The Classic Presents: Introducing 2021

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Copyright © 2021 by THE CLASSIC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Adobe InDesign and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and other countries.

TOWNSEND Harris High School @ QUEENS COLLEGE WWW. THHSCLASSIC .COM COVER BY ALEXA JUDE TUMULAK

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A CLASSI C PU B LI C ATIO N 3

TABLE TABLE OF c oOF n t e n t s CONTENTS EDITORS’ NOTE SENIOR CLASSIC EDITORS CLASS OF 2021 advisor’s note ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4

6 8-20 22-83 84-87 88

ABRAHAM NATASHA ABREU FILPO ANTONELLA ACOSTA ARIBELL ADEDOKUN IFEOLUWA ----------------------------- 8 ADEDOKUN IKEOLUWA AGUIAR SARAH ------------------------------------------- 9 AHMED LAILA AHMED SHABAB AKILOV DANIELLE ALI QAZI BASIT ALI SYED MUSTAFA ALIM SOHINI ALLEN AALIYAH ALYSSA ----------------------------- 22 AN BENJAMIN SE HYOUNG ARMSTRONG AMANDA ASHVIL JOSHUA ------------------------------------------ 23 ASIRYAN NICOLE ERNEST ATTADA SAHITHI ----------------------------------------- 24 AWOYOMI OLUWAMAYOWA BABAEV BENJAMIN BAIG AMIR SIDDIQ ------------------------------------- 10 BAIJOO KEVIN UDESH --------------------------------- 25 BALIGA GOPALKRISHNA BARAKOVIC NEJRA BASHIR JEVARIA BEGUM RIPA BHATTACHARJEE ANINDITA ----------------------- 11 BHUIYAN FARHIN BITNA MADISON EMILY BOIVAB ALI BOODRAM JAIDA MAYKA ----------------------------- 26 BORUKH EMMANUELLA ------------------------------ 27 BROWN TALLULAH LEE CARATI JUSTIN BUDHRAM ARUNA KIRAN BUENAVENTURA JUSTYNE CAMERON CHELSEA A CARTER GIVON KIERAN CATECHIS AGATHE GRACE CHAHAL BALRAJ CHAI RACHEL HAI YAN --------------------------------- 28 CHANG JASMINE CHANG MEGAN ELIZABETH ------------------------- 29 CHE PHOEBE FAYE CHEN HONGYU CHEN KELLY CHEN REBECCA ------------------------------------------ 30 CHEN SUANN CHEN TRACY CHEN VIVIAN -------------------------------------------- 32 CHEN WEI --------------------------------------------- 31 CHENG KELLY CHENG MATTHEW JUNO CHEUNG SELENA JIA CHIA DERRICK CHIN LAUREN CHOI JOO HEE CHOI SEO A CHOI YURI CHOUHAN STEPHANIE CHOWDHURY INDRAYUDH CIPRIANA EMMILY CISZEWSKA VICTORIA CROSLAND XANDRIA ----------------------------------- 33 DAI ESTHER DELGADO ANGIE STEPHANIE DEREN KAJA DHILON TANVEER DHULI AMANDA PESTROVE DIXON ALEXIS DONG XU HATAMLEH JAFAR DONZA ALEXANDRA DUTCHIN JENNIFER FU ANDREW YANG -------------------------------------- 34 GALLEGOS ISABELLA RITA --------------------------- 35 GANPAT ADAM T GAO JODIE --------------------------------------------- 36 GHANY ALIYAH -------------------------------------------- 37 GHEORGHITA ELYSA GIERLACHOWSKI NATALIA GOMES KYRAH ISABEL GRIVEJ AMANDA DIANA GULKAROV SHELLY GUPTA MANU HAFFIZ EMILY HAN CHRISTY YAE EUN ------------------------------- 39 HAN ERIC ---------------------------------------------- 38 HARDY CYNTHIA HEDGE LAUREN

HERNANDEZ STEPHANIE HERNANDEZ ROJAS ANA KAREN ---------------- 40 HINDI ITAMAR HIRSCH JESSIE MICHAL ------------------------------- 41 HO SYDNEY HO FONG KANNY HODZIC ALMADIN -------------------------------------- 42 HONG JONATHAN STEPHEN ----------------------- 43 HSU KATIE HUANG HALI IBNAT AFIFA INDARSHAN ZOE SIERRA ---------------------------- 44 INOYATOV LEAH ISLAM BUSHRA JENCZELEWSKI NATALIA JEROME JAHDON JAHIEM JIANG GARY KAI KAI JIANG KELLY JIANG NANCY ---------------------------------------------- 45 JIANG SHARON KAUR MEHAKPREET KAUR SUKHBIR KAUR SUKHMANPREET ------------------------------- 46 KAWAL KRISTA KELMENDI ALVIN KHALEQUE SABRINA ----------------------------------- 47 KIM HAEUN KIM KAYLA ELISE --------------------------------------- 12 KIM MICHAEL DIY -------------------------------------- 48 KONG KRISTINE KRAYZMAN HANNAH KRUSZEWSKA KATARZYNA KRZYSIAK DOMINIKA KLAUDIA LEE CHARLENE LEE SHARON JOO AE------------------------------------ 51 LEON OLIVIA ELIZABETH LI ANN LI HANS -------------------------------------------- 52 LI SHARON LI STEPHANIE LI WEI LIN LIMETA LORELY LAM ANGIE LEE WENDY --------------------------------------------- 50 LI ANGELINA LIN ANNIE LIN RACHEL LIN XIN LIOK KELLY ANGELICA -------------------------------- 53 LIU CHEN YI LIU EVAN LIU TIFFANY LIU XIN LOZANO KAREN LUKACEVIC LANA LYBA NUR FATEMA MAHADEVAN NIDHI MAK ANDREW J MAKSUMIC AMAR -------------------------------------- 54 MALDONADO BIANCA ROCIO MALONEY VALYS ROSE MANABAT FRANCESCA ------------------------------ 55 MARTIN DALIN DESTINI MEI VIVIAN MENDOZA CATHERINE BRITTNEY MERTIRI THEODORA MITHANI RUQAIYA BANU --------------------------- 58 RAHEMAN MIU KELSEY HOPE MOHABIR FILISA MONAHAN EMMANUELLE S ----------------------- 59 MONEGRO BRIANNA MONIR THAMID MONZON REYES JOSEPH MUI INA JIN MUNROE ASHAUTAE MUNTEAN ALEX MURATOV DAVID NANDY PURBAYAN NG NIKKI ---------------------------------------------- 13 NOBI RIYA EDELSTEIN SHAWN DAVID ENG SABRINA ESGUERRA RHEGAN ARYA NUNEZ ODALYS OEI VICTORIA TRIVERA -------------------------------- 14 PALMER BIANCA PAN KAYLA PARIKH RHEA PRAMIT --------------------------------- 60 PARK EDISON JOOHOON

PATEL FORAM SANJAYKUMAR PATEL ROSHAN ATUL PATEL VANSH RAKESH PATINO IAN ------------------------------------------ 61 PELLICANE ROBERT FRANCIS PENG DENISE PITAFI MARYAM POOLUST ROHIT -------------------------------------------- 62 PORTOVIEJO WHITNEY SELINES PULA ZUZANNA PULIAFITO ATHENA RABEYA AYMAN AKTER RAHMAN ANIKA --------------------------------------------- 63 RAHMAN RON UTSHAW RAISA NAFSA ANZUM RAMIREZ ARIANNA MARIE RANASINGHE RANALI SERANDEE -------------------- 64 REID OLIVIA MICHAELA --------------------------------- 65 RETTIG BRIAN P ROBERTS TRE CARSEL RODRIGUEZ LEONARDO VICENTE ROY STACEY ------------------------------------------- 66 RUSTAMI NADIA SAMIHA FABIHA ISMAT ----------------------------------- 67 SAMUEL DYLAN KAI -------------------------------------- 68 SANTA CRUZ NANAMI SESTAK SAMANTHA COLEEN SHAH KHUSHBOO RAJESH -------------------------- 69 SHAHZAD MAHIDAH SHAO JACK SHARIFF ZEYAD ALI ------------------------------------------ 15 SHEMPER VICTOR -------------------------------------------- 16 SHIN MIN HYEOK SHIN VALERIYA SIE KATIE -------------------------------------------- 70 SIEMIENIEWICZ KLAUDIA SINGH ANIL AMIR -------------------------------------- 71 SINGH AYESHA AMANDEEP SINGH GURSIMRAN SINGH NAVRAJ SINGH PEHAL SMITH NATALIE ANN SOEWIGNJO MARCELLA HELEN SOLLA LAUREN STEIN NOAH STERN MICHELLE --------------------------------------- 72 STEWART ARTHUR WEYN STRAW BRENDAN TAVARES JAYDEN L XING AMY SAPKAL RIYA SUBHASH SUKHDEO AMANDA MARIKA SULLIVAN CHRISTOPHER JAMES SUN DANIEL -------------------------------------------- 73 SZYMANSKI THOMAS --------------------------------------- 74 TAMAY LIZBETH STEPHANIE TANGAL NEERAJ PIYUSH TANGAL NEIL PIYUSH TASNIM JERIN TEKIN ELA THUMMALA VISHNUPRIYA TSANG NETANYA LOKYIU TSUI ELAINE KA TUMULAK ALEXA JUDE TONGZON ------------------- 17 TYLIPAKIS ZOE STAVROULA ----------------------------- 76 VARELAS ALEXAN LUDOVINA MORENO VERNON ARIANA ---------------------------------------------- 18 VIEIRA JOSHUA VILLACRES NATALIE EMMA ----------------------------- 77 VINCENT GIANNA ELISE WANG EILEEN WANG NINA WANSOR GRACE ANNE WENG RACHEL WIDJAJA JASON MATTHEW WILLIAMS ANDREW PHILLIP WOJTKOWSKI JULIA ---------------------------------------- 19 WU JENNY XU CHRISTINE ---------------------------------------------- 78 XU ISABEL XU JESSIE XU LILIAN YAKUBOV ELLIANA YASEN WEIYE --------------------------------------------- 79

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YIP KRISTINE BAQUE ALYSSA HIGUITA ABRAHAM LAU ESMOND ----------------------------------- 49 MAKRIS THEODORE DMITRY MCKENNA MATTHEW MARIO ------------- 58 MITCHELL ALEXIA ANNALEASE ---------- 57 NAGAH SANJNA SUERO JONATHAN DAVID WILLIAMS KADY DONADA XU OSCAR YE JESSIE YEE ARNOLD YEO TIFFANY YEUNG KEITH ------------------------------------ 80 YI ANNIE UH-JIN YIP TRACY ZAVLUN DANIELA ZAVLUN NATANIELA ZDANUCZYK MICHAEL ZHANG IRENE ZHENG EDWIN ZHENG JOYCE ------------------------------------- 81 ZHENG TINA ZHOU JEREME ZHOU KRISTEN ----------------------------------- 20 ZHU ANGELA JIAQI ----------------------------- 82 ZOU ALVIN --------------------------------------- 83

EDITORS’ NOTE 2021. Some may see this past year as a roll of film better left undeveloped. Kept in the back of the kitchen drawer, pushed in by new appliances and cutlery to fill in the gaps.

However, what we have realized is that with time, it is these memories—frames frozen in our lives from many years ago—that we will cherish and grow from the most.

We at The Classic have always stuck to shapes for our Introducing themes: circles, stars, clouds, and the likes. But this year, we decided to deviate from our recurring theme of shapes and move onto something fresh: disposable cameras.

While a disposable camera isn’t exactly a shape, film is able to capture a certain kind of nostalgia where regular iPhones and 4k cameras fail to do so. The permanence of these pictures create its “vintage” feel. That is, a photograph taken on film cannot be edited. You can’t crop it to the perfect aspect ratio, you can’t change the hues, and you sure can’t Facetune those smile lines and acne away. And just like this past year, the good, bad, and ugly memories cannot be rewritten or cut down to just the highlights, for it would diminish our resilience and our growth.

Looking back at our last four years, the face masks that have come to define 2021 might seem to hide what our senior year could have looked like. However, it is indeed worth it to remember this as part of our story, along with the other struggles and challenges of being a high school student.

We hope that this book allows you to take a step back and reflect on our Townsend community. Beyond our mask coverings, Zoom calls, and virtual classrooms, we have crafted relationships, friendships, and experiences be it FON, S!NG, finals week, or Founders Days, that will last forever, no matter what path each and every one of us follows next.

To the Class of 2021, while we wish we could’ve handed Introducing to you in person, we hope you read each other’s stories and experiences with pride. The successes you’ve achieved, the trials you’ve overcome, the change you have encountered and persevered through, that—is indisposable.

Nikki Ng and Alexa Jude Tumulak Editor-in-Chief and Layout Editor, The Classic June 2021 6

SENIOR CLASSIC EDITORS

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Ifeoluwa Adedokun

What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

If you thought you were bold just wait 4 more years. Hi my darling I’m honestly at a loss for words because you already know you’ll be just ok. But if I had to give advice I’d say quiet down a bit. Nobody needs to hear as much as you want them to. It’s ok you’re not as special as you think you are and Townsend will for sure humble you just a bit. I know you won’t admit this to anyone but you’re scared. You’re scared because you’re going into an unknown place with just your sister basically and you don’t know what to expect. Cherish this feeling for it will only come back more and more. If anyone says you can’t do 10+ activities tell them ‘thank you for your time’ and move along because it can be done. Please respect your teachers just a little bit more. They will be instrumental to where you end up. Corona is going to be terrible for you and you’ll have to basically learn how to do everything again. So learn to love and appreciate spending time with yourself because you’re going to need it to stay sane for your last two years. You’ll be fine honestly and you’ll meet some very interesting people along the way. Stay blessed.

P.S. I think your face will always be red (whether it’s room temperature or cold or hot outside) 8

Sarah Aguiar

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Dear Freshie Sarah, I have been waiting so long to write this letter, and yet, in proper Sarah fashion, I am doing this the day of. Am I ashamed? No. Not all. Of course not.

Anywho, I’ll tell you right now: you are in for a ride. Transferring was quite a surprise and even now, I look back and wonder what would have happened if I didn’t put Townsend on that application. Life would be so different.

I hope you enjoyed freshman year because you have a lot in store: both the good and the bad. Yes, it’ll be hard; I won’t sugarcoat it and say that Spanish 3 was all rainbows and butterflies because it certainly wasn’t with your lack of linguistic skills. But, it pays off, though not in huge, monumental ways. It pays off in the hours you spent in Flushing on halfday Fridays with your friends just wandering around Target, late nights after school for FON and track, and pulling the brightest smile possible when you pass your friends in the hallway before class. You’ll discover that it’s the little things that truly matter because before you know it, it’ll all go out the window once you’re stuck at home for your senior year. And

that’s not because you’re in trouble or anything, but because of this thing called COVID that cancels all the events and makes a mess out of virtually everything.

But we make do.

And, by “we make do”, I mean everything will be okay. I can assure you that, after a concerning amount of caffeine, you’ll get into college (by the time this is written, you’ve already gotten into a pretty good one). I can assure you that you’ll accomplish things you never thought you would. And I can assure you that you’ll meet amazing people along the way: a tight-knit group of crazy smart people that’ll help make you who you are today.

It’ll be hard, but you’ll make it through because you’re Sarah Aguiar—nothing more to it.

I’ll see you on the flip side.

All the best, Sarah Aguiar 9

Amir Baig

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Hey younger Amir, I know freshman year is treating you pretty rough right now but trust me it gets a lot better. And yeah you’ll find people to talk to during lunch, I promise. There’s way too much ahead for me to say all in one shot, but I can give you a preview of some of the highlights.

Your Townsend experience will lead you to new friends that you never could have imagined having. Whether it be the person you sat next to in writing process or the people you shared the piano room with, you’ll find that maybe you aren’t so lonely after all. You wouldn’t expect these people to become some of your closest friends, but they’ll remain that way for the whole ride. Oh yeah, I didn’t even mention that certain group of people you share the most inexplicable bond with, but they’ll be the ones you’ll surprisingly be the closest with.

Of course we gotta talk about baseball too. You’ll love being around the team six days a week and grinding to get better each day. Your teammates will end up being some of the most dependable people you can turn to in a pinch, about anything. Coach Lemanczyk will push you to be the best player you can be, and everyday you’ll be waiting to get out onto the field.

Another thing, you’ll eventually step out of your comfort zone and start being more social. I know you want to keep to yourself but trust me, you need to branch out. You’ll go to Sports Awards, sweet 16s, and you’ll even do FON. Can you imagine yourself going on stage and dancing in front of a packed auditorium? Probably not, but it’ll be one of the best experiences of your life, and you won’t regret a second of it.

Freshman year was tough, I won’t lie. But everything just gets better and better. I hope you read this and know to cherish what you have now. It can go in an instant, but I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything in the world.

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Anindita Bhattacharjee

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Hey freshie Anindita, The craziness has just begun! You are in for a lot in these years.

I can’t promise you that these four years will be easy, life becomes complicated, but I can promise you that the memories you make in this school will last a lifetime.

You’ll have moments where you really want to give up and you feel like there is nothing at the end of it. And even with all the feelings of being alonew and feeling like you have nothing to look forward to, I’m here to tell you that you’ll make an amazing group of friends by the end of it making it worth it. From the somewhat awkward freshman lunches to hanging out on a regular basis, the friends you’ve made will truly be the highlights of your day. These people will be there to make you laugh, support you, and even at times make you question why you ever even thought about transferring. They will be people you never forget because of how memorable life has been with them.

Also, don’t be scared to get involved in the school community, the clubs and activities that you join will help you enjoy the hectic school days you’ll have. Enjoy those long days at S!NG practice, and learning dance steps for FON, sooner or later you’re gonna start to really miss them, especially with not even having a proper senior year. School life will definitely be different senior year, but it will help you make even better connections with your friends. Let’s just pretend the procrastination during this year didn’t have much effect. You got this and even if you think you don’t, you do.

Just take it one step at a time, the time really does fly by.

Love, Much older, yet not any taller Anindita :)

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KAYLA KIM

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? hey kayla, here’s the deal: i don’t wanna bust your bubble or anything, but your years in high school get cut pretty short. so my advice? hang out with your friends (and don’t be afraid to make more), play your best(/cheer your loudest on the bench) every time you get to put on those uniforms, study hard (cafes are not scary it’s okay you’re okay), wear your sweats less (please. it’s your only personality trait), and always ALWAYS put yourself in a position to try new things. i think these 5 things should help you live the next 4 years to their fullest. i have a hard time remembering specific moments throughout high school. i only really remember the first day of freshman year and maybe a couple of lunch periods/classes here and there. what i do know, though, is that i had a good time, and i came out of high school with a solid group of friends. so, even if you can’t follow those 5 pieces of advice perfectly, just know it’ll work out. here are some last bits of recommendation: discover coffee, save movies/books for quarantine cuz you run through 96 of them, utilize your calendar, take more pictures, don’t stress too much about essays/tests (no one really cares). on that note, good luck and have fun! kayla

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Nikki Ng

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear Freshman Nikki, Time flies when you’re having fun, so make sure you make the most of it (even if it doesn’t seem very fun at first, and even if it feels like you have to physically drag your body to the sixth floor every morning). In four years, you don’t grow much in terms of height, if at all, but you do grow in other ways. Not on your own though, so before you go on your merry and teary way, there are a few things you ought to know: For one, your left side is not, in fact, better than your right side, so just stand wherever literally who cares. You might think wearing tims will protect you from the cold of winter at 6 a.m.

NYCRuns, but what you really need are thicker socks. And hand warmers. Absolute necessity, stop gambling on whether someone else will bring them. Skip the library phase, go cafe— but let’s be real, you’re only there for the illusion of productivity. Don’t take until senior year to discover that “though” is the superior transition word. Drink more water and please please please ditch the glasses. Living a 20 minute bus ride from school is a blessing until you realize that’s only a 20 minute nap. And make sure to spend more time in The Clave now because you won’t get to spend enough time there later.

But above all, don’t be afraid to try new things and create multiple firsts. Open up to people.

Comfortable is boring. Life isn’t meant for picture perfect moments; it just ain’t that easy boo. Though you do get memories, friendships, and an addiction to coffee that will last a lifetime.

(Cherish Browny while she lasts. Her name changes, and you change with it.)

Love, Senior Nikki

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Victoria Oei

What have you learned through your experience in Townsend?

The most important thing I’ve learned in the past four years is that it’s okay to quit.

As a freshman, I joined a bunch of clubs and dropped almost all of them by the time the year ended because I realized that I wasn’t as passionate about them as I thought I would be. I definitely didn’t want to spend time on things that I didn’t really love so I quit. Sadly, I ended freshman year feeling really discouraged because I had hoped that these clubs would help me find out what I wanted to do after high school.

Now looking back, I know that the activities I quit throughout high school were just as important as the activities I stuck to. They helped me learn what I don’t like and what I do like, what I’m not good at and what I’m good at, and what I’m not willing to spend my time on and what I am willing to spend my time on.

Quitting helped me learn a lot about myself by giving me the opportunity to experiment. I walked into high school with close to no idea about what I wanted to become, but now I can say that I’ll be walking out with a clearer picture of the future I want.

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Zeyad Shariff

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Hey freshman Z. 8 AM Saturday practices might seem like hell, but they’ll be the highlight of your week going forward, so make sure you keep showing up. Baseball will get you through these four years, and everyone knows you’re loving it, so you might as well put on a smile and stop looking so scary all the time. People have always told you to appreciate your time playing the game, because you never know when it might come to an end.

That becomes all too real one Friday in March of junior year. Don’t worry.

You’ll always remember parking lot practices in 20 degree March weather, riding on the floor of a dangerously packed van (unlike Amir, you don’t have to do this again after freshman year), having to leave that game at Maspeth for questionable reasons, and making a bet that might end with you getting a tattoo next year (probably not though - sorry Jacob). In the end, you’ll be grateful to those guys for getting you through four strange years, and to Coach for everything he’s done for you. Anyway, I’ll wrap this up now, this thing is due in 20 minutes.

Good luck kid. You’re gonna need it.

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Victor Shemper

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Hey me, I honestly don’t even want to call you my younger self because... we are completely different people. You have grown and changed so much.

You are currently at a point where you are ready to start from scratch, and I regret to inform you that your high school experience will leave you at the same point. Now this isn’t to say that nothing occurred between those two points. It’s the displacement that counts ;) *physics, barf* . You will encounter many people, and though most of which you will have to let go of, each person along the way will shape you and help you become... well me. You will dance, draw, and speak your heart away every time you enter the prison-like building that will become a second home. You will find your passion and finally accept it. Most importantly, however, you will find and finally accept yourself. By the time you get to where I am you would have gone through loving Townsend, missing Townsend, and being ready to let it go. Letting go of the little red room across from the gym that will become your home, the stage which you will rush to every day, the extremely hazardous corners of a very cluttered room, and all the memories that will forever remain within them. You don’t need any real tips from me because... you are me, and I trust you. I think. Disclaimer: I definitely love myself more than I love you lol (if that makes sense), and I think you would too.

I’m gonna go now. See you soon (just look in the mirror in four years time).

Also I apologize to anyone reading this mess. I guess this is your punishment for intruding on a very personal letter to my no longer existing younger self.

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Alexa Jude Tumulak

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear baby lex, Even after editing Introducing for two+ years and reading hundreds of responses, I’ve never known what to say to myself. Honestly, I planned on leaving a simple apology: “Lex, I am so sorry for the next four years. Godspeed.” But in retrospect…

The Tower: Maybe your “post-concert depression” isn’t only post-concert. Expect to be labeled as helpless, overly emotional, and a mentally unstable *****. But WHO CARES! All that matters is that you’re alive. You’re loved more than you know.

Five of Swords: Just let yourself get bullied LMAO. You’ll discover your worth and what dream NOT to chase. You win in the end, trust the process.

Queen of Cups: Eventually, you’ll fill your own cup. It’ll take a pandemic, but you will. Journaling, yoga, meditation, vision boards, painting, and impulsive spending will save you.

The Fool: Being the only freshman in Flip FON Modern will terrify you, but dive in! It pays off! Sure, by the time you become a Flip leader, you won’t be able to create the “Only Girl in the World” by Rihanna choreography of your dreams, but every FON season will make you incredibly happy. Cherish FON while you still can <3 The Star: Have faith in your art babe. In the summer of 2020, you’re gonna make hundreds from painting people’s kids. What a flex. And go paint that mural!

You’re more talented than you think.

The World: While it’s nice that some things don’t change (I still love Pierce the Veil haha), I’m grateful for all the breakdowns, transformations, and different hair colors. Smooth seas don’t make good sailors anyway.

Sending you all my love. Mwah.

Stay sexy, lexy.

P.S. Don’t worry. Your butt does stay fat.

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Ariana Vernon

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear freshman Ariana, This experience will change your life. Currently, you’re lost, but you’ll find your way, and become an amazing person. Here’s some advice for this wild ride: - First, PLEASE get rid of the bun. Let your hair down. There’s so much freedom in simply doing that.

- Get involved in swim asap. Sophomore year, people will laugh at you for forgetting the cheer, but by junior year you’ll be the loudest on the team. Also, get your carpool together quicker.

Your best moments will be laughing with those two girls who always end up in your car.

- Learn how to climb six flights of stairs in three minutes. Every year you’ll hope it stops, but every year it won’t.

- Take that journalism class sophomore year.

You’ll run around the school, have eggnog taste tests, and learn more in those 50 minutes than people learn in their lives.

- Stay calm before your sports editor interview.

You might screw up the comma test, but it’ll be okay. You get the job and enjoy every conversation, every Tapas Tuesday, and every loud moment in the Clave, which becomes your home.

- Try halal and move past pink drinks. You’ll spend a lot of money on chicken over rice with barbecue sauce and white sauce and matcha lattes.

- Embrace FON. You’ll learn about different cultures and appreciate your own. When trying out for Chinese Ribbon junior year, don’t embarrass yourself.

- Put yourself first. Your mental health is most important. Don’t let panic attacks take control.

Just try your best and give everything your all.

-Talk to those people in the hallway. Meet those people in Greek and APUSH. And use 3rd band free to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. Over this journey, you’ll become friends with different types of people. You won’t have one specific group, however, you’ll have a variety of friends who get you through the journey.

- It’s corny but live every day to the fullest (you’ll realize why March 16th)!

I’m proud of you!

Love, Senior Ariana p.s. write this before December 31st (aka the due date)

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Julia Wojtkowski

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear little Julia, I know you think you are shy.

That you will be the quiet girl in the back of the class, following the detailed plan you made for yourself for these next four years, because otherwise, you will not survive Townsend. (And I warn you: there will be many tears and nervous breakdowns throughout the years to make you think so).

I will not give you any spoilers, but will say that we didn’t just survive Townsend, but thrived in it. Throw out the rules and push your planner away- the faster, the better, trust me. Here is a few tips instead: Don’t be afraid to talk to people!

I know you think that they are scary and will judge you, but they will introduce you to many experiences that will change you in the best way possible.

Don’t resist joining The Classic.

The Clave, the people in it, and the ridiculous arguments you will have there will make it your safe haven.

Join all clubs you think you have the slightest chance to enjoy, and stick with the ones you do.

Remember: Quality over Quantity.

Learn to enjoy the stage. Whether it be trembling through FON dances, or presentations for AP Capstone (Make sure to stick with it!), you will need to learn to step into the spotlight.

Give yourself credit and celebrate the smallest accomplishments. Coffee and chocolate is the best way to do so.

Be ready for everything, because when you finally open yourself to the world, you will be given the challenges you sought out but could never find, make memories with amazing people, and will slowly change into a whole new person.

And though things may not have turned out the way you planned, I am proud of you. I am proud of the accomplishments you have had and the person you allowed yourself to become. You have come out of your shell, and though that was challenging, it was essential. You have come a long way, and that thanks to your work, I have a long way to go.

Much love!!

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Kristen Zhou

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Dear freshman 4”10 Kristen, I know you’re wondering if you’ve grown because being 17 and still under 5 feet is your worst fear. I can tell you that you do grow, just not in the way you think. Your growth won’t be measured by a ruler in the doctor’s office, but in your experiences and lessons you learn.

You learn what true joy feels like with the Turtles even though you’ll consider quitting every other lap at practice. Changing in the sketchy locker room, carpooling after practice, and powering through the 50s pyramid are memories to be cherished forever. You’ll also learn that club swimming isn’t for you.

You learn to take advantage of growth opportunities, even if you don’t know it. You join FON and join Chinese ribbon because you are tired of hiding backstage, so it’s time to do the opposite. This also means realizing that grades are just grades and the world is bigger than numbers of a piece of paper. You’ll need to be reminded of this from time to time, but it’s a process.

You learn that your best days don’t have to be extravagant. Some of your best days are spent on the handball courts, eating halal, and drinking bad bubble tea. (On that note, you’ll try to abstain from bubble tea but it’s useless so just go crazy.)

Near the end, you learn to cherish every single moment. Will some of those moments be less than pleasant?

Definitely. You will fail multiple tests. You will cry after dropping your ribbon on stage during the Saturday night performance. You will be bullied by older women at your job. But no season is eternal, for better or worse, and you will realize each moment’s value.

You will be the smallest one in your class, the smallest in the pool, and the smallest on the court. You’ll learn, however, that it’s not something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of when you see how much you can do. This is how you will grow.

From, Senior 4”10 Kristen 20

class of 2021

21

Aaliyah Allen

What have you learned through your experience in Townsend?

Townsend and I have a love-hate relationship. Here, I spent countless hours studying or was swamped continuously with an ungodly amount of homework. Everyone who knows me, knew I put myself under constant pressure and stress, but Townsend has taught me that I am not alone. From conversing with one band before your next exam or asking how they did on the quiz, there was always a sort of understanding between everyone.

Nevertheless, I also made life-long relationships with the most amazing people. Meeting your friends after school to hop on the Q20 and head home was always full of laughter. By meeting every day for Lunch in room 115 and terrorizing the chalkboard with ‘doggieths,’ we made so many memories in this place. Obnoxiously singing our proclaimed song across the halls while ignoring many confused students’ stares and sporadically speaking in medieval English, I definitely became comfortable with my surroundings. I slowly melted from the uptight student and became one who looked forward to adventures ahead.

Overall, I learned that school is not only for studying or doing homework, It’s for building unforgettable relationships and memories. Without my friends, I may not have enjoyed my experience at Townsend. For that, I am eternally grateful.

22

Joshua Ashvil

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Hey Josh! First of all, be prepared to be called Ashvil for your entire time in high school.

You will be surprised by how many people named Josh actually go to this school. I know freshman year is a little rough at first, but I promise you that in the future you will look back on your time here and wish you had more. You will develop more and more friendships over time and your extracurriculars will be extremely meaningful in the long run. Although you are going to spend a lot of hours in robotics meetings and many afternoons running to Kissena Park to make tennis practice, it will all be worth it. The friendships you make and the lessons you learn are priceless. Classes will also teach you new things about yourself that you never would have known. Spoiler alert: APUSH is your favorite class in high school and you came to love humanities courses overall. I bet you were not expecting that one. You are going to pull a couple all-nighters and see your fair share of hard tests, but although it seems like the end of the world in the moment, you really do not remember them in the future. You will only look back on what you have learned and how much you have grown as a person. Trust me, you will be doing a lot of growing, literally and figuratively. You will become a more mature person over the course of high school, and you will come out a better person overall. Not to mention, you will have a huge growth spurt sophomore year. Always remember to do your best and enjoy every moment. And please, choose a better robotics hoodie name!

23

Sahithi Attada

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? You will make mistakes, and it’s ok. It’s all a part of the learning process. Don’t keep putting yourself down because you didn’t do well on a test because you can take that as a chance to do well on the upcoming ones.

You know more than you think so don’t be afraid to take chances as you have the capability to do whatever it is you want to do. Instead of spending time criticizing yourself for your failures, celebrate your achievements and give yourself credit.

Stop wasting time hating yourself and feeling like you’re not good enough. You need to realize that you are worth so much more than you think and you do deserve to live and be happy. It will get better at the end as you will come out to be stronger even if you will have your breakdowns in junior year and senior year because of college applications.

You are so nice to everyone but do not expect that others will treat you the same. You should learn to prepare yourself for meeting those types of people and know how to maintain distance from them.

Don’t feel sad about it as it’s okay if people don’t like you. The important thing is that you have your friends and family who love you and motivate you to become an even better person.

You will make great memories with a friend who you met in 9th band writing process and another friend who was in your math class but only got to know her when you decided to join FON in your sophomore year. These two will be the ones who support you through everything and encourage you to believe in yourself and make you realize how amazing of a person you are. As the years go by, you will meet more people who you never thought would become friends with you. Just make sure that you make the most out of your time at Townsend.

P.S. Your love for Telugu songs will never stop but be open to other types of music.

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Kevin Baijoo

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Hey King, Kev! My egghead king, my townsend hoodie wearing champ!

You made it buddy! I’m proud of us. Townsends rlly gonna change you for the better, and make you so eager to experience new things, whether that means being on a sports team, dancing (in front of ppl), or just meeting new peeps.

And the ppl you meet here are gonna make you so happy and comfortable being yourself! Life has so many ups and downs in the next four years. Just remember that there’s a lesson to be learned from every experience, and to always be grateful for the ppl and things you have in your life. You’re rlly lucky to be the sexy, smart, funny, passionate and talented beast that u are (u also develop a god complex over the next four years but it’s well justified dw)..To sum up, life crazy.

Make sure you enjoy it.

Warm Regards, Your Overlord, Future Kev

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Jaida Boodram

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? hey bud! I just wanna say don’t worry bout it keep doing what you doing bro it’s a future you problem. I wouldn’t change anything you turn into a great person and are still evolving everyday sis much love xoxo :)

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Emmanuella Borukh

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? HII baby me! Emmanuella? Emmy? Emma? E? (you’ll have a lot of nicknames) I have a lot to say, and if I could I’d probably go on for pages, but I’ll make it short (just like you hahah).

Have fun, have all the fun you possibly can. You really don’t know when everything can change.

Find the fun in simple things, in the random things. Cherish walking around decorated hallways. Cherish practicing made-up skits and plays in the staircases while teachers hush you. Cherish arguing over where to hang out after school because you’re too lazy to walk all the way down main street. Cherish the moments, all the many many moments.

Don’t have regrets. Be happy and confident with the choices you make because in the end everything happens for a reason and you’ll end up in the right place, with the right people, at the right time.

You’re a leader, you’ve always been one. One day you’ll find yourself in Writing Process with a timed assignment that requires the whole class to work together. So what do you do? You’ll drag a chair into the middle of the room, stand up onto it, and start by saying: “Who wants to be our typer?”. Years will pass but no matter what you will stay the leader that you are. Somewhere in between your clubs and extracurriculars, you’ll turn into the “no vape girl”. Be a leader. Always use your voice.

You’re gonna see some awesome stuff and work with some spectacular people. Get ready for it. You’ll see surgeries, intubations, foley catheters, regional nerve blocks, and even a toe amputation. Ok now I’m freaking you out! You’ll intern with a judge and watch a medical malpractice trial! You’ll walk in the courthouse, with your shoes that make little sounds, amazed by the inner workings of our justice system.

In the next 4 years, you’re gonna grow up. You’ll become a sister again. You’ll make hard decisions. You’ll find amazing friends. But most of all you’ll make memories.

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Rachel Chai

WHAT IS YOUR QUOTE TO LIVE BY?

“It’s like all of my life everyone has always told me, ‘You’re a shoe, you’re a shoe, you’re a shoe, you’re a shoe.’ And then today I just stopped and I said, ‘What if I don’t want to be a shoe? What if I want to be a purse, you know? Or, a hat?’”

– Rachel Green (Friends, Season 1 Episode 1: “The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate”)

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Megan Chang

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Quick! Here’s the lotto numbers! jk. Hey freshie Megan.

Kid, you have to stop worrying about everything. You’ll join a bazillion clubs and love almost each and every one of them. You’ll take the next step and meet some amazing (albeit very very weird) people. You’ll panic about missing a deadline or turning in work late, or getting a failing grade on a test but in the end everything turns out pretty decent. Some advice from the future though, move. As in, get out of that little bubble of yours.

Yeah, that’s right I’m talking about that tiny circle of friends that you carried from middle school and that comforting ring of hobbies. Get out. Oh and don’t wait until senior year for your last “hurrah”, hell don’t even wait until junior year. Keep an eye out for those deadlines, and give yourself a bonk on the head for me to stop you from procrastinating (Though I’m writing this two hours before it’s due and at the same time as a college supplemental whoops). And no, people won’t stop misspelling your name (in fact it gets worse, like who decided Meaghean was an acceptable spelling).

So in the words of Griffin Mcelroy, from a podcast you should have listened to so much earlier, “You’re going to be amazing.”

P.S. - And if you ever get the chance to go to the world championships you should do it.

- Senior Citizen Megan

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Rebecca Chen

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear younger me, I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason so I won’t give you any spoilers for the next 4 years.

However, to ease your mind, don’t worry, everything worked out! You got through high school!

Here’s some advice though: 1. Stop writing down every single thing your teacher says. Your hand will cramp up and you will be overwhelmed while you are attempting to “study”. Just jot down a few key concepts and draw pictures.

2. Live by this quote, “Planning is everything, Plans are nothing” - Dwight D. Eisenhower. Plan as much as you want but when plans don’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. It’s gonna be okay.

3. You only live through high school once. Make the most of it. Never feel trapped or like you lost the opportunity to try new things. Just go out and do it.

(Maybe not the sports teams though. Just a heads up.)

4. Take AP Psych. You might just figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life in that class. Ms. Shen is also an awesome teacher.

5. A lot of major things are going to happen in 2020.

Give yourself some grace and don’t feel like you need to do everything.

6. Start working out. You’re gonna suck in the beginning but progress will eventually show. It’s cliche but it’s actually pretty nice once you develop a routine. Whether or not you stick to it is another story.

7. Call your friends more. Even better, do a zoom call with them (you’ll find out what a “zoom call” is eventually). It might also be smart to buy some Zoom stocks, and maybe gamestop stocks too.

On that note, be grateful for what you have. Your own room, your weird looking plants and even the view outside your window. Trust me, you’ll be seeing the inside of your room ALOT. Sincerely, Older me 30

Wei Chen

WHAT IS YOUR QUOTE TO LIVE BY? If you feel like you’re going to crash, then step on the pedal harder, kid.

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Vivian Chen

WHAT IS YOUR QUOTE TO LIVE BY? “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

– Vivian Greene

32

Xandria Crosland

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Dear 9th grade Xandria, These four years couldn’t have felt longer. I know you went into high school with high hopes but let me tell ya, it wasn’t as epic as you thought it would be. From developing anxiety, going through some dark times, and going through multiple identity crises, Townsend was pretty rough on you. Almost every day felt like garbage because there was always something racking your brain. This school forced you to not only look inwards but contemplate your position in the world—quite scary, I know. Although attending Townsend has most likely scarred you for life, with every experience comes some lesson.

You entered freshman year as a timid girl who blindly followed the crowd because you simply wanted to be liked by everyone. You put others before you even though they would never do the same for you and that took a toll on you. However, slowly but surely, you grew out of that and started to think for yourself. You depended less on the opinions of others and began to do things that pleased you. It took a lot of courage but you finally learned that you needed to start doing things for yourself.

Now you aren’t completely there yet, but you’ve taken a big step in the right direction. Townsend has introduced you to a lot of people and with each person you gained a new understanding of the world. Everyone is so unique and has their own perspectives based on their experiences. You’ve become more open-minded and inclined to listen to people even if you don’t agree with their views. You are certainly far from perfect, but you’re evolving into an admirable person.

Xandria, even though it’s hard to believe, you are growing into a beautiful being and I mean beautiful in every sense of the word. Life continues to throw punches at you and you keep rolling with them. I’m proud that you’re here :) 33

Andrew Fu

What have you learned through your experience in Townsend?

I’ve learned how to heal, forgive, and most importantly, love myself.

I’ve always harbored self-hatred, and one of the most subtle manifestations of this was my insecurity with my voice. Sometimes, it’s too high-pitched. Sometimes, it’s too monotone. Sometimes, it’s too soft. This aversion started when I realized I couldn’t say the word “dad”. Since I had no one to call dad, it became a word that other people spoke for me, the single-syllable sound that slithered out of their questioning mouths and into my anxious heart.

My father’s voice was absent and it hurt to use my own, so I internalized other peoples’ voices, thinking mine was too ugly to ever use. Even my mother’s voice was unavailable; she had to work relentlessly to support us.

I remember the day I met my father because it was the day I regained my voice. It was also the first and last time I ever met him. The court had ordered a supervised session between me and him. I slowly entered the intervention room, fingers tightly clamped around the hope of paternal acceptance. I observed his apathetic eyes; restless, bouncing legs; and hands which unapologetically offered a dollar store basketball. My soul sunk with the realization that he never loved me - and never would.

It would be so easy to return to resentful, self-pitying diatribes. But these were old songs; I needed to sing the melody that was hidden in my trauma. Anger couldn’t rebuild my relationship with my mother after years of disconnect. Anger couldn’t break the lingering chains of external judgement and noise that threatened to drown out my voice. Anger couldn’t forgive. Anger has a powerful sound but no tune; I would only hear the euphony of growth and harmony of healing in the song of forgiveness.

I love my voice because it’s strong enough to forgive my father and accept myself. I love my voice for its tones of resilience, its compassionate timbre, and its unyielding, unapologetic pitch. I love my voice because even though I was taught to be silent, I learned how to speak.

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Isabella Gallegos

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW? Dear 9th Grade Self, You can’t imagine how much is in store for you.

At the end of my four years of highschool I have learned and grown so much from the person I used to be. In that time, I’ve made wonderful friends and long lasting memories. I am proud of everything I accomplished here and I couldn’t have done it without you.

Looking back however, there are somethings I wished I had learned sooner. As a senior reminiscing about her time at Townsend Harris, here is some advice I would like to give you…

Trust in your own capabilities. Despite the many failures you will eventually face, stay strong and focus on improving yourself at your own pace. No one can pave the way for you but yourself and you need confidence to achieve that. You are stronger than you know and there is so much magic in store for you, if you just let it happen. Change is inevitable, let it in and embrace the concept of the unknown. There are so many people and opportunities that would have passed you by had you not taken a chance.

All of my experiences have taught me that in order to feel fulfilled you have to have to take risks and have enough faith in yourself to see them through. Trust me it all pays off… eventually.

Good luck. You’ll survive.

Love, Isabella

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Jodie Gao

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR NINTH GRADE SELF NOW?

Hey Jo, I’m gonna keep this message nice and short. I know how much you love spoilers, but I’m not gonna give you any because where’s the fun in that. The one thing I’ll say is just be you! Wear all the leggings and sweats you want. Eat all the chocolate there is. Keep tripping over nothing in that one spot on the sixth floor. Try new things, make mistakes, and just have fun because high school is going to be over before you know it!

Love, Jo from the future

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Aliyah Ghany

what will you miss most about townsend?

The one thing that I will surely miss is the strong sense of community and unexplainable connection between us Harrisites.

Outsiders may view us as competitive, but I think that this just shows how determined and passionate we are about our goals and aspirations. It served as a great source of motivation over the last four years, and it pushed me to work harder while also allowing me to see a new side of myself that I wouldn’t have been able to discover at any other school.

The part that a lot of people don’t see is how we support and uplift each other on a daily basis. We are not only passionate about schoolwork, but this passion extends to many other aspects of our lives, such as the love we share for our school. I vividly remember one basketball game that occurred in between FON shows; it was packed to the point where it was probably a fire hazard, but we were all there to show our support despite being in full costume. It was one of those rare moments where we were all completely immersed in the same activity and every single person was fervently cheering for our team as if our lives depended on it. The energy and enthusiasm in the gym that day were surreal, and I think this memory accurately describes our entire student body. Even during a pandemic, Townsend Harris students are still so actively engaged in their school community, and it is comforting to know that nothing can break our spirits. I am beyond grateful for everything I have learned from my unique experience at Townsend. I know all of my amazing classmates are destined to succeed, and I hope that our raw passion and eagerness to learn never fades. Best of luck to all of you in your future endeavors!!!

37

Eric Han

what will you miss most about townsend?

There’s a black and white photo stuck to the wall above my desk that shows the members of the very first pit orchestra at Townsend Harris. It’s a reminder of why I love music so much, and something that continues to serve as motivation for my decisions in the future. Above that photo, there’s a photo of Arts For Generations’ first performance at a nursing home - containing me and 3 other amazing musicians. Call me sentimental, but the thing I’ll miss most at Townsend is the homeliness. From day one of my musical journey to what’ll be the very last, I’ve been surrounded by so many amazing musicians that have pushed me, but that have also served as confidants, friends, and family. Whether it be late night rehearsals with the Pit Orchestra or early morning practice with the Jazz Band, the family I had here will be the thing I cherish most.

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Christy Han WHAT IS YOUR QUOTE TO LIVE BY?

“I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the best of her ability.”

- Ruth Bader Ginsburg 39

Ana Karen Hernandez

what will you miss most about townsend?

I will definitely miss the people at Townsend the most.

Whether that’s my friends, teachers, or the school personnel, the essence of the Townsend experience is the community and family that one builds during their time here. The friendships I’ve built have been invaluable. Whether it was practicing worship songs to my heart’s content on Friday afternoons with my friend Angelina, or meeting up with friends for Lunch band prayer, the people I’ve met have been a strong support through both water and muck. During late Scioly study sessions at QC, upperclassmen were willing to run across campus to help me find my lost ID card, and many of them encouraged me to join activities that I wouldn’t have been comfortable joining on my own.

Now that I am a senior, it has been a truly joyful experience working with the Big and Little Sib Club because I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with amazing freshmen that brighten up my day. Alongside all these unforgettable memories, I will deeply miss the bright smiles of the school personnel, from those wishing us a good morning as they filled our lunch tray with breakfast, to those cleaning the school while listening to worship songs on the fifth floor (if you know, you know). The teachers as well are of a generous and servile nature; whether it’s Mr. Lee buying bagels and bubble tea for all his strings students on the day of the concert, Mr. Sweeney making pancakes in class for his students, or Dr. Colakis baking brownies for her students, all the teachers care for the intellectual and self-growth (and the food needs) of their students.

How can one not miss Townsend and the cornucopia of opportunities and lovely people? Perhaps at times life was stressful, very stressful at times. Yet, all the occurences that one has the opportunity to partake in while at Townsend makes the stress dissolve like sugar in coffee, essentially leaving you with a bittersweet experience that you can’t live without.

40

JESSIE HIRSCH

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey young(er) Jessie!

This is going to be simple, because you never learned to stop procrastinating, and this is due in a couple of hours.

Don’t stress over the little things, they’ll be more than enough big things to stress about already. You’ll spend way too much time hanging out in Ms. Brandeis and Ms. York’s offices, but it’ll be one of your favorite parts of school, and you’ll look forward to it everyday. Swim and clubs will be another highlight of your years, don’t wait to join them!

So stay positive, and stick by your friends- they’ll make everything worth it.

41

Almadin Hodzic

What is your quote to live by?

“They say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day” -Winnie the Pooh 9 42

JonathAn Hong victor ariza

What is your quote to live by?

Philippians 4:6-7: In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And the peace of God which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

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10

Zoe Indarshan

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear freshman me, If I could go back in time and give my ninth grade self one piece of advice, it would be to stop stressing about every little thing. Just live in the moment. In a few years from now, that bad test grade won’t matter and neither will those friendships that ended with no explanation. Here are a few things you can expect in the next few years.

1) You definitely won’t grow as much as you think you will. Just a few inches.

2) High school only gets easier, not harder because you realize you can in fact handle it.

3) You should have joined FON way earlier. You didn’t know how much fun you’d have junior year, and now because of COVID you won’t get another chance.

4) It’s okay for your friend groups to evolve and change. That’s just a normal part of life.

5) Treasure that group chat. You know which one I’m talking about, and the people in it will also know. I love you guys.

6) Always say yes to new things. Even if it seems scary, like SSR, I promise, just try it. It’s definitely worth it.

7) Try new foods! Life is too short to eat the same things all the time.

8) Don’t be scared to put yourself out there. Take that risky and challenging job. Talk to the new kid and make a friend.

Last but not least, just enjoy your time in high school. It’ll go by in a blink of an eye, trust me.

Love, senior me 44

Nancy Jiang

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Heyy Nancy, You’re probably worried right now because you missed the first couple days of schools. Don’t worry you will become close friends with the people you least expect to be friends with. Some you will meet through class, some through events, and some even from taking the bus. Ngl the people you think you will stick to in freshman year isn’t who you really stick with. Don’t get me wrong.

You’re still close with them but you often forget about them. I just want to tell you that don’t be scared to contact people, you’re gonna regret it so much.

Please, please try to be more decisive. I know you want to be with friends but sometimes you should try things out on your own and make your own decisions. You will miss out on a lot of things because you aren’t sure and follow your friends. Try new things, you only experience high school once.

Also I know you’re looking forward to senior year already but ngl you’re gonna hate senior year the most. Yes, you will become a fencing captain, a leader in fon, and have a position in both key club and glamour gals but something called the coronavirus is gonna ruin everything. No more fencing, no more fon, and clubs are online. You’re not really gonna use your “leadership skills.”

Heyy but some good news is that you will start your college apps early. Yes, you didn’t procrastinate. And don’t worry, you will be matched to a college with full scholarship and you won’t even have to make a decision because you’re binded to the school that accepted you.

But overall, just be yourself and don’t try to impress others. Have fun in college and be thankful for all the people around you because they really helped you get through some tough times!

Anyways enjoy life. (Oh yea don’t worry there’s gonna be so much drama in your life, it’s like watching a movie. It’s kinda funny.)

Nancy

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Sukhmanpreet Kaur

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear Freshman Sukhmanpreet, As much as you want to “zoom” to senior year. Please don’t because senior year literally shows up in a “flash”. Don’t wait till senior year to have fun, you’re not even going to have one.

9th Grade: Freshman firsts. You’re going to be baffled by English after you have to annotate 14 pages on the first day in one night.

That’s when you cry on the car ride home, telling your mom that you’re switching schools. Guess what? You don’t and in a few months or so, you’re glad you don’t. Not gonna lie, freshman year is hard. Within a span of forty-two minutes, you’ll run a mile, change your clothes twice, and climb all the way to the sixth floor from the basement. Through it all, upperclassmen cheer you on in the staircase. You’ll make it, although you’re panting and you miss the first four minutes of chemistry everyday.

10th Grade: Every week is a race to make it to Friday. You have half-days for the first time because of the block schedule! This is the year you learn that Townsend can be fun too! You go to Six Flags and a bowling alley. You learn to balance work and extracurriculars. Dunkin and binge-watching the Flash will carry you through the year.

11th Grade: The best “last” year ever. You’ll start the year off, expecting to attend school till June. But a worldwide pandemic ends it all. In March, you’ll think you have an early, long spring break but know that on a random Friday (March 13) your high school experience ends. You learn to appreciate the little things that you’ve taken for granted: traveling on crowded buses, trips through QC with your friends, as well as all the nights you willingly stayed at school.

12th Grade: Through sleepless nights because of homework, waking up extremely early for zero band, and studying for a test every other day, you’ll take away that growth comes from discomfort. With that being said, remember what you started your Townsend journey off: “Sometimes we have to lose something precious in order to gain something priceless.”

From, future me :) 10 46

Sabrina Khaleque what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear freshman Sabrina, First and foremost, lose the side part girl. Trust me, your middle part looks a thousand times better. Second, don’t be scared to talk to more people. I know everything will seem weird and scary once you enter Townsend as an incoming sophomore, but it’s not all that bad. Once you start opening up, you’ll meet some of the most fun and crazy people ever. Third, don’t put anyone on a pedestal. I know it’s super corny but my biggest advice is to love yourself most. Put yourself first. Fourth, you’re going to be doing a lot of lying and sneaking out so better get used to that. And fifth, take risks! Say yes to everything that makes you slightly uncomfortable! Being uncomfortable is what’s going to push you to be the amazing, independent girl you mature into.

Last but not the least, if everything blows over and life feels like an utter mess… JUST. GO. SHOPPING. As your spirit animal, Blair Waldorf, once said “Whoever said that money doesn’t buy happiness didn’t know where to shop- xoxo” Cheers to an adventurous four years, girlie!

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Michael Kim

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear younger me, I am here from the future to tell you some things. First of all, yes, your username on social media and videogames stays the same and people will continue to clown the spelling, but hey, it’s a classic. Next, you are going to transfer out of Dozo. No more getting late to class because of 42nd Street and no more being part of long lines outside of guidance. Instead, you will be at Townsend. Surprising. What’s not surprising? Geico can save you 15% or more on car insurance (Yep, still a comedian *insert laughing emoji). At Townsend, you are going to find a community that will not be found anywhere else. You are going to find the people who you spend hours in and hours out running around all 6 floors of the building. Those same people are those who you will joke around with in the locker room and the ones who are all collectively melting together in a rundown van. With this kind of family, I want this idea to stick with you: don’t ever say no to a hangout. Broaden your horizons. Live life. Get to know people while you’re still able to go outside freely. This same tight-knit community at school will spark your interest in your cultural identity. You will deeply cherish your Korean heritage thanks to them, which will cause you to deepen your bond with your family by watching shows like Men on A Mission and Crash Landing on You and karaoking K-pop together. A pretty big step, but it does indeed happen. Because of this, I want you to have an open mind and not just disregard your culture when it’s brought up in conversation with friends. I want you to be present and be proud of your roots. Not only that, I hope that you can continue and cherish every moment in order to learn more about the world and yourself. It builds confidence and in turn, helps secure dates (smooth). Now go! Have fun embarking on this amazingly short journey that is high school! !

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What was the least expected thing to happen to you at Townsend?

Well, I will just be honest. I seriously had no expectations or future plans when I first arrived at Townsend. Being a sole lone wolf from middle school, I didn’t know if I could make new friends or even catch up with “the high THHS standards.”

To begin, I never thought about going to Townsend in the first place. My middle school teachers and counselors wanted me to put Townsend in the high school application because of my excellent performance, but my mom already doubted that I would actually get accepted. After all, I had a moderate hearing disability and my past has been… rather dumb me (I wouldn’t go to detail though, that’s not the point of writing for this prompt).

Anyway, well… the story goes on of how I got accepted and blah blah blah. But, when I first stepped into Townsend, I didn’t expect myself to immediately befriend some of the bois, who I am glad to have worked with from then up to now. Along with getting homework done together quickly, I didn’t expect that they also have the desire to play video games like myself, and have fun as well as relieving “stress.” At the end of the day, I always have something to talk about, which is the opposite of when I was much younger.

All of the teachers I met were also surprisingly pretty cool and had some unique aspects of teaching. I thought these teachers were going to be those who teach boring lessons and be too damn smart for me to understand, but that is not the case.

Finally, I didn’t expect to receive much of the support from my counselors and staff. Along with a simple “hi” every time we meet, I found myself to have an appreciation for where I am. :))

Esmond Lau

Side Note to myself: Make sure to study the map whenever I go to a new place or class. Don’t be that kid who somehow ended up in the wrong classroom for a good hot second. _-

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Wendy Leevictor ariza

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey Freshie!

As cliche as it sounds, high school is going to be a roller coaster. There will be dips but things will get better so start believing in yourself cause as someone drilled into you “It’s not where you begin but where you end,” so let’s end on a high note!

Keep smiling and make the most of your time here cause senior year won’t come again!

Love, Wendy

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10

Sharon Lee

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear Freshie Sharon, Where do I even start? Looking back at you now, I’m in awe of your ambition. You probably already made a list of everything you want to accomplish over the next four years at Townsend and even began thinking about college. I’ll be honest with you. The next four years won’t go as planned. You’re going to get a taste of life change, transition, and things that would have never crossed your mind at school, church, and home. Oh man... junior year will be filled with curveballs.

But through it all, you’re going to learn to love yourself, be accepting, and appreciate the relationships that you have. You’re going to find strength in mentors, friends who are used to your affectionate punches and headlocks, cute babies who you’ll facetime during the pandemic, Son Heung Min, praise team, but most importantly God, who is always by your side. There’s so much more that I want to tell you, but just know that you’re in for a crazy ride. Have faith, breathe, and don’t be so hard on yourself.

From You, but wiser Sharon~ P.S. I think your face will always be red (whether it’s room temperature or cold or hot outside)

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Hans Li WHAT IS the greatest piece of advice you would give someone?

Always be humble. Being proud of an achievement and being haughty are two completely different acts.

Intrinsically, congratulating yourself for accomplishing a task is excellent, but running around boasting about a so-called “superiority” that you have is deplorable. Nobody is superior to you and you are superior to nobody. There is always room for improvement and the beauty of life entails constantly refining ourselves and connecting with others to share new things, namely ideas and knowledge. Even the most celebrated person in a field can learn from another in a different field. Rather than being conceited and bragging to others, we should take a step back and carefully examine ourselves. Did we progress, even if it is merely the slightest? Do we now have something new to share? Did we become better people? It is when we truly become humble that we will progress in life.

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Kelly Liok

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey. I know it may not seem possible now, but you are going to transfer to Townsend Harris in sophomore year and endure a lot more highs and lows than you would probably like to. For example, you will end up studying a dead language for two years only to forget nearly all of it in senior year, but you got through it, didn’t you? On a more serious note, the worst low you will go through is not realizing your self worth and feeling insecure whenever you don’t perform to the highest possible standard. Thankfully, you are also going to befriend an amazing group of people that make you feel like you’ve known them your entire life. To this day, you won’t even remember how you became friends with most of them; it just happened out of nowhere, and those are the best kind of friendships. Without them, you would’ve gone crazy, so make sure you cherish them with all your heart.

Additionally, I’m sure you can’t count the amount of times you’ve thought, “College is going to be my escape and I will finally be happy.” I know because I’ve heard this thought echo in my mind many times over the past couple years.

But if any of what I just said rings true, then you know that college will also be a turbulent experience of highs and lows, unable to be predetermined or controlled. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen because I don’t even know what college I’m attending yet. But I can tell you this: both pain and happiness complement each other. These are the outstanding factors that make us human and life worth living. For every bad day and lost opportunity, there is a subsequent beautiful moment and blessing waiting for you, although it may not seem like it at the time.

Most importantly, I hope you know that you are incredibly loved and have so much potential ahead of you. Keep doing the best you can and I promise, it will all work out.

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Amar Maksumic

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

The world opens up to those who seize opportunity.

I can narrate to you my stories of tough times and how I climbed out of them — but that’s kinda cliché. Instead, I want you to focus on the amarzing things that lay ahead; of course, without you knowing of them. Go shoot your shot and build a bot. Stay up late with your friends and get ready to look through a Zoom lens. #Zoomers There are many things to look forward to, and many things to be afraid of. Just make sure to seize the opportunity and enjoy the moment.

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Francesca Manabat

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear Freshman Francesca, Ineng you have no idea what storm is waiting for you within these halls.

First off, right off the bat, please cut your hair. Long hair is an emotional and financial mistake.

You definitely are not aware of it, but joining SING and FON are going to be the best choices you’ve ever made.

Maybe also the worst? Let your eye bags and carpal tunnel decide. You’re going to realize that hey maybe that art thing you have going will maybe go somewhere, but more importantly- you’re going to meet people that you will proudly call your own dysfunctional family. And get ready to bust out the adoption papers, because the amount of kids you’re gonna feed in the next four years is absolutely ridiculous.

Everything you know is going to change, and I know how scary that can be. High school isn’t going to be the musical you always dreamed it would be. But it gets easier, you learn and grow, and you’ll take everything in stride.

Something that doesn’t change however, is the passion and love you hold for everything you do and everyone you meet. Remember to sit next to that girl with the awful anime graphic tees in your bio class. She’s gonna be your best friend, AND will out dress you in the years to come. That girl in your APWH class? She may be a little mean, but bro that’s gonna be your closest confident.

You’re going to be loud and shameless and absolutely obnoxious when it comes to loving people, and I hope you don’t ever ever regret any of it.

High school is going to be a storm, but hurricanes are your favorite type of weather.

Mahal na malal, Ate Aged Francesca 55

Matthew McKenna

What is your quote to live by?

“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” -Jimmy Carter 56

Alexia Mitchell

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Alexia, you have always had a high voice, and your goal was to lower your tone at the beginning of the school year to sound mature, but you need to realize that your actions speak louder than words (your voice in this case). You are a determined person, and even though the four years of high school have been challenging, you should accept the difficult moments and learn from them, and evolve as a person. You have a best friend that does not question your quirkiness and gains trust with the people around you. Sometimes you had doubts about the choices you made concerning school but please do not regret it. You needed this. You need the hardships. You are a diamond in the rough, and other diamonds are surrounding you but do not look at how shiny they are but focus on your value. Another thing, be openminded, open your mind to the different possibilities life has to offer or can evolve. Once you do that, you will succeed much quicker and gain opportunities.

I realized you like to take rough paths to get to your destination. At first, I thought it was not okay, but now I realized that if you take that path, there will be pain, frustration, and headaches that come with but it will be worth it. You have learned from your mistakes and have become wiser. Townsend Harris is a great school.

Also, continue to love purple because purple is the best color( in my opinion). Lastly, love and respect yourself and others. You’re the best, and make sure to master Korean, French, etc. See you the next time you look in the mirror. Annyeong and Au revoir!

Wishing you Love, Health, Dreams, and Purple diamonds - Alexia Mitchell

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what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

“Close your eyes and run.” Okay, so maybe save the running for the track because God knows you need it to get through those freshmen year miles. But seriously, the next four years are going to require a kind of strength that you will need to pull from deep within. So prepare to bite the bullet and enter the most difficult time of your life.

It is going to get pretty horrific, but you will meet people that make it that much more bearable. By the way, you should really listen to them more. When Filisa tells you to join MSA with her, please do it! At least join MIST because one day, you’re going to find yourself wishing that you had gotten more than one MIST competition during high school.

Now SciOly. This one’s tough but you really have to listen alright? Your first year is going to go absolutely terribly. Yes, you’re going to want to quit. But listen to Bushra, okay? Because your first medal next year and the two in junior year are worth it. Not to mention your newfound connection to turtles and birds, especially birds, they are definitely your spirit animals. Keep studying, taking tests, and listening to bird calls in the back of Science Research because it’s where you thrive, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Just savor it all. Make sure you hug all of your friends as much as you can. Enjoy every SING practice no matter how late. Spend every lunch band in the library with Zoe in her little spot. Hangout with your friends. Go get more bubble tea. Do it all even if it means that you get absolutely no sleep because that’s bound to happen anyways.

Make every single moment a memory. I’m not gonna say that you’re going to be satisfied with the way everything turned out because what is going to happen won’t be okay.

But when you find yourself struggling, just close your eyes and think back to those memories. Pull your strength from them and push on. I know you can.

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Ruqaiya Mithani

Emmanuelle Monahan

what will you miss most about townsend?

What I will miss most about Townsend is the incredible sense of community. As a young 8th grader, stepping into the school for the first time during an open house, I noticed it immediately. We may be constantly faced with stress and academic challenges, but we endure these challenges with the knowledge that those around us face the same struggles. I will miss going to/participating in school events like FON, Sing, Concerts and the Play, when members of the Townsend community come together in a creative setting to show off their talents. Above all, I will miss all of the wonderful friends that I have made at Townsend - the people who have made the past four years worth it. I will miss Friday trips to Gino’s, afternoons hanging out in the band room, and endless trips through Queens College to Dunkin. Thank you to the Townsend Harris community for making the last four years great.

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Rhea Parikh What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear 9th grade Rhea, Breathe in. Breathe out. You made it! Number one in the city, number five in the country (oops you’re not supposed to know that yet). You have worked so hard to get here: a place where people can relate to your drive. I am so proud of you, even if you won’t say it to yourself right now. However, if I could go back in time and help you, this would be my advice: You don’t need an itinerary for every aspect of your life. Breathe. Step back. It is normal to take a break and just let loose. I can assure you that no one has a minute by minute plan of their entire life. You don’t have to know whether or not you want to be a teacher or a guidance counselor, a professor or a banker. While I finally chose a business path, it is okay to take your time to reach this stage, and trust me, the path that you will take to get here is worth it.

Embrace your organizational skills. While people might joke about how much of a “neat freak” you are, make sure you embrace it. It’s a part of your identity and be proud of it. These organizationals skills will later help you when you have common applications and you are not overwhelmed by the whole process. I have a feeling that these skills will be a blessing when my job starts.

Lastly, and the most important one, don’t let others define you. Do not let what others influence your decision, especially when it comes to something/ someone that makes you happy. At the end of the day, you are in your shoes and only you know what to feel and do. Consider others’ suggestions and then make your own decisions. Breathe in and breathe out.

You got this!

Best of luck!

Love, 12th grade Rhea

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Ian Patino

What is your quote to live by?

“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.”

- Zeno of Citium

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Rohit Poolust What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey Rohit, The next four years of your life will be an unexpected journey, to say the least.

You will meet great friends who will make you laugh and make those stressful times much easier. You will meet great teachers who will support you throughout your high school journey. Try and keep your head held high and make sure to enjoy these next few years because it will go faster than you realize.

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Anika Rahman

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear 9th Grade Anika, I really wanted to give you the advice to not procrastinate but I am currently writing this 2 days before the deadline so I really wouldn’t be living up to my word. I think rather what I really want you to know is that I get how you are feeling right now. You are extremely worried about your classes and questioning your abilities. On top of all the school stress, you are looking into the mirror and picking yourself apart insecurity by insecurity. You have this expectation that by the time you are a senior, high school will have magically transformed you into this new, more secure, and confident person, a perfect version of yourself. Although high school did change me to some extent, I would like to be more specific. Every major or minor change that I experienced throughout high school came directly from you (yes you!).

I had absolutely no idea that 9th grade Anika would be capable of pushing herself out of her comfort zone to the extent that she did. From performing her spoken word poem sophomore year in the school talent show to founding and being the president of her own club, she had to constantly challenge herself to become the best version of herself. Her confidence didn’t develop overnight; she faced many setbacks in her journey and had to keep picking herself back up. I would love to tell you that I am this super confident, perfect person now but I am still on this journey, working to improve myself day by day and occasionally failing. All you need to know is that you really do have it in you. It might not seem like it now but you are special and you have this special light about you that always makes you shine. And if you ever don’t believe it, go ask your friends. On that note, I can go on and on about the wonderful friends you’re gonna make but I’m going to leave you with this one piece of advice: Start watching the cat videos now...trust me.

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Ranali Ranasinghe what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hi 9th Grade Ranali, Wow, everyone who said high school would go by fast wasn’t lying. You still look like a freshman even four years later, but we finally made it to senior year. It’s not what you expected senior year to be like (you’ll see why in 2020) but it’s going to have its moments. I know that you started off hating high school but don’t worry it gets better, trust me. The best advice I can give you is to remember to join FON in Sophomore year because you’ll meet some of your closest friends there. Sleep more in Junior year because not only do you have zero band everyday, yes everyday (and no you don’t get used to it not even gonna lie), but you also keep falling asleep in between the APBIO breaks. When it gets to senior year, stop getting in your head during college app season because it not only stresses you out but the whole family :) And yes you will get into college.

Also remember “if it’s not gonna matter in 5 years don’t stress about it for over 5 minutes”.

It’ll have highs and lows but you’re going to meet a lot of great people who will help create more highs than lows. Don’t wish for it to end too soon because sometimes you’re gonna wish you could go back and relive some moments again.

All I have left to say is “Don’t worry about it, everything’s gonna be fine.”

Ranali P.S. when you read that last sentence you’re going to read that hearing a specific someone’s voice in your head, but you’ll find out who it is in 2019.

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Olivia Reid

What is your quote to live by?

“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

vivian choong 65

Stacey Roy what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

You already contain the je-ne-sais-quoi you’re so desperately looking for.

Reread that.

You just need to: 1. Let time handle things. And 2. Stop basing your selfworth on what randoms from Townsend Harris say to make you feel insecure and start calling them out. You’ll never regret a single time you stood up for yourself and others; you’ll only regret times you were complacent. I know how difficult everything is right now, but trust me. You always surpass your limits.

Even when your bed feels like quicksand, your mirror induces countless self-destructive thoughts and taking basic care of yourself is a grueling endeavour, you’ll still get your work done. Reply to your friends. Wear chunky hoop earrings and rosy red blush to feel okay. Somehow, you’ll do things that go beyond basic survival. And you’ll make enough character development to realize that feeling fulfilled with your own small victories is greater than worrying about being a small fish in a proportionally small pond.

Soon, the overwhelming workload and mind-numbing “I’m tired” small talk will become manageable. But instead, you’ll remember sprinting across QC Campus in the blistering cold in hysterical laughter, trying to make it back before your next FON performance. You’ll remember the funniest conversations you’ve had on the Q44 with people you barely spoke to elsewhere and spending Friday half-days with your closest friends frolicking the city for good eats. You’ll become privy to absurd information about others and realize that a lifestyle you idolized of being popular, well-adjusted and flawless is largely a sham.

Will you find the confidence to realize that you must be your own advocate and role model? Surprisingly, yes.

Will you stop fearing that you will one day be forgotten, the threat dangling over you like a hook waiting to swoop you out the water? Maybe.

Seriously, stop crying. I love you. You are capable, intelligent and deserving of how everything will work out for you. So be confident, will you? You’ll figure out what the next steps of your life are. DON’T LET IMPOSTER SYNDROME EAT YOU. You deserve to be happy.

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Fabiha Samiha

What will you miss most about Townsend?

Out of all things, I’d have to say that I’m going to miss Townsend’s community the most. You would think that in a school filled with competitive people who are all trying to do as well as possible, that it would be difficult to genuinely feel comfortable and actually enjoy your time there. So many people think that because we are all known to be such dedicated students, that the atmosphere at Townsend must be tense at all times. That couldn’t be more wrong, and I know that it sounds so cliché to say, but the people at Townsend basically become your family. No, I’m not just saying that, I actually think that it’s true, and I know for a fact that most - if not all of us, agree with that. When I say our community, I mean everyone at the school. Yes, that includes the rowdy underclassmen that I’ll sometimes look at and wonder if my class acted like them when we were in their shoes. Regardless of how crazy they may seem, they’re pretty cool to work with, whether it’s in S!NG, FON, clubs, or even when you’re mentoring them. I’m also definitely going to miss the staff in the school, not just the students. Everyone’s so approachable and understanding, even if they don’t seem like it, and I was lucky to experience that with the teachers, administrators, janitors, lunch aids, and the nurse - can’t forget about her with the amount of times I’ve gotten hurt, at school. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked through the halls at school and had an adult in the building smile at me, or just try to make polite conversation, and they didn’t even know me! That pretty much stands true for all of the people at Townsend; even if someone doesn’t know you, they’ll try to make you feel comfortable however they know how to. That’s what makes Townsend a community - one that I truly will miss, and I can’t imagine a more welcoming place filled with genuinely good people, stress levels and all!

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Dylan Samuel

What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey Dyl, Wow, where to begin. Freshman year was definitely a weird one, but each year you’ll meet new faces and grow accustomed to going to that prison everyday. Loosen up a little, prioritize what you love to do, and take one day at a time.

Sports will continue to be a significant part of your life. You’ll develop and learn a ton about yourself. As cliche as it sounds, the people on these teams will truly be your second family and many of your teammates will become your best friends. Cherish every practice and game even if Coach D is yelling at you or every single one of your body parts are sore because it’ll come to an end much sooner than you think (warning). Kissena will be your home no matter how awful it looks. Also, please be positive, you step on second base before you make the throw to first.

There’ll be countless times where it feels impossible to manage your time, especially when you have no break in between the two seasons and get home after 8 every single day. Stop stressing about that one test grade because it honestly won’t mean anything when you’re done applying to colleges and see that you’re satisfied with yourself.

Make an effort to build closer bonds with people, create a presence for yourself, and focus on the journey and making memories with those around you. Live life in the moment - nothing is guaranteed, remember that. Good luck kid and enjoy these next four crazy years, you’ll remember them for the rest of your life to say the least.

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Kushboo Shah What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear Khushboo, I know you’re scared right now because Townsend is an “Intensive Humanities High School’’ and frankly you think you’re a terrible writer, but don’t worry you’ll get a little better. I know you love spoilers, so here are a couple of things to look out for: 1) Talk to the kid who forgot his Geometry textbook on the first day of school. He’ll become one of your best friends, and although he’ll leave for Bard, you’ll still be close.

2) You’ll use Facetime a lot, frequently calling people without warning. They’ll be mad for a couple seconds, but they’ll pick up.

3) Join FON!!! You’ll meet so many chill people and stay in school till it’s dark outside.

4) Remember Geometry Boy? He’ll introduce you to one of your best friends, and you’ll convert him into taking the Q64. You’ll have 1 class together the entirety of high school, but that won’t matter.

5) Gotta Get A Bagel is not overrated, so spend your money there :))) 6) Take French!! I know you’re thinking about practicality, but trust me, you’ll meet some of the best people in that class.

7) Become friends with the weird kid who sits behind you in APWH. You’ll survive Scardino freshman year together and bond over Bollywood movies and not eating meat.

8) Forest Hills will become your second home. You’ll spend a ridiculous amount of time here and develop a system for Chipotle on splurge days and Fay Da on money-saving days. Flagpole Green will become the designated picnic spot.

9) Talk to the girl who everyone says looks like you. You’ll spend freshman year in that weird acquaintances stage and then actually become friends during sophomore FON. 10) Embrace the brown. You’ll meet more Gujarati kids than you thought possible, and Divyadham Garba will become a tradition. There will be Snapchat confessions about you guys, but that’s a great source for Insta captions, so don’t fret.

11) You’ll make a lot of different friends over the years, and they’ll change you for the better.

12) Take it easy, okay. I know you stress a lot, but things always seem to work out.

Love, Khush

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Katie Sie What would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hi Freshman Katie, I can’t remember what you expected high school to be, but I do know that you had the preconceived notion that you could “go with the flow” without having any goals for the future. You believed you were all grown up at 13. You were wrong. And as every cliche yet honest reflection of high school has discovered, you will grow and change more than you know.

So, here is some advice to get you started: Your closest friends are not people you do everything with, but people you make the effort to check up on and care for. You will soon learn that THHS does not like giving you classes with certain shorter friends.

Try new things! Now this doesn’t mean you have to dedicate yourself 110% to everything you try, but explore and don’t (always) make binding commitments to the first thing you set your mind to.

And on that note, join Science Olympiad! You will truly learn what it means to be part of a community. Follow that scary girl from 8th grade English to the SciOly interest meeting because she might even turn out to be your “partner in crime” (not in forensics tho).

Go on walks with Ginger! Soon taking care of her will be the highlight of your (quarantine) days.

And relax! Stop thinking about what will happen and try to live in the moment. Make sure to listen to yourself and trust your instincts.

I can’t give you any more guidance because I know you like to learn from experience rather than what others say. But remember that though you think you are wise (even 4 years later), you will always have space to grow. I know you’ll hesitate to leave your comfort zone, but make that 20,000+ word cheat sheet and play with your DSLR —you won’t regret it.

P.S. You all end up quitting track ;) Best, KTC

70

Anil Singh what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Heyyy, So at first, I was a little worried that you’d remember what I tell you and change the course of our life based on it, but now that I think about it, you’re so dumb that you’ll probably have no idea what I’m even talking about anyway. Plus, I won’t be too specific. Anyway, here we go.

First, spoiler alert: you don’t grow too much. Sorry. I don’t know what you were expecting. But hey, at least I’m not an absolute stick. Do some push-ups once in a while, will you? And please shave that stupid mustache and grow out your stupid hair. And for the love of God, stop wearing those ugly ass sweatpants.

Now that we’ve been over the absolute *bare minimum*, let’s get down to more important stuff. First, stop caring so much about school. You’re a smart kid; I know you’ve already figured out how pointless it is. So why are you acting like it is? Live a little. Nerd.

Which brings me to my next piece of advice: get a personality. In middle school, your entire identity was being smart and being the spelling-bee kid.

That’s not going to cut it here. Join some clubs. Make some friends. Honestly, taking the bus home will be a huge gamechanger, and you’ll quickly realize that the best memories of high school happen after three (and the people you’ll meet will quickly find a special place in your heart).

Look, you’re going to do a lot of stupid things. Like, a lot. No, like a lottttt.

Yeah, you’ll make a ton of mistakes, but you’ll tell yourself that it’s okay. That you’ve learned from them, and become a better person because of them. Is it true? Who knows? I’d like to think it is, though.

Bottom line: stop worrying so much. Relax. Life happens in moments. You just have to roll with it. You’re uncertain about high school, and that scares you. I get that. But just know it all works out in the end.

See you later, Anil

71

Michelle Stern

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear freshman Mich, It gets better.

I know how you feel- it’s like you didn’t understand what it meant to be stuck between a rock and a hard place until now.

But sheesh, you should embrace yourself. People will notice that you’re shying away- listen to them sooner!! You’re thinking that you’ll never get where you wanna be, but I gotta tell you- you never do (oop). That’s because where you wanted to be isn’t where you’re meant to be.

And as cliche as it sounds, everything happens for a reason. Ironically, I’m still telling myself that. I know you could never imagine it (you’re living too much in the past, smh) but now, it’s already college app season. I promise you that the advice works: even though I don’t know where I’m gonna end up, not knowing is also a coolish mystery. It’s totally okay- you don’t need to have a plan for everything.

I mean, meeting some of the closest people to your heart that you’ll ever meet wasn’t part of “the plan.” But it happened, and you’ll always be thankful for them. You’ll get a lot closer with people that you won’t expect to also- and, once you actually stop being afraid to be yourself, everyone will finally understand how crazy you are (sorry not sorry). If you thought that you’d shake off the weirdo child vibes you had as a kid, you won’t. You’re gonna keep getting injured by your couch (you already know), dropping pencils every band, letting your mind wander past Narnia, and making an absolute fool of yourself, regardless of how “serious” you look. But those who know you love you for it, I promise.

2020 was definitely not in the books, but you’ll make the best of that too. You have the right people beside you.

So, thanks for not losing yourself. I’ve come to love who we’ve become:) P.S.- you won’t grow, your hair’s still bonkers, and you’ll never shake the nicknames (but you will reference them in your college supps- all’s well that ends well;))

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Daniel Sun

What is your quote to live by?

“Spontaneity is an infinite number of rehearsed possibilities.” - Peter F. Drucker

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Thomas Szymanski

What is your quote to live by?

“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”

Pam Beesly/Halpert, Season 9 of The Office

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ZOE tylipakis

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hey freshie!

Welcome to high school! Yes, I am aware that it is nothing like High School Musical, but trust me- your time here will be better than anything you’ve seen in the movies. You’ll realize that everything happens for a reason and find joy in the little moments.

For starters, you’ll create relationships with the people you least expect, like that girl in your English class whose name you can’t remember. Keep her around. She’ll make you laugh, take you on adventures, and teach you the true meaning of friendship. By the time sophomore year comes around, you’ll find the rest of your people and discover how easy it is to be yourself around them. You’ll also pursue and explore your passions. Not only will you make the varsity volleyball team as a freshman, but you’ll find yourself on the starting lineup. Make the best of your time on the team; the wins and losses make it all worthwhile. But besides that, Townsend will bring out layers of yourself you didn’t even know you had. You may need a little push, but it will happen. For example, you don’t know it yet, but you’re an awesome dancer. As the years progress, you’ll see yourself become more and more confident on that stage. Soon enough, you’ll be chosen alongside one of your closest friends to lead one of the biggest FONs in the entire school. So freshie, make sure you let loose and have fun! You deserve that every once in a while.

Lastly, through all of this fiasco, you will find your voice. You’ll become inspired to share your poetry with the world, whether it be reading at open mic events, submitting to writing contests, or making an Instagram account dedicated to your creations. I know it seems like a lot. You’ll see your fair share of highs and lows. Just know that it’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to be awkward at times and it’s okay to jump into uncomfortable situations because things will always work out. Be strong. Believe in yourself.

You’re gonna do great kid.

Sincerely, Me

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What will you miss most about Townsend?

Natalie Villacres

hey cutie! i know you’re really excited to start high school, and you should be. you’re going to have a second home here, and you’re going to love the people you meet. here’s a few things you have to know: 1. not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. you don’t need to care about anyone else’s opinions. we’re out here thriving right now!!

2. stop wearing skinny jeans thanks 3. no, you never go through puberty, sorry!

4. you’re so beautiful stop thinking that you’re not bro >:( there’s gonna be a lot of jokes floating in the hallways about your acne and body, but now you realized you’re a bad bitch so who the hell cares??? we can finally look in the mirror, and genuinely smile. we did it, beautiful <3 5. you will never get to try mr. b’s green juice :( 6. i don’t need to tell you this, but keep focusing on your studies. you’re so smart, and trust me those trig tests DON’T MATTER. but um please don’t procrastinate on your college apps thank u 7. those clubs that you’re afraid of joining? JOIN THEM!!!! especially FON. i know dancing is new to you, but it’s going to be so fun, and you’re going to bond with a new family. (also join SING because i’m kind of mad that you never did) 8. STOP BEING AFRAID OF PEOPLE. that girl you’re too shy to approach? she’s one of your favorite people now. that boy in piano class? he’s made you laugh non-stop for four years. those two sophomores in FON? you love them to death! you’re going to come out of your shell so much, and i am so proud of you just have fun. try sushi! go on that trip! say hi to that person! cut your hair! everything will fall into place. high school is going to change you for the better, and it’s going to go by in the blink of an eye. enjoy it while it lasts, and never stop taking care of yourself <3

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Kady Williams

What is your quote to live by?

“No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.” – Mac Miller 9 77

Christine Xu How has townsend changed you?

Townsend has given me many tears and smiles, but it ultimately gave me a firmer grasp of myself. I had never imagined, as a little freshie, that I’d willingly stay in school until 7 pm the day before a holiday. My friends and I stayed until the security guards pestered us out! I take every opportunity to tell my friends “I miss FON!” Freshman year was definitely tough, but I learned from my struggles that I needed to work to be happy. Denying myself food and pushing my body to its limit everyday only left me miserable. The time when I wasn’t miserable was when I danced, and once I realized that I used it as a vessel to overcome the standards, both academic and physical, that I put myself against. Joining FON was a major turning point. When I was dancing I realized that I had something to look forward to, to make me smile, and to make me feel more assured of myself. It gave me an environment to feel like I belonged and that I could work to be the best version of myself. Since I hadn’t been happy with what I saw in the mirror, I made my own happiness by immersing myself in the FON scene- from the practices to boba runs afterwards. It made me more open with spending time on sharing experiences with others rather than studying alone. I began loving staying in school until sunset and walking home with my friends under its swirl of colors. It took a long time but I learned how to manage my time and set my priorities. I realized what was worth my time and I stopped doing things that I knew didn’t make me feel happy. Townsend gave me the tools to patch myself up, fill in the missing pieces, and discard the parts that were harming the infrastructure. I’m glad to say that being here has helped me grow from being very insecure and self deprecating to being more respectful and caring to myself.

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Weiye Yasen

What will you miss most about Townsend?

Dear Weiye, Freshman year, you’re going to try to dislike Townsend, and you’ll back out from joining a lot of clubs and school events. However, slowly, without even realizing it, you’ll come to see Townsend as your second family. Also, you’ll finally learn what XD means. XD Sophomore year, you will find your group of friends, and it will be one of your favorite years. You will take the class the Psychology of Fairy Tales, and you will never see Disney movies in the same light ever again. Your friends will also introduce you to The Arrow, which becomes your favorite TV series that year. Then, during the summer between Sophomore and Junior year, you become an intern at SSFRP, and you do research on fiddler crabs along Piermont Marsh while stuck in the mud.

Junior year is the busiest year for you. This year, you finally understand what your middle school VP meant when she said, “Days drag on, and weeks fly by.” You will be asked a lot whether or not you are part Irish because you start Irish FON, against your parents’ advice. You also decide to start a very small band with your friend - The Wei (just a heads up, you are not the one who comes up with that name). You will become obsessed with Hamilton and will listen to the whole soundtrack… a lot. Then, when everything is looking up because you get the role of Wednesday Addams for the school play, COVID-19 hits. During quarantine, you learn to love Chinese Dramas despite saying you only watch them to practice your Chinese.

Senior year, you finally discover the motto you want to live by: Make decisions with confidence, continue with tenacity, and never look back with regret.

It will be quite an experience, and while sometimes it feels like torture, you would never want to be tortured anywhere else. So, remember to just go for it. You will make it out alive. I promise.

Sincerely, Your Future Self

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Keith Yeung What will you miss most about townsend?

Who knew our lives would change this drastically. We went from wishing we were at home to wishing we would be at school instead. There are many things I will miss about Townsend. I will miss walking through the main doors and hearing robotics selling coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. As we walk up the countless stairs to our lockers, I’ll miss seeing my friends at their lockers laughing, smiling, and running late for class. Class is class, but there are several key moments that stand out from the rest such as Mr.Dunbar standing on a chair in front of the class on the first day of school, me asking what french kissing is, and someone slipping on geese poop on the track. Then there are Fridays when it’s half a day. I miss the thrill of finding out what to eat or where to go while racing against time to go back to school for robotics. Sometimes, we even try to sneak into the gym and play some volleyball. Of course, FON will forever be in the books.

Last but not least, robotics. I’ll miss competitions with the team and laughing at the mentor’s cringy and dirty jokes. We would even work on the robot till we lose track of time. I can’t forget the Dunkin, bubble tea, and halal runs we had walking across the QC campus. Obviously, there are a lot more things I’ll miss at Townsend, but one thing I’ll miss the most is the people at Townsend. They are some of the kraziest, funniest, brightest people I’ve met. Yea that’s all. Peace!

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Joyce Zheng What is your favorite memory from your time in Townsend?

Despite the smell of weird of chorine and stale pizza that permeated the cafeteria, it is one of the places that held some of my fond memories. It contained hundreds of afternoons and evenings where my wrestling teammates and I throw each other around and fight through the pain of sprints while trying not to trip as the mats below us always slipped away. We train and train, bruises that paint across our bodies but we always encourage one another to get through it and to do our best in matches and tournaments. However, my most favorite memory is when we walk back to the nearest bus stop or train station after a tournament to go eat at a restaurant in Flushing. It is something precious to me that Townsend Harris has ever given me. Although it may seem simple or common, it’s something that I always think back to whenever I feel down or lonely. The warm meals filled our stomachs on a cold winter night especially after days of “fastening” and the boisterous conversation we have about whatever we can think of rejuvenated our previously tired self.

Although covid-19 has cut my opportunities to spend time with my friends and teammates short, I hope we can always make new memories even after high school.

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Angela Zhu

what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Hello fetus Ange, you’re going to break a rack of test tubes, hit your head on the wall during practice, be really sleep-deprived, and gain a few pounds during winter break.

HOWEVER, you will get your summer body back (not that I have one in the first place) and have many other opportunities waiting for you. Joining the turtles is one of the best experiences you’re going to ever have. I know that you’ve been struggling to improve your time for a while, but all your supportive teammates will get you through those 100 butterflies. Since I have terrible intrapersonal skills, let me keep this short. Yes, at first everything is overwhelming - Ooof those nostalgic nights filled with tears from my first week at Townsend. Prepare your seminars well, especially the ones from the world. Be a little braver and more confident when you speak. You will learn that everyone here is so kind and that you’ll eventually find yourself surrounded by amazing people who will support you in every situation. These connections you are going to make will be precious and genuine. Just do what you always do, be spontaneous. You’ll find situations and people you’ve never faced before. Some of them might be a passing moment in your life, but others fuse into your identity. I can’t wait for you to find a place in the Townsend family.

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Alvin Zou what would you tell your ninth grade self now?

Dear freshie Alvin, Hey there— it’s you from the future! High school is a new time for you and you’re going to be shy coming in (spoiler alert: you’re still going to be kinda shy by senior year but that’s okay)! A few tips: take the Q64 then the R train home. Don’t spend the first two weeks of school walking all the way around QC to the Q88 stop at Dunkin (but if you do actually learn the shortcut through QC)!

Get involved! Join Habitat for Humanity, Latin League, Trivia, and Tech Crew. I promise you that you’ll end up loving them whether it’s giggling from the paint fumes at the builds, going to Yale every November for their certamen event, eating some of Dr. Colakis’ amazing brownies, or chilling on top of the tech balcony during school events. Don’t be upset with getting Greek - 19 kids in one classroom makes it one of the most hilarious classes you’ll love here (and still do Latin League even then)! Also, join FON freshman year - don’t be an idiot and wait until junior year to love it only for it to be your first and only FON. You’re going to meet some amazing people here at Townsend Harris.

They’re some of the kindest and funniest people you’ll be with for 4 years so get to know them well. Your senior year might not be what you imagined with Zoom classes but it’s the people who count! It will get stressful sometimes but enjoy and cherish the opportunities Townsend has and the memories you will make! Say hi and catch up with Lumiere (you and they know who they are) every once in a while and you’ll know where to go every Wednesday afternoon. Step out of your comfort zone once in a while ok? Make these 4 years worth it and don’t procrastinate! I’m proud of you. Good luck and have fun!

Sincerely, Senior You :)

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ADVISOR’S NOTE

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BRIAN SWEENEY

When my son James was two, we took him to Disney World. Between the castle and the carousel, there’s a “sword in the stone” replica, and people like to take pictures of themselves trying to take out the sword.

James pulled the sword with such determination that he may have popped a few blood vessels. We got great pictures though, so it was worth it. I showed them to my students at the time and someone turned one picture into a meme. “Never Give Up,” it said below James’s tortured face.

As a student body, you are always so kind when we teachers talk about our kids, and for whatever reason, my students would refer to our two-year-old James as a “king” (I guess it was one of those things people said at the time). I eventually printed some copies of the meme. I framed one and put it in James’s room, and when he got a little older he was really proud to learn that he had been a meme.

A few years later, we went back to Disney World and tried to recreate the picture. As it turns out, there’s one time a day when someone actually can pull the sword from the stone, and that day, of the many thousands of people there, James was the one who did it. Fireworks erupted from the castle at that moment, Disney people appeared in costume to celebrate him, others gathered around to watch, and the costumed characters declared him “King James.” I loved that first picture so much, and to have it come full circle like that—including the payoff of the “King James” nickname from years ago— felt like too much of a coincidence, too much of a good thing. I’m not sure whatwas so good about it. Why did it feel so meaningful?

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I love my kids, and not just because they are my kids. The sword in the stone thing: we kind of did that to him, right?

It’s not like he meant to give us this perfect memory and then have it come back to us and make it even more perfect a few years later. But there’s something about it that I associate with James that’s more than just something that happened to him.

Around the time that we first took him to Disney, two-year old James was really into boats, and very soon he demanded to see the whole three hours of Titanic after catching snippets on YouTube. He watched it over and over again.

One day he kept saying, “I want to see the part when it’s new again.” I thought he meant the last scene where there’s this dream-like, heavenly vision and all who died on the ship are resurrected. But he meant the scene at the beginning where there’s a shot of the sunken ship transforming into the new ship from the day it set sail in 1912.

I never thought about the “ship becoming new again” in that scene because it doesn’t—it flashes back to the past, so it doesn’t become new; in my mind, it just showed you what it once was. But for him, that was the movie making it new again, bringing it back for real, and not in some somber, elegiac scene surrounded by death and tragedy but in a grand, celebratory manner that drove his imagination wild. That a movie could show you something that was lost to time meant a lot to him. To me it was just a special effect, and my mind was focused on the fantasy moment later, on the idea that everyone who died could be back and happy again, but James didn’t need that hope. The movie had already brought something back to him in reviving the ship and its story, and he knew to celebrate what I hadn’t the perspective to appreciate.

Like the ship becoming new again, there have been so many things that I’ve seen come back that I never expected to come back, that I thought I had forgotten. I think that’s why what happened with the sword in the stone matters so much to me. James had already helped me rethink what I thought about the past and “how things come back and are new again,” so when we were given the gift of that perfect full circle memory, it felt like an other-worldly coincidence. When you try to recreate a picture from the past, you’re really trying to show what’s changed in themeantime, but the thing that was special about the original picture often feels like it’s gone, irretrievable. It wasn’t the case with that sword picture, because something new happened to both bring it back and to add layers to the original experience. I felt like I had my determined little two-year-old back again, for a moment, and had the gift of adding more to a story I thought had ended.

I am thinking about all of this because the phrase most associated with your graduating year is “the lost year.” I’ve seen people say it and write about it and question it. Many have said it’s unfairly negative, but what I would say is that what is “lost” is not always “gone.” As James showed me, things come back.

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One of the things that has come back for me this year is dinosaurs.

James and my other two children, Evie and Liam, are all in a big dinosaur phase these days. When I was a kid, I loved dinosaurs more than anything. I was truly and unnaturally obsessed. Over time, I’ve come to think that we care so much about dinosaurs as children because they are gone and we don’t get it, and it’s our first real experience of longing for something that’s lost.

During this dinosaur phase, we found an old sculpture of a Brontosaurus I made in elementary school. There it was.

Back again after decades. I was never happy with the finished product, but when my daughter saw it, she asked if she could have it.

She put it in her room on her nightstand. Who knew that when I was making it as a seven year old, and not happy with it, that I was really making it for her?

The Titanic, dinosaurs: whatever it is, children seem to have a fascination with absence. My children, however, haven’t appeared to be haunted by it or saddened by it all. There’s a beauty in it that they see—an appreciation, and a kind of striving that overcomes it. Through all that, they’ve brought wonderful things back to me that I thought were gone.

What you have lost are memories that you might have made in traditional high school contexts, but I’m not sure that what would have been at the heart of those memories is gone. That’s not to say that one day you’ll have a surprise prom and it will be just as good as it would have been. What I mean is that you will be surprised by the things you thought were over that still can return to you and have meaning even after some time. That could be a friendship that comes back later in life from these years, an experience that you have with your own children that gives you a sense of what you’ve missed as teenagers, or something entirely unexpected.

A few years ago, we were hiring new English teachers, and the interviews happened to be on my birthday. Some graduates came to surprise me, and they ended up staying the whole day to help conduct the interviews. I’d never felt the kind of pride I felt that day—of knowing I could still trust their judgment, of seeing how good they were with the new students, of the kindness shown just by being there with and for me, as if very little time had passed since last they were at work in the newspaper office. After graduation, they had become mainly pixels to me: like all of us this past year, they were mainly real only through electronic messages and digital interactions that couldn’t replace in-person experiences. But for one day, it all came back. When I speak to my 2021 groups on Zoom, I sometimes see shadows of better interactions and adventures that might have been, and it does make me sad—but I have still seen true character, real intellect, great humor, and pure nerve from so many of you this year. As much as may get lost in the world, it’s very hard to forget what has made you unique and important to me. Knowing what was not there will make it all the more meaningful when one day some of you show up again, and find at least a small part of what was lost. I hope that knowing what you’ve missed, and not pretending that you haven’t missed something, makes it all the more meaningful when it does come back and is found. Because as my children and my students have shown me: things do come back.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS multimedia editors

layout editors

Kayla Kim Neil Tangal Neeraj Tangal

Victor Shemper Alexa Jude Tumulak

multimedia staff Zuzanna Kowalski Sophia Park

Nikki Ng Victoria Oei Samantha Sestak

photography editors

ADVISOR

Derrick Chia Joshua Vieira

Brian Sweeney

Editors-in-chief

ART BY Alexa Jude Tumulak

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