges to work experiences, Harrisites did it all.
est in the opinion section.
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Townsend Harris High School at Queens College
the
CLASSIC THE CLASSIC
www.thhsclassic.com
This new look caught many students off guard as classes began.
Poonam Dass STAFF WRITER
Upon entering Townsend school, returning students noticed a new shadow looming over their heads. The school’s edges are now equipped with ing, altering the complexion
causing damage to rooms. The construction will
ble six inches above the rest, 3:30 P.M. to 11:00 P.M.. pairing because there were several requests due to major water leaks,” stated Ellen Fee, Assistant Principal
students. The third report was in room 116, where the wa-
According to Ms. Fee, three major leaks have been reported. curred in room 604 and damaged the science lab. -
Townsend
Harris
was
Less severe leaks have been
-
locations, including rooms -
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bathroom, and the basement. As a result, several custodians requested that the
pairs did not begin in 2013
The
School
Construc-
manages the construction and
Instead, it was pushed
Photo by Yash Sharma
the construction project as it ola believes the construction
Since returning to school, students have had to adapt to THHS’s new state. “I think it looks dark ed senior Mansha Sadh.
begin until August 2014. School custodians have
Extra senior elective leads to program challenges -
Stephanie Geier and Sarah Iqbal
back to school required to take three electives as opposed to tives. This is because an audit mined that seniors did not Allotting more in-class time to seniors has led to a electives. To ensure that there would be enough space teachers were asked to teach -
there have been in previous seniors,” said Ms. York. “It’s ronica York. Courses such as caust and Human Behavior, Multimedia Journalism, and Computer Science are now Despite the greater num-
class was larger than most,
our program chair to create programs
Year program in which seniors are required to take two courses at Queens College. “Years ago, Queens College had a
“Our schedule is challenging for seniors. It’s harder for our program chair to create programs that fulfill the regulations.”
regulations.” Program Chair and English teacher Raquel
plications with programming. “Since we’re working with two time schedules, availabil-
schedule that worked outside the high school time s c h ed u l e s, ” added Ms. Chung.
take their college classes week, the program chair had more obstacles to overcome.
that took more than two electives. ommended,” commented Ms. it, we did allow it.” Concert Band, Social Science Research, Advanced Topics in Science, and Hebrew. However, seniors not meeting the 5.5 instructional hour time requirement has been an ongoing issue. According to the Depart-
> NEWS PAGE !
2 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
NEWS Ms. Oberlander takes over as COSA Ann Kochupurackal and AngeSTAFF WRITERS
-
and events, such as Junior BanFair. experience has “brought back student government to be like be like, and how much support Studies teacher Adam Stonehill took his place, and she believes this knowledge will help her Since Ms. Widman went on Ms. Widman shared her events and activities such as the Blood Drive and Junior Banquet. Thus, she hopes that her work during Ms.Widman’s absence gave her the experience needed to continue her work as
position. She mentioned
that
al-
ties. “I hope she continues some her own and puts her own spin on it,” she said. Senior and Club Liaison Hannah Jang, who works con-
responsibilities
because
she
can guarantee that students en-
-
-
on listening to ideas.” Despite her other respon-
and we know there is more in store.”
up” to help with student activi-
knows a great detail about her
New schedule adds class time, cuts passing time -
upon is the transition period
STAFF WRITER WITH A
narrow. “Three minutes is a tight
schedule. We could have made more term with one-to-two minutes added to each band, and p.m. This new change was made to ensure that all students would meet the state
time, we would have to end school much later.” He explained that the goal was to make the schedule as close to schedule is the best solution Although not a drastic
ting to class in such a short time, commenting “How can
Students, like junior Alana Jacques, have taken serious
-
between classes. Alana noted, “Three minutes is a slim
However, Classical Languagaes teacher Andrew
THHS that I do not notice,” schedule
“
underwent
drastic
!ree minutes is a tight amount of time for students. We could have made more time, but by making more time, we would have to end school much later.
”
minutes and changed to meet to switch between classes has
schedule is another change
“irregularities” in students getting to class on time. Ellen Fee, Assistant Princi-
three minutes. time add up,” said Assistant one set schedule.” time would get our students over.”
-
next class.” Health teacher Maria Assante likes the additional minutes added to each band, but un-
“The schedule has changed
per week. Junior Eriselda Cuni com-
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
3
NEWS
> CONTINUED FROM PAGE ! sophomores, and juniors take eight classes plus lunch, when
excluding lunch. schools to meet this requirement Through
this
program,
classes including lunch. In addition, the administration believed that the school should time requirement since seniors
seniors still lacked one instructional period.
-
ministration added senior meeting, the Humanities
-
“
was that the Humanities and Queens College elective seniors took didn’t appear on their schedules on Stars. However,
["e new elective] forces us to take a class, that we most likely dont want to take and adds unnecessary stress to our senior year which is already stressful.
program, seniors still didn’t meet the time requirement.
have to take two Queens Col-
response, the administration
The
administration
has ditors that the reason seniors don’t meet the time require-
Senior Ariana Stergiou would have liked to work on
interesting.
”
time, but I also have more work thrust upon me.” Some students, anticipatplanned their schedules acsaid, “I don’t predict this extra I selected classes that I could handle.” Despite this, senior Eial senior schedule. “What I’m
high schools. Though these would not accept this.
-
a week, there is more readbe taken into
consideration.
ter. elective was added to seniors’ programs.
us to take a class that we most
Ann Kochupurackal
school. Hard lockdown drills are
sons.
intruder is armed and intends to commit harm. In addition to continuing
agents assigned to our school and in the past we have had
Ms. Fee also stated that the school will be receiving a new She then mentioned a push among the administration to out the school. Until then, the door will not be in use other gencies.
agents would have had to keep es as well as on the students people to enter and exit unau-
school and do not enter or exit the school building without
-
with autism.
building during the school
-
mentioned that one parent even called the school when at an unusual time. thing could have happened to the students, and that these Last June, a senior also allowed a non-Harrisite into the building without permission. Although these situations weren’t threatening, Ms. Ram-
among other similar events tothrough the other two doors. - students or visitors - go through that door without -
intruders coming in.” the side door, which was closer to certain buses, are now limited to the main door. “The situation is not much school hours when the main
teachers have had to take part in “lockdown” drills in order truders entering the building
Carlos Abbario who rides the Q64 bus on Jewel Avenue. Sandra Bernard explained. ing onto Main Street. Students
situations where an intruder enters the building but there is no imminent danger to the
in the summer.
The lawsuit
4 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
NEWS
Q&A with alumnus, soldier Jordan Brandwein Rachel Chabin
chayal boded also provided with stipends and additional lodging and academic opportunities -
wordpress.com. Nearly everyone at THHS goes to college immediately after high school. What prompted you to
ing called “Gadna,” which includes
little, taken steps to help such as genu-
-
living in Israel.
-
As stated above, several important
inviting me over
ries of starting IDF training that dinner.
What part of the military are you
attacks. In one such situation we were escorted to a bomb shelter non-
ing this.
“
!e previous night, hostile forces had been shelling the countryside with impunity, although none of their shots were close enough to Lahav to trigger the alarm. What surprised me slightly more was how calmly the Israelis reacted. At first, the man who was directing us didn’t even want to go into the shelter, but we insisted. Finally, the man relented, and we followed him, walking, not running, to the shelter.
” -
the unknown. Then again, who isn’t
-
-
I started the blog back in new York wanted me to keep them updated on
that I should in order soldiers updated and helped me a lot personwriting things down can down. What do you plan to do -
experience in these next
well in Israel, with the president even coming out to see us. Since then, this What about your experiences has How have you been learning/
-
Why did you decide to start your
must be lived with.
What were your experiences like
because it makes
just how welcoming the Israelis have
Brandwein
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
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5
6 September 2014
2
THE CLASSIC
TRENDS DURING
the summer Ice Bucket Challenge BY RACHEL CHABIN, STEPHANIE GEIER, AND ZAC OOI
During the months of July and August, the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) ice bucket challenge went viral on Facebook. Several students from Townsend Harris participated in this trend, either accepting their nomination and pouring a bucket of ice water over their heads or donating money to the ALS Association. As a result of the trend’s overwhelming popularity (over $112 million dollars was raised), there were quite a few ice bucket challenge videos done by Harrisites that stood out. Senior Yarim Lee made a video that was 6:24 minutes in length, spending a large amount the money. In addition, her passion for science propelled her to take an extra ice bucket for Alzheimer’s disease, which she has been extensively researching for her high school career. “I got really excited when I found out about the ALS challenging getting more and more popular,” said Yarim. “Most people were actually just doing the challenge for fun, which it was fun, but I really wanted to drive home the message on what this whole challenge was about.” The ice bucket challenge at THHS even extended to teachers, with Science teachers Phillip Porzio and ied it and fought against it for four years now. I learned that awareness Thomas Sangiorgi being nominated by a THHS alum. for a disease may be the most powerful thing, so I wanted to spread ALS awareness by informing friends about what ALS really is, hoping that others will spread the information, inspir-
YARIM LEE
#100happydays Over the past few months, many have taken on a simple challenge: to try to be happy 100 days in a row. The 100 Happy Days Challenge encourages participants to come up with a single event or aspect of their day that truly made them happy, take a picture, and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instareasons to be happy every day, and anything, from a breathtaking view to a delicious meal to time spent with friends, is fair game. The trend started with Dmitry Golubnitchy, a young man living in Switzerland who would constantly feel sad despite his fortunate life. He then decided to name a reason he was happy every day and post a picture of it on Instagram. Since then, it has rapidly gained attention online, spreading to the Townsend Harris community as well. “I started 100 happy days because I wanted to gain a better outlook on life,” said junior Emmaly Gutierrez. “I wanted to appreciate the little things that made me happy and not focus on the negative things around me.” “It has helped me appreciate the little moments with family and friends that I may have taken for granted before,” said Emmaly. “And it taught me not to dwell on the bad days. I’d like to say I have a new perspective on life and how much being happy is important.”
KACIA WILSON Senior Kacia Wilson is already well past day 75 of the 100 Happy Days challenge. She started participating because she “was kind of in a sad place for a couple of months.” “It’s made me realize what things I really do enjoy, such as fashion, food and movies,” she said. “It’s also boosted tures seem to just show how much more of myself I’m seeing and that with each day I am genuinely getting happier and enjoying the little things.” Her favorite Happy Day was day 15 because on that day she cut her hair and, despite receiving a lot of negative feedback, she learned to not care what others thought because her hair made her happy. Some of her other Happy Days included a post of an online avatar doll her sister made for her, doing homework while watching Tangled, a nice view of a NYC bridge, and a view of the moon while waiting for the bus.
One of senior Karen Su’s 100 Days entries. Photo courtesy of Karen Su.
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
7
SUMMER SUCCESSES Students intern with OPUS Over the summer, Seniors Junwoo Shin and Ibnat Iqbal began participating in Generation Tech, a program that teaches students about app development and coding while also providing students with a chance to develop an app to put on the market. Both Townsend Harris students ended up working on the same team: OPUS. OPUS is an app that connects students to short term employment opportunities. The idea was inspired by the fact that students were working in jobs that they wouldn’t pursue in the future. Junwoo’s favorite part about working on OPUS has been visiting various “spaces in the tech industry,” such as the Google company. “I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to visit these different tech ecosystems as they are all unique and opened my eyes up to the working space of technology,” he said. However, OPUS’s development has been tough. “It’s really easy to think “oh, we’ll add a button here and it’ll do this,” but in actualtious, I’ll admit and that only put a bigger strain on our team as we tried to make those ideas realities,” Junwoo said.
JSA Summer School Some of the more politically-inclined students decided to spend their summers at the Junior State of America (JSA) camp at Georgetown University from July 13-August 3. Senior Karen Su and sophomore Matthew Mandel were two of the Harrisites who attended this year’s camp. Both members of Townsend Harris’s JSA club, they took courses in politics, visited various monuments and buildings in Washington D.C., met famous politicians, and participated in Congressional workshops to debate on political topics with other members at camp. “I learned a lot in Georgetown about how to be a great debater, how to write a research paper, and the complex world of journalism,” said Matthew. He added that because of JSA school, he made friends from six different states and Venezuela. “The most important thing I learned was that your friends don’t have to be limited to some state or school, and that well from the strangest of places,” he said. the social side of the camp experience, saying: “JSA has also expanded my network of friends, and these people continue to inspire me to be a better contributing member of society.”
SUMMER HORRORS Bugs in the Closet
Political Discomfort
Sophomore Daniel Morales volunteered at his middle school over the summer, organizing the closets to create a more convenient environment for staff during the year. However, while Daniel, the school’s Parent Coordinator, and the janicloset, an unfortunate incident occurred. They came across a leaking gallon jug of water that caused green mold to form all over nearby clothing and wet paper. The mold itself was disgusting, but the container also appeared to have served as a water source for other living creatures. “ There was a little nest of them,” Daniel said of the bugs that scuttled around the jug. Describing the creatures as a mix between a cockroach and a centipede, Daniel and the parent coordinator proceeded to call the janitor for help in getting rid of the pests. “ It wasn’t pretty; we got a new mop for [the janitor],” said Daniel. In the end, however, the closet was all
A
few litical
seniors experienced issues with the poservice they did over the summer. Senior Alondra Lerebours complained that though
with volunteers schedules, it was in actuality paign required students to work seven hour shifts on the days they decided to volunteer. She added that if a volunteer left earlier, the adults in charge of the campaign “made [the volunteer] feel guilty.” “The environment was not nice,” she said. The basement where her campaign was situated was “hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable.” Her and the other volunteers also had to work with poor equipment, such as phones that didn’t work well. Senior Swathe Menttela also did not enjoy her political service experience, partly due to the phone canvassing tasks she had to do, where she often had to call the same people multiple times. “People got really annoyed at me on the phone,” she said. clean.
Layout and Design done by Christina Wang. Photo of Yarim Lee courtesy of her Facebook ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video. Photo of Karen Su courtesy of her Instagram account.
8 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
INCOMING TE P
MR. JOSHUA RAGHUNATH
NEW PHYSICS TEACHER
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“They explain how the universe works... the laws that govern motion on this planet are applicable whether we are driving down the LIE or controlling the Mars Curiosity rover.”
B A C K G R O U N D He began his studies for a Master of Science in Education degree in Physics at Hofstra University, and last year he completed this degree by teaching AP Physics B, Advanced Physics, and Regents Physics at H. Frank Carey High School in the Sewanhaka School District. In addition to his expertise in education of the sciences, Mr. Raghunath has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, and worked for 10 years in this field.
A
R E C E P T I O N “He has kids write answers on the board and then we have to decide if they are correct or not before he gives any input. [This method is] really good because he doesn’t just say we are wrong and instead let’s us figure out what we need to work on.”
MR. CHRIS LEE
NEW MUSIC TE
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Mr. Lee has a long history with music ing started his violin training at the a five. A music lover for most of his lif Lee originally intended to become a p sional performer, but decided that te ing was ultimately a better path for To pursue his goal, Mr. Lee trained at variou stitutions, including Queens College, New University, and the Manhattan School of M
P samantha jaloza
“I was o linist, bu sion for be a ve
R
NEW ENGLISH TEACHER
B A C K G R O U N D Dr. Brewer moved from the small suburbs of Mission, Kansas to the Big Apple, went to school and started his career in publishing. However, when he was laid off from magazine publishing, he became a NYC Teaching Fellow, a postgraduate student who carries out teaching or laboratory duties in exchange for accommodations or tuition. He previously taught various English subjects in Flushing High School.
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“English kind of picked me... I was unsure as an undergrad what I wanted to major in, but I have loved reading books all my life, and kept taking English--and French--courses in college, until it became clear that my greatest love is literature.”
R E C E P T I O N “I think the way he sets up his class discussions is interesting...he makes you stand up and go in front of the class and speak and I think that’s. . . needed for a lot of classmates because we’re all kind of shy.”
VICTORIA HARRIS
WRITTEN BY ERIN ROBINSON
E
“He was est Hills gram fro It really that reb
WRITTEN BY HALLIE WOLF
DR. BRIAN BREWER
N
WRITTEN BY RACHEL CHABIN
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
9
EACHERS 2014
EACHER
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NEW ENGLISH TEACHER
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B A C K G R O U N D
c, havage of fe, Mr. profeseachhim. us inYork Music.
Ms. Stillman initially majored in pre-med at the University of Florida before switching to Hofstra University’s theater program. Proving that the third time’s the charm, she finally decided to major in English at Queens College after falling in love with one of her English electives.
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“I love everything about being in the classroom. I love seeing students change and mature through the year, especially freshmen.”
R E C E P T I O N “Knowing Mrs. Stillman was new as well and starting her first day at THHS made relating to her rather quick. She differs from other teachers in areas such as getting to know her students from a personal level.”
ALEXIS MARTIN
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originally training to become a concert viout I came to the realization that I had the pasr music but not so much the drive. I think I can ery good teacher, a much better teacher.”
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s telling us about his old job in Forwhere he developed the string proom a mere 15 or so [students] to 150. blew me away and we really need building process here in Townsend.”
WRITTEN BY JULIETTE PAUL
JULIAN DE LA ROSA
MRS. GEORGIA BRANDEIS
NEW ENGLISH/ISS PROGRAM TEACHER
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Ms. Brandeis, an alumna of Bronx High School of Science, attended Fordham University for her undergraduate degree and Pace University for graduate school. She majored in Sociology and Journalism and minored in Peace and Justice Studies. After graduating college, she first worked in the finance field, but always had the desire to return to the world of educating the next generation of adults.
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“High school is the time when young people are full of creativity, originality, and motivation and are able to do great things, and as educators, it is our job to push you in the direction of your dreams, to expose you to possibility and to brighten your fire so that it continues to grow brightly,”
R E C E P T I O N “I think her class is very different from any class I have ever taken. She doesn’t set guidelines, she just wants you to be open and express yourself. It’s different because there are no limitations and it’s very open-minded.”
MAZAL DAVYOVA
WRITTEN BY KATERINA JOU
10 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
OPINION
Academic snobbery is too often the norm here Angelina Liu COLUMNIST LET’S PLAY a little game. I’ll say a name, and you tell me what words you associate with it. Harvard University. Now, I bet you I can guess what you’re thinking—something along the lines of geniuses, brilliant students, and extraordinary talent, right? Next one: Stuyvesant High School. Still thinking something similar, like intelligent s t udent s a nd br i ght k id s , aren’t you? Now: Townsend Har r is H i gh S cho ol . I f you’r e a Harrisite like me, you’re probably biased and you may be immediately drawn to freshmen gym, six flights of stairs, or #teamnosleep. But what if I asked you about the students of Townsend Harris? Would your answer sound like the answers you used to describe Ha r va rd a nd St uy vesa nt students? To me, it seems as if it’s a no-brainer that you would have responded the way you did. After all, society likes to teach us to categorize people all the time, and naturally, you would tr y to characterize a school by fitting all of the students into one general label. Many also like to feel that being associated with cer t a i n prest ig iou s n a mes gives one prestige. But if you are one of those
people, it may mean that you connect your status as a student of THHS with the success of the school itself. I n my t wo ( g oi n g on three) years at THHS, I’ve heard countless deprecating statements and jokes about other schools. For example, when comforting another student about their sub-par per for mance on a test, a student would say something along the lines of “You know what? Maybe they aren’t the best, but with those grades you’d be a GENIUS at John Bowne! A “B-” here is an “A+” there!” Stereotyping all students of a s cho ol i s i n herent l y flawed because not every student is the same. Stereotyping the students of another school like this is morally wrong. Rather than even consider the possibility of there being smar t st udents in other schools, this stereotyping makes the automatic assumption that every student at another s c h o o l is intellectually inferior. Perhaps some of the students are b elow avera g e , b u t p e rhaps some are
above average academically. Regardless of whether THHS is academically superior to John Bowne, students here have no right to feel superior to every single student at John Bowne. These super ior it y complexes aren’t founded on individual accomplishments, but rather admission to our toptier secondar y school. One may argue that being admitted to THHS is accomplishment enough, but is it really, when you on ly need h igh grades and test scores, along with a whole lot of luck? The TH HS admissions criteria require a minimum GPA of 90, minimum reading and math standardized test scores within the 90th percentile, and a record for Artwork by punc t u a l it y a nd excel lent Parina attendance. It all sounds great Kaewkrajang in theor y, but grades, especially middle school grades, may not be the best measures of scholarship. Averages may be easily skewed and inf luenced by external factors—maybe a teacher had a soft spot for a st udent and decided to boost his or her grade, or maybe he or she did not want to grade too harshly and instead decided to award ever y
st udent wit h h igh m a rk s , regard less of the st udent’s merit. Students may find upon entering THHS that teacher s here don’t pointlessly boost g rades. If anyth ing, many st udents realize that their averages actually drop when compared to their middle school averages. If such a thing happens, isn’t that evidence of grade inf lation at a middle school? Doesn’t that mean some fo the student s a ren’t a m a zi n g, but are simply normal students? This wake-up call ser ves as a demon st r at ion t hat ste reot y pes a nd a s su mpt ion s about one’s academic ability shouldn’t be based on what school one got into. I n stead of foc u si n g on the accomplishments of the school and of all previous and current Harrisites, students should concentrate on their own individual feats. Instead of bel iev i n g t h at bei n g a Harrisite is an achievement in itself, think about what you want to attain as a student here. But if one wants to take pride in being a THHS student, do not take pride solely in the reputable name. All that does is project the success of “Townsend Har r is” onto a person.
Sometimes, quitting is the best you can do Zac Ooi OPINION EDITOR
AT THE BEGINNING of my sophomore year, I told myself that this was the year I would try to “step it up” in the extracurriculars department. Having only done cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track for my freshmen year, I was determined to not let running alone represent my non-academic high school career. Fate seemed to be supporting me at the time too, as I was able to become a founding the Junior State of America, and was chosen to begin training as an editor for The Classic. I thought to myself “An athlete and two club leadership positions? No way this year can go wrong.” I was almost right—it didn’t go wrong, it went very wrong. Days became a blur as I attempted to handle runto edit articles, and coming home straight to a conference call. My life became a three way tug-of-war between my
coaches, my editors-in-chief, and my club president. “Your competition is practicing everyday. Do you think
after school?” “Are you coming to the Clave after school?” “We’re having a conference call at six, don’t miss it.” The problems didn’t stop when I came home from school either: being too tired from running or mentally exhausted from editing meant taking a nap to do homework. Taking a nap at 7 P.M. sometimes meant waking up at 10 P.M. Waking up at 10 P.M. to do homework meant not a lot of sleep. Not a lot of sleep meant falling asleep in class. Falling asleep in class meant an embarrassing wakeup call from your teacher, or even worse, lower grades. The cycle was pretty bad. At the beginning of the next year, not only had I resigned from a club and decided my next cross country season would be my last, but my grades were at their lowest point yet. Admittedly, my story sug-
gests I had the worst sophomore year imaginable, but there were certainly lessons I took away from that year. The major one: don’t be afraid to quit your extracurricular activities. Clubs and teams usually want their members to stay on for all four years of high school, and from a club or team’s perspective, that only makes sense. But what about the students? If the commitment becomes too great, should they try to stick it out? Is losing sleep every night and trying to juggle multiple responsibilities really the only way to be successful in high school? Is training so hard that you becoming injured the only way year club/team members, there is always a point when commitments become burdens and students must be wary of that. Students need to remember that before they represent a school at a sports game, or at an academic competition, or at a volunteer opportunity, their
Quitting however, isn’t easy. Athletes who have been on teams for years can attest to that, at least I know I can. Sometimes the guilt or shame of abandoning a team or club turns into a trap, leaving students stranded with commitments they can no longer tolerate or sustain. Sometimes the stigma of quitting itself can be enough to dissuade students from making rational decisions. After all, like cheaters, “Quitters never prosper,” right? Wrong. If I had stayed on track, I would never have had the opportunity to experience the academic world outside of athletic competitions. Did I mention that I got more sleep and that my grades were at their highest ever? I think as a quitter, I prospered pretty well. Don’t get the wrong idea, though. Quitting isn’t the same for everyone. What made my quitting so valuable was that I reinvested my time into new activities that I was interested in and weren’t going to make me too tired for home-
work. I did something that worked for me. Now does that mean you should also immediately seek out new activities to replace your old ones? No. Instead, think about what to do once you’ve quit. Give yourself a break or don’t give yourself a break. Take on a bunch of new clubs or just join one. It’s all up to for yourself what you want to do. The point is: don’t quit and do nothing valuable or productive. Use quitting as an opportunity to re-evaluate yourself and your priorities. as a student at this school, the fact that I quit track isn’t something that I have forgotten. But thinking about how things turned out without track, I can’t deny how great quitting turned out to be. I might be a quitter, but at least I’m a happy quitter.
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
The Classic
EST. 1984
EDITORIAL
E
also with personalized letters of recommendation. Students willingly volunteered but were quickly disappointed by the lack of structure of many of the campaigns that THHS had helped to promote. Instead of the intended result of seniors gaining knowledge of the ways New York City politics works, most felt that their time had been wasted and, in some cases, their safety jeopardized. Some students canvassed alone, at night in areas far from campaign headquarters or in unsafe neighborhoods. Sometimes students would begin
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Geier Amanda Yan
While THHS has no knowledge of how a campaign will be run, a political service requirement shouldn’t make students feel pressured to volunteer at these campaigns. What most juniors didn’t realize was that the contract from Participatory Democracy (a.k.a. Government) includes more potential options for political service: “Examples of acceptable political service activities are as follows: Volunteering on a campaign, or participating in a rally or protest, volunteering in a local politician’s
were prompted to enter buildings where soliciting
political action committee (PAC).” Political service is well-intentioned and especially relevant in a place where thorough mock elections are conducted every year. However, students should never have to compromise their safety in order to complete schoolwork. If the school continues to allow campaign recruiters into the classroom, it should also educate students on what to expect while campaigning so that they can identify abnormal situations, and, if possible, background check the campaigns visiting the school. While the school administration cannot control the actions of outside political campaigns, it has a duty to protect its students from dangerous situa-
and were thoroughly engaged in the art of data entry. By allowing these groups into our school, the administration endorsed them as good options for political service, even though students ended up having unsavory experiences there.
bad political service experience, there is a student with positive one. There are plenty of safe campaigns, but because the school endorsed campaigns that turned out to be unsafe, a larger number of THHS students ended up working elsewhere.
covered a few days before. Others were told to call voters in languages they couldn’t speak or
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
Political service drawbacks ach year, rising seniors at Townsend Harris are required to do political service. Many underclassmen are encouraged to participate as well. Many campaign representatives came to visit history classes at THHS this past June in hopes of recruiting volunteers. Students were persuaded with not only the promise of ful-
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NEWS EDITORS Sarah Iqbal Ann Kochupurackal FEATURES EDITORS Rachel Chabin OPINION EDITORS Vincent Chu Zac Ooi A&E EDITORS Jason Lalljee Jennifer Walsh COPY EDITORS Evan Mancini Jane Tekin Simrankaur Wahan
SPORTS EDITOR Eleni Sardina LAYOUT & DESIGN Christina Wang PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Kari Iocolano Yash Sharma MANAGING EDITOR Nina Leeds ONLINE EDITOR Frankie Nicolazzi FACT CHECKER Harry Petsios
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.
OPINION
Don’t believe the movies: purely platonic is possible Ross Cimagala COLUMNIST WHEN HARRY met Sally, the two decided that they couldn’t be friends without romantic feelings getting in the way of their friendship. As high schoolers, while relationships may not necessarily lead to sex, the idea still persists that men and women can’t have a purely platonic relationship; one or both of them will end up falling for the other. This is a message reinforced by popular media. In shows like Friends and movies like No Strings Attached, the message that rings clear is: “A boy and a girl will never be just friends.” By the end of both, the male leads end up romantically engaged with their female counterparts. However, this isn’t always the case in today’s society. A man isn’t necessarily courting a woman when he strikes up a conversation with her, and vice versa. It’s not only tiring to see this cliché played out over and over again, but the cliché perpetuates the idea that every boy and girl walking down the street must be in some sort of budding romantic relationship, or that they’re both heterosexual in the first place. I personally have a girl in my life who is one of my closest friends. And before you ask, no, I’ve never developed romantic feelings for her, and no, I don’t anticipate any such feelings popping up in the foreseeable future. Just because she’s a girl whom I talk to and often hang out with, that does not mean that either of us have to be romantically interested in each other. Having a friend of the opposite gender has opened up my mind to many things, and I find it incredibly useful to have the readily available viewpoints of a female at my disposal. From introducing me to shows I normally wouldn’t watch, to receiving girl advice from an actual girl, I’m positive that without
Can “we’re just friends” ever exist?
her presence in my life I would be a completely different person. Despite this, I know that it’s not a bad thing to develop feelings for a close friend. Some of the best relationships are forged on the strong foundation of friendship. However, I do think it’s wrong that the media is discouraging the idea of a platonic relation-
Photo by Yash Sharma
ship. The man and woman don’t always ride off into the sunset together, childhood friends don’t always need to fall for each other, and just because a boy and a girl are hanging out doesn’t mean they’re on a date. Sometimes, believe it or not, a boy and a girl can be just friends.
12 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TOWNSEND TRENDS
NYFW Report: Fall trends
Abygail Rampersad A&E CRITIC W H EN SOM EONE thinks of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the bly the Unisphere. The Unisphere, one of the most recognized symbols in Queens, was conceived during a time when all eyes were on the usually quiet borough. It was meant to symbolize “Peace Through Understanding,” the theme of the 1964 World’s Fair. This World’s Fair was the second one to be held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The
FEATURES EDITOR THER E’S ONE week every year in New York City when it’s difficult to tell who is fashion-for ward and who is downright crazy. It’s the week when models flood the subway stations dressed in black and armed with Red Bull. It’s the week when it’s acceptable to wear an umbrella as a hat and a garbage bag as a dress. Furthermore, it’s the week when we forget about the present and look forward to the future--the future of fashion, that is. The games have begun; it’s MercedesBenz Fall Fashion Week. I had the privilege of being invited to attend t wo shows on Saturday, September 6 in the famed Fashion Week tents located in Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. Before entering the tents, I roamed around the Plaza, observing showgoers and show-crashers alike. I looked for the trends in fall street-style before getting a glimpse of the industr y’s Spring/Summer collections. It was a steamy day, but the ensembles gave a glimmer of insight into what is to come for the approaching season. If there is a headline for fall fashion, it is this: black is back. Though simple, this trend is far from boring as worn by New York’s most st yle-sav v y. From structured black bags with alligator print embossing to unstructured jackets in a blend of silk and cotton with leather accents, everywhere I looked I saw a new and refreshing take on the age-old favorite. In other, brighter news, metallics are making a comeback. At tendees spor ted gold and
World Fair exhibit opening
was the “Dawn of a New Day.” These fairs, which were attended by millions of vistors, represented times of unity and held promises of the future. Now, the Queens Museum is bringing parts of the fair back to where they
Examples of trends at NYFW
silver-capped brogues and oxfords, reflective aviator sunglasses, as well as fashion’s newest non-sartorial trend: metallic temporary tattoos. The collections themselves proved very different from the styles seen on the sidelines of the runway. The first show, Lacoste, was less than thrilling. The main thread of the whole collection seemed to be shapeless, unisex sportswear. The models donned mostly unexciting prints and colors, football jerseys with collars, as well as the occasional windbreaker tied around the waist. The
second show, however, was drastically different. Japanese designer Lie Sang Bong presented a collection centered around the essence of the butterfly. The bodices of flowing gowns were brilliantly hued mosaic-like pieces, resembling jeweled but ter f ly wi ng s. Candycolored and shimmering, this collection was far from the snooze-fest that was the Lacoste exhibition. It wa s a nother succes sf u l Fa l l Fashion Week in New York, and we’ll be dreaming about the Spring/Summer collections until next season.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, has an exhibit running until October 18, 2015, where people can view memorabilia from the fairs. “Behind the Curtain: Collecting the New York Fairs” draws from national and regional collections in order to bring little known pieces to the public. Sticking to the theme of togetherness that the fairs always seemed to push, people have been up their own artifacts for the museum to display. These artifacts vary widely, as they of the fairs. Visitors will be able to view pieces that once resulted in entertainment at the carnival, as well as ones that were the source of wonder as they hinted at the technological advances that were to come at the time. These pieces are sure to give the public some insight into the fairs that worked to address current topics and unite the world.
Gentleman’s Guide is a smash
Hailey Lam A&E CRITIC
DESPITE THERE being only eight D’Ysquiths in the line of succession, there were nine deaths after my viewing of “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” as the Broadway show had me dyonds of the opening act. Monty (Bryce Pinkham), grieving his recently deceased mother, is a poor, middle-class worker whose mourning is interrupted when a friend brings surprising news--Monty is a member of the D’Ysquiths, a rich aristocratic family. His mother was disowned by her parents after eloping with a musician. He writes a letter, naming his claim to the D’Ysquith name, but is rejected. His dilemma is that the love of his life (the socially ambitious Sibella Hallward, played by Lisa O’Hare) accepts only nobility as suitors. Monty begins writing his A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
Winner of this year’s Tony for Best Musical, I have nothing but glowing praise for this comedy. The plot is simple and easy to follow, allowing the audience to focus on the comedic side of the tragedies. The highlights of the musical are the deaths of the eight heirs, each played incestuous aristocratic families, they share the same juddering disease, shaking like rabid dogs upon death; a disease passed to the audience as well: we too were quaking in our seats. With each of his relatives dying hilariously in freak “accidents,” Monty quickly climbs the social ladder. Mr. Mays plays a large array of quirky characters, ranging from a diseased priest to an atrociously racist woman who refuses to die, despite venturing to the most dangerous parts of the world for charity. Soon, all that is left between him and the title is one snobby British aristocrat. The music and drama all lead up to a momentous, shocking, and of course, hilarious conclusion.
Artwork by Claudia Chang
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
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A&E
Review Central
Read full stories at thhsclassic.com!
THEATRE REVIEWS
Only a Play celebrates the best of Broadway Jennifer Walsh A&E EDITOR
IT’S ONLY A PLAY made its Broadway debut this past August and features an updated script by playwright Terrence McNally. The all-star cast is led by Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, also featuring Megan Mullally, F. Murray Abraham, Stockhard Channing, Rupert Grint, and newcomer Micah Stock. The play is set at a party held by producer Julia Budder (Mullally) to celebrate the opening of playwright Peter Austin’s (Broderick) new show, as the cast anxiously awaits The show is chock-full of Broadway in-jokes, which are hilarious - if you actually get them. While theatre geeks will appreciate this show as a love letter to modern Broadway, those new to theatre may be left scratching their heads at references to other Broadway stars, shows, and online message boards known for spreading gossip. Some soned theatregoers may not have time to process them. Matthew Broderick is surprisingly weak as Peter Austin, the character connecting everyone to each other. His halfhearted, quiet performance makes
Peter seem too self-absorbed to be likable but not narcissistic enough to be funny. Nathan Lane carries the show as James Wicker, an actor and Peter’s best friend, and commands the audience’s attention like no one else in the cast. The supporting players each get their own moments to shine, and they seize them. The characters are believable and engaging, and these actors work together well on stage. Stock’s performance as the starstruck waiter Gus is up to par with that of the Broadway vets alongside him, and his awkward, serious performance of “Defying Gravity” from Wicked is one of the play’s best moments. The play is set entirely in Julia’s bedroom, featuring marbled white walls and silver and white accents. It’s simple, modern, and allows the actors to maintain control of the environment. The show doesn’t make use of many technical tricks, nor does it need to. Rather, it relies more on exposition than visuals, This will certainly please diehard Broadway fans. With biting wit and a stellar cast, this show has been crafted by theatre geeks for theatre geeks and will likely earn a few Tony nominations. Catch it at the Schoenfeld Theater through January 4.
Photo by Jennifer Walsh
Actor Rupert Grint at stage door
My Everything features everything but the kitchen sink Austin Wang MUSIC CRITIC
Photo by Sabrina Yu
One of the many options at Sushi Island
Get deserted on Sushi Island Sabrina Yu FOOD CRITIC
FUSION R ESTAUR ANTS have been gaining ground since the 1970s. However, even today, they are still considered innovative as they combine various cuisines into one. Arguably, the most popular style of fusion cuisine is Asian fusion. Located on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Sushi Island is a petite Thai and Japanese restaurant. It serves a unique selection of well-known food and beverages from both cultures. The first item I tried, Island Red Curry, is considered a signature dish at the restaurant. This smooth and creamy curry is actually bright orange from the addition
of coconut milk. It is very sweet, yet also has a mildly intensifying spiciness. White chicken meat tends to be drier than dark meat, but in this dish, the chicken remains quite juicy. Inside the curry there is also a variety of vegetables including red and green bell peppers, onions, and eggplants. This hearty and quite nutritious entree ing. This casual restaurant is an excellent place to go to with friends, a date, and even family for lunch or dinner. Being quite small, it may get crowded especially during dinner time, so you might want to keep that in mind. The restaurant does delivery as well; conveniently, you can order online, so why wouldn’t you want to try their food?
EVERYONE SEEMS to have a massive obsession with Ariana Grande these days. She is frequently compared to Mariah Carey, and it’s easy to see why. Yours Truly, released last year, is full of the pseudo-90s R&B and vocal acrobatics that Carey’s known for. My Everything, on the other hand, has Grande trying to retaining her diva-esque voice. After an angelic, almost acapella “Intro” comes the hit single of the summer, “Problem,” featuring Iggy Azalea. The saxophone loop makes this song annoyingly catchy, although Big Sean’s whispering makes me slightly uncomfortable. “One Last Time” has Grande experimenting with EDM-type beats that are all the rage now, and it works well with her powerful voice. “Why Try,” produced by Ryan Tedder, sounds exactly like every Ryan Tedder produced song from the last 5 years (“XO,” “Halo,” “Counting Stars”). She goes back to a generic EDM beat in “Break Free,” where she declares, “I’ve become who I really are” - who needs grammar when you have Zedd? “Best Mistake” is one of the more interesting songs on the album, with
the moody, rainy beat providing a great backdrop for Grande’s purring and Big Sean’s corny but somewhat pleasing verse. Even though I can’t understand anything in “Be My Baby,” the beat is too catchy for me to care. Ariana shows she has a slight sense of humor with the Notorious B.I.G. sampling in “Break Your Heart Right Back,” where Childish Gambino reveals that Ariana’s lover is cheating on her with another boy. Surprisingly, The Weeknd’s voice melds well with hers on the passionate duet “Love Me Harder.” nitely “Just A Little Bit of Your Heart,” which sounds like something an angsty 12-year-old girl would hire someone to write (actually written by Harry Styles). “Hands on Me” starts off promising, reminiscent of a Missy Elliot song, but quickly descends into mediocrity with ASAP Ferg’s out-of-place verse. The closing song, with the same title as the her voice. As for the bonus tracks, everyone has heard the jazzy hit “Bang Bang” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. “You Don’t Know Me” is completely forgettable, but “Only 1” is a personal
14 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
A&E
Photos courtesy of Hilary Lee and Yuriy Markovetskiy
Harrisites display their dancing skills.
Raising the barre: Dancers at THHS Jason Lalljee A&E EDITOR PICTURE A young boy—
a host of other styles including basically changing who you are
a decline in their dancing.
crooked feet. This is the child that junior Yuriy Markovetskiy
because of all the work we get. Korean (K-Pop) dances now. In addition to taking classes
passion—dance. Yuriy is one of
participates in the Young Dance range of organized events.
of school. Junior Patricia Wang has Julliard and at the Young Dance
busy schedule during the school are other ways to work and get
who has been dancing for effect that dance had on her sense of self-discipline. On her
he has placed in and won
quipped.
choice between dance and other
out as far as Los Angeles. Dancing has broadened the cultural horizons of these These THHS students work hard at perfecting their craft— a few deadlines.
Every month, the print edition of The Classic will provide you with four clues. Can you guess the identity of the staff member who matches these clues? Submit your guess online at www.thhsclassic.com/contests. We will reveal the identity of the staff member in the next issue. One thing we can suggest is this: do not make assumptions.
September’s Mystery Staff Member
1
I was a note taker for blind and deaf college students.
2
I do not know how to ride a bicycle.
3
I lived next door to Joe McEwing, a former Mets player.
4
My grandparents are Holocaust survivors.
THE CLASSIC
September 2014
15
SPORTS
Photo by Yash Sharma
Wendy Liu runs at a cross-country meet. Many THHS athletes spent their summers preparing for the fall season.
Abdoulaye Diallo STAFF WRITER
FOR MOST students, summer is a time to relax and hang out with friends. However, at Townsend Harris, many use their two months of vacation not only to serve their community and study for standardized tests, but also to get a head start for the upcoming athletic season. “I train on my own during the summer because I always feel the need to improve,” said senior soccer captain Paula Fraczek. Her words reflect the motivation that many other athletes at THHS have. These ath letes feel they have a responsibility to their team not only during the regular season, but also during the offseason. Sophomore Thomas Chu trained for handball this summer. “My motivation to play was a starting position that was within reach, and all I needed to do to obtain that position was to continuously practice,” he said. Junior Matthew Sullivan, an active member of the boys track and field team, also felt it was imperative to improve for his position. About his training, he said: “The need to step into my position on the varsity
team and help out my team in any way possible was what fueled my desire to run over the summer.” For these athletes, summer training required a lot of work. “I trained four to five times a week at Jones beach, running five to seven miles a day,” Matthew said. “I had to face the daily heat and wind, as well as the recurring pain in my ankle. I learned hard work pays off and even with the heat, if you push through you’ll feel great in the end.” Junior Yasmeen Ally also chose to train over the summer after realizing the importance of summer training, saying. She said: “The previous summer I failed to continue my summer training, causing my times to improve by merely a second or three during indoor and outdoor. After realizing the importance of summer training, I was more motivated to maintain my stamina and endurance built up f rom the previous seasons and let it pass over to the upcoming cross country season.” Due to this, she enrolled in two summer training programs. She attended Winged Foot Cross Country Camp this summer in Nassau, New York, as well as New York Road
Runners High School Camp. A t N e w Yo r k R o a d R u n ner s , s he a nd f el low campers met for three hours and alternated between running at Central Park and Van Cortlandt Park. At Winged Foot, the training was more demanding. It was a six day cross countr y camp.“We’d wake up at 6:30 a.m. for our mor n ing run at 7 : 3 0 a.m. W e also h a d a n eveni n g run at 4:30 p.m.
and played competitive games in the afternoon hours. “I know the road ahead will be tough and making the team will be equally tough, but I’ll be motivated to work harder if I don’t make it this year,” he said. With the plethora of Varsity Sports THHS has to of fer, t he se h igh ly mot ivated at hletes all trained differently over the course of the summer. O f course, y o u d on’t n e e d to go to ca mp to be surrounded by h igh ly mot ivated individuals. “I train with my friends over the summer so motivation is never an issue, and it’s also a great way to bond,” said Paula. Though they stay true to their academic commitments, these students must also uphold their academic responsibilities. “Ba lancing SAT st udying and summer volunteering is an ongoing conf lict
“After realizing the importance of summer training, I was more motivated to maintain my stamina and endurance built up from the previous seasons.”
H oweve r, it w a s n’t on l y ret ur n i n g at h letes who felt the same responsibility to spend the summer training for the upcoming season. Incoming freshman Sean Wong attended St. John’s basketball camp from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to start training for the Boys Varsity Basketball team, a winter sport. At camp, he endured rigorous drills in the early hours
during summer schedules but the Townsend environment already taught us how to do so,” said Yasmeen. Thomas’s parents restricted the amount of practice he could do per week as he had to focus on SAT preparation. “I spent the sum mer self-studying for the SATs. However, my pa s sion for handball only grew this summer, and I will continue to play and practice ever y day even with the academic year,” said Thomas. “Training really does pay off and you see your confidence in your athletic ability improve dramatically and ever yone takes notice of it. My passion for soccer and my love of being on the team have increased to an unimaginable level,” said Paula. It’s determination like this that gives these athletes a head start for the season and a head start to the academic year with their improved time management skills. “It truly sets the foundation for your upcoming seasons. The greater you work towards your goal, the further you improve, and the greater you contribute to your team,” said Yasmeen.
16 September 2014
THE CLASSIC
SPORTS STAFF WRITER
FI N DI NG ATH L ET E S students choose to focus on their studies rather than on -
ing out to prospective athletes is through Facebook. Facebook allows students to connect to
believe that joining a sport will
-
and their chances of getting into
This allows a student to get an -
Even current leaders of struggle with this. For Paula
friends before the first day of high school. Sports that take -
a balance between the two was a practices. Junior and boys varsit y baseball captain Evan Noblesala Artwork by Jenner Chen
reaching out to athletes early -
population. recruiting.
previous interest or experience;
recruiting success. about recruiting new athletes -
of high school to find future
cent of respondents.
with the prospective athletes. By to Townsend. That in itself can frequently. parts about recruiting is convincing the student that joining a sport will not take a toll on a
ter and fall workouts. During these we actually see what the prospective players can bring to
our eye on has to have the solid
-
reserved for star-studded ath-
they usually at least want to try he soon learned valuable lessons – ones that he would not have
she said.
-
talent or experience. Fencing captain Rebekah Jones finds
three percent of respondents replied that their participation in
Mya Allen STAFF WRITER
TO KICK
-
Francis Lewis High School on lost 5-1. Senior goalie Stephanie Yeh Just before the starting eleven saves and junior Dina Goodger Photo by Kari Iocolano
put everything we have on the forwards. ing stops even when the score the price in bruises and earned
Although today was not their way to start the season because it put us right up against our
step up and continue to play their hearts out as they did the past season. They will excel and
the beginning.