THE CLASSIC
TOWNSEND HARRIS HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENS COLLEGE
UIITDMBTTJD DPN
t .BSDI t
/P ] 7PM
2 | THE CLASSIC
THHSCLASSIC.COM
Juniors get started on the college process By Amrin Rahman and Yamila Frej, 4UBČ 8SJUFST
Last Thursday, juniors and their parents attended Junior College Night in the Townsend Harris High School auditorium. A variety of schools including Adelphi University, The Cooper Union, CUNY Macaulay Honors College, Lafayette College, New York Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, and Wesleyan University sent representatives to partake in a discussion and answer any questions and concerns. Students were able to learn more about the college process, essays, and specific criteria for each of the colleges in attendance. These subjects were discussed in addition to a list of student-driven questions that was organized beforehand. Afterward, parents and students had the opportunity to ask any questions that they felt were not addressed earlier. Along with discussions about the general college admissions process, the representatives elaborated on what they look for in applicants. Junior Georgia Malo stated, “The topics [discussed] were pretty much the requirements needed to get into each of the schools, and what sets them apart.� The schools also delved into the academics and extracurriculars that they find especially interesting. According to Wesleyan As-
+VOJPS DPMMFHF OJHIU JOGPSNT TUVEFOUT BCPVU DPMMFHF BENJTTJPOT QSPDFTT | Photo courtesy of Katrina Dydzuhn
sociate Dean of Admission James Huerta, a “well-rounded and rigorous program� is important when evaluating prospective students. Adelphi University Senior Coordinator of Special Recruitment Susan Ellis said that “students should take [their] passion and make it global.� Some students were surprised by other factors aside from grades that top colleges take into consideration, such as the student’s level of interest in the school. Junior Afrida Khalid said, “I found it interesting how much [the representatives] focused
on the relationship between the applicant and the school. Prior to this, I always thought that grades and essays would be the sole deciding factors in the admission process, but many of the representatives spoke of how important it was to attend their schools’ open houses and tours, and just show any interest at all.� The college admissions officers referred to this as “a student’s demonstrated interest,� or ways that an applicant shows how serious he or she is about enrolling at a specific college. Interest can be demonstrated by the number of times
The Black Excellence Club presents The Hate U Give messages,� Givon stated. “It was nice seeing the differences On March 14, the Black in races as these are real proExcellence Club hosted a blems in the world.� showing of the 2018 film ćF For many, like junior Nylah )BUF 6 (JWF The film stars ac- Odom, this was not their first tress Amandla Stenberg, who time watching the film. Nylah, plays high school student Starr however, enjoyed the event beCarter, the only witness to a cause “it was a chill atmosphepolice shooting. re and it provided extra time “ćF )BUF 6 (JWF sends a to spend with my friends.� powerful message on the imNylah added, “I also loved pact of speaking up for in- seeing people’s reactions to the justice even if you might be emotional scenes.� standing alone,� stated Safi For sophomore Ikeoluwa Diagana, president of the Black Adedokun, this was her first Excellence Club. “I hoped to time watching the movie and encourage the students to use she was moved by these emothe voice and other platforms tional scenes. “My favorite such as social media to bring part of the event was watching change they would like to see.� it with my fellow peers and Sophomore Givon Carter just clips in the movie that thought the movie captured meant something beautiful, this idea rather well. “The- for example, when the father re were so many meaningful was telling them the meaning By Yadira Gonzalez 4UBČ 8SJUFS
of their names,� Ikeoluwa stated. If you were unable to attend the showing of ćF )BUF 6 (JWF, the Black Excellence Club has more events in store for the future. “I would love to team up with the THHS Student Wellness Team in promoting mental health issues especially for our club and its effects on people of color,� Safi concluded.
#MBDL &YDFMMFODF T Ä•STU NPWJF OJHIU XBT B TVDDFTT | Photo courtesy of Min Hyeok Shin
a student engages with the school, by attending campus information sessions, or even visiting the college’s website. Junior Lori Eng was also surprised to learn that colleges even know when and how many times a student has opened emails and links sent by the school. Her most important takeaway was to “definitely try to reply, especially to the colleges that you want to attend.� Many students found College Night to be beneficial in learning more about the college application process. Junior Class President An-
nlin Su said, “Although these aren’t the schools I was initially interested in, it’s really great to learn about other nearby colleges, especially since I haven’t done much research yet.� According to Lori, the event “gave [her] a bit of insight into what colleges are looking for and about how we should choose which schools we are interested in.� On the other hand, some students believed that new ideas, other than the general application process, should have been brought to the table. Georgia explained, “I wish the schools spoke more about the campus life and what a student’s day is like on each campus.� The college application process has multiple components to evaluate a student in what admissions officers call a “holistic approach.� However, events at THHS are organized to keep students well-informed on what is expected of them while guiding them the whole way. Guidance counselors brought college information to junior classrooms earlier in the week, so College Night kept the theme of the application process fresh in students’ minds. As the juniors approach their senior year and college becomes a more frequent topic of conversation, according to the guidance counselors, more opportunities to learn about admissions will be available.
Mastery scale system revised for second marking period By Daniela Zavlun and Nataniela Zavlun, $PQZ &EJUPST
65%-74% range and MB to a 55% and below. “The first marking period in the fall it [the system] was really helpful because [the teachers] don’t know you at all six weeks into school, and we’re talking about giving grades when you’ve seen the student in your classroom, maybe 30 times, for 50 minutes and giving grades at that point is difficult,� Ms. York explained. “At this point, we know it’s not difficult, it’s not exactly the same, but we set up our school academic policy so that if we were gonna do it the first marking period in the fall, we’re gonna do it the first marking period in the spring.� Due to this technicality, the administration instituted a range of letter grades with more specific values.
Students once again received letter grades in the first report card of the spring semester for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. However, according to Assistant Principal Veronica York, the values of these letters have changed. In the fall, the Master Scale grade system was divided into three categories; an 85+ average would earn an ME (exceeding standards), 6585% earned an MT (meets standards) and a failing grade would be represented by an MA (below standards). This spring semester, the system expanded to incorporate 5 values, in which ME is now equivalent to a 95% and above, MA to an 85%-94% range, MT to a 75%-84% range, MP to a $POUJOVF SFBEJOH BU UIITDMBTsic.com
THE CLASSIC | 3
MARCH 2019
THHS alumnus hosts interview strategies workshop By Jacqueline Woo and Rachel Sage Zhang -BZPVU &EJUPS BOE 4UBČ 8SJUFS
On February 7, students, parents, and faculty gathered in the cafeteria of Townsend Harris High School for an interview seminar hosted by Vincent Yuen, THHS alumnus and current Construction Audit Manager at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. From 5:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., he gave tips to students regarding the interview process. Based on Mr. Yuen’s immense experience as both an interviewee and interviewer, he considers the most important part of an interview to be “preparation before the actual interview.” He reminded students to dress appropriately, maintain professionalism, and “remember [they] are being evaluated by both what [they] say [verbally] and how [they] come across [nonverbally].” Anticipation of a communicative evaluation can be intimidating. As junior Hope Ha recalled her interview experience, she said, “It was kind of daunting because you had to listen to what other interviewees were saying while forming your own response and thinking about how it would reflect upon you to the interviewer.” Mr. Yuen offered advice to students concerning the nerve wracking experience. He said, “Although you will be
nervous [which is only natural], you need to come across as confident and calm. Think of a good interview as a comfortable conversation.” Senior Kevin Lin, who encountered his own alumni interview experience while applying to college, added, “I think the best strategy for me was to talk from the heart. It doesn’t help to treat your alumni interviewer like they are super authoritative figures, but more like professional friends.” Going off script and incorporating levity can also be effective strategies for dissolving tension in an interview situation. “It’s great to make your interviewer ask questions outside of their given question list and it’s even better if you can make them laugh,” Kevin proposed. Another technique to manage trepidation during an interview is to have a cold drink at hand. “If you get nervous, you can take a super short break to drink your drink; if you get jittery, you can hold the drink in place; and if your hands get sweaty and you’re going in for a handshake, your interviewer would assume that the sweat is the condensation of your drink,” Kevin suggested. When citing his own experience, Mr. Yuen called to mind an interview he attended between his junior and senior year for his first engineering internship at The Cooper Union for the Advancement
THHS students learned all about strategies for a successful interview | Photo courtesy of Katrina Dydzhun
of Science and Art in which the office manager immediately prompted the question: “Why should I hire you versus the five other guys I just saw?” During interviews like this one, Mr. Yuen reasoned that being clear and concise are crucial qualities because “Ultimately, all candidates need to get their point across one way or another.” “I remember a friend being interviewed for a finance
position being asked if she was ‘Comfortable working in a high testosterone environment?’ [essentially translating to:] Are you comfortable working with a lot of young alpha/ex-athletes/fraternity etc. males?” Mr. Yuen recounted. He suggested prospective interviewees under similar circumstances to ask themselves, “If this is the manager I potentially will be working for, can I work with him/her
and his/her team?” With this, Mr. Yuen stressed the importance of paying attention to the interviewer and asking questions of your own, if necessary. “They are interviewing you [while] you are [also] interviewing them,” he pointed out. By asking questions about the nature of the job, internship, or college that you interview for, you have stronger sense of “what you are getting into.”
Triumph and tragedy: National History Day 2019 By Maimunah Virk, 4UBČ 8SJUFS
National History Day (NHD) is an annual event where students from various middle and high schools create a project based on a selected historical theme. This year’s theme was “Triumph and Tragedy in History.” Students could choose to create either a documentary, website, exhibit board or performance, or write a paper on the subject. The AP Seminar/Social Science Research class annually submits projects to NHD. This year, NHD took place on March 10. Students submitted two group documentaries, two group exhibit boards, and two
individual exhibit boards to the competition. “The National History Day project anchors the tenth grade AP Capstone/SSR course as part of AP Seminar,” stated AP Capstone teacher Franco Scardino. “It is the fundamental project by which we teach the historical research skills needed to defend a thesis or argument. These [skills] include how to develop a strong research question and thesis, how to use archival resources, how to interact with experts and first hand participants related to their inquiry, how to write professional annotations, and how to present and defend their research before a panel of judges and the public.
I think this experience builds self-confidence and builds capacity in students.” Most of the students enjoyed their experience at NHD, saying it was interesting to see the variety of topics presented, and that they thought it was a useful experience for the future. “It was really cool to see the work from all students from the city and it was a fun experience,” said sophomore Zoe Indarshan, who submitted a project about the Japanese Imperial Army’s inhumane operations on prisoners of War during World War II. “Some of the projects were really great and out there.” Six students, sophomores Emmily Cipriana, Zoe In-
darshan, Riya Nobi, Zeyad Shariff, Anil Singh, and Julia Wojtkowski received NHD awards and will all be moving to the state finals in Cooperstown. Out of the projects that will be moving forward, two are individual exhibit boards, and two are group projects: a documentary and an exhibit board. Emmily Cipriana, who submitted an exhibit board on the Flushing Remonstrance and religious intolerance during the time of Peter Stuyvesant, connected the relevance of her topic to current events, saying that although the theme of triumph and tragedy influenced her decision, “so did the presence of rising reli-
giously intolerant related crimes and protests occuring in contemporary society.” Along with her classmates, Zoe expressed her excitement to move on to States, along with her nervousness for the competition. “I heard that the competition up there is much greater and the event is far more competitive,” said Zoe. Nevertheless, Mr. Scardino assured, “Townsend Harris students have always done very well in this competition and this year is no exception. We have a very talented group of sophomores in the program this year and I look forward to working with them again next year in AP Research.”
4 | THE CLASSIC
THHSCLASSIC.COM
MARCH 2019
THE CLASSIC | 5
By Nefertari Elshiekh and Rachel Sage Zhang, /FXT &EJUPS BOE 4UBČ 8SJUFS
To mark the beginning of March, the annual Festival of Nations performance took place on March 1st and 2nd, gathering students, parents, and faculty in a celebration of dance and culture. As one of the most anticipated events of the school year, FON attracted sold-out audiences for both the Friday and Saturday night show, as well as a large turnout for the Saturday afternoon performance.
“FON is one of those milestone events in Townsend that everyone looks forward to,” said junior Rohan Iyer. “It doesn’t matter if you have no prior dance experience; FON is just a fun way to socialize with your friends in a way most people don’t and try new things.” Senior Ayanna Cox described her FON experience as a “[great] time for everybody to come together and embrace their
cultures and experience others.” She added, “This year, I also liked the fact that it was live-streamed because the people participating in FON (who were in the cafeteria during the show) were able to see it in progress.” For underclassmen, the experience was especially memorable. Freshman Dylan Budhu said, “It allowed me to meet new people and and I would definitely do it again.” Sophomore Anil Singh
explained, “Even though we stayed after school almost every day and sometimes really late, it was all worth it for those two days.” Sophomore Natalie Villacres shared similar sentiments. “When the actual day of performance finally arrives, all you want to do is go back in time to all of those practices and relive everything all over again,” she said. “It was a really enjoyable experience and I can’t wait for
FON
my next two FONs while at Townsend.” FON leaders recount the hard work that went into the production of the successful performance. Junior Faye Shemper, who co-led Hispanic Traditional and Hispanic Modern, recounted the “immediate surge of work, endless hours of decision-making, and influx of concerns [she]had to deal with on the daily.” Junior Rachel Zhang, who co-led Hawaiian
2019
FON, said, “As a leader, I really got to understand just how much hard work and dedication goes into preparing for such a large production.” Faye continued, “I don’t think I’ve ever faced a more stressful leadership position than this one, and yet I wouldn’t have given it up for the world. The final performance left me speechless upon watching it back, and I really, truly couldn’t be prouder of my dancers.”
Photos by Matthew Neil, Jairo ReinaPhotos and Savannah Sclafani courtesy of Matthew Neil, Jaino Reina, Savannah Sclafani
Rachel added, “While there were definitely moments of stress, it made me so happy to see how all my peers were committed to putting on a good show.” Senior Jessica Wang, co-leader of Chinese Fan FON, expressed how much she appreciates the Townsend tradition. “From crazy late practices to bonding with others to changing in 0.2 seconds backstage, this is one of the things I’m going to
miss most when I graduate,” she said. Julia Izak, who graduated last year, commented on coming back for the first time as an alumna. “Going back for the first time and not being on stage was a totally different perspective. It was definitely more exciting to actually get to be in the show, but I was so proud of the girls who continued to lead Polish FON after me. It was clear that they were having so much
fun on stage, and that is what it is all about,” she remarked. “I loved how there was so much enjoyment on everyone’s faces. I also liked how a lot of other cultures branched out into contemporary groups like Chinese Modern FON,” agreed Class of 2018 alum and former Filipino FON leader Justin Butron. He expressed his happiness with Filipino FON, commenting, “I was so happy to see that they in-
cluded two other traditional Filipino dances in addition to the sticks. “Last year, I choreographed the fan dance, a traditional Filipino dance, and I’m so glad they followed in my footsteps and event went a step further.” Even after four years, Jessica said, “I never get tired of all the energy and excitement that FON brings, and it’s something I’m definitely coming back to visit for.”
8 | THE CLASSIC
THHSCLASSIC.COM
Sharing skincare secrets By Pooja Suganthan 4UBČ 8SJUFS
Maintaining a healthy skin care routine requires time, research, and effort. Many Townsend Harris students prioritize their skin care routines and put in the time to ensure that their skin is functioning and looking its best. “I use a skincare routine because if I skip it, I tend to have small breakouts. I feel grimy as the day goes on if I skip my skincare routine,” explained senior Deborah Kong. “It also gives me a sense of satisfaction because I know I’m doing something that will benefit my skin’s health and help me in the long run.” Yet, some like senior Julia Dolega share that they have seen changes after using their skin care routines. Julia stated, “I definitely break out less often. I only get a few pimples on the areas near my chin and occasionally one or two on my forehead, but it’s decreased a lot since I’ve started paying attention and using products.” Senior Shivani Persaud said that her mother’s “extensive skin care routine heavily influenced [her] to create [her own].” Shivani shared her routine: “I usually use Olay Daily Facial Wipes to take off makeup, I use a Caudalie eye cream and Fresh Lotus Preserve Youth moisturizer in the morning and before bed. I hydrate with a simple rosewater/aloe spray and keep hydrating with a Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist throu-
7BSJFUZ PG TLJODBSF PQUJPOT BWBJMBCMF BU 4FQIPSB | Photo courtesy of Jason Bacalla
ghout the day. It’s pretty extensive and everyone has their own routine, but getting into the groove of it is easy.” Others, like sophomore Kelly Cheng, use a lot of Korean skincare products. “One of the most popular and definitely one of my favorites is the Cosrx Gentle Morning Cleanser,” she said. Some, like freshman Sai Choudari, try “not to use a lot of store bought products but rather homemade facial products. [She] finds that store bought products dry out your skin and have harsh chemi-
cals.” Sophomore Syed Ali believes “a skin care routine is important because it allows you to wash away and heal all the funk away from your face. Some people even use it as a method of relaxation.” His own skincare routine consists of cleansing, “which helps increase blood flow and keeps away pores,” exfoliating, “which [he does] every 2-3 days to full rid of the pollution left on [his] skin,” and moisturizing “which keeps [his] skin hydrated and barricaded from further breakouts.”
Much like other students, junior Taseen Amin feels that often times skin care routines are not worth the effort. He stated, “I don’t [have] a skincare routine because I feel that my skin is smooth enough and I don’t really need to keep spending money to care for my skin.” While some can keep up with strict, time consuming skincare routines, senior Christopher Thomas “used to have one, but he gave up because [he] was too lazy.” Yet, senior Savion Teerath said that “consistency is
key because the one day you skip, can affect everything and throw off the balance of your facial health.” Many seniors had great advice for those who want to start their own skin care routines. Senior Deborah Kong shared that “YouTuber, Asianbeauty and SkincareAddiction are great resources for anyone who doesn’t know where to start.” She also recommends that “For people who can afford it, a dermatologist is the way to go because he/she can professionally treat your skin. Senior Juliet Vasquez used Curology and explained “For the first couple of weeks,” Juliet reported, “my skin got a little bit worse, and I felt discouraged, but this is normal, because your skin isn’t used to those ingredients. Around the 3rd and 4th week mark is when I started to notice a change.” Due to Juliet’s success, she “definitely recommends using Curology because it’s prescribed for you... It’s worth the money because people don’t realize how much money they spend on skincare.” Deborah concluded, “A final note for those insecure because of their acne: chances are no one pays as much attention to it as you think, and you are beautiful with or without it.”
Tokenism: Diversity of the few in media By Usha Sookai 4UBČ 8SJUFS
For decades, minority groups have been fighting for fair and equal representation. When representation in film and television happens for the wrong reasons, tokenism is at play. For many, it’s an issue that drives certain narratives, preventing people from truthfully telling their stories. Tokenism is a concept that usually applies to the media, in which companies represent a few minority groups to claim diversity. Movies and television shows often include a couple of minority characters in order to claim diversity, yet do not try to be inclusive. Thus, representation “does not [always] mean that the artist or company actually support equality,” sophomore Katie Sie said. Lately, Hollywood has been covering more stories from increasingly diverse perspectives
5PLFOJTN DPODFQUVBM BSU | Artwork courtesy of Amanda Renzi
and giving more recognition to international movies that do so. Movies such as Black Panther, Roma, Call Me By Your Name, and Crazy Rich Asians are recent Academy Award nominees and winners, but there are still steps to be taken for representation to be reflective of modern society and taken more seriously. English teacher and film expert Christine Duffy said that people are often too passive about representation and that tokenism is “an easy way out of actually changing a system
that isn’t as diverse as it needs to be.” The term has been around since the Civil Rights Movement, where along with fighting for equal rights, African Americans fought for accurate and just representation. The two go hand in hand, as media portrayals lead to misinformation about minority groups that can affect one person’s view of another. Katie added that misrepresentation in the media has led to the perception that Asian characters are “studious or
nerdy…[which] reinforces stereotypes and microaggressions.” People who have certain experiences, Ms. Duffy said, should be able to share their own perspective. That’s also not to say that tokenism in our time isn’t extremely important. It potentially takes employment, educational and financial opportunities away from minorities. As senior Shivani Persaud said, “Institutions can argue that they already help a number of people [and]... have already fulfilled some sort of quota.” Katie added that it can influence minorities’ “perspectives of society,” changing the way that people see themselves. Shivani explained that tokenism can also lead to a performer standing out specifically for their background. Institu-
tions can “[spotlight] the people of minority background” in an attempt to showcase diversity especially for the audience. “It’s exploitation, to an extent,” she said. However, it’s also difficult to combat. Going against tokenism implies facing an issue that’s persisted for several decades. Recent diverse movies are good first steps to combat tokenism, Ms. Duffy said, but there’s more that we can do. She continued to say that we can promote diverse voices, as the Tribeca Film Festival did, hire more people with diverse backgrounds based on their abilities, and encourage them to tell their stories. If the media valued achievements, hard-work, and talent, Shivani said, “we’d probably be living in a more diversity-loving world.”
THE CLASSIC | 9
MARCH 2019
Learning languages outside of school By Christy Han, 4UBČ 8SJUFS
The current language requirement for Harrisites is three years of modern language and two years of classical language classes. However, there are some students who take on the extra challenge of learning a new language by themselves, aside from the ones included in the curriculum. Sophomore Ruqaiya Mithani teaches herself Korean, as she was first exposed to Korean dramas and K-pop music through her friends. Through this process, she “realized how beautiful the language was and how similar it is to English in terms of having an alphabet.” Thus, she started to formally self-study Korean, first by picking out words and phrases from TV shows and then using a website called “howtostudykorean.com.” Over the course of two and a half weeks, Ruqaiya was able to recognize all of the letters, and could put characters together and read by the end of one month. In addition to the website, she also used an app called “Duolingo,” as she previously used it to study for Spanish. She explained how she would use the app for ten minutes a day for about a month and stated that “Duolingo made learning fun and easy.” Similarly, sophomore Kelly Cheng decided to take on the challenge of learning Korean. She stated that “I decided to learn this language because one of my goals as a kid was to learn Chinese, Korean, and
4QBOJTI 5FYUCPPL | Photo courtesy of Min Hyeok Shin
Japanese.” Like Ruqaiya, Kelly uses a website called “talktomeinkorean.com,” which is a free website in which the user can learn Korean starting from the very basics. “The website was very helpful since it included videos and online audio clips, as well books that could be purchased for further study,” she said. Some students also choose to learn their native language outside of their own homes. Senior Diana Stachula is currently learning Polish, since both of her parents are Polish immigrants. Instead of
using online websites to study, she actually attends a Polish school in which she “speaks strictly in Polish and learn[s] about Polish history, literature, geography, and language.” Likewise, sophomore Bushra Islam is also currently trying to learn Bengali, as her family is from Bangladesh and speaks the language fluently. “Learning Bengali will make communication easier between myself and the older members of my family,” she stated. “In addition, learning Bengali will help me feel more
connected to my culture.” Although her parents taught her the alphabet when she was younger, she continued to pursue learning the language by trying to incorporate it into her daily life. For example, she stated, “When my parents watch Bengali TV shows or movies, I try to read the credits or captions as fast as I can in order to improve my reading speed and comprehension.” For students who wish to self-learn a new language, Ruqaiya recommends “finding a natural way to integrate it into
their lives and take it slow. It’s important to not overwhelm yourself with a bunch of things because you’re not going to be motivated to learn anything.” Kelly explained how determination was an important factor when learning a new language. She advised, “You really have to be determined yourself to do it, because no one else is going to push you. If you yourself don’t have the willpower, then you won’t learn anything.”
Research students compete at NYCSEF By Brian Retting and Jasmine Palma, 4UBČ 8SJUFSs
Harrisites who took part in research opportunities throughout the year competed at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) early this March. NYCSEF is the largest high school research competition in NYC. The fair is sponsored by the partnership between the City College of New York (CUNY) and the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). The fair aims to promote scientific exploration and enthusiasm through formal experimentation. Science research teacher Katherine Cooper explained, “The competition is a platform to showcase science and science research that is occurring at the high school level and allow the high school students to
start building connections to scientists and other students doing research to support them in the future.” Across the five boroughs, approximately 700 students participate in the fair annually. Students were given time to set up and organize their poster boards by category (Microbiology, engineering, etc.) before the judging period commenced. “There were more than 400 projects that encompassed all different categories, and students would stand by their poster to wait for judges to come by. Each group was required to talk to 3 judges, and said judges would listen to each project and pose questions for clarification… There were a variety of different presentations, ranging from medicine to mathematics,” junior Josephine Chen commented. Ms. Cooper was a mentor
for students participating in the NYCSEF competition. She explained that the fair is a means of showcasing research projects in the sciences and engineering with the help of a mentor to refine and improve original student work. She added that the fair is “a screening process to help decide who is going to represent the city at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in May.” Despite the large number of students who unfortunately did not progress to ISEF competition, NYCSEF was still regarded by many students and mentors to be a fun, satisfying, and enriching experience. As students explored the wide variety of fields of science, they saw the manifold of scientific research. Following the judging period, there was a public viewing session where students were able to learn about
their peers’ experiments. Junior Cathy Choo explained,“I was really shocked by the complexity and sophistication of the research these high school students were conducting. Some people were studying cancer cells and some were focusing on topics I hadn’t even heard about. Everyone looked really prepared and eager to show off their findings, regardless of how successful their [results] actually were.” Despite NYCSEF being a collaborative learning environment, students were very focused on its competitive aspect. “The main talk was about how a junior found a planet,” Cathy continued. While looking at projects, Ms. Cooper asked other students about their motivations behind the students’ research content. “For one of the students,
she was studying cancer because her mother was a breast cancer survivor. One kid was studying space because he fell in love when he read Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time,” she recalled. After the competition, the students agreed that, despite the countless sleepless nights, NYCSEF was a unique learning experience. Ms. Cooper emphasized that NYCSEF “stimulates scientific enthusiasm. When [a student] gets a keynote from someone like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, or President Obama, how can [he/she] not be motivated and inspired?”
10 | THE CLASSIC
THHSCLASSIC.COM
Pop princess under fire for forgeries By Victoria Kuzma and Crystal Ngan, " & &EJUPST
The consequences of plagiarism in the school environment are often very severe, and the blatant theft of another individual’s ideas often results in harsh punishments. However, the line between plagiarism and inspiration becomes a bit blurred when it comes to the music industry. Recently, pop artist Ariana Grande has come under fire for alleged plagiarism in her newest song, “7 Rings.� After the release of her newest hit, the internet was quick to point out similarities between Grande’s track, and rapper Princess Nokia’s 2016 song, “Mine,� as well as Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag.� Fans of all three artists turned to social media to express their frustrations, and the artists themselves spoke out on the topic as well. In a tweet targeting Grande directly, Soulja Boy stated, “Give me my credit. Period,� while proceeding to call the singer a thief. Princess Nokia also posted multiple, now deleted, Twitter videos pointing out the similarities between the two songs, which were shared by hundreds of fans. While Grande herself has refrained from addressing any of these accusations, her fans have swarmed social media with comments supporting the artist. Senior Kathryn Kwon said,
"SJBOB (SBOEF T OFX TPOH 3JOHT TQBSLFE DPOUSPWFSTZ | Photo courtesy of Katrina Dydzuhn
“I think that eventually all music will start to sound the same. You can only do so much with the same notes so it only makes sense.� Senior Joseph Zhao agrees, saying that “I feel like it’s just a very common occurrence in a lot of music nowadays because everyone always wants to be popular, so they always follow a common sound since they know that other songs have become popular because of that and they want to achieve the same effect.�
He expanded upon this idea, saying that for his “satirical music group [Yung Choppas], there’s not much variety in the content of topics to discuss about in music within current hip hop and rap categories so to be honest our songs are probably very similar to other songs you’ve heard.� The line between plagiarism and inspiration is highlighted in the very first verse of “7 Rings,� which pays homage to the song “My Favourite Things� — the Julie Andrews
Is Kylie Jenner a selfmade billionaire? By Shabab Ahmed and Nejra Barakovic 4UBČ 8SJUFST
Kylie Jenner is the youngest self-made billionaire as reported by Forbes Magazine on March 5. Jenner has made her mark through her makeup company, Kylie Cosmetics, her enormous social media presence, and her relations to the Kardashian-Jenner family. Many students have shared their opinions in the debate of whether Jenner is truly “self-made.� Many people recognize that Kylie Jenner made her first appearance in the public eye when she was only ten years old while being featured in the infamous reality TV show, “Keeping Up With the Kar-
dashians.� This moment conjoined the Kardashian and Jenner families indefinitely. Sophomore Emily Haffiz believes that this “fame� gave Jenner a foundation and “her family helped in her journey and gave her a platform in order to launch and promote her business.� Kylie Jenner was just a child at the time of her family’s’ reality show, but that influence proved to make a mark on the rest of her life. More specifically, Jenner’s massive presence on social media has brought her to the attention of people with varying ages. As she stated to Forbes Magazine, “It’s the power of social media. I had such a strong reach before I was able to start anything.�
Other sources of outreach are her multiple companies, such as Kylie Cosmetics, and Kendall + Kylie, her clothing line with sister Kendall Jenner. According to the website for Kylie Cosmetics, the makeup company “is one of the fastest growing beauty brands in the world. Having launched three years ago, Kylie Cosmetics was put on the makeup map... and changed the face of the beauty industry forever.� Despite the makeup company launching three years ago, the craze behind the products has stuck to the public, serving as a staple for many. $POUJOVF SFBEJOH BU XXX thhsclassic.com
classic from ćF 4PVOE PG .Vsic. While the original lyrics have been changed to describe Grande’s favorite expenses, the rhythm, beat, and flow of the song are clearly the same. Many believe that since the verse is a unique interpretation and is an obvious reference to “My Favorite Things� it cannot be deemed as plagiarism. Kathryn said, “I don’t think that the first part of the song can be deemed as plagiarism since Ariana Grande did put
her own spin on it and the meaning has no connection to the original.� While currently no lawsuits have been filed against Grande, the constantly rising number of copyright infringement lawsuits in the modern music industry, brings light to this serious issue. Musicians such as Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams are just a few of those who have been found guilty of plagiarism. In a 2015 case, both artists were ordered to pay $7.3 million dollars in damages to Marvin Gaye’s estate after they were found guilty of copying Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up� for their 2013 hit “Blurred Lines.� It can be argued that nothing in music is truly “new.� Often modern artists will create songs that share similar chord progressions, base lines, or even melodies with those of their iconic predecessors. Sophomore Ifeoluwa Adedokun explained, “Plagiarism is straight up copying someone and it’s not your own idea or concept, it’s just you taking something from someone else and using it as your own. Inspiration comes from somewhere, it should means something to you, it should characterize your personality.�
Venti Grande drinks now on menu By Victoria Kuzma " & &EJUPS
Starbucks is often regarded as the best choice when it comes to a quick energy boost for late night studying sessions. In early March, they added yet another beverage option to its already expansive drink selection: the Cloud Macchiato. The drink is available in cinnamon and caramel flavors, both hot and iced, and features a unique “cloud� foam made from an egg white powder. The foam has a merengue like texture, and is topped with espresso shots and a caramel drizzle. The flavors of the Cloud Macchiato are not relatively shocking or innovative compared to previous Starbucks releases, such as the Unicorn or Zombie Frappuccino. Fans of the famed Iced Caramel Macchiato will find that its cloud coun-
terpart tastes about the same, with the added frothy texture. Students on a budget should probably stick to the original Iced Caramel Macchiato as it costs $4.45 for a grande, a whopping 50 cents less than the Cloud Macchiato. The beverage gained popularity after Starbucks partnered with pop artist Ariana Grande to promote and release the drink. Grande took to Twitter to share photos of herself sipping on the drink, encouraging others to “#trythesoyversion.� Many fans however, were quick to point out that although Grande is vegan, the egg-powder foam cannot be replicated with non-vegan ingredients. While this may have stirred up some controversy, those interested in a creative twist on a classic Starbucks staple should definitely try the drink for themselves.
THE CLASSIC | 11
MARCH 2019
Advocates for acne acceptance
How Many Hawks? By Yuri Choi and Jessie Ye, 4UBČ 8SJUFST
MOVIES
Five Feet Apart (5/5 hawks); “Five Feet Apart was such a beautiful movie with a very important message. It had its funny moments and sad moments but at the end of it all it was very worth seeing.” - Senior, Alyssa Ortiz Captain Marvel (4/5 hawks): “As a Marvel fan, I was excited to see it in theaters and was impressed by how thrilling it was!” - Jenny Wu ` Us (5/5 hawks): “I think Us is possibly one of the most intricate and thought provoking movies I have seen in a long time. Jordan Peele is a genius and the movie will leave anyone entertained.” - Senior Jacqueline Valenti "DOF DMFBOTJOH QSPEVDUT | Photo courtesy of Min Hyeok Shin By Annie Lin 4UBČ 8SJUFS
Are spots hot? At Milan Men’s Fashion Week 2016, Moto Guo’s debut showcased a genderfluid and childlike collection, but more shockingly attempted to revolutionize the concept of skin acceptance. In response, various fashion and beauty media critics classified this spectacle as more of a freakshow than a fashion show. Fast forward two years later, the idea of acne positivity is slowly abolishing former ideals of perfect skin and welcoming blemishes and blackheads. Challenging former epitomes of beauty, the body positivity movement promotes the acceptance of all body types; it poses the idea that beauty is merely a societal construct, which therefore should not infringe on someone’s self-confidence. However, this promotion of positive body image often excludes acne positivity which is why the goal of obtaining perfect skin continues to be prevalent. The importance of face clarity is heavily emphasized in the beauty industry, which causes people to often try and meet this nonrealistic standard. 2018 was a year full of development and the year when acne normalization became more recognized among the public. In early January, Kendall Jenner experienced with acne, but her skin condition did not prevent her from walking down the red carpet at the 75th annual Golden Globes Awards. Jenner received much commendation from her fans, which indicated a significant change in public mindset
compared to the anti-acne sentiments Guo received two years before. Later in the same month, this idea of skin acceptance was further promoted when major beauty magazines such as ELLE and Teen Vogue began to recognize the works of Peter Devito, a New York-based photographer. His Instagram page @peterdevito features photos of acne-affected people with messages such as “acne is normal” or “retouch” pasted on their faces. His creativity, in addition to his openness on his own struggles with acne, have allowed him to gain a wide following, many of whom also suffer from insecurities with their skin. According to Health and Physical Education teacher Maria Assante, causes of acne, for the most part, stem from factors that we often can’t control. “Most acne is due to hormone levels. Unfortunately, this affects teenagers at a higher rate due to the onset and fluctuation of new hormones,” she stated. “It can be linked to heredity, and some dietary choices can increase inflammation.” The general student population at Townsend Harris agree that there is a stigma around acne. Sophomore Francesca Manabat described how “social media is always portraying the ideal body image” and that perfectly smooth skin is definitely one of its targets. Because of this ‘beauty propaganda,’ Francesca commented that “acne is something that has been deemed unattractive and ugly,” despite being a shared experience
among a majority of people. This majority is not only made up of teens, but also adults. “Sometimes, insensitive teens become insensitive adults and forget what pimples [and] acne made them feel like. Adults are capable of passing judgement on other people’s appearances just as readily as some teens,” explained Ms. Assante. “It reminds me of those who prejudge others who are overweight, old, differently-abled, or just unique in general.” Because of this stigma, most teens are in support of this new movement, including junior Emily Yan. “I support the acne positivity movement [because] I currently struggle with acne. People usually just approach me in beauty [and] skincare stores and recommend me products that help with acne or teen skin,” she shared. “It would be nice to see people with acne be celebrated.” Senior Christopher Thomas agreed, admitting that while he hasn’t heard of the movement, “[he] think[s] it’s a perfect way for people to embrace their natural human flaws and get rid of the stigma against something that is completely normal.” While the public takes action against this social stigma, some believe that certain attitudes towards acne will remain the same. Junior Wilma Aung acknowledged that, despite its eventual acceptance, strains of hate towards the skin condition will still exist. She addressed that although acne may be viewed less harshly, people will still subconsciously judge
those with acne as less hygienic without understanding the struggles themselves. In regards to whether acne acceptance would affect her personal lifestyle choices, Wilma explained that it would not affect her choice to carry out her skin care routine: “Even without the stigma I would continue with [my] regimen since I am my own worst critic, and having bad skin while other[s] don’t would encourage me to take the actions necessary to reduce the skin issues I have.” Emily Yan agreed with this, noting how she gets acne medication prescribed from her doctor and that she would still continue her treatments, since some pimples are painful. She added that “skin care also makes [her] feel clean and pampered. It’s a nice routine to end the day [with].” This revolution of self-acceptance starts with the students, as they learn and discuss about hormones, acne, and pimples in their health classes. “We [as health teachers] present it in a way that reminds students that everyone goes through it. We just need to do our best to try to get it under control and ride it out until it gets better,” Ms. Assante mentioned. “Consistent reminders to give yourself a break, learn to love and accept yourself at every stage of your life and try to ignore the haters are daily lessons that we all should try to adapt to make our lives a bit easier.” As we continue into 2019, there is no doubt that this movement will continue to make strides to eliminate idealistic standards and ultimately redefine ‘beauty’ as a whole.
TV SHOWS
Umbrella Academy (Netflix) (5/5 hawks): “I LOVE THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY. I usually don’t mess with superhero comics, but it slaps!” - Sophomore, Afifa Ibnat MUSIC
4VDLFS .VTJD 7JEFP | Photo courtesy of Crystal Ngan Sucker (Jonas Brothers) (5/5 hawks): “I loved the meaning of the lyrics! It showed how a guy or girl in the relationship can stay together because they love them so much, despite some bumps in the road.” - Freshman, Samin Chowdury Bad Habits (Nav) (3/5 hawks): “Although I found Nav’s new album better than his previous projects, I believe that there is still plenty of room for him to improve. I believed that he improved on his lyrical skills, as his songs have more meaning to them. In addition, I see signs of him changing his monotone delivery, but it is still boring for the most part.” - Senior, Joseph Zhao PLACES TO GO
The Vessel, Hudson Yards (3.8/5 hawks): “It’s a nice view, but a windy place to visit. You have to reserve tickets to go up, which is kind of a let down; I expected Vessel to be something completely open to the public, but maybe they’ll work toward making it more readily available for everyone in the future.” - Senior, Matilde Cardoso
12 | THE CLASSIC
THHSCLASSIC.COM
Camaraderie and teamwork: The recipe for the girls varsity basketball team’s magical season By Hritamber Chakraborty and Kunchaka Fonseka, Sports Editors
A team’s season is not defined by its losses, but by the manner by which the team bounces back: stronger and with a tenacity that brings each player closer. Being a part of a team is about respect for one another, for the game, and the coach who is there to guide you each step along the way. A team only truly loses when it lets doubters and numbers crush their morale and diminish the love for their craft. Despite trailing by as much as 27 points, the crowd could still hear the bench enthusiastically chanting as the girls’ varsity basketball team faced James Madison High School in the semifinals. The team fought back, feeding off of this contagious energy and finished the game strong with their heads high despite losing with a score of 49-32. Although the sea- Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team at York College for semi-finals | Photo courtesy of Audrey Phung son did not result in bringing home the city championship, ceptional basketball and won the season undefeated atop nals game for Townsend Hathe team can confidently say their next 5 games by at least the Queens East A division rris girls basketball. that this season was not a fai- 15 points. at 16-0 in league play. Olivia The semifinal however led attempt, but a step in the A deeper examination of Falba added, “This season has did not start or end the way right direction. how they won these first six been a surprise in terms of... the the girls wanted as they The 2017-18 season saw the games helps reflect an essen- the exposure that we have go- played the second ranked girls win the Queens A East tial quality of the Hawks and tten, that we’ve actually made team in James Madison High division title alongside Baysi- factor in their impressive suc- others pay attention. We’ve School at York College. The de High School and Scholars cess. Through these 6 wins, always been disregarded be- Hawks started the game cold Academy, all with records of there were 5 different leading cause we’re Townsend, the and only managed to score 9 15-3. The Hawks entered last scorers whose point totals brainy not athletic school.” points through two quarters year’s playoffs ranked twelth ranged from 14 to 26 points. When considering the Var- and found themselves down , and won their first two ga- Essentially, on any given ni- sity Girls’ Playoff Basketball, by 19 points at halftime. This mes after a first round bye to ght, any one of the the girls there is no other Townsend deficit proved too much to advance to the quarterfinals. could get hot and score a lot Harris sports event that can overcome even with a 17 However, the Hawks suffered of points or multiple people compare in turnout and exci- point fourth quarter showing. a heartbreaking loss to the wou ld score about 8 to 12 tement. And this year the ga- The game ended with the scoLongwood Preparatory Aca- points. This selflessness defi- mes were even live streamed re reading 49-32. demy at home after leading nes the Hawks’ mentality and on Twitch for people at home Nevertheless, the girls fouby over 10 points late in the playing style. to watch. ght valiantly playing hard to game. This playoff run and As Ms. Caiaccia put it, “I Entering the playoffs, the the end and in their last game loss provided an invaluable really truly believe that they Hawks were recognized for as Townsend Harris Hawks, experience that would come didn’t care who got credit. their incredible performance the seniors, although disain extremely handy for the They were just happy to be and ranked among other elite ppointed by the result, enjoteam this season. In fact, the playing with each other, ha- basketball squads at third in yed the atmosphere and presHawks’ main rotation inclu- ving success on and off the all of the PSAL “A” division. tige of making the final four. ded 4 juniors and 3 sophomo- court, and enjoying the expe- Given this ranking the girls The four seniors that led res during this quarterfinal rience of the whole season.” earned home court advantage this team in terms of total run, who coming into this In their next game the for their first 3 playoff games experience and inextinguiseason all had at least 2 years Hawks played Bayside High and they cashed in on this shable motivation were Oliof playoff experience. The ta- School again and completed a advantage winning all three. via Falba, Weronika Falba, bles were set for the Hawks to season sweep of them despite First the Hawks beat Benja- co- captain Rosalydia Caputo, pull off an incredible season trailing after the first quarter. min Banneker High School and co-captain Kimberly Lau. this year and they did just The girls finished the games 59-49 led by three huge three With the camaraderie that that. Senior Olivia Falba re- strong earning a hard fought pointers from sophomore Ju- these four shared along with flected, “This hunger was in 45-42 victory. Besides this lia Hong. Then the girls to- their dogged determination, each of us and I knew we were game and the girls’ first game pped Abraham Lincoln High they set the example for their all going to try our hardest to against Scholars Academy, School 53-50 fueled by four teammates of how to act both achieve our dreams.” which they won 48-43, the huge three pointers from We- on and off the court. As Rosa The girls started the season Hawks dominated both their ronika Falba and an efficient put it, “Whatever the circumwith a huge statement game home and away games this 17 point outing from Kimber- stances were I had to be a unitaking down Bayside High season, consistently winning ly Lau. ting force for the entire team School, who they had shared by large margins. Next, the girls beat Millen- and I had to be someone who their record with the prior In fact, the Hawks avera- nium High School 50-40 led always modeled what was exseason. Led by a 22 point se- ged a twenty point rout each by solid block play from Ro- pected.” She realized that becond quarter surge the Hawks game scoring an incredible salydia Caputo as she put up ing a team was not only about finished the game with a final 57.2 points per game while 14 points and pulled down 13 playing for the same school score of 61 to 23. The girls only giving up 36.8 during rebounds. This effort put the but maintaining uniformicontinued playing this ex- the season. The girls finished girls into the first ever semifi- ty in the sense of a common
identity. Ultimately, Ms. Caiaccia’s coaching that has kept the girls basketball program a winning one for years cannot go unlauded. From the atmosphere she aims to create to the mentality she instills in her players from day one, her formula is one that works. Ms. Caiaccia explained, “[I]f the players you have playing for you don’t feel connected to what you are doing they are not necessarily going to always give you 100 percent.” Even while practicing 6 days a week for 2 to 3 hours a day from October to March, Ms. Caiaccia managed to keep all the girls focused and eyes straight ahead. Sophomore Xandria stated, “Ms. Caiaccia always and I mean always emphasizes picking your teammates up and pushing them to give it their all… we’re [always] cheering each other on until they finish and to me, that’s what makes up our chemistry.” Congratulations to the girls’ Varsity basketball team for the amazing season that they had this 2018-2019 season. Ms. Caiaccia reflected, “I didn’t look at this season as just this season I saw this coming for four years it was just a matter of time last year we came up a little bit short but this year we achieved to the level we could achieve but I just think the whole process of the season was beautiful. Continue reading at thhsclassic.com