The Classic newspaper Volume 6 Issue no. 2

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Vol. 6, No.2, February 1990.

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Townsend Harris High School at Queens College • 75-40 Parsons Blvd. Flu~hing. NY 11366. '

Schedule set for new building Construction to begin in fall of '91' ·~iIiJ~liil._~~~ilij~fllJ~lflfJ

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KIRSTEN RODENBECK. senior, Is guarded by a Jamacla High School player while Rachel RUisl, junior, and Kelsha Robinson, senior, come to help. The Girl's Varsity Basketball team Is currently leading the Queens 1 Division. See article on page 12 Photo by ElizabethLoewy

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Construction of the new Townsend 'Harris High School building is set to begin in the fall of 1991. and completion is expected two years later, according to the I architectural firm handling the project. The 'new high school building will be at least four stories tall, possibly six, not including a basement floor, and will be located on what is currently a parking lot in the southwest corner of the Queens College campus at Melbourne Avenue and 149th Street. The building will be 110 by 330 feet and , will hold 1,000 students. Brad Waters, the project programmer for Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc., said that completed designs for a new Queens College parking facility and soccer area are due this summer, with construction beginning in the fall. The Queens College facilities must be completed before work begins on 'the new high school building; H,O.K., which handles architecture, engineering, interiors and planning, expects design drawings of the new high school to be completed by the summer of next year. Mr. Waters said, "We are work-

ing on a detailed architectural program which is essentially a statement of the problem that the architectural design has to solve. We're doing a lot of data gathering and interviewing. Another group [from H:O.K.] is doing ' site investigation.", According to a draft of the "Townsend Harris High School Program of Requirements" prepared by the Bureau of Building Facilities, classrooms in the new building will be state-of-the-art. Each room will contain a television screen and an overhead projector. The television screens will be centrally controlled, allowing programs to be broadcast throughout the entire school. Thc school might also have a satellite dish so that foreign language teachers can receive foreign television for use in their classes. Principal Malcolm Largmann said that the school will have a 2,000square-foot student act!yities center and a "huge" student cafeteria. The activites center will house student government offices, publications offices and more. The new building will have two gymnasia. One gym will be regulation size and the other will be a

smaller specialized gym, which Dr. Largmann said could be used for a dance and-aerobics program or as a weight room. The library in the new building will take up 4,000 square feet, more than double the size of the present l,8oo-square-foot library. There will also be a suite of computer labs and some "Project Preparation" rooms in addition to the standard science laboratories . Each subject department will have an office with a conference room and storage space and there will be three lounges and teacher work areas. The new building will have a 5OO-seat auditorium with a 3,OOO-square-foot stage, a stagecraft room and a coat room. Dr. Largmann said, "There -will be some marvelous things in this building." Mr. Waters said, "Things are moving reasonab ly quickly. We certainly have the highest expectations." J. Andres Petruscak, also of H.O.K., said; "We have a great design team on board. It's a tight but exciting site. Townsend Harris is such a special school. It's an exciting place and that it makes it a very exciting project."

Extravaganza launches Black History' Month ce lebration' :!Bi_I.IJI~~tt.\ilttt&i~gl~Mtl:[tj

Townsend ltarrlS stuai:nts will commemorate Black History Month with special events throughout February. Some highlights will include a "Black History Month Extravaganza" on February 16, poetry read_ ings, and visi~ from guest speakers Celeste Miller, principal of I.S. 59, and Reverend Floyd Flake. Students chose "Black is.:" as the theme for Black History Month. All who view the programs should be able to say "Black is..." and fill in their perceptions at the end. Everyone involved agreed upon this theme because they felt that it will giv~ insight into the different ways one can interpret "Black." To emphasize this, the Black History'Month Committee is proposing the assignment of an essay in English classes about the meaning of "Black." "Black is more than just a color. Teenage youth at Townsend Harris realize its various, diverse and significant meanings," said junior Julian Moore.

"We are working diligently to make this a Keith Hanson, ~ne of the faculty advisers, hopes that n~t only Afri~an-American s~success because black history is not only and Francesca Willpresent one act from Au- dents but white students Willalso attend With Martin Luther King," remarked Coordinator gust Wilson's Broadway hit, "Fences," and their families," said Natalie. She added, Marsha Scipio. This year's presentation in- the Readers' Theater Workshop will act out "We want to put an end to all rumors that the eludes all aspects of black history. "We want a Nandi , tale, "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Black History Month performance is limited to do something interesting because the Plain." • to blacks." Some non-black students have school does not have enough emphasis on ' The plannin~ committee expects Benjamin become involved, "I believe in strengthenblack history," said coordinator Natalie Tho- Johnson, who is head of ACT-SO (Afro-Ac- ing the minorities in America," said junior mas. . ademic, Cultural, Technological and Scien- Carol Cheng, a non ,- black participant. At the February 16 performance, . fific Olympics) and the NAACP (National The Black History Month staff is divided participants will model African clothing of Association for the Advancement of Colored into committees which meet on Wednesday the '20's, '60's, '80's and future, and will People) here in New York City, to speak to mornings and in their Enrichment. Their ad. present a skit written by Francesca Mom- Harris students on February 20. Further ac- ' visers include Mr. Hanson, Assistant Principlaisir, another of the student coordinators. .tivities, such as singing and a poetry recita- pal Bernice Horowitz, COSA Michael ManThe students are practicing dances to old tion, may also be held on February 22. son, and Dean Wanda Nix. The letterAfrican records as well as more modern Students will recite poetry by black au- writing committee has invited prominent songs for the show. There will be a step- thors in the library on February 27. Some black individuals, including Mayor David dance, singing, and poetry recitations. authors that will be featured are Imamu Dinkins and Toni Morrison, to speak at Juniors Kenya Lee, Keicha Bolden, Tracy Amiri Baraka (Le Roi Jones), Maya An- Townsend Harris and are awaiting their reWestcarr, and Sasha Antoszewski will entergelou, Langston Hughes, and Rochie D. sponse. tain with songs. Junior Brian Salkow is planTaylor. The long work and preparation that makes ning to accompany some poetry readings All of t!!e Black History Month partici- the celebration possible began months ago. with ' spirituals on his guitar, and Senior pants stress that everyone is welcome to join "It's a lot of work, but its worth it," said Kathie Cheng will perform a piano piece. in. "The Black History Month committee Francesca.

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Poetry Culture 8 6/7 .. Four Westinghouse

Entertainment 9 Se mi-Finali~ts : '

Intramurals 12

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