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Vol. 24, No. 1 December 2007
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aSSlC Townsend Harris High School at Queens College
149-11 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, NY 11367
Search for principal to resume once more by Benjamin Snyder larger." The process to name a new principal It is likely that all or most of the same · to succeed retiring principal Thomas people will serve on the Level I comCunningham has been extended for a mittee - again because the new second time, according to an announce- Ch~mcellor's regulations mandate that ment he made at a faculty meeting De- -the C-30 committee be selected from the ceinber 10. The announcement came two School L~adership-Team. - - --- __ weeks after the Townsend Harris CircuMr. Weiss also announced>that the tar 30 (C-3-0) selection committee con- process was being restarted at a PTA ducted Level I interviews on November meeting the evening of December I 0. 27 and did not recommend any candiThe Classic was unable to find out date for consideration by the High · the names of the candidates interviewed School Superintendent at Level II. at Level I, as the members of the C-30 According to an announcement on the committee sign a pledge of confidentiParent- Te·a cher Association website ality. Assistant Principal of Mathematics posted by Stewart Weiss, a parent representativ-e on the C-30 committee, "Chan- Ellen Fee, who was a candidate in last cellor Klein's office has autlrorized a new year's search, said she had withdrawn C-30 that will start again in January, her name from the pool of candidates a 2008. This time, we are hoping that the week before the interviews were conpool of qualitied candidates will be much ducted by the.C-30 committee. Ms . Fee
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said, "I felt like I would · have been great candidate last spring when we had the first round of interviews, but over the last four months, I began- to question whether or not this is good timing to be a principal in terms of my family as well as what is best for Townsend Harris." Assistant Principal oJ Science Susan Brustein, who was also a candidate last spring, pr~ferred not to comment on this year's process. Mr. Cunningham annou!'lced his retirement last May after 37 years as an educator and during his sixth year as principal of Townsend Harris. He agreed last June to remain on the job while the search for his successor was re-opened under new regulations. According to Mr. Cunningham, the search for a new principal was re-
opened this fall -"because the Depart- ' ment of Education (DOE) was re-orga: nized. As of July I, 2007, schools no longer reported to regional superintendents arid local instructional superintendents. Under the new structure, [prospective] principals are rated by community superintendents, or in Townsend Harris's case, one of two high school superintendents for Queens. The DOE, in reviewing the C-30 process opened towards the end of the '06- '07 school year, decided to expand the applicant pool." There'are many steps to the process of selecting a new principal, which are listed on the DOE website. When a vacancy for the principalship occurs, a C30 Level I Committee is formed . Meanwhile, applications .,are submitted to, andscreened for eligibility by, the Talent
(continued fm page 13)
Edwards an.d Gi·ul-iani sweep election si·mula.ti-on an effective campaign strategy, as they
ris student could now at least identify
All four grades had the opportu-
were n9t only "informative" but also
ten of _the candidate& that were rutm.i,J}a,."
nity -to have their voices heard and
" interesting." _ Cody, who portrayed John Edwards,
~~A\'t~Sl~f'sffiW)UWA.~.,1..1:N!Gh--
Democratic candidate' Dennis Kucinich,
didates such~ as Barack Obama and Hi-
by Heriselda Begaj
Senior Alyas Hamld, wflcqYofnaye·a
when it came to how they financed their
vote in the Election Simulation on lary Clinton, but were still able to make October 5 . The winners of the simuthemselves known. Cody said that his lated voting were John Edwards of strategy was to "create a personal cone · the Democratic party, played by nection with each voter and l did by Cody Alongi, and Rudolph Giuliani going down to the lunchroom at least · of the Republican party, played by twice a week and shaking hands and Noah Bonner. talking to each student, answering any Many underclassmen reported qu~stions they had about me." Alyas felt that they walked away from the that associating himself with spinach Election Simulation with a lot of helped students remember his last name, knowledge about the candidates. · Kucinich. Ultimately, both felt that there Junior Maria Torres. said that she · were ways of overcoming the financial "was aware of all the candidates [and constraints in order te run successful their issues] rather than just some of - campatgns. ::J them ." However, some , like Adel ::\:: The simulation also helped the. stu:i ..c:. Manokian, said that they would have ;; ~ dents portraying candidates learn new 2: liked to vote within the political. ~ things about themse lves . Cody said, § party of their choosing. This year, £ "This simulation showed m~ that I am a .D '"'0 because it was a primary election, E very out-going person who can take the · 0 th~ simulation created percentages ..c:. -3. leadership role when needed . Plus, this 0. of Republicans and Democrats in the was a good experience since in the fuschool based on the actual divisions Candidates Rudolph ~iuliani (Noah Bonner) and .John Edwards (Cody Alongi) woo the votes of ture, I would like to be involved in poliin New York. so this was a good first test to see if tics, their respecrive parties. According to many underclassI would be able to handle all of the presfelt that "the results showed that students said, "This electioXJ simulation was very men, the best strategy employ.ed by sures that come with running a camvoted based on our performance as cansuccessful in that it not only had a good the candidates was making thempaign." voter turnout , but also at the end of the didates and [didn't] retlect the real elecselves known to the-voters. SophoSocial studies teacher Maureen simulation, although there wel·e so tions." more Christopher Zhang felt that the (continued on page 4) Cody and Alyas shared similar views many qmdidates, any Townsend Hartelevision commercials proved to be (/]
Quality Review and AP results '
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pg.3 E
Drama . Festival
Founder's Day & Spirlt Week
pg.3
pg.5
New faculty pgs. 5, 6 & 7