Vol 32 No 1 September 2015 Classic

FOURTH BAND LUNCH

NEW LIBRARIAN

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

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This year a number of Harrisites have lunch during fourth band worked into their programs. The additional lunch band will alleviate scheduling programs, but many students feel it is too early.

Meet Arlene Laverde, who was hired to replace retired librarian Mr. Zahn, and discover her plans to add a variety of programs, activities, and events to the library.

With teams already practicing for weeks, Harrisite captains and team members from soccer, cross country, bowling and fencing shared their goals and hopes for the coming season.

CLASSIC Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

September 2015 - Volume 32 No. 1

the

THE CLASSIC

After 14 years, Daedalus takes a dive The site will go dark after September 30, with “eSchool Data” taking over Poonam Dass NEWS EDITOR

AFTER SEPTEMBER 30, Daedalus will no longer be in use and THHS will implement a new software system known as eSchoolData (eSD). The change in software comes after the CEO of Daedalus, Steve Kramer, decided to retire. Information encompassing both the school’s academics and extracurriculars will transfer over to the new software after the end of this month.

There will be a new interface for students, but they will still be able to see much of the same information that was on Daed a lus , such as grades, emai ls, t ranscr ipts, community service and borrowed textbooks. Parents will also still have access to their child’s grade. However, everyone, including parents and teachers, will need new accounts for eSD. A s si s t a nt P r i nc ip a l of M at h , S cience, a nd Technology Susan Brustein plans on rolling out the system in different phases “so that it won’t make it harder for anyone [in the THHS community] to

communiT h e involves attend-

cate.” f irst phase the on line ance that has replaced the paper bubble sheets. “The online attendance saves a ton of paper and hours of someone printing, separating and putting the paper into each teacher folder, then collecting it,” remarked Ms. Brustein. By officially taking attendance online “there’s so much

productive work that everybody can do.”

Future phases will add the grade book, communit y service credit, demerits, and mini course information such

as Career Day and the Election Simulation to the new software.

Modifications to match the software with the school’s needs are in progress. Ms. Brustein said, “We are putting in some of the functionalities that we had in Daedalus that do not yet exist on this new system.”

Ms. Brustein added that much of the informat ion t hat we are able to access on Daedalus wasn’t available when THHS first used it 14 years ago. She recalled the time when the administration organized Arista files by handing in pieces of paper that were assembled into a manila folder with someone reviewing them. “It became obvious that the

computer could do that and we asked Daedalus to write the module and [Mr. Kramer] did,” she stated.

The new system is primarily used in charter schools and is expanding its marketing to NYC public schools. The CEO of eSD, Ann M. Savino, is “extremely proud to work with Townsend,” the company’s first NYC DOE public school customer. With new responsibilities, she considers pacing to be the greatest challenge “associated with web-based software development when serving the K-12 market.” New versions of web browsers may impact the system and keeping up with changes in Federal and State mandates can present a challenge to software development.

Ms. Brustein mentioned eSD contains categories that run on a district level including information on bus routes and school sports t h a t really i s n’ t needed f o r

www.thhsclassic.com

Mixer Makeover Kimberly Deodat, Kristine Guillaume, and Brandon Na STAFF WRITERS

N YC D O E public schools.

However, she is reassured in the capabilities of the new prog ra m stating, “We made Daedalus a complicated thing for doing ever ything we want in this building, so I know they have

THIS YEAR, in lieu of the traditional Senior Mixer, seniors will host a Halloween Mixer on October 30 in an effort to boost underclassmen attendance at the year’s only in-school social event. As in previous years, proceeds from the mixer will alleviate the cost of hefty senior dues.

The Ha l loween M i xer calls for attendees to come in costume, treat themselves to Halloween snacks, and have fun in a spooky atmosphere.

“In the past, they called it the ‘Senior Mixer’ and I think a lot of kids really got thrown off by that. Underclassmen, freshmen especially. Having a theme is always nice, and the fact that it falls on the day before Halloween is perfect,” Maria Assante, Senior Adviser, explained.

Sen ior Class President Lianna Rada added, “We changed the title with mostly the freshmen in mind. The title, ‘Senior Mixer’ might be interpreted as exclusive to seniors, but, with the new title, there’s no question that this is an event open to all students.”

This change has indeed bolstered interest, as more underclassmen have expressed a desire to attend the revamped mixer.

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ART AND LAYOUT BY KATHY CHANG AND TARA JACKSON

Election Simulation Editorial: Is it time for gender-bending candidates?

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2 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

NEWS

ART BY BAILEY CHAN

Eid and Lunar New Year were added to the slate of DOE holidays this year.

More holidays now in 2015-2016 calendar

Arifa Baksh STAFF WRITER

NEW YORK City is now the largest school district in the nation to observe the Eid holidays as well as the Lunar New Year.

M ayo r B i l l d e B l a s io announced these additions to the Department of Education (DOE) calendar, during the last school year and the changes have now gone into effect. As a result, students had no school on September 24 (Eid al-Adha), and will be off for February 4 (Lunar New Year) and July 17 (Eid alFitr), the latter affecting students enrolled in summer school.

Eid al-Fitr, translated as “The Festival of Fast-Breaking,” is a feast signifying the end of Ramadan. Families observe Eid al-Fitr over the course of three days, during which they celebrate by praying and giving to the less fortunate.

Eid al-Adha, “The Festival of Sacrifice,” is also a three-day celebration marking the end of the annual pilgrimage to the holy land of Mecca. Muslims celebrate this holiday by sacrificing an animal, and they divide the meat between family, friends, and the poor.

With students off for Eid alAdha, Yom Kippur, and Rosh

Hashanah, they had four days off from school in September.

Some welcomed this change simply for the extra days off, while others thought of it as more than just a reprieve from school.

“I feel as though it is an amazing step in the acceptance of Muslims into American society,” stated sophomore Tamanna Saidi. “It allows people to be more aware of this growing religion. It helps make people more open-minded and accepting towards a group of people that have been discriminated against for so long.”

Junior Ishabul Haque believes the addition will significantly benefit Townsend Harris High School students. “The addition of these holidays makes it easier to miss school to celebrate and not worry about missing class work where, in schools like THHS, missing one day of class can affect you,” he explained.

Muslim activists have spent nine years petitioning for the addition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in the DOE’s calendar.

During his time in office, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg responded to the efforts to add

the Muslim holidays by saying that students need to spend more time in class, not less.

“In prior years, I was forced to choose between my education and my faith, but I would always end up going to school,” sophomore Halima Tokhi expressed.

that this change signifies more than not having to weigh their religion against their education.

“For me and Muslims as a whole, it signifies a transition in our society,” stated senior Abdoulaye Diallo. “For quite sometime, many believed it was unfair that Jews and Christians were allowed to observe their holidays throughout the year. However, with the addition of Eid to the holidays being observed, there’s equality between the three Abrahamic religions.”

M a y o r de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina have also decided to add Lunar New Year, which will fall on February 8.

Lunar New Year is a tradition that has been practiced for centuries. Families predominantly in East and Central Asia celebrate the holiday by gathering for a large meal and well-wishing.

The holiday is observed by honoring deities and ancestors and is coordinated by the cycles

“In prior years, I was forced to choose between my education and my faith, but I would always end up going to school.”

O n the other hand, Senior Fahim Nousad states, “I have never gotten a perfect attendance record in any of my years, and a small part goes out to the DOE not accepting the religious holiday as an excuse.”

Some students even believe

of the moon.

Senior Peony Tse believes “it was just a matter of time before the DOE added these holidays to the school calendar.” She added, “The NYC population is so diverse, and so it would be unfair to recognize holidays for some and not for the others that make up a large section of the [NYC] population.”

Sophomore Lauren Lee adds, “Lunar New Year plays a big role in many Chinese families. There are countless students who celebrate this holiday, but because of school, they were not able to spend as much time as they could honoring their culture.”

As with Eid, the addition of Lunar New Year has impacted students in different ways. Some no longer feel held back from full embracing their roots.

“Now I have gained something [that] I never fully realized was missing from my life: the chance to fully honor my culture,” Peony explained. “I understood that not attending school because of Lunar New Year would’ve counted as an excused absence before, but it still felt like I had to choose between two important things in my life: my education and my culture.”

September 2015 3

THE CLASSIC

Japan Bowl Summer Trip

Fourth band lunch launched

Samantha Quinn, Mason Rivero, and Dominik Sochon STAFF WRITERS

FOR THE first time, numer- schedules in June listing the new ous Harrisites have fourth band lunch band. lunch in their schedules. With Many responded to the the traditional lunch bands still change negatively, focusing on offered, the new lunch band the timing of the lunch band as came about to allow for more a primary issue. Fourth band scheduling flexibility. begins at 10:36 A.M. and ends The addition of the new at 11:18 A.M. Many students feel lunch band allows for more this is too early to eat, and makes options when it comes to sched- the afternoon feel longer than it uling since in previous years stu- should. dents had to be programmed for Junior Georja Fotiou comlunch during only three mented on the time: “I think possible bands. it’s break fast. They Thinning out should serve bagels “I think it’s the number of because it’s a more breakfast. They students eatsuitable meal for ing lunch in should serve bagels that time of the any given day.” because it’s a more band makes Freshman suitable meal for that Abby it more even Colette felt time of the day.” when f i l lsimilarly, saying ing up classes. “fourth band lunch This provides is more like fourth new time slots for band breakfast.” electives and classes so Staff members, such as Mr. that they are available for more Paul Sforza, have a more neustudents. tral state of mind regarding the Before coming to THHS, change. Mr. Sforza feels that the Principal Anthony Barbetta was new lunch band makes the difthe principal at Thomas Edison ferent lunch bands more evenly High School, where he had wit- spaced out. nessed schedules with six differHe said “there are pros and ent lunch bands. “If we didn’t cons to a fourth band lunch. It [have the new band] we might makes my job longer but on have class until four o’clock and theother hand I do see how it I’m not sure students would like has helped alleviate some of the that,” he said. pressure on the school because Students expressed confu- the lunch periods are more sion after they received their even.”

Poonam Dass NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO BY FAHEEMA SYAHBAL

Students eat their lunch during the new lunch slot that takes place during fourth band. Some students feel that the fourth band time is too early for lunch.

Alarms added to all building exits Thasfia Chowdhury, Teresa Kan, and Nicole Sung STAFF WRITERS

BUILDING EXITS now have an alarm system due to a law that went into effect as a result of a fatal incident involving a student who left a city school unsupervised. In addition to the main doors, students can now only leave via the Queens College exit if a guard or aid is present. No student can leave the Melbourne Avenue exit or an alarm will sound.

The city passed the law after an unfortunate incident in 2013. Avonte Oquendo, a teenager with autism, left an unalarmed school during the school day in Long Island City, unaccompanied, and was later found dead in the East River.

Since then, The Department of Education has purchased and funded alarm systems for nearly all public schools at a cost of 5.55 million dollars. Originally, the law’s designers only intended to equip elementary schools and

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

The Melbourne Avenue exit is now off limits, and an alarm will sound if students use it.

schools with special needs populations with alarms, but the final bill widened the scope of the project to include any school the DOE deemed in need of alarms.

Though the purpose of the new security system is to monitor student exits, many believe that the new system is not necessary at THHS itself.

Principal Anthony Barbetta describes us as “very fortunate.” He says, “while seniors have an open campus, I’m very confident in our school personnel to make sure our students aren’t running away. There’s no such thing as 100%, but this gives us an extra layer of security.”

THHS students may feel

little impact from this change, but the alarm system may benefit the special needs students at P.S 255 who share the building.

Ms. Cathy Hardy and Mr. Matt Curiale, who manage the special education classroom in room 412, believe that the new alarm will be a welcome addition to their school system.

AFTER PLACING fifth in Washington D.C.’s Japan Bowl Competition this spring, students Hannah Lee, Anna Nowogorski, and Adriana Allen enjoyed their victory prize over the summer: a trip to Japan.

During the trip, which took place from August 3 – August 11, the students spent most of their time in Tokyo and Hiroshima. They made many courtesy calls to high-ranking officials such as Princess Takamado and Carol i ne Kennedy, who is the U.S ambassador to Japan. They also visited the foreign ministry of affairs, the American embassy, and the ministry of education.

Daily activities included touring big attractions like the Kintai Bridge, the Hiroshima Castle, and the Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima Island.

“We participated in the floating lanterns [at Hiroshima Castle] where we wrote peace messages and prayers on paper lanterns and floated them down a river,” explained Anna.

Students also stayed with a host family in Kumano for three days.

Hannah recalled that her host family took her to a traditional Japanese Drum practice and Bon Festival, stating “ [that was] my favorite part because we wore a yukata (a type of kimono).”

Anna stated, “The host family was my favorite part of the trip. I was able to become a lot more comfortable using my Japanese skills. I already knew a lot about Japanese culture and daily customs, but I didn’t know the extent of how prevalent they were in Japanese life.”

The Japan Bowl competition that led to their trip took place in Washington D.C on April 15. It included a conversational round that tested the participants’ ability to speak in Japanese and two preliminary question rounds with topics that varied from history, art, pop culture, geography, current events, and grammar.

With Japanese teacher Dr. Mariko Sato’s help, students felt prepared for the competition.

Hannah mentioned, “Dr. Sato helped prepare study materials and quizzes. She would make sure that we were up to date with our studies and that we were actually retaining the things we were studying.”

The Kakashi Project funds the bowl and trip in an effort to help foster an understanding of Japanese culture and language along with Japan’s relationship with the United States.

4 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

NEW PSAT CRASH COURSE PSAT Test Date: Wednesday October 14, 2015

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Tuition: $199

Kweller Prep offers high quality, small group instruction Students will take a full length PSAT diagnostic test AM, followed by a detailed review and lesson PM Kweller Prep Queens Location Only: Parker Towers Building 104-40 Queens Blvd Suite 1C, Forest Hills NY 11375 (QB & 69 Ave) The PSAT test score qualifies students for National Merit Scholarships.

The new PSAT will be tightly aligned with the new SAT. Kweller Prep is offers Advanced Test Preparation in Small Group Settings Call 1(800) 631-1757 to register or sign up online at www.KwellerPrep.com

September 2015 5

THE CLASSIC

ABOUT THE NEW PSAT The New PSAT will be a longer test than the old one: It is ow 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Evidence-­‐Based Reading and Writing in the Reading Test, followed by a Writing and Language Test. There will also be heavy math testing. Bye-­‐bye calculator! The Math Test is now divided into two portions: Math Test – Calculator and Math Test – No Calculator. Do well on this test and you’ll qualify for some amazing college scholarships!

The New PSAT will have a greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact. There will be no guessing penalty. The new PSAT will have a rights-­‐only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores). Scores will be reported on a shared common score scale with the SAT: The scale ranges for the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 scores are 320–1520 for the total score, 160–760 for each of two section scores, and 8–38 for test scores. There will also be subscores for every test, providing added insight for students, parents, educators, and counselors.

ABOUT KWELLER PREP

Designed for the busy student, Kweller Prep Tutoring, Test Prep, and Educational Services offers specialized middle school, high school, and college test preparation and counseling services, both on-­‐site and at-­‐home. No short-­‐cuts, no tricks. We teach strategies and build a core foundation to make you into a better test taker. This program is designed for ambitious students to help them reach their academic goals. Practice makes perfect! Kweller Prep offers high quality-­‐ not high quantity-­‐ programs. The tutoring center, headquartered in Forest Hills, serves as a learning incubator where parents, serious students, teachers, tutors, and counselors can learn from one another and grow. Nearly every student at Kweller Prep is the first one in his or her family to attend a Specialized High School or top college on scholarship.

The Kweller Prep Program helps students achieve among the highest marks in the country on the New York State Regents, SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, IB, SAT II, ISEE, TACHS, Hunter, Anderson, Nest +M, as well as competitive graduate pre-­‐professional programs and entrance exams.

Kweller Prep was created in the vision of Frances Kweller, an attorney at law. She was the first one in her immediate family to attend a top college (New York University – Steinhardt School of Education) and to become a Lawyer (obtaining her Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law). Kweller Prep is designed to get you where you want to go.

Try us out Today! Call 1(800) 631-­‐1757. Parker Towers Building 104-40 Queens Blvd Suite 1C, Forest Hills NY 11375 (QB & 69 Ave). Website www.KwellerPrep.com

6 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

Harrislam: national victor Sherin Shibu STAFF WRITER

H A R R I S L A M DOMINATED the Muslim Inter Scholastic Tournament (MIST), which focused on the theme “Clarity of Sincerity: From Outer Perceptions to Inner Reflections.”

The team partnered with Stuyvesant to win first place at Nationals in Houston from August 7-9, 2015, as well as first place in their community service project and third place for social media. New York also won Best Chant Spirit Award.

MIST is a competition occurring on both the regional (New York City) and national level that encourages participation from members of all faiths.

The tournament consists of six central categories that branch into over thirty competitions, ranging from things like debate and poetry to art and basketball.

Senior Malik Khan highlights accomplishments at the event: “We got third place in Brother’s Improv, where a group of competitors improvise a given prompt, and third in Social Media, where we had to design and introduce the most user friendly representation of our school’s MSA. Eight people from Townsend made it there, and a total of thirty competitors came from New York to

APUSH curriculum altered after controversy Sumaita Hasan & Mehrose Ahmad EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINAHIL KHAN

Harrisites racked up awards at this year’s MIST competition. represent the state, and we took second overall.”

Assistant Principal Ellen Fee, MSA adviser and MIST coach, emphasized the effort it took the Harrislam team to compete.

She explains, “There were many months of preparation and practice, and although some adjustments were required last minute, all that hard work paid off.”

Competitors take away more than just their honors from the tournament. Junior Misbah Pochi stated, “You get together with people from all over the city and come together under one religion and community.

It is a way for people who are interested in Islam to come and learn about it.”

Freshman Asiya Koli recalls her experiences viewing MIST as a guest: “Every school showed so much team spirit, from the

team colors face-painted on their cheeks to yelling and screaming their team cheers...every single competitor was so passionate about their competitions.”

Senior Tahina Ahmed, who participated in the MIST Bowl and the Community Service competitions on a national level and won first place in both, remarked, “Community service is a competition where you find an issue in your community and come up with a solution; in the end, you’re writing a research paper. For MIST Bowl, the thrill of buzzing in when you know the answer to a question asked is exhilarating.”

In the words of Ms. Fee, “The friendships that began there and were forged in cooperative activities will last a long time; it’s an experience that one doesn’t easily forget.”

RECENTLY, THE College Board revised the 2015 Advanced Placement United States History curriculum and exam after initial changes received criticism.

The College Board had already altered the course in 2014 after receiving numerous complaints about the structure and demands of the course.

After these complaints, the College Board modified its AP resources to make them “clearer, more precise, and easier to use.”

Additionally, they promised to release exams every summer rather than every five to eight years. By making the curriculum clearer and more precise, the College Board changed the focus of much of the content.

Conservatives deemed the 2014 changes to content unpatriotic, as the changes stressed the dark side of American history and it omitted the mention of critical historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and James Madison.

A fter this backlash, the College Board changed the curriculum again over the summer. The new curriculum now reinstates the idea of American

exceptionalism, focusing on portraying the U.S. in leadership roles and emphasizing its historical victories. Critics of this change now argue that the overall course distorts history and mitigates the severity of American treatment toward Native Americans and other groups.

In regard to the exam’s structural changes, U.S History teacher Charlene Levi belives they allow conservative and liberal viewpoints to “meet halfway.”

U.S history teacher Jaime Baranoff said, “in a perfect world we all would be unbiased, but people come from different backgrounds, which affects how individuals perceive things.”

Despite the changes to the AP exam, her class arrangement will still entail “reviewing HW, going over documents, and have writing practice by creating theses,” though she stated she will now “incorporate short answers and the new style of multiple choice questions.”

Referring to the controversy surrounding the 2014 curriculum, senior Ivanka Juran said, “I think that we shouldn’t learn a more patriotic history. Facts should be given as facts and people should be allowed to decide their own opinions.”

Barnes & Noble ends chapter as student hot spot Adina Singh and Anna Kozaka STAFF WRITERS

overwhelming.

Books are becoming artiHARRISITES ARE already facts of the past with the recent feeling the loss of study places spike in technology. Meanwhile, as both remaining Barnes and eBooks and tablets are taking Noble bookstores in Queens center stage because of their have announced their official accessibility and convenience closing on December 31. for all ages. Despite the A Target store attempts by Barnes is replacing the and Noble “Out of all Forest Hil ls to keep up, the places Target location compan ies because the could choose to take producing profits from over, why did it have ee r-sr ehaadv et h e b o o kto be the place many o u t d o n e store were too low and the Noble’s book lovers dwell rent too high.

N o o k , in?”

Despite petitions reducing signed by thousands Nook sales to save the beloved bookby 22% since last store, the store will still close. year.

The elimination of the franStudents are also upset chise from Queens leaves stu- by the closing as Barnes and dents in a scramble for a work Noble has become a second environment that is both work- home to them. conducive and convenient, a feat Junior Isha Malik expressed Barnes and Noble has accom- her thoughts, stating, “I underplished in the past 20 years. stand that it’s closing for someWhat happened to the book- thing that will be a good asset store that was once the world’s to the neighborhood. Target largest with over 150,000 titles is a great store for all families, shelved in the 1970s? The providing them with a variety answer is simple—the increas- of products. But even so, what ing competition, both from Barnes and Nobles offered and other bookstores and new tab- still continues to offer to the let technologies, has become too community is something even

greater.

“What c a n p o s sibly equate to the only bookstore in the area, where people of all ages gather, to sit down and spend some quality time with a book or two? Personally, Barnes has always been my go-to place after school with friends. I can roam the entire store and still come back, and do it all over

again.

I t will be odd to open the doors and see the shelves once full with books,

n o w stacked with things l i k e cereal

boxes.”

Junior Shirley Mai shares this sentiU YW ment sayD IN YC B ing, “When I T AR heard a huge enter pr ise like Target was going to repl ac e my f avor ite store I was outraged. Out of all the places Target could choose to take over, why did it have to be the place many book lovers dwell in?”

Senior Michaela Chum similarly states, “I would often go to Barnes and noble with my family too. It was there where I’ve found books that touched

and inspired me.

It’s so sad that these days, book stores are becoming more scarce. People especially the younger generation need the experience of going inside a bookstore and relaxing.

Sure you can go to the library but it’s not the same thing.

Bookstores are more cozy.”

However, all hope is not lost.

An employee of the bookstore, who wishes to remain anonymous, has claimed that the company is looking into other real estate locations in Queens.

Nonetheless, with the Bayside store set to close as well, the chances for another location to open up appear to be slim.

For now, though, anyone who wants to go to Barnes and Noble will have to travel to the local Barnes and Noble of Manhattan or Brooklyn.

The closing of Barnes and Nobles in Queens is symbolic of changing times that leave many sentimental. Stock up on your prep books and best sellers from Barnes and Noble before December 31.

September 2015 7

THE CLASSIC

Ms. Laverde checks in to the library Laura Marsico, Teresa Mettela, Aly Tantawy, & Muqit Tasfic STAFF WRITERS THROUGH MS. Arlene Laverde, Townsend Harris introduced a new face to the school community this September.

As the new librarian, Ms. Laverde believes that the library deserves a much-needed makeover. Rather than the library serving as just “a place to study” Ms. Laverde yearns to exploit all possible uses of the location.

Including monthly activities, displays, and appropriate games to the library will transform the space into an open environment with versatile purposes, she hopes.

Prior to joining the community, Ms. Laverde worked at schools all over the city. Among the schools are John Bowne High School, East Brooklyn Community High School for Public Service, and several elementary schools. She has been a librarian for ten years and was an elementary school classroom teacher for sixteen.

While she sees the majority of THHS students reading

for academic purposes, Ms. Laverde notices a lack of reading for pleasure coming from the student body. She promises to integrate her “wicked sense of humor” into the library’s atmosphere to demonstrate that students “can actually have fun when [they] read.”

Junior Ishabul Haque was taken aback when Ms. Laverde “came over to [his] table just to ask how it’s going and get to

“The library should be the place you come to because you want to... not because you have to.” know [him] a bit more.” He suggests that her attitude makes the library a “more relaxing place to be.” “[Ms. Laverde] wants to build a relationship with the students,” com mented senior Jensine Raihan. “She took the time to have a real conversation.”

In an attempt to create a new aura in the library, Ms. Laverde wants to bring in intellectual, communal games. She believes

that board games such as chess can aid the students, initiate friendships, and challenge their minds while enjoying time spent in the library.

In hopes to lighten up the students’ day, she wants to start a book club and incorporate a once-a-month “make-it” meeting where students can eat and talk whilst participating in that month’s activity.

She wishes to bring the students together to illustrate how the library can be used as a medium for freedom and expression.

Ms. Laverde says she is “open to student suggestions about books they want in the library.”

Banned books, in particular, are considered highly esteemed by Ms. Laverde as she features her very own banned-books display every week.

In the time she will spend at THHS Ms. Laverde plans to encourage positive perceptions from the whole student body: “The library should be the place you come to because you want to,” Ms. Laverde said. “Not because you have to.”

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

Ms. Laverde took over Mr. Zahn’s librarian duties.

Daedalus to shut down after September 30 > CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Mr. Wang took over for Ms. Nasser this fall.

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

A Stuy counselor joins the THHS team Ilyssa Delos Reyes COPY EDITOR M R. JER EMY Wang is Townsend Harris’s new guidance counselor, replacing Ms. Adrienne Nasser.

Although new to THHS, Mr. Wang has been a guidance counselor for seventeen years in the New York City Department of Education. In an introductory letter, he described his credentials, which include his Master of Science Degree in Counselor Education, and his Permanent License as a Bilingual (English and Chinese) Guidance Counselor.

A former guidance counselor of nine years at Stuyvesant High School, he feels that his experiences there will help meet the

needs of the students at THHS. Both schools have high expectations for their students as they are “the best students in their respective middle schools-intelligent, motivated, hardworking, involved, etc.” At the same time, they face similar issues that he has been exposed to.

Although he likes meeting in groups to get a sense of guidance and information, Mr. Wang prefers individual meetings because it allows him to learn about students intimately.

With his guidance, “[he] hopes all THHS students turn out to be happy, healthy and successful individuals.”

Unlike most “office-bound counselor[s] [who] wait for students to open up to [them],” Mr.

Wang loves to work directly with students and thinks that the best way to build rapport with them is to converse in places familiar to them or “scenarios where they are themselves.”

He hopes to learn more about the students before taking on the task of writing their recommendation letter.

Mr. Wang wants them to “attend a college that is the best ‘fit’ for them” by acknowledging their academic accomplishments, but he must first discover “their personality, aspirations, [and] needs.”

Even though he finds it challenging to learn about over seventy individuals in a short amount of time, he states, “I am determined and confident that I will meet the challenge well.”

the capacity to do it because they run a whole district with elementary, middle and high schools.” However, it can’t all be put together at once because “they’re running all the other schools.”

Several schools that used Daedalus also have to transfer over to a new system. Stuyvesant will also use eSchoolData in the upcoming weeks. Thomas A. Edison will use Skedula to monitor student grades and attendance. The AP of Organization at Edison, Kleanthis Korkotas, said he used Daedalus to complete dean referrals and for outreach to parents for progress reports.

Mr. Korkotas believes that the new system is not more difficult to use because it is something new and “parents were familiar with [Daedalus] [but] now that we are using something different, we have to educate them on how to use Skedula.”

Ms. Brustein believes it will

be the same with eSD. “Using Daedalus has become second nature to us and finding the new spot where you do the same thing as you always did is sometimes a little awkward,” she mentioned. However if there is a problem with the system functions, there is a focus group of faculty who will “pool their problems” and meet with the software developer for things that are lacking from their perspective. For now, if students and teachers do experience difficulty with the system, they have to contact Ms. Brustein for assistance. “If we need new things that are lacking, students can mention it and depending on how feasible the idea is, maybe it can happen,” she said.

TH HS ha s been using Daedalus since 2001 and was the first school to use it. “We built Daedalus into what it is now and we will build eSchoolData into what it needs to be for you,” remarked Ms. Brustein.

Halloween Mixer debuts > CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Having the word Senior in “The change in name really there intimidated me,” said junmakes it feel more welcoming ior Foronda. “‘HalandChristian open to every grade in our loween Mixer’ sounds much school,” said freshman Daniella more Pardo.inviting."

Ms. Assante said, “It's Senior a nice “Having the word kick off to starting our fundin there intimidated me,” said raising the wholeForonda. purpose junior and Christian

“‘Halloween Mixer’ sounds of fundraising for the senior much more inviting.” classSophomore is to try to Aaron lower prom Fernando prices.

I think everybody benagreed, saying, “For freshefits and I think a lot of people men who don’t know anything are surprised that[the Townsend about the mixer, new name] kids know how to have just as could make them more inclined much fun as every other kid to go since the [old] name in has the city.”suggested that it’s only always

8 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

Bowne takes over THHS for the summer Jason Lalljee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T H I S PA S T s u m m e r, Townsend Harris housed students from John Bowne High School, who used the THHS facilities for their respective summer school and Agriculture programs. Nearly a thousand Bowne st udents occupied THHS during the summer, according to Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee. “Much fewer students than anticipated actually showed up,” Ms. Fee commented. “We expected up to 1,700 students and maybe 50% of students actually attended, so it was much smaller and quieter than we thought.”

The students were uprooted from their Main Street location due to the abatement of contaminated soil in the Bowne fields, the treatment taking six weeks and summer school sessions lasting seven. “They had to abate the soil around the building; they hadn’t removed the cork from the windows before, which had PCBs [Polychlorinated biphenyls] that leaked into the ground,” commented Custodial Engineer Gar y Viola, who worked throughout the summer with members of the THHS

custodial staff. “They needed to relocate the kids while they got rid of any soil that was in contact [with the windows].”

Use of PCBs for construction was banned in the 1970s, but buildings that still bear the compounds in their infrastructures still pose health concerns.

Prolonged exposure to PCBs is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers (primarily of the skin, liver, and digestive tract) as well as reproductive deficiencies and certain neurological effects.

Contaminated soil can be abated by two methods: by removing and replacing the affected area with clean soil, or by permanently covering it with concrete or asphalt. Bowne elected to do the former. The arrangement worked best for students enrolled in Bowne’s Agriculture Program, who took classes in the summer as part of their curriculum and not as remedial study.

“The Agriculture program at our school differs from the summer school,” Bowne’s Assistant Principal of Agriculture and Business Steven Perry explained.

“Our students and teachers would use the sixth floor facilities during the morning and

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

Around 50 John Bowne students used Townsend Harris facilities during the summer.

then the cafeteria, later heading over to the fields at our own school.”

“The DOE wanted to make sure that the [Agriculture students] had access to their farm during the summer,” Mr. Viola explained. “It was a natural choice that they should have their classes here at Townsend.”

“The classes were kept a bit cleaner than [Bowne’s], though the stairs were a bit much to

handle, especially since most of the students weren’t able to take the elevator,” commented Bowne senior Laine Munoz, who attended summer school.

“Aside from that it wasn’t too bad. It was actually kind of interesting to see how different the buildings were.”

“Being in the Agriculture Program, we usually have animals and plants in the classrooms to assist in furthering

our learning,” said Bowne senior Alexis Blanchard.

“Townsend Harris has great facilities. Unfortunately, during the summer, they are left mostly empty,” commented THHS senior Peony Tse. “Honestly, th is s ystem does not affect me personally or negatively ...it’s good [the building] was able to be of use to someone.”

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September 2015 9

THE CLASSIC

Trump boosts Simulation interest

Juliet Barron, Gustavo Delgado, Halima Tokhi STAFF WRITERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEONY TSE

Peony earned a spot this summer in the Bank of America’s Student Leaders summer program.

Peony Tse joins leadership program Rebecca Kwon FEATURES EDITOR

BEATING THE odds of a 2% acceptance rate, senior Peony Tse earned a spot in the Bank of America’s Student Leaders summer program. The program connects students to jobs in order to familiarize them with nonprofits, aiming to instill a passion to improve their local community.

Peony interned at the Vanderbilt YMCA in Manhattan for eight weeks which included an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. for the annual Student Leadership Summit.

Peony familiarized herself with all aspects of the YMCA summer camp, ranging from administrative jobs to direct interaction with the campers.

Her experience further cultivated her desire to “work in youth development and run programs dedicated to helping youth achieve their full potential.”

Through her internship, she was able to help create a college contacts list for the Vanderbilt YMCA’s high school programs in order to set up college information sessions for high school seniors.

Peony explained, “[The first step is] educating students about the wide range of options that are available to them. This, in turn, will set them on pat h s w it h greater opportunities in life.”

At the week long summit in D.C., Peony and 200 other students gathered for workshops and projects in order to learn “how government, the private and public sectors intersect to address community issues while they connect with peers, and find additional inspiration to strengthen their

communities.”

The students held a Red Cross service project in order to assemble kits filled with basic necessities as well a s

“Peony played an invaluable role in reaching the YMCA’s mission.” handwritten thank-you notes for veterans at Walter Reed Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.

“You would be surprised what a sma l l item l i ke a

toothbrush can do for someone.

These basic necessities, though small and usually taken for granted, can make someone feel human again,” said Peony.

The Summit aimed to build globally involved student leaders and made Peony not want “to be someone who waits on the sidelines for someone else to make a change. I know I am fully capable of doing that myself.”

Peony’s supervisor and the director of the YMCA’s teen leadership program, Candy Halikas, shared, “We live in a world where working together and building community is important, now more than ever… Being a teen leader is important. Young people look up to you, adults respect and learn from you. You’re a vital part of the community that gives back, not fulfilling a stereotype of a lazy apathetic teen. Peony played an invaluable role in reaching the YMCA’s mission.”

W ITH R EPU BLICA N candidate Donald Trump dominating media coverage of this year’s Presidential Primaries, it comes as no shock that the seniors of Townsend Harris High School spent much of the first two weeks of school clamoring over who would play him in this year’s Election Simulation. After much debate, on September 17, US Government classes decided which students will play this year’s candidates, with the role of Trump going to senior Matthew McAndrew.

“I am planning on treating these issues exactly as Trump would,” said Matthew, “no matter how petty or immature his ways can be, in order to keep the simulation as realistic as possible.”

Tr u m p , h o s t o f T h e Apprentice and real estate mogul, has continuously drawn the nation’s attention since he announced that he would pursue the 2016 Republican nomination for thepresidency on June 16.

The scale of this year’s election coupled with the diversity of the candidates makes for a much more buzzworthy simulation schoolwide.

AP World History teacher Mr. Wood commented that “the question really is whether or not [Matthew] has the confidence to be brash and bold like that.”

As for other notable candidates, Seniors Yasmin Ally, Matthew Sullivan and Jason Edelman also accepted nominations for the positions of Hillary Clinton, Jim Webb, and Martin O’Malley, respectively.

Mr. Wood shares that he “certainly hope[s] there is enough drama in real life, so we can have a great simulation.”

Alumna discusses her political career Teresa Mettela COPY EDITOR

THE NAME Rebecca Lynch is no longer unfamiliar to many Townsend Harris High School students.

New York City may recognize Ms. Lynch for her community-centered work with Mayor De Blasio, but she is better known in the THHS community as an alumna. This summer, seniors reached out to canvass for her campaign as she ran for District 23 City Councilwoman.

While attending THHS, Ms. Lynch recalls pulling more than a few all-nighters. She noted that the time and consideration she put into her work was what she liked most about THHS. “You wouldn’t just read a book – you

would talk about it and really have a discussion,” she explained.

She believes this experience factors in to her improved public speaking ability and confidence.

As a woman working in a male-dominated field, Ms. Lynch is no stranger to adversity. In her own words, “Some of it has been benevolent sexism, some of it has been not-sobenevolent sexism, some of it has just been ageism; whatever it is, you really have to fight through it.”

The gender ratio at THHS allowed for what she called “a really good breeding ground for strong female folks.” The various female figures and influences she encountered during her high school years encouraged her to

follow her own dreams and encourage others, both male and female, to do the same.

While Ms. Lynch did not originally realize her calling for political science, THHS steered her toward the humanities.

N o w, s h e w e l c o m e s Harrisites who want to meet with her for advice on interning, volunteering and working in politics because “it would be my sincere pleasure to give back to Townsend Harris.”

THHS students knocked on countless doors to canvass for Ms. Lynch’s campaign. She commended the students, insisting, “Townsend students have been amazing. They’ve just been so enthusiastic and positive...and on a campaign that’s what you need

PHOTO BY JILLISA DRAYTON

Alumna Rebecca Lynch ran for the District 23 City Council seat this past summer.

because it’s so stressful.”

Ms. Lynch offered a word of advice: “No Townsend student should be too hard on him/herself. You’re all so brilliant and so hard working and you’re not just going to do fine, you’re going

to be fantastic. You’re going to be the best in your field. You’re going to be the people your family is proud of–that your friends are proud of. So many people are rooting for you and you don’t even realize it.”

10 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

OPINION

Recognizing more holidays comes at a cost Aly Tantawy STAFF WRITER

new inclusion of religious and cultural holidays requires some THIS YEAR, the New York major adjustments to the acaCity Department of Education demic calendar. Officials must has included Eid al-Adha, a account for vacation days, and Muslim holiday, in the public the DOE will have to either school calendar as a vacation day end the school year later for the first time. Eid is currently or begin it earlier. This celebrated by hundreds of thou- would be unfair for sands of Muslims in New York students who do not City. The inclusion of Eid seems observe these religious to be appropriate, since 10% of holidays. They would N YC publ ic have a school students “Catering to the s h o r t e r a r e M u s l i m , needs of every re- s u m according to e r ligious and ethnic m a study conbecause d u c t e d b y group...is virtually o f h o l i impossible.”

Columbia days they do not University in celebrate.

2008. Officials also recently Of course, the problems do added the Lunar New Year to not end here. The DOE would the calendar after Chinese- not be recognizing every culAmericans called attention to ture, as it has struggled it this past summer. These new to do. Even a culture or additions, however, raise the religion with only a few question as to why other reli- members will have to have gions and cultures do not have its holidays recognized to their holidays included in the maintain equality. This attempt DOE calendar. to recognize all cultures and Because the New York State religions is overwhelming, Education Department requires not to mention that catering 180 days of instruction, this to the needs of every religious

and ethnic group represented in New Yo r k City

public schools is virtually impossible. New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world. The Department of

Education is attempti n g t o r e a ch a n impossible standard.

The best course of action is t o

stop changing the calendar. The best the DOE can hope to do is to accommodate the majority

of the people. According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of New Yorkers are Christian, 13% are Jewish, and between 6 and 10% are Muslim. The remaining 12-18% practice an Eastern faith or do not identify with a religious affiliation. As such, the DOE has already accom modated the majority of New York students with Ch r ist ia n and Jewish holidays often overlapping. The moment when obser vance of a plethora of religious holidays will interfere with a quality education is soon approaching if the DOE continues on the path that it is taking.

There will come a time when these holidays will prove a hindrance rather than an accommodation.

ARTWORK BY CINDY WU

New SAT misses the mark Mohima Sattar OPINION EDITOR

STARTING IN March of 2016, the College Board will be implementing the redesigned SAT based on a 1600-point scale. While no standardized exam can ever perfectly represent a student’s intelligence, there are still attempts to measure a student’s capabilities through testing. This new exam, however, claims that the changes were put in place to better incorporate what is taught in the classroom.

It quickly becomes apparent that there are many disadvantages that come along with a new exam. Because it’s completely new, students aren’t able to prepare for it as they would the old SAT. Recently, the College Board has released practice exams to give students a sense for the test they will be taking in March, but it is a small amount compared to the plethora of resources the old SAT has.

In addition, there is the chance that there may be mistakes in the new test that need to be smoothed out.

The Class of 2017 are guinea pigs; all we know for sure is that the new SAT will be eliminating much of what is labeled as “trickery” in the old SAT, including “obscure” vocabulary, penalty for an incorrect answer, five answer choices, and the essay.

It seems as though College Board is making this test easier when it need not be. In a highly competitive society that is striving to advance, it’s odd that our testing should be taken to lower standards.

The SAT is a test colleges use to understand what students have learned in their years at high school, yet this new setup points towards an even more inaccurate depiction of what students are capable of.

Individuality between students is further driven

had learned throughout their years in high school, choosing examples from literature, history, and even personal experience. Within those 25 minutes the students are tested on their ability to apply what they had learned throughout their years in the classroom to argue their case. The new essay is in more of a DBQ format, and does not incorporate such techniques.

Due to that fact that the mathematics section includes topics that not everyone takes, such as statistics, there is a strain on those with economic hardships. This test was designed to deemphasize test prep, but there seems to be no departure from that in reality. Students that attend good, well-funded schools have an advantage over those who don’t.

The changes that we see in the redesigned SAT closely resemble some of the material featured in the ACT. This drastic change may mostly have to do with business, as the ACT had recently surpassed the number of test takers that the SAT had.

For decades, the SAT had been the preferred method for colleges to gauge a student’s capabilities through a test.

These changes no doubt respond to that loss of statue, and it seems unfortunate that education often comes second to business.

“It seems as though the College Board is making the test easier when it need not be.”

t o the ground as the essay is now optional.

The traditional 25-minute essay that asked students to write about their opinions on a certain prompt is no more; rather, there is now a passage and an essay analyzing what the author said in that passage.

The previous essay allowed for the students to use what they

APUSH IN THE [FAR] RIGHT DIRECTION

By Olivia Chan, News Editor SINCE THE release of the 2014 Advanced Placement United States History framework, conservatives have denounced it for emphasizing “negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects.” Oklahoma’s House Education Committee passed a bill cutting funding for APUSH classes and boycotted the exam (evidently, when conservatives don’t find something morally correct, they just defund it). Students in Jefferson County protested attempts to “sanitize” the curriculum and even GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson commented that “most people” who would complete the course would be “ready to sign up for ISIS.” This fervor against what is perceived as an anti-American exam that devalues American exceptionalism and highlights our predecessors’ misdeeds culminated in a spectacularly contradicting petition published by the National Association of Scholars. The letter has helped conservatives obtain a revised framework for the 2015 school year. College Board caved so the framework could now formally include the founding fathers and the term “American exceptionalism.”

Teach history as it is—in its entirety. This involves under-

standing divisions throughout American history, not just mere abstractions. Holding “American” ideals such as liberty and opportunity does not erase differences in thought and identity, nor does emphasizing “the ways we remain one nation” make us more cohesive.

Many students already minimize the value of history class for being a textbook full of dead white guys. Some maintain that we need a curriculum that will make students proud of their country in order to foster civic awareness and engagement. Of course there is an essential civic purpose in teaching history: it makes people knowledgeable enough to participate in society and politics. However, conservatives are employing censorship if they feel that they need a specific curriculum in order to foment patriotism.

There have been many exceptions to our exceptionalism, where people have violated sacred principles like individualism, egalitarianism, republicanism, and liberty that make America unique. These pillars of American idealism remain the drive for progress. Unless we have a genuine critique of our past, we have a hard time obtaining a robust understanding of the origins of issues that remain today. We can be critical while still acknowledging our nation’s accomplishments.

September 2015 11

THE CLASSIC

The Classic

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

FROM THE EDITORS

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sumaita Hasan Jason Lalljee NEWS EDITORS Olivia Chan Poonam Dass

SPORTS EDITORS Evan Noblesala Noah Silversmith

FEATURES EDITORS Jillissa Drayton Rebecca Kwon

SCIENCE & TECH Eunice Baik Emily Lei

OPINION EDITORS Zion Kim Mohima Sattar

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Adam Sosnicki Melissa Wong

A&E EDITORS Hailey Lam Julliette Paul COPY EDITOR Jesal Parmar MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Rebekah Jones

COPY TEAM: Ilyssa Delos Reyes, Teresa Mettela, Sandhya Sewnauth MULTIMEDIA TEAM: Kathy Chang, Tara Jackson, Tasnim Abdelkarim

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

Students launch the Election Simulation campaign at the Kickoff Rally on September 25.

Why does race Trump gender in Election Sim?

T

he Election Simulation is a Townsend Harris High School tradition where freshfaced teens become politicians, and just like their political counterparts, do anything they can to get your vote. One of the goals of Simulation is to replicate real elections as closely as possible, which is why certain candidates have more money and team members than others. However, there are a few things that just cannot be represented accurately, given the demographics at our school. Eighty percent of the United States Congress is made up of Caucasian males.

In a school with a student body that is 58% Asian American, it would be strange to expect all of the students playing a role to match the racial profiles of their respective candidates.

Since students are allowed to play candidates of different racial backgrounds, why are students forbidden from playing candidates of opposite genders?

There once was a time when THHS was a male-only school, however, those days are long gone, as can be seen in an average classroom, where there are no more than a handful of boys.

One would think that THHS would have adjusted with the times, but our school still falls embarrassingly behind. Females make up an overwhelming 71% of the student body, but with only two female candidates in the election, there must be a

way to accommodate the disproportionate numbers.

Moreover, problems arise when choosing students to represent candidates because many males are reluctant to volunteer for the job. This is especially apparent this year, with twenty male candidates vying to become president. As a result, senior male students are often forced against their will to play candidates and are chosen at random. This is unfair to a male student who is shy or uncomfortable with public speaking.

We stick steadfast to old traditions in the name of authenticity, but it’s time to be more openminded.

With not only his grade but his peers’ grades dependent on his effectiveness as a candidate, it is unfair to force a begrudging student into the spotlight.

The general consensus in a feature published in The Classic three years ago was that gender bending should not be allowed in the Election Simulation because it would fail to realistically reflect the actual election.

Social Studies teacher, Dr. Linda Steinmann, was quoted saying, “It’s always been this way because the Election Simulation was designed to be gender specific. I guess it’s a tradition, and

sometimes it’s not a good idea to mess with tradition.”

The official Election Simulation Teacher’s manual states, “the fundamental rule of the election simulation game is ‘keep it real!’” Yet, the reality is that the demographics of Townsend Harris clearly lean toward females. We stick steadfast to old traditions in the name of authenticity, but it’s time to be more open-minded.

Given the unbalanced ratio of boys to girls in our school, it is only logical to allow female students to play some male candidates.

There is no reason to resort to picking names out of hats when there are many girls eager to take on Election Simulation roles. In the current system, many girls miss the opportunity to develop public speaking skills and are deprived of the chance to lead their own campaign. They are employed as campaign managers or secretaries, but never get the chance to be the face of the campaign.

We don’t ask that the student playing Chris Christie gain 200 pounds or that the student playing Donald Trump get a spray tan in the interest of “keeping it real.” And we don’t have a “whites only” policy when it comes to matching white candidates with white students. So why would we impose gender inequalities on Election Simulation? It’s time to change the policy.

MANAGING EDITORS Mehrose Ahmad Ekta Rana ADVISOR Brian Sweeney We welcome letters to the editor.

Townsend Harris High School 149-11 Melbourne Avenue Flushing, NY 11367

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

COMING SOON

Look for another edition of The Classic Magazine to arrive in the next few weeks.

FEEDBACK

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.

12 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

SCIENCE & TECH Girls Who Code find algorithm for success Sandhya Sewnauth STAFF WRITER SENIOR EKTA Rana and her team from this summer’s Girls Who Code program dominated in three categories at the Women in Tech AT&T Hackathon, placing first overall.

The other team members consisted of Girls Who Code 2015 graduates Kaylyn Torres, Elizaveta Atalig, Leslie Landis, and teaching assistant Nivita Arora.

The team also placed first for the best use of Harman API and second place for best pitch.

“I tried cracking jokes to make our pitch funny,” Ekta commented.

The challenge for this hackathon was to create a website that helps to promote positive social change.

After much deliberation, the group finally decided to build a website that relates the amount of time that you spend in the shower to the gallons of water wasted.

One of the sponsors of the hackathon was a company named Harman, which produces high-end speakers. The coders used Harman’s API, or application program interface, which is a library containing data that one can use in his or her code.

Using this data, Ekta and her team were able to create an algorithm that utilizes music playing from a speaker. The algorithm takes the amount of seconds that the songs have been playing and shows the user how many gallons of water were wasted.

A fter working on their project

PHOTO COURTESY OF EKTA RANA

The team was awarded $1100 in prizes for winning the competition.

from 9 am to 5 pm, the ladies were the third group to present, and thoroughly impressed everyone with what they accomplished.

“I think that the time constraint was a challenge but I felt like we divided the

work up really efficiently, so everything came together in the end,” Ekta said.

The team won a total of $1100 in prizes, not including Harman speakers that are each worth up to $650.

A P Computer Science and

mathematics teacher Timothy Connor remarked, “Hackathons are a great opportunity for people to get together and share ideas because everyone has a common goal. It’s just a fun way to immerse yourself in the world of computer science.”

Harrisites relaunch Science Bowl team Sarah Yu STAFF WRITER

FOR A school of its diminutive size, Townsend Harris supports a wide range of extracurricular activities, but it doesn’t stop there. This year, our school will revive its Science Bowl competition team.

The National Science Bowl (NSB) is a middle and high school competition that has been organized and funded by the United States Department of Energy since the event’s establishment in 1991. Texas Instruments and General Motors are among the other sponsors of the event.

Science teacher Philip Porzio, who is also a Science Olympiad coach, wi l l super vise the Townsend Harris Science Bowl team. The team will consist of seniors Syeda Hasan, Jonathan Lee, Ivy Lam, Jesal Parmar, and MinJun Li; Syeda will be leading

the team as captain.

It’s evident that the team members all share a deep love for science. Science, in their eyes, is interesting and gratifying in that it encompasses a wide range of topics.

Mr. Porzio stated, “A few members are drawn from science olympiad, and it does put burden for both clubs, but we do assign similar topics to what they have studied.”

Jonathan remarked, “You can study the tiniest bacteria on this planet or you can study the formation of the universe and everything in between.”

Another team member, Ivy, whose love of biology motivated her to join, commented, “I hope to learn more about the topics I will be focusing on. It will be

exciting to test the limits of my k nowled g e and hard work.”

Each high school can only bring one team of four to five students. Only four students compete at one time, while the fifth person stands in as the substitute.

Comparable to Science Olympiad, Science Bowl features numerous categories of science.

The 2 015 h igh school topics include Biology, Chemistr y, Physics, Mathematics, and E ar th & Space Science.

Middle schools compete in a different set of categories.

Contestants utilize a lockout buzzer system similar to the ones that popular television game shows use to enter responses.

Upon statement of the question, the person who buzzes first receives a chance to answer.

Each team earns four points for

“A few members are drawn from Science Olympiad, and it does put burden for both clubs, but we do assign similar topics to what they have studied.”

Teams start out with regional competitions and can only proceed to nationals if they win a regional tournament.

each accurate response to toss-up questions. If a team submits an incorrect answer then the opposing team receives four points.

The question is then repeated, so that the opposing team has a chance to answer.

If a team correctly answers a toss-up question, then it is eligible for a bonus question.

Bonus questions are worth 10 points each, amounting to a total potential score of 18 points for one question.

Team members are not allowed to consult with each other for toss-up questions, but they are allowed to do so for bonus ones. The highest score that any team can achieve is 450 points.

Jonathan hopes that the team will consistently improve with time by scoring in the “top 10 in New York City this year [followed by the] top 5 next year and so forth.”

September 2015 13

THE CLASSIC

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Invention of the Month: The Lexus Hoverboard

AP Computer Science joind the science curriculum

Sarah Gafur STAFF WRITER

THE LEXUS hoverboard, known as “Slide,” offers the newest form of motion and could soon be the future of transportation. The hoverboard uses repelling magnetic fields in a track and within the hoverboard itself to stay in the air. This means that the board only works in areas that have the magnetic ground installed.

The board has superconducting blocks and is cooled by pools of liquid nitrogen stored within. The board is cooled to its performing temperature and is usable above the permanent magnetic blocks placed in a track.

Lexus’ design of the board was based off current skateboard models.

Using the deck of a skateboard and throwing a sleek design onto it, Lexus was able to achieve a futuristic look.

The track was then enlarged from a small patch of permanent magnets to a full blown skatepark, equipped with rails, slopes and a pool of water that you can glide through.

There have always been people pushing to replace the concrete blocks that we have as sidewalks with solar

Eunice Baik SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR IN TERMS of scheduling routines, the pattern for new Townsend Harris classes seems to be the addition of a new Advanced Placement science class at the beginning of each school year.

The 2014-2015 one brought with it AP Biology, the year before AP Physics, and this year, AP Computer Science.

Students responded positively to the possibility of there being an AP Computer Science course offered at THHS. In fact, according to mathematics teacher Timothy Connor, who teaches the class, 130 students signed up.

Its numbers even surpassed those of AP Physics, another highly requested class.

The sudden interest in the growing field of computer science ranges from wanting to learn for practical purposes to considering it as a potential career path. Senior Joanna Huo “[hopes] to learn about the programming behind the websites [she] uses everyday.” Senior Grace Ko, on the other hand, believes that “this class will help [her] see whether [she] wants to pursue a career in computer programming.”

Despite its popularity, many are still unsure of what to anticipate from the newly introduced class. “The AP Computer Science class is a bit of a mystery other than its curriculum... but I expect it will be successful; the class

is filled with eager students and has an experienced teacher,” remarked junior Alex Chen.

Regarding how he intends to approach the class, Mr. Connor reasoned, “Copying off the board or out of the textbook will only yield minimum success. Because of this, much of the course will be hands-on projects. In order to be a programmer or Computer Scientist you have to explore and see how far you can stretch a concept.”

The class is geared towards educating students on how to use Java, a widely used coding language, and Eclipse, an integrated development environment (IDE) software. Once they become familiar with basic concepts, Mr. Connor “[hopes] that students [can learn] from each other by exploration,” which he feels “will give each student the freedom to work and advance at a pace they are comfortable with.”

While teaching two AP classes has “definitely added a little stress to [his] workday,” Mr. Connor recognizes that “it is important to bring a formal computer course to [the] math and science [department].” He added, “I’m sure there will be a few bumps along the way but looking at the curriculum and past exams I’m confident that the student in the course will be prepared.”

BE Adventurous.

ARTWORK BY AMANDA LIN

panels or water filtering blocks.

Imagine a road made up of permanent magnets, with hover cars and hover boards zooming up and down the street.

With the help of companies that further our technology, we could achieve the vision of this futuristic world.

WRITE.

Creative Writing Classes. College Essay Coaching. w w w. g o t h a m w r i t e r s . c o m

14 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Summer Sounds: Musical opportunities abound Ciara Burke & Francesca Filiberti STAFF WRITERS DURING THE school year, the second floor of Townsend Harris is filled with the melodic clangs, whistles, and hums of instruments. Once the school year ends, the halls are devoid of sound, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t playing music. Students Max Lacoma, Leann Senat, Kostadin Kostadinov and Fiona Calberson each spent their summer at a music camp learning a variety of different pieces and techniques from teachers along with highly distinguished musical professionals.

Seniors Max Lacoma and Leann Senat attended the York College Summer Jazz program for six weeks, this past summer being their second time there. According to Max, the program involved taking two different college classes, “Jazz History and Jazz Ensemble, for a total of five credits.”

The Jazz History course centered around the role music played in history.

Both Max and Leann explained that professional musicians taught advanced music repertoire in the Jazz Ensemble portion, which Leann said she could “bring back to our own music program.”

Junior Fiona Calberson participated in the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) through the School of Orchestral Studies program for about a month this past summer. This was her second year in this prestigious program, located at the famous Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Throughout the program, Fiona explains that the participants “played repertoire for full and string orchestra” and challenged themselves by playing complicated pieces including “Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Beethoven’s fifth symphony, Ravel’s Bolero, Bernstein’s Ballet Fancy Free, Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, and Mendelssohn’s String Symphony in C Minor.”

Sophomore Kostadin Kostadinov attended the All City Marching Band, the official marching band of New York City. This intensive program developed his music skills and will carry on into his studies. Kostadin stated, “The band camp helped me work out all the kinks in terms of playing music. For example it made it easier for me to play accents and it helped me keep time better.” He went on to say that what he learned at this camp will make him enjoy the experience more.

Leann’s experience at York College Summer Jazz Program differed from THHS since “the program ran every day from 9:30-3:30 so a lot more time was spent rehearsing and getting the music right” and that “there were essays and morning discussions and then five gigs spread throughout.”

Fiona agreed with this sentiment, stating, “it was different from Townsend because we don’t have a big classical music scene and it was amazing to be surrounded by so many people who share my love for it, and music in general.”

Programs like these allow students to extend their passion for music beyond the 45 minute class time at THHS. The students who went to York College Summer Jazz Program, Max and Leann, not only learned under professional musicians such as trombone player Scott Stringer, percussionist Jovol Bell, sax player Matt Koza, and trumpet player Lex Samou, but also got to perform at various prestigious places such as the Louis Armstrong House in Corona, Queens and the Rockaway Band Shell at Rockaway Beach. Fiona attended concerts given by the Philadelphia orchestra at the Saratoga performing arts center with NYSSSA and even learned from members of the professional orchestra.

These exceptional programs help students enhance not only their music skills, but their leadership and teamwork

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE STEWART

Senior Leann Senat took part in a summer jazz program at York College.

skills as well. They learned to work together with people they were initially unfamiliar with. Through the All City Marching Band, Kostadin developed leadership skills when he was picked to “[teach] the incoming band members

how to march.”

Each of the four participants wish to continue the program in years to come and all highly recommend their program to other Harrisites who are interested in pursuing music.

MoMa exhibits work by current Harrisite Matthew Mandel STAFF WRITER

Many artists spend their entire career perfecting their craft in hopes of having their work featured at the Museum of Modern Art, home to one of New York’s largest collections of art.

Townsend Harris junior Sarah Gafur can now put her name amongst greats such as Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, after several of her original pieces were recently featured in the MoMA’s Teens exhibition.

Sarah attended the “MoMa in the Making” summer program and took a class called “The Surreal World” from July 7 to August 13. The course centered around “deconstructing the human figure that a lot of art besides surrealism likes to hold onto,” said Sarah.

Sarah used this class as an opportunity to step out of her element. “Artists like to stick to what they know they’re good at in terms of mediums,”

explained Sarah, “and this was the first time that I’ve actually expanded into forms besides 2D which was great and enriching.”

Her first project consisted of taking a styrofoam block and carving it up, then painting it with bronze infused paint and spraying it with an acid to rust it. She named the sculpture “I Met Him In a Dream,” and it resembled a human head.

For her second project, Sarah created a sculpture called “Pierced My Plum,” with plastic bones, plums, clams, and 2D optical illusions. After reviewing the items, Sarah noticed the yonic and phallic trends in the items in the bag, and stated, “the plum or fruit of that nature is considered feminine, and I used the bones to try and convey phallic symbols as I stuck them through the plums; [the sculpture]

showed how even femininity can be penetrated by masculinity in a forceful and aggressive way.”

For her third and final project, Sarah melted candle wax to create small sculptures that the class tried to recreate on a larger scale with mixed media which included balled up paper and cardboard, styrofoam, and tape.

Sculpt-a-mold was used to cover the entire sculpture and it was painted entirely purple.

Finally they utilized plastic eyes, teeth, and fingernails to try and find a human form in something “having zero resemblance to a human.” Sarah called it “Shadows Anywhere But Here.”

“I Met Him In A Dream,” and “Pierced My Plum,” were on display at the Museum of Modern Art until September 29.

AD PLACEHOLD-

PHOTO BY REBEKAH JONES

Senior Sarah Gafur’s work was in the MoMa until the end of September.

September 2015 15

THE CLASSIC

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Townsend Trends: Layered Necklaces

Layering necklaces is the trend of the month.

Asiya Jaffer STAFF WRITER AS ANOTHER year rolls in at Townsend Harris High School, our trend-setters are back and better than ever. With sweater weather on the way, woolen knits and piles of homework aren’t the only things Harrisites will be layering up.

This season’s biggest trend is truly the fairest of them all: it doesn’t discriminate against size, color, shape or form. Just one piece of advice: more is more.

While statement necklaces with chunky jewels and geometric shapes have stolen the runway recently, your delicate favorites

are making quite the comeback. V-neck and a pair of jeans, layBy layering a few of these dainty ered necklaces can enhance your chains together, you can make a everyday, school look. When loud and clear statement for sure. added to an elegant dress and a Layered necklaces tend pair of pumps, it can emto side more with the bellish your formal, elegant, simple side professional look.

“Layered of the autumn look But we have necklaces tend book. Pearls, tassels, to admit, layerto side more with crystals and rhineing necklaces the elegant, simple is not as easy as stones are among side of the autumn it looks. Not to the countless elelook book.” ments attached to worry though, the these necklaces that Townsend Trends add a fun flare to evteam has you covered. ery fashionista’s chest. Short, Rule #1: Mix it up. It’s crulong and everything in between, cial to wear necklaces of varying these accessories will elevate lengths, textures, colors and sizany look. Paired with a neutral- es so that each pendant can be ly hued button down shirt or appreciated, rather than all of

PHOTO BY HAILEY LAM

them being on top of each other. Make sure to throw in some different colors and charms to get some pizzazz on your outfit-palette. Rule #2: Coordinate with your top. Layered necklaces work with either deep or short-necked shirts. Deep-neck shirts like V-necks will call for shorter necklace lengths, while short-neck shirts like the average sweater will call for longer lengths. Rule #3: Pile it on.

Don’t be shy to stack them up, the more the merrier!

It’s official; #2chainz has been replaced by #8chainz.

Gather your favorite necklaces and get this trend today; we hear it’s off the chain.

Sushi Tokyo offerings are on a roll

PHOTO BY RENAENIA PANGAN

Kathy Ling & Valerie Mui STAFF WRITERS A RESTAURANT that manages to satisfy both sushi cravings and kosher needs, Sushi Tokyo is perfect for grabbing either a quick bite after school or sitting down and having a nice meal with friends. Only a few blocks away from Townsend Harris High School, this restaurant is a go-to for many students. More café-esque, the atmosphere is calm and casual.

The food at Sushi Tokyo is delicious and colorful.

A color scheme of red, white, and grey is evident, making the space appear very organized and minimalistic.

One of the dishes we tried was the King of Maki Roll. The best of the six dishes, the King of Maki Roll is composed of raw tuna, mango, and topped with crunch; every flavor could be detected in a single bite. This roll is a must-try for those who are sushi beginners.

The only downside of this roll was that there were only five

pieces, while all other plates had eight.

One of the few dishes without tuna or salmon, the Green Dragon Roll is perfect for those who don’t find raw fish appetizing. This roll is wrapped with slices of avocado and showered in a crunch. The mixture of smooth and crispy gives the roll a gorgeous contrasting texture that amplifies the rich avocado.

We saved the Paradise Roll, the most complexly crafted, for last.

Despite its aesthetic appeal, it failed to please us. Filled with fruits and cashews, this roll was more of a dessert made into sushi form.

While some might find the sweet taste pleasant, we thought that the strawberry sauce was overly artificial and the clashing tastes and textures were confusing. This roll demonstrates the valuable lesson that looks aren’t everything.

Overall, it is worth the money for a decent meal.

Tost is now “QCafe”

Arifa Baksh, Kristiana Deur, and Francesca Filiberti STAFF WRITERS Tost Cafe on K issena Boulevard, a popular restaurant with students and faculty, changed its name to Q Cafe earlier this summer. Along with the name change has come an increase in prices on certain menu items.

The owners of the restaurant were unavaialable for comment, which left surprised Harrisites guessing over the reason for the name change.

Senior Max Lacoma feels that the change favors the restaurant and believes “the cafe is trying to attract more students from Queens College for business.”

Jun ior K laudia Hanus said, “Tost just suits the place and changing their name is like changing the tradition of ordering from there.”

Guidance counselor Cheryl Kramer says, “I wasn’t aware of the change. The restaurant should have made an announcement to make people more aware of the change.”

In addition to the name change, many sandwiches on the restaurant’s menu now cost $7.49, and increase from the $6.99. Some salads have moved to $9.99 from $8.99.

Review in Brief:

The Visit

Julliette Paul A&E EDITOR

THE VISIT takes the sweet grandparents archetype and twists it away from the lovable people who pack your pocket and your stomach towards an image of psychos capable of murder. For the most part, it actually succeeds. Grandkids Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) visit their mother’s parents for the first time after years of estranged silence after their mother left home with her then boyfriend and current ex-husband. Becca is there to remedy their relationship with her sidekick brother, Tyler, and her trusty camera.

The Visit manages to craft a combination of creepy and bizarre situations into something that works. The movie has enough funny one liners from Tyler, heart from the little brother and older sister dynamic, and exceptionally creepy scenes of Nana to succeed. The Visit might not be The Shining but it holds its own in the modern line of scary movies, each cheaper and less believable than the last. It’s convincing enough to make anyone check Grandma’s pearly whites a little more closely.

16 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS

Fall 2015 Sports Preview

Benjamin Chang, Brandon Na, & Nicole Sung STAFF WRITERS

AS STUDENTS are settling in for the school year, fall sports teams have been training and setting goals for the upcoming season. Hungry for championship titles, the teams are ready to take on the new year with high expectations in terms of team and individual player performance.

Boys Fencing

upper-tier teams.”

Ivanka added on saying, “if we keep putting in the hard work at practice, we’ll be able to pose a serious threat to our rivals in Division A.”

Boys fencing, led by senior captains David Zarowin and Jonathan Lee, will seek a deeper playoff run after both foil and epee teams were Boys Soccer eliminated in the second round of With seniors “We may not be the PSAL playoffs Branco Gamarra the most talented last year. and Tiarnan team, but... one of Dav id , who Mathers at the the fittest.” competed in the helm as captains, Maccabi Games in t he boys soccer Berlin over the sumteam is looking to turn mer, has high ambitions things around after finishfor himself. “Individually, I ing the last season with a loswould like to perform well in ing record and without a playoff the various PSAL tournaments berth. and earn a top spot for the First year captain Tiarnan school.” praised his team, saying, “We David also aspires for an may not be one of the most talimproved team finish within ented teams but we will be one the borough. “I want the Boys of the fittest.” He continued, Team to win Queens Champs saying one of his goals is “to this year, and bring the title back help my fellow captain to push to THHS,” he said. the team to their limits while Senior Geoffrey Lin com- pushing ourselves at the same mented on his expectations. He time.” said, “I want to push myself as Branco, a second year capfar as I can this year because I tain, is striving to be a better won’t get another chance [to leader and teammate. “I want to fence in high school]”. show more support and enthuWith Coach Yan on mater- siasm to encourage my team to nity leave for the entirety of the want to win and play,” adding season, the team will rely on the that “[Although] I can be rude three seniors for leadership and sometimes, it is only because I support. want to win with the team.”

Girls Soccer After a promising season ended in heartbreak last year due to a loss in the last game which ended hopes for the playoffs, the girls soccer team looks to progress further this year. A strong senior class with captains Dina Goodger, Kristine Guillaume, and Ivanka Juran seek to propel the team to postseason play.

Dina remarks, “Just looking at our preseason and incoming players, I can tell that we’re going to have a really strong team.” Her main focus, however, is to “dominate, so people can really see what we’re made of and that we can compete with

PHOTO BY FAHEEMA SYAHBAL

The boys cross country team prepares for the fall season.

to win Queens Champs, a feat the boys cross country team has never accomplished.

He continued saying, “I’m feeling pretty confident in the team this year, especially since Boys Cross Country we didn’t lose too many runners last year.

The boys cross countr y We lost some important peoteam expects to win the Queens ple, but we have people who can Borough Championship after and will step up to make up for those losses.”

A s cap“PEOPLE CAN SEE tain, Matthew strives to be a WHAT WE’RE REleader.

ALLY MADE OF AND good “I want to do THAT WE CAN COM- my best to set PETE WITH UPPER- a good example for my TIER TEAMS.” teammates,” he said. ending the 2014 season ranking second in Queens. Senior Girls Cross Country captain Matthew Sullivan stated that the team’s ultimate goal is After losing seven seniors,

the girls varsity cross country team has a big hole to fill up in their roster.

Nevertheless, senior captain Yasmeen Ally was optimistic, stating, “Every year it is a loss to lose such experienced athletes, but it gives the underclassmen the opportunity to work as hard as they possibly can to earn their spot on the Varsity Team.”

Yasmeen further attributed her confidence to her teammates’ dedication: “I believe all of the girls have been dedicating themselves to the sport more so than they have in years because we’re losing such a talented bunch.”

Girls Bowling Junior Mya Allen from the girls bowling team hopes that the team will be able to make it to the quarterfinals of the

playoffs.

Due to the loss of core seniors and the inexperience of the mostly-underclassmen team, Mya feels that the team will struggle but claims that this will make them work harder to improve from last year.

Senior Jessica Lung, another member of the girls bowling team hopes to compete with herself by improving her individual score in efforts to raise her team’s chance of winning.

“I hope to keep up to my standards and improve skills that I haven’t been mastering throughout my first year of bowling,” she concluded.

Overall, the Harris Hawks claim to be ready to take on this new season head on.

Despite many challenges, the Harris teams feel ready to begin their long and hard road to a fall season championship.

September 2015 17

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS

NEW VOLLEYBALL COACH

BY BRANDON NA

PHOTO BY FAHEEMA SYAHBAL

Coach Medina observes his team practicing as they prepare for the fall season.

David Zarowin places second in international event Rifat Ahmed STAFF WRITER THE EUROPEAN Maccabi games is a distinct athletic event that showcases the skills of Jewish boys and girls every four years. Their efforts are geared towards providing Jewish athletes all over the world the opportunity to blend their heritage and customs through sports. This competition features some of the best Jewish athletes in the world. This past summer, senior fencer David Zarowin travelled to Berlin to compete in the games.

Training at the North Shore Fencing Club, as well as being a captain of the fencing team at THHS, David has demonstrated wondrous potential and experience as a fencer for several years.

Though there were over 2,000

athletes and coaches, David placed second in the Mixed Teams Épée (the épée being the largest and heaviest of the three fencing weapons).

He described winning the silver medal as “incredibly exciting.”

David has plans to participate in several fencing competitions this fall.

Observing coaches interact with other sports teams has helped David hone his skills as the Fencing Team captain.

He communicated his passion about his participation in the games, stating “The European Maccabi Games held in Berlin was such an overwhelmingly emotional experience. I learned how important it is to work together as a united team and that while winning is an amazing experience, just being part of a national team and fencing opponents from all over the world is just as amazing.”

Varsity fencing coach Katherine Yan, currently on maternity leave, had several things to say about David’s success as a fencer: “Each practice, David spends time to teach his teammates and to run drills. He knows their strengths and weaknesses and customizes their activities.”

Ms. Yan also complimented David’s character.

“He also spends time to connect with his teammates on a personal level and truly cares about each and every one of his teammates,” she said.

David hopes to take his newfound experience into his captaincy by championing an aggressive approach with a blade and to teach others to do the same.

“It means to refrain from overpassivity and to fence confidently with greater success,” he concluded.

PHOTO BY MELISSA WONG

Fencing captain David Zarowin placed second at an international event.

18 September 2015

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS CAIACCIA FACTS

PHOTO BY ADAM SOSNICKI

Ms. Caiaccia takes over the position of Athletic Director for Mr. Hanson.

Ms. Caiaccia becomes Athletic Director

Kristine Guillaume STAFF WRITER

WHEN THE time came for a new Athletic Director to take the reins of Townsend Harris’s sports program, physical education teacher Lauren Caiaccia stepped up to the plate.

Ms. Caiaccia has taken over for retired Physical Education teacher Keith Hanson, who held the position for three years.

Ms. Caiaccia, who has worked at THHS since 2007, applied for the position of Athletic Director upon its opening. Principal Anthony Barbetta chose her to be Mr. Hanson’s successor.

“I vocally made my interest in the position known,” Ms. Caiaccia said. “Seeing the athletic program operate at a high level is something near and dear to my heart. So I know that I am willing to do all the different things that it takes to make an athletic program have great success and the student athletes have a wonderful experience.”

Since assuming the position, Ms. Caiaccia describes herself as in the “get the fall season going mode.”

She aims to incorporate cues from her predecessors, Donald Altman, Wanda Nix, and Keith

Hanson, in maintaining the “excellent caliber” of the school’s

focus on making “little changes, or micro changes or big changes after having an experience going through an academic year with the whole program.”

Among her goals, Ms. Caiaccia is very adamant about spreading school spirit for the athletic program throughout the school.

“I have thoughts on making sure that the Townsend Harris Hawks name is out there— a little more visible in the school community like in our weight room, in the gymnasium, in the athletic office here. And just kind of get a little more school

“It feels like I’m coming back to where I started.” athletic program. Then, she will

spirit connected to our sports program,” she explained.

School spirit for the Hawks is not, in the least, unknown to Ms. Caiaccia. A member of THHS’s Class of 1992, she was a three season student-athlete in all four years of high school.

During her time at THHS, as a student and teacher, she has known all three previous Athletic Directors and credits them as part of her motivation to take the position.

Ms. Caiaccia does not come unexperienced either. In addition to being a coach of the boys volleyball and girls basketball teams at THHS, she was previously the Assistant Athletic Director at Hunter College.

“I have experience with scheduling and assigning officials and distribution of practice times and eligibility forms and all of those things that pretty much come with this job. I have experience doing it,” she said.

But in terms of being the Athletic Director of Townsend Harris, Ms. Caiaccia is excited for this new chapter in her career.

She said, “It feels like I’m coming back to where I started, which is awesome.”

Mr. Bermudez joins physical education department Agastya Vaidya STAFF WRITER

THERE’S A new physical education teacher in town, and his name is Jamal Bermudez. Mr. Bermudez will serve as retired physical education teacher Keith Hanson’s replacement, taking on two freshman physical education courses, two health courses, and a senior weight training class.

He will also be aiding physical education instructor Lauren Caiaccia as Assistant Coach for the Varsity Girl’s Basketball Team.

Mr. Bermudez has ten years of teaching experience under his belt, having taught English and

experience at THHS was “one hundred percent” the reason why he chose to teach here.

According to him, community and culture, two of the most important aspects of high school, are evident here at THHS because everyone seems to be positive and cooperative.

“This school operates at a high frequency, has diversity, connectedness, and evePHOTO BY HAILEY LAM ryone seems to be working Mr. Bemudez teaches several classes in the physical education department. together,” he said.

Outside of school, Mr. social studies for eight years and Mr. Bermudez, who was Bermudez is an absolute health physical education for the past Ms. Caiaccia’s student teacher nut. A fan of high intensity two. last year, noted that his past training, salsa dance, and cross

fitness, Mr. Bermudez hopes to incorporate his background training into teaching his students.

He plans to include a greater variety of exercises while also reinforcing group fitness.

When asked about using his personal experience in his teaching, Bermudez explained, “It’s right in line with who I am...all the planets have now lined up.”

Even though he spends his school hours as a physical education teacher, Mr. Bermudez would like to be a resource that students can come to for advice, whether it be about health or other issues.