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. The Classic February 1991
Smoke-out day encourages.kicking the hab by Zina Izrael Non-smokers participating in the annuaiNational Smoke-Out Daymade theirwaythroughthehallsoITownsend Harris on November 22, encouraging smokers to refrain from cigarettes at least for thatday.Coordinatedby health teacher Ellen Schwartz, the day's events aimed at helping some people break their habit, and educating all students on the risks of smoking. . Students paraded up and down the stairs with stickers stating "Kiss me, I don' t smoke" attached to their foreheads, noses. cheeks. thighs. behinds, arms, binders. schoolbags. shirts. and even shoes. Pamphlets were circulated throughout the school informing students of the perils of smoking. A coffin and a skeleton were placed in the hallway near the office. A special Enrichment featured English and Latin teacher Thomas Sweetin and guest speaker Sara Kaufman. Coordinator of Smoking Cessation for the Queens branch of the American Lung Association. Mr. Sweetin revealedthe details of his battle with smoking-induced lung disease to a roomful of students in the .library. He had started smoking in his early teensandhadbeen achainsmoker
down my throat, a tube up my nose•... an ice water blanket becausemy temperature had gone up to 106 degrees Farenheit. .. I thought I was a gonner.... I put rol .~ a healthy body under a 35-year assault," said Mr. Sweetin who now has an angry red scar run~ ning down his ches t to remind him of his sufferings. Once he qu it smoking, he felt as though $' there was a "whole othe r world out there." According to Mr. Sweetin, his colleagues even GAAPHICALLY DESCRIBING his dam- thought he smelled better. "Smoking is an incredible aged lungs, English teacher Thomas ::;weetin shared his smoking experiences addiction and one should have with students. a lot of compassion for those up until this summer. Ten years ago he trying to stop," said Sarah Kaufman in had the "scare of his life" when his her talk. Shepresented students with a lung had collapsed. This event, how- film depicting second-hand smoke as a ever. did not deter him from smoking. miscreant with wicked intentions. This past summer. Mr. Sweetin's Junior Vikki Buza expressed pessilung collapsed again. The doctors man- mism over the likelihood of smokers aged to "cut out the damaged parts of quitting on Smoke-out Day. "I don't both lungs." Using an X-ray of one of think the school can do anything. It's his lungs as illustration, Mr. Sweetin really up to the individuals who want graphically pointed out that there.had to quit smoking." she said. been "gobs of tar sunk into the craters However, according to an article in of the lungs." After having been TheNewYorkTimesonNovember21. "stapled" back together. he had tubes "Every year 1.3 million Americans going in and out of him. "I had a hose join the ranks of former smokers, who
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now number more than 36 million." In addition, the article reports researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have shown that smokers who choose to qui t on the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout Day ha ve a relatively high degree ofsuccess. Their study showed that of those who quit on Smokeout Day, 25% were still off cigarettes a . year later. Cancer, emphysema, and heart disease are just a few of the m any diseases that may arise within a habitual smoker's body. These problems may seem too far away and too unreal to deal with at a time when poor health for most teens is not a big issue and smoking is socially accepted ... or is it? Many public places now prohibitsmoking. often forcing smokers to step ou tside for a few puffs. "When I had two classes backto back on the second floor, I was able to make
it to the porch and back for a COl drags in between. Everythin! planned so I got my drags,' Mr.Sweetin. Smoking is no longer conside graceful an act as it had been yew Yellow teeth, "zoo" breath, ar presence of mucus and phlegi typical side-effec ts ofsmo king a usually not thought of as being glamorous. The addic ted smoke often find him or herself perfoi thi s "glamorous" act in seclusi the ne arest restroom when ask smo ke elsewhere.
'Junior banquet, junior banquet, yeah!':
Organizers rap. to promote dinner dance by Donna Lin Weiss The Junior Banquet will take place at Bruno's on the Boulevard in Jackson Heights on May IS, from 8-12 P.M. .The sit-down dinner will include an appetizer. salad, a main course with roast chicken, dessert, and unlimited soft drinks. Tickets cost $30. Juniors Christine Marrero and MelissaParlefsky are the studentchairpersons of the committee for the banquet. They're involved with collecting deposits. booking the place, and promoting the event. Christine invemted the "rap advertisement" which was heard throughout the schopol, informing the students of the affair, "All the work is worth it." Otherjuniors that are helping with the banquet include Sohini Chowdhury, Kenny Hom. Taryn Julius, Randi Korobelnik, Ingrid Lemmey, Enrique Maitlin, Jason Pensky, Kalen Tubridy, and Marie Y arisantos. "One thing that the committee was very dedicated to was keeping the price as ~w as possible, and making sure we getthe mostforour money."said Arthur Boulanger, Program Coordinator and the faculty advisor assisting with the banquet. "We don't want anyone to be excluded because of the price." The $30 cost per ticket can be paid in three installments of $10 each . Townsend Harris students had to have their first two deposits in by Janu ary 16. Tickets for outside guests can be purchas ed until March 16.
According to Mr. Boulanger, the price is cons iderably lower than most junior proms cost five years ago. "Bruno's is giving us a deal. It's a great-looking place. with good food. and it's affordably priced," he said. Principal Malcolm Largrnann believes the Junior Banquet is a "very nice idea. The price is reasonable, so the activity can include any of those juniors who want to attend." The Student Leadership class, under the direction of Judy Biener, Coordinator of'StudentAffairs, has assisted in planning the affair. and studentcoordinators, as well as faculty advisors, are all helping with the organization. Ms. Biener claims she hasn't "done a thing. The students have taken the initiative to organize it and they're very determined to make it work." The Leadership class had decided against calling the evening a "Junior Prom." "We don't want anyone to feel obligated to bring a date, and the word "prom" implies that you should bring a date." explained Mr. Boulanger. The Leadership class plans oil hearing and screening demo tapes of the prospective disk jockeys. The committee members also welcome suggestions from the juniors for disk jockeys. To further enhance the atm osphere of the banquet, the juniors chose " Heaven On Earth," as the theme for the banquet, and " Ear th Angel" was chosen as the theme song .
said "I hope many teachers will take attend. "I think a junior banquet The organizers of the Banquet have this opportunity to show their support like a junior prom. and we a entered a contest in Sassy magazine in hopes of winning a $5000 gift certifiand have fun with the junior class.." Dr. have an Awards Dinner everj Largmann encourages teachers to at- We 'Ilhave apromnextyear.vs, cate towards decorations. favors and tend. for he feels the banquet is "a junior who wishes to remain I invitations for the event. The committee worked frantically to social event for students and teachers mous. Other juniors are fully in favc alike." English teacher Georgette get enough deposits by November 7, Christine and Melissa said. "When we Wallace has already paid the deposit Ingrid Lemmey, Junior Vice-Pre ofthe StudentGoveriunent, feel for her ticket. were supposed to have fifty deposits The chaperones for the event include Junior Banquet is in no way within two days, we thought it would be impossible, But so many people Eng lish teachers Debra Michlewitz, away from the senior prom. It' s: HelenRizzuto, Judy Biener, and Arthur formal dance where juniors wil came through, proving that our class has enough spirit and support to make Boulanger. and Spanish teacher Ilene enjoy themselves." this work, Everyone's been so terrific Marcus. The committee held a bake Junior Matt Mandell's views , and eager to make this happen!" sale, with the profits going towards the with those of Ingrid's. "I thin! cost of the dinners of the chaperones. good idea to have something Ii Christine said. Amidst all the excitement, there are after your junior year becad Mr. Boulanger agrees . "This is the those who feel indifferent or negative Townsend Harris. your junior firs t time in a long time that a class has about the event and are not planning to more likesyour sen ior year," he showed so much willingness .to participate in something such as this," he -:-:;~~ . . fi) ., said. "It's really amazing. especially ~. ' ,.. " , . :,,~:; the number of people that committed to attend with such short notice. In the Our 16 Year Old Serv ice will r~~ past, we've hardly been able to get " 'match your quallllcaUons to financia l aid ~' G) ,I ...... students to commit to something, es- '. .,..- L:1II.. sou rce s us ing computers .~ 'Q~ '0 j pecially when money is involved." \~ .... RESUI,.TS • • • CUARANTEED! ::''',.... I :" .. ,.::7~ Within two days. over seventy deposSend Today f or Frea Inlormallon " m...~ . G\ I its were received for the banquet, a lot Please Send This Coupon To: more than was expected by the comFINANCIAL AID RESEARCH SERVICES I ~: ~ mittee. "We were really sUl"J'."ised to 34-071 11 Sl reel, CorOlla, New York 11368 l ' .~ ~~-(l get such an enthusiastic response." or CALL' 1-800-8 ;72-1221 Extension 2067 Melissa said. Their goal was to get at ~BJ·~~§: Name of Student _ least 125 people to attend and apparAddr.ss "__' ently, they have already succeeded. Clly Siaia • Zip _ M any members of the faculty are Telephone Number _ _' excited about the banquet as well. High Schoof AUendlng Year In School _ Myron Moskowitz, history teacher.
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MONEY FOR COLLEGE ~ IS ALL AROUND YOU l) YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOt!
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