The Classic, Vol 38, No 1, Spring 2022

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Looking back at school closures

Remembering Largmann

FON & SING return

Take a look at the major articles published as the largest school system in the country shut down at the start of the pandemic. There are also articles that showcase what it took to reopen schools in subsequent school years.

Dr. Largmann, founding principal of the reopened Townsend Harris, passed away in 2021.

Read about his life and his work as a principal from those who knew him.

This year both FON and SING debuted before live audiences in the Townsend Harris auditorium, marking the first time they were back since the 2019-2020 school year.

THE CLASSIC

TOWNSEND HARRIS HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENS COLLEGE

thhsclassic.com

• Spring 2022 •

No. 01 | Vol. 38

TWO YEARS LATER

CLASSIC has continued publishing online throughout the pandemic. Now, it is returning to print with a special issue collecting the major stories published during the past two years.

Next year, we will continue publishing both in print and online.

THE

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COVID NEWS

All NYC schools to close amidst global pandemic better than taking reactive measures in a pandemic,” said senior Vice President Emily Tan. March 17, 2020 Though students are relieved to know their health and safety Mayor Bill de Blasio an- are a priority for NYC officials, nounced at his press conference many are also upset by this on March 15 that all New York temporary separation from their City public schools are closed, school community. effective immediately, until April Seniors were especially dis20. However, this closure may appointed by this interruption to continue until the end of the their last year of high school. Ma2019-2020 school year. ny are dwelling on the possibility After numerous petitions pres- of not being able to attend their sured Governor Cuomo to close prom or graduation due to the NYC schools, he announced current ban on large gatherings. plans to submit to these “It feels unreal, as if we’re requests as soon as in a dream or a simulaMayor de Blasio tion. I looked forward “I believe online devised a plan to to my senior year, learning would be ensure childcare my entire high possible for THHS for all during this school life, but since the majorbreak. everything blew ity of the teachers “I definiteup.

I’m definitehave set up Google ly think it was the ly not happy and Classroom.” best decision and it I’ll miss seeing my should have happened friends and my teachearlier. As we can see from ers in school,” said Emily. the spread of this deadly virus “For the seniors and graduatin other countries in Asia and in ing classes of 2020, I feel sadEurope, isolating is an effective dened that they aren’t able to method to slow down transmis- fully experience their last year in sion,” commented UFT chapter school. Hopefully, everything will leader Franco Scardino. be better soon and their gradPreviously, government and uation plans are not ruined by DOE officials had grappled with this issue,” said freshman Magplans to provide adequate nutri- gie Huang. tion to underserved families and However, others were looking childcare for elementary school- forward to using this extended aged children, without compro- hiatus from school as a time for mising the safety of other NYC both rest and productivity. students by keeping schools “I plan on practicing on the open. saxophone a lot more, which Mayor de Blasio has since can be hard with school…. I’m decided to keep these resourc- also crocheting right now, and es available to students at their hopefully I can learn how to use local schools in spite of the in- a sewing machine,” stated junior structional recess.

Weiye Yasen.

AP Biology teacher Shi Bing “I’m going to stay in my home, Shen said, “I do believe closing quarantine, and sleep since the schools is the right decision. they are literally closing every"I understand it has wide- thing and my friends are scared spread consequences, but to come outside,” said sophofor the good of the city and to more Ngozi Anya. hopefully slow down the transMaggie also plans to spend mission of the virus, it was a nec- most of her time at home. essary step in the right direction “I’ll try to find a new hobby durfor NYC.” ing this month and since PSAL “Though unfortunate, this de- isn’t running, I’ll go out often on cision is ultimately the best for runs by myself to stay healthy,” the NYC population as a whole. she explained.

Taking preventative measures is “I honestly didn’t want school

By Julia Wojtkowski ‘21, Daniela Zavlun ‘21, and Julianna Zitron ‘20

The Classic

to close down for this long, but in my free time I am going to catch up on studying for various APs and regents and actually get the time to do work and other objectives, like finding an internship for the summer,” commented sophomore Bebe Adewale.

Nevertheless, teachers remain confident that online instruction will ensure that this break from school will not obstruct students’ learning too severely.

“I believe online learning would be possible for THHS since the majority of the teachers have set up Google Classroom for this year so there is a way to distribute materials, chat, and discuss topics even in realtime,” added Ms. Shen.

“I think it’s going to work out fine. I already have my ninthgrade classes organized on Google Classroom and my juniors are all online and on schedule to complete their AP Research paper,” said Mr. Scardino.

“I think the band program is completely prepared for this.

Luckily, the way the curriculum/ course was already structured, switching to a completely online platform will be a somewhat easy transition for us…I am confident that when school resumes, we will have advanced where we left off and will be more than prepared for our concerts and NYSSMA festival performances,” said music teacher Kevin Heathwood.

“Greatness is not measured when things go perfectly," Mr. Heathwood continued, "it is measured when things don’t, and seeing how one perseveres, adapts, and rises to the challenge. There is a big task ahead for both staff and students… but I believe Townsend is equipped and prepared for it.”

PHOTO: KATRINA DYDZUHN ‘20

OPINION: It is time to close NYC schools Published online on what would end up being the last day of fully inperson classes until September 2021, this article captures the sense of urgency that gripped city students in the days before the largest school district in the nation shut down. See the full version online.

By Zeyad Shariff ‘21 March 13, 2020

As the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the United States and the world, numerous high schools and colleges have temporarily closed and switched to online classes in order to contain the spread of the virus. With many students at New York City private schools already attending online classes, and with coronavirus cases rapidly proliferating through all five boroughs, the time for action is now. In order to protect students and staff at New York City public schools, Mayor de Blasio must immediately close schools.

In the last 72 hours, the coronavirus outbreak has officially reached the status of a WHO-recognized pandemic. Most responses to the disease have been sweeping. However, New York City has taken no such measures. Though there have been sixty-two confirmed cases in the city, the Mayor’s office has continued to reiterate that school closures are a last resort.

Such reasoning is foolish. A single student coming to school while potentially infected with a virus that can take significant time to show symptoms is harmful to the well-being of thousands of other students and staff members.

Furthermore, most high sc-

hool students rely on some mode of public transportation in order to get to school each day.

The chairman of the MTA has suggested that if New Yorkers can get around without using the subways, they should.

It is entirely unreasonable to keep schools open when students’ primary mode of transportation is a danger to their well-being.

Mayor de Blasio has repeatedly said he is hesitant to close schools because he fears that students who rely on their school cafeterias for meals won’t have access to adequate nutrition.

There are ways of providing this service without keeping schools open for classes.

Finally, the coronavirus has dramatically impacted learning. Students, rightfully stressed and concerned by the pandemic spreading all around them, have great difficulty focusing on their academics. Conversations in many classes are dominated by the virus, as teachers work to reassure the concerns their students are voicing.

Altogether, this is not an environment in which students can learn effectively.

Online education, even if imperfect, would allow students to learn from the safety and comfort of their own home, free from the distractions of the virus.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

COVID NEWS

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Under new DOE programming guidance, courses may be cut

By Nikki Ng ‘21 and Victoria Oei ’21 August 27, 2020

Following newly released Department of Education (DOE) guidelines calling for schools to assign teachers to one specific type of teaching at a time—either all remote, hybrid remote, or in-person—the Townsend Harris administration is now programming students accordingly. However, due to the number of teachers required to meet these new guidelines, multiple courses are at risk of being cut.

The Classic spoke to Principal Brian Condon who explained how the programming will work with these guidelines. There will be two types of courses: remote courses and “blended” or hybrid courses. Remote courses are taught to students who opt to stay home entirely. Since students can only come to school in two day shifts, blended courses feature a mixture of in person and remote instruction. In accordance with the newly released guidelines, following an agreement between the DOE and the UFT, blended classes require two teachers: one who will teach the students when they are in the building, and another who will teach that group of students when they are at home. All remote students will have one teacher per class they are taking.

Since nearly 60% of students are currently opting for blended/ hybrid learning at THHS, courses for those students will require two teachers each, which will make it likely that fewer overall courses can be offered. According to Principal Condon, “The greater the population that takes the blended learning model, the greater the resources needed to staff it.”

As hybrid students would require two teachers per class, one for the two days their cohort is in person and one for the four days their cohort is learning remotely, there would be a shortage of teachers to run all the courses offered in the current program. “So you either have to reduce the number of classes you’re offering, or you have to get more teachers in your building to do that work,” Principal Condon said.

However, due to budget cuts this past month, it is unclear whether hiring more teachers to maintain current courses is a feasible option. “I don’t know where the extra teachers are going to come from to staff the classes that

we might need staffed under these circumstances,” said Principal Condon. The DOE has expressed that they will work with schools to fill these gaps, and the THHS administration is now working to find where the school will have teaching shortages and will provide that information to the DOE. It is unclear how the DOE will provide the teacher roles necessary.

Elective courses would be the first to be cut. “The allocation of the resources goes as follows: mandated courses, core courses…[then] electives,” said Mr. Condon. “So I have to first staff my mandated and core courses, and then I have to figure out how

to make the most robust elective course selection I can.”

“We are trying to mitigate that through efficient programming and through trying to make sure that we use the rules to our advantage to maximize program and course offerings,” Principal Condon stated. “There will be diminished course offerings, I’m sure. But we are going to do our best to minimize that.”

Student Union President Sharon Li expressed her disappointment with the news. “Cutting the selection of electives we have to offer is losing the level of rigor and opportunities we provide to our students,” Sharon said. “I hope the DOE and reo-

pening committee can come to a solution that allows students at Townsend Harris to continue to explore their interests, even if that means classes have to be taught completely virtual.”

The THHS reopening committee worked this summer to create an “exception” proposal that would avoid cuts such as these.

Their model, which they called the Enriched Virtual Plan, was introduced during reopening information sessions this month. According to Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee, the committee submitted it for approval on Friday, August 14 and was denied by the DOE the same day.

Plans for the reopening of THHS remained up in the air as the first day of school approached.

Winter Concert canceled as cases surge dance of caution, and in light of a recent increase of COVID posiDecember 20, 2021 tive cases in our school building, I regret to inform you that we will Earlier today, plans be canceling our live, infor live Winter Conperson performance of cert performances our annual Winter Conwere cancelled in recert.” sponse to rising COThe email went on to VID-19 cases. detail that the perforThe concert was mance would be made supposed to be held available online through on Wednesday evethe school’s YouTube ning, with a second channel. It said that the live-streamed minilink to the video will be concert to be held sent to the entire school the day after. community once it is The decision to available. cancel the concert Senior and Vice Preswas based on many ident of Hawkapella factors, according to Students were preparing for the Winter Concert as Omicron cases rose PHOTO: MATTHEW MERINO ‘22 Marykate Wee said, “I music teacher Kevin feel disappointed and aling was when we were making we kind of already knew where so scared since this last minute Heathwood. we were going before that.”

He said, “It was a conversa- the call.” cancellation feels very familiar.

He added, “I had told the jazz At 1:05 p.m. today, Princi- Hopefully the break simmers tion between myself and the administration that had been talked band during zero band, and then pal Brian Condon sent out an down the situation so when we and mentioned last week…and we had a follow-up meeting with email that officially announced come back, things will be betthen last night, we started hav- the principal and a bunch of the the change. ter.”

He wrote, “Out of an abuning more serious talks about it assistant principals formulated Senior and Tech Squad LeadBy Micah Sandy ‘22

as the hard numbers [showed] that there were positive cases and cases were going up in the school community. This morn-

and got everybody on the same page as the word was getting out…the final decision was in my fourth band this morning, but

er Saad Ahmed said, “I’m definitely sad that the winter concert was canceled, everyone worked so hard for it. But it’s completely justified given the rise in COVID cases.”

Junior and Chamber Strings student Lana Yepifanova said, “I was so disappointed that they canceled the winter concert.

I was really looking forward to playing the Demon Slayer duet with my partners.”

Sophomore and Jazz Band/ Wind Ensemble student Kaylah Rouzier said, “I honestly wasn’t expecting [the cancellation of the Winter Concert] to happen, especially after we had managed to successfully pull off a big production like S!NG. I was and still am pretty upset about it.

Last year, all of our performances were remote except for graduation, but even that had its limits. I was looking forward to a real in-person concert and being able to experience it properly for the first time [at THHS].”

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The Classic

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Spring 2022

SCHOOL NEWS

6

THHS ranked #1 public high school in New York

By Dorcas Adewale '22 and William Rhee '22 May 14, 2021

Townsend Harris High School swept the US News and World Report 2021 high school rankings, placing 1st in New York State, the NY Metro Area, and New York City, as well as 12th in the nation.

Many Harrisites reacted to the news positively, crediting the school’s success to the students and staff.

“Ranking #1 consecutively in NY is definitely an amazing feat that I am very proud of,” said junior Jennifer Quisi.

“It really shows how hardworking and dedicated our faculty is and how high-achieving Towsend Harris students are.

I hope that in the coming years, the school continues to garner these recognitions and more.”

“Our core mission for us is to provide an accelerated learning experience for students that forces them to think critically and to develop content knowledge,” said Principal Brian Condon.

“There’s really not a day when the adults don’t come into the school focused on how to make it better for the kids, from the administrators to the teachers to the school aides to the secretaries and the custodians.”

The ranking was created by US News and World Report in association with RTI International, a nonprofit research institute that partners with government agencies, commercial clients, and academic institutions.

They considered 24,000 high schools across the nation and ultimately ranked THHS among a total of 17,860 schools.

To create the ranking, the group used a combination of six criteria to select and rank schools, including the proportion of seniors who took AP exams, the range of exams taken, results from state exams in the context of student demographics, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.

The evaluations were based on school performances from the 2018-2019 academic year.

The Classic

Left: Dr. Largmann in 2015; Right: The THHS Library, named after him PHOTO BY KARI IOCOLANO ‘15

Remembering Dr. Largmann, founding principal of new THHS

By Lauren Jun ‘22, Ramisha Parvez ‘22, and Micah Sandy ‘22 June 15, 2021

Dr. Malcolm G. Largmann, the founding principal of the re-established Townsend Harris High School, passed away on May 31. He was 89.

Hand-selected by those responsible for reopening the school, Dr. Largmann led THHS from 1984 to 2001. Many of the traditions and experiences that define THHS began under and through his leadership. The Queens College collaboration, the opening of the school building on the college campus, Founders’ Day, and the swearing of the Ephebic Oath are just a few examples.

Before becoming the principal of the re-established school, Dr. Largmann was English Department Chair at Tilden High School and an English teacher at Lafayette High School. He retired from THHS in 2001 and was succeeded by former Principal Thomas Cunningham after having worked in education for over forty years.

In a wide range of interviews, teachers, alumni, and administrators credit Dr. Largmann with working tirelessly to bring to life his vision of a school that offers a stellar education, rooted in the humanities, to its students.

Alumni Association Co-President Craig Slutzkin said, “I wasn’t close to Dr. Largmann when I was a student. I really didn’t have much interaction with him. But through both of our Alumni Association involvements, we became friends and eventually family over the past

30 years. And what amazed me is that even though we didn’t have much interaction when I was a student, over the years, he would bring up things from my days at Harris that I would have never thought he knew about – clubs I was in, teachers I was a monitor for. That is so telling – he knew what each of his students did, what they cared about.”

Many emphasized Dr. Largmann’s pride in his students, and his passion for getting to know them and their strengths.

Former Spanish teacher and Assistant Principal of World Languages Joan Walsh said, “When the school opened in September, 1984, he set the tone for the school culture by being omni-present in the hallways and in the classrooms. He made it his business to know most of the students by name.”

Former student Tanya M. Odom said, “He was so proud of our accomplishments, where we went to school, and what we did with our lives. I felt like he was always really happy to share in our accomplishments, so I think it’s really special that the teachers that he worked with while I was there and afterwards are people who were around him until the very end. That speaks to the community that we had, and that touches me on a very deep level.”

Parent Coordinator Dafne Manhart, who first met Dr. Largmann in 1997, said, “Dr. Largmann has sent me a Christmas card every year, and every year, he would write regards to Thomas and Douglas [her sons and THHS alumni]. When I heard of his passing, it really touched my heart.”

On Dr. Largmann’s drive to get to know students, Ms. Walsh shared a story of a time when he had to rethink one of his plans: “In keeping with his vision of mingling with the students and getting to know them, he thought it would be a good idea for the faculty to eat lunch with the students in the student cafeteria.

Needless to say, that idea was short-lived. The students were not too thrilled, and neither were the teachers.”

Despite the plan not working, he found other ways to create communal bonds that made for unique and lasting educational experiences.

One way was through Dr. Largmann’s love of literature, which translated into his passion for a humanities education.

“Dr. Largmann always recognized the importance of the school library and supported it in every way he could,” said former librarian Valerie Billy.

“From experience, I can say that not every high school principal is such a strong advocate.

For example, each June, I compiled summer reading lists for every grade to be distributed on the last day of school in June.

Before the bibliographies were printed however, Dr. Largmann liked to see them. He always had questions, comments, additions or deletions. He cared. I was so grateful to have his input because I knew that in the end the reading lists would be the very best that they could be.”

The THHS Library now carries his name and the school’s motto, “Ad Astra per Aspera.”

He also always remembered his roots as a teacher.

Former English teacher Judy

Biener said that Dr. Largmann once came into her classroom, took the chalk, and started teaching the class.

When she asked him about this, he told her that he “simply missed teaching.”

In another instance where he was observing classes, former English teacher and Classic advisor Ilsa Cowen said that Dr. Largmann was keen to help read a passage of the Old English book Beowulf for her class.

She noted that, “A couple of times when he was observing one of my classes, he couldn’t resist taking over and seemed to be having a wonderful time.

He was glad to read a passage from Beowulf to my appreciative class. I learned so much from his example and suggestions.”

Former Athletic Director and Dean Wanda Nix described Dr. Largmann as a tough but fair boss who made her feel that her opinions mattered despite disagreements.

“The focus was always on the students and providing them with the best school experience, the best preparation for the next level and the tools to become good citizens.”

According to many, Dr. Largmann would ask students to name at least one thing they learned after the end of a school day. Before technological developments allowed for the mainstream use of online dictionaries, he would make sure that all students carried dictionaries.

Former English Teacher Debra Michlewitz described this as Dr. Largmann’s very own “educational Camelot” that he built through the excellence of students, staff, and teachers.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

SCHOOL NEWS

7

Citing budget crisis, DOE cuts funding for Queens College Bridge Program

Legislators meet at THHS about Bridge Program

By Lauren Jun '22, Cate Nguyen '22, Sophia Park '22, Jennifer Quisi '22, Ryan Eng '22 January 25, 2022

This may be intended to appear as a typical budget cut in an economic crisis, [but] the fact is that this is a program that the DOE has worked in the past to undercut.

This is a cynical and opportunistic attempt to undo a 36 year legacy, under the cover of crisis.

Brian Condon Principal

After the NYC DOE cut funding to the Bridge Program in 2020, THHS was still meeting to restore it in Winter 2022

The 2021 Editors of The Classic July 29, 2020

In an email to The Classic, Department of Education Deputy Press Spokesperson Nathaniel Styer confirmed that due to the budget crisis caused by coronavirus, the DOE will not be funding the Queens College Bridge Year Program for the 20202021 school year.

Mr. Styer wrote, “In the face of the severe budget crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we made the hard decision to prioritize core academics, resulting in hundreds of millions in budget cuts in the Adopted budget alone. This special allocation was unique to Townsend Harris, and, in the interest of equity, we sought to work with school leadership to find alternative means to continue funding this program within their budget if they choose to.”

Last year, the school received $671,000 to fund its partnership with Queens College.

This funding is separate from the core budget the school receives. Since the school will not be receiving the additional funding this year, the administration would have to redistribute the existing school funds from the school’s core budget if they choose to continue the Queens College partnership.

The DOE support staff would consult with the school on how to proceed in making such choices.

This indicates that the school would have to cut funding for other programs, find the money from another source, or work with Queens College to reduce the program’s cost.

On Monday night, Principal Brian Condon strongly objected to any fund reduction to this program, writing, “defunding this long standing partnership is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Mr. Condon will meet with the Senior Budget Director of Queens North later today to discuss the funding of the Bridge Program.

In a press conference held this morning, a reporter from WCBS 880 asked Mayor Bill de Blasio about the funding. The Mayor said he would check in on the situation, and said, “We want to do the best we can for our seniors, they’re going to go through a lot this year.”

In response to Mr. Condon’s email, the Townsend Harris Alumni Association (THAA) has released a statement encouraging alumni to reach out to political representatives and put pressure on the DOE to fund the program.

THHS students have also expanded their efforts by launching a petition in support of the program.

In the statement, the THAA expressed their opposition to the cutting of the program, writing that the alleged decision is “not appropriate for so many re-

asons.” Calling for an “all-handson-deck approach,” the THAA provided contact information for elected officials and emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging alumni to reach out to officials before the DOE makes any announcements, and many have already responded to the call to action.

In a letter to representatives, Class of 2019 alumna Shivani Persaud wrote, “The Bridge Year Program [is allowing] me to graduate in Fall 2021 with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, begin graduate school at the age of 20 due to my early graduation, [and] win scholarships to other colleges…due to the merit associated with the Bridge Year Program.”

Similarly, Class of 2016 alum Julian De La Rosa explained that the credits offered by the program transferred over to his current college, giving him some leeway when switching majors.

“This is [an] opportunity for the Townsend community (young and old) to band together to fight for change or against unjust actions done without the consideration of the student body,” Julian said.

“I think we were all expecting potential budget cuts in this situation but none of us expected it to be in such a direct way like eliminating the Bridge Year Program,” said Tina Chen, Class of 2020, who plans to contact elected officials.

“We’ve all benefited from the QC-THHS partnership in one way or another and it would be saddening to see the next few graduating classes not be able to experience it.”

On Tuesday evening, the Townsend Harris Student Union (SU) created a petition in order to organize support against the decision to cut the Bridge Year Program.

In the hours following its creation, the petition has garnered over 1,600 signatures, with many students and alumni taking to social media to promote it and encourage students outside of THHS to participate.

Teachers and parents have also joined the conversation.

Former UFT Chapter Leader and current Social Studies teacher Franco Scardino said that he agrees with Mr. Condon’s allegation that the DOE is exploiting the pandemic. Citing the controversy over principal hiring from 2017, he said, “for whatever reason(s), some officials at the DOE have historically targeted THHS.” Mr. Scardino, a member of the school’s reopening committee, also emphasized the importance of QC classes in the programming of the whole school.

PTA Co-President Bill Rettig shared his concerns that the loss of the program would negatively impact both current and incoming students, as resources wold need to be redirected to substitute missing QC classes.

Townsend Harris administrators, teachers, and senior Harrisites hosted a Legislative Breakfast to advocate for the continuation of the THHS-Queens College Bridge Year Program following its complete defunding by the Department of Education in 2020. At the event multiple guests, including Executive Superintendent Dr. Mauriciere de Govia, Queens North Superintendent Elaine Lindsey, Assemblyman David Weprin, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (an alumna), Queen District Attorney Melinda Katz, District 23 City Council Member Linda Lee, and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for funding the program’s future.

The event took place on the auditorium stage, where students held a mock seminar class.

Legislators sat in open seats to listen in to student discussions that modeled work that would take place in a typical humanities class.

Afterwards, Principal Brian Condon, along with Assistant Principals Veronica York and Rafal Olechowski, spoke of the values of the program and invited speakers to reflect on their experiences.

Assemblywoman Rozic described how the program boosted her college and career aspirations, allowing her to finish her NYU degree in three rather than four years in part because of all the credits she gained from taking courses at Queens College.

Seminar teacher Ryan Dunbar, whose class held the mock seminar, spoke about the uniqueness of the Humanities course and its impact on current students.

Superintendent Lindsey, reflecting on her visit to Mr. Dunbar’s Humanities class on another day, said, “I don’t think anyone sitting here is going to walk away and say the program does not deserve to continue. And I’m here to support Principal Condon, and all of the students, all of the administrators."

“My support is only stronger after sitting here today,” said Assemblyman Braunstein.

Spring 2022

8

FEATURED TOPIC: RACISM Following reports of a rise in violence against Asian-American community, Harrisites share concerns

By Victoria Oei '21 March 3, 2021

PHOTO BY NIKKI NG ‘21

This past month, reports of a spike in violence against the Asian-American community have flooded social media and appeared in major news outlets. In recent weeks, many Harrisites have taken to their social media platforms to share their concern about these events.

Senior Elaine Tsui described the attacks as “scary.”

Senior Alvin Zou said, “Seeing all the news and posts on social media about the spike in hate crimes has been distressing especially with seeing or reading descriptions of the different attacks that have occurred and the thought of thinking it could very well happen to someone I know from my community.”

Freshman Sharon Lee shared her thoughts as well.

“I hate seeing this spike, and it both angers and worries me,” she said. “I’m upset that there’s so much hate in this world and innocent people are being targeted, and I’m worried that this will continue into the future.”

Although coverage of these events has risen recently, students shared that

the Asian-American community has faced racism in many instances prior.

Freshman Olivia Wong said she believes “Asian hate crimes have been prevalent…but people were too shy and afraid to voice their opinions.”

While a wide range of violent acts has been reported, some events stood out to students. Alvin referenced the news of an Asian woman being shoved to the ground by a man in Flushing last Tuesday.

The event garnered significant attention as students reposted an Instagram post urging the community to help find the offender.

“When I first saw the video [I was] shocked…We live close to Flushing and Townsend is in Flushing so the proximity of the hate crime was definitely frightening to think about,” Alvin said.

The assaulter was arrested two days later, but was released “under supervision.”

Some Asian-American students have had personal experiences with racism.

Senior Ina Mui shared that a few months ago, her mother was asked if she was Chinese and then told, “Go back to your country.”

Ina said, “I remember when she came home and told us what happened, I was so baffled that I laughed.

"I refused to believe that something that I had only heard from ignorant schoolchildren when I was younger was still being unironically said in 2020, by a grown man, in Queens, New York of all places.”

Many students have expressed their concerns about these events by reposting informational content on their social media platforms.

Olivia said she “repost[s] information on Instagram to help spread awareness.” Sharon, who also said she reposts resources, explained that she uses Instagram to stay informed.

“I follow Nextshark on Instagram to keep up with the news and what is going on in the Asian American community.”

Although there have been a considerable amount of resources made available on social media, some students shared that these attacks have not received enough sustained coverage in larger news outlets.

Sophomore Leanna Jiang said, “I wish the prominent media channels [were] more eager and involved

Seeing all the news and posts on social media about the spike in hate crimes has been distressing especially with seeing or reading descriptions of the different attacks that have occurred and the thought of thinking it could very well happen to someone I know from my community.

Alvin Zou

Class of 2021

with reporting the recent spike in hate crimes against AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) because currently, the majority of the support comes from within the AAPI community (i.e. celebrities, politicians, organization leaders, etc.).”

Ina shared a similar sentiment and said, “I’m glad that the media is covering these stories, but I feel like more could be done.”

Fundraising efforts in support of Black Lives Matter

By Kelly Jiang '21 and Jessie Ye '21 June 10, 2020

Outraged by the killing of George Floyd, supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement across the nation are challenging police brutality and the systemic racism entrenched in society through protests, petitions, donations, and demands for reform. Several students at Townsend Harris are also partaking in the movement by raising money in support of Black Lives Matter.

Sophomore Aimee Wadolowski is creating custom art pieces to encourage her peers to donate to BLM organizations.

“We have 4 unique artists participating, each with their own style and mediums used. If a piece costs $5, you donate $5 to an organization of your choice that connects to Black Lives Matter,” she said. In addition to donating

The Classic

money, Aimee gives the option of streaming YouTube videos whose ad revenue goes toward BLM for those who do not have the means to donate.

Junior Jasmine Chang, who is providing a similar service, emphasizes that donations are essential because “they allow funds, organizations or individual activists to continue their fight towards dismantling systemic racism.” She added, “I am simply offering the added incentive beyond the most important motivators for donations: funding bail money for protesters, purchasing equipment, and investing in underdeveloped communities.”

To appeal to the juniors, a group of seniors has started a college counseling service for those who donate to BLM organizations. Seniors Togay Atmaca, Cathy Choo, Annie Lin, Jonathan Tran, and Shane Werther are participating in a nationwide effort, providing services such as

essay editing for students who show proof of donation. “As a first-generation college student, I often felt alone and clueless throughout the application process, so I often looked to alumni for advice,” Annie said. “I hope that through this service, students can feel more secure and confident in their college application. I want to help students prepare for the next step while encouraging them to be aware of the real-world events going on.”

Others have taken to social media to gather donations.

Class of 2019 Alumna Lucy Yang created a donation board on Instagram, with different donation slots ranging from two to ten dollars to encourage donations that her followers can claim. “The goal was always to make donating more accessible and more Instagram-friendly,” Lucy said. “Typing in someone’s Venmo tag and donat-

ing money in less than a minute is much easier than getting out your card and typing in your card information for each organization you want to donate to…

If I used this popular format of raising funds, more of my friends would be a bit more encouraged to donate.”

Lucy believes that as much as protests are vital to the movement, donations supporting organizations such as Black Visions Collective, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the National Bail Fund Network are more effective towards the long term goal “in targeting the real disparities experienced

by Black communities daily.”

Juniors Xandria Crossland and The Classic Layout Editor Alexa Jude Tumulak have also taken initiative, creating a “master document” that links resources and petitions to inform and educate their peers on the different ways they can support the movement.

“On Instagram, there were 26 million posts for #blackouttuesday with posts of a black square, but only 12 million signatures on the Justice for George Floyd petition. If those exact people had signed or spread around petitions, it would’ve helped so much. I couldn’t just spread awareness, it was time to actually do something about it,” Alexa said.

Alexa and Xandria have also included YouTube video links to stream. “By watching the ads that come up in their entirety, the owner of the video [can] collect ad revenue and then donate it,” Xandria explained. “I think that this is a great alternative.”

“As teenagers, we have to start dismantling the covert racism we see or experience in our day to day lives. We have to speak out on these injustices and find other ways to help rather than just do something performative,” Alexa concluded.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

FEATURED TOPIC: RACISM

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OPINION: Now is not the time to counter-argue the grief of Black students At the most charitable, those who feel the need to June 5, 2020 qualify in this way are just socially inept. Worse than The death of George the possibility of being soFloyd and the events that cially inept is the sense followed have utterly shat- that deep down that “but” tered the world and the is coming from a place of Townsend Harris com- bigotry. munity is not exempt. This Recognize that when time has been trying for people are hurting and Black students as they they say they are hurting, it are struggling to voice is not the time to counterthe pain, frustration, and argue grief. Respect peoanger they feel. I am both ple at this time. Listen to tired and amazed by how understand. Realize that non-Black students have listening is an honor. Symhandled this situation. pathize with them. This is I commend those who essential in fixing the state stand in solidarity with of our nation right now. their peers and those who The protests are not have used their platform just for George Floyd; to call for action. How- they’re for every single ever, it is in times like this Black person who has to that many have forgotten live in the reality that this is that this is a traumatic re- our life. The protests are al-life experience and not for every single Black pera Socratic seminar meant son who has died at the for the classroom. hand of a merciless I have ensystem and have gaged with not achieved "The fact that you feel so over 15 justice for strongly the need to edustudents it. The procate me on how my despair in the past tests are lacks enough nuance for week on for me, my you is not your privilege social memother, showing—it’s worse." dia. Eight my father, conversamy sisters, tions featured and every other this phrase or simBlack person out ilar phrasing: “What hap- there that this could happened to George Floyd is pen to. It is traumatizing horrendous but…”. When that I could be walking on people use the word ‘but’ the street right now and in a conversation about my life could be abruptly our trauma it is more than ended by simply existing. triggering.

It’s the fact that I could be Why does it seem trying as hard as I possiso easy to find the word bly can to “leave my city… ‘but’ to diminish the hor- greater than I found it” and ror of unjustified murder of someone decides to end Black people? Why does my life based solely on the what comes after the “but” melanin in my skin. seem far more important George Floyd’s murthan the first part of that der was videotaped and specific sentence? Why made public. Yet it took is it so easy for someone four days to arrest his to write a five-paragraph murderer and days more essay to educate me on to elevate the charges the part that comes af- against him to secondter the ‘but’ more than the degree murder. This repart that comes before it? ality and many other realiWhen speaking to some- ties leave the Black comone who is mourning, munity in a sense of desaying “I understand your spair. It’s as if these murpain, but” is in no way ap- ders will keep happening propriate to address the with no sense of escape. situation at hand.

It is not right to casuThe fact that you feel so ally debate with me or strongly the need to ed- my Black peers when ucate me on how my de- we have repeatedly exspair lacks enough nu- plained, and common ance for you is not your decency should show privilege showing—it’s you, we are in a state of worse. despair.

By Ifeoluwa Adedokun '21

The image shared on social media alongside numerous posts alleging bigotry

IMAGE COURTESY OF NOTMYTOWNSEND

Students share stories of bigotry on social media

By Nikki Ng ‘21 and Victoria Oei ‘21 April 24, 2020

This week, Townsend Harris ranked first in New York and fifth nationally in the US News & World Report 2020 Best High Schools Rankings. While many faculty members and students were celebrating this achievement, some took to social media to share experiences of racism and discrimination at THHS that they felt the rankings hid. One alumna’s Instagram page began cataloguing student-to-student and teacher-to-student incidents in response to an open question she shared publicly. The Classic can report that Principal Brian Condon has reported the allegations that have surfaced on Instagram to the Department of Education.

Mr. Condon said, “Bigotry in all forms is antithetical to our value system and we’re going to continue to work to root it out wherever it appears in our school community.” He and the administration are reviewing the claims.

He said, “The DOE has a process and system into which we report these claims. There is a protocol in terms of how we go about investigating them. So I will do what I have always done, which is follow the Department of Education and its requirements around reporting, investigating, and addressing concerns that are substantiated. …We’ve already reported this and we’re waiting for the next steps.”

Class of 2018 alumna Jayden Fuller started the Instagram forum for any alumni and current students who have encountered instances of racial insensitivity and prejudice within the Townsend Harris community.

She has shared posts since Tues-

day and hosted a live discussion with fellow Class of 2018 alumna Tamanna Saidi and Class of 2019 alumna Safiatu Diagana on Thursday night, which had, at times, over 200 viewers.

“This is something that has been rampant within the Townsend Harris community,” Jayden said during her livestream.

“Students and faculty have been complacent in creating a hostile environment for Black, Latinx, LGBT+ people, and other marginalized groups. While the breadth of bigotry is huge, we are focusing on the rampant racism that Townsend actively fosters in this community… Please continue sharing your stories, experiences, and anything else that you have to offer.” Jayden and Tamanna declined to comment further to The Classic.Safiatu felt inspired to talk after recent reports of racist videos shared on TikTok and social media.

“Unfortunately, these racist videos reminded me about the unspoken culture of Townsend Harris and how various students would make comments like these or even [worse] ones, so I decided to shed some light on it,” she said.

She is calling on the THHS community to present concrete solutions “rather than providing one ‘safe’ space to speak.” She proposes better mental health resources for students and mandated diversity training for the faculty “to understand the power they hold over students of color and how their actions, harmful or not, can impact them.”

Many students have responded by reposting the experiences shared on Jayden’s platform on their own social media using the hashtag #NotMyTownsend.

Earlier today, Mr. Condon sent out a letter to the Townsend Harris com-

munity in response to the postings.

He proposed a four-step process that the community will be taking in order to improve the situation.

The process involves creating a safe forum for students and alumni to share their stories, and engaging the school community to set goals and create an “action plan” to meet those goals.

After this proposal, he wrote: “We are committed to creating a space for courageous conversations to take place. We will continue promoting respect for the multiple perspectives we each bring to our community. I also want to make it very clear to each member of our community that harassment will not be tolerated.”

UFT chapter leader Franco Scardino has not seen the comments, but has seen Mr. Condon’s letter and said, “This is a very disturbing incident no matter how one looks at it. Bigotry, racism, and bullying have no place in our school and in society in general. We are each responsible to speak up. People who have been victimized must have their voices heard and the incidents investigated.” Mr. Scardino has faith that the DOE will investigate these matters.

“The DOE protocols to report and investigate are pretty clear….

Mr. Condon has already sent out a letter to the school community, and I am sure the Office of Special Investigation will be in touch with the former and current students who have spoken up and with the teachers named.” We reached out to the NYC Department of Education for comment on the investigative process. The DOE did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Mr. Condon encouraged students with other experiences to share to reach out to his administration.

Spring 2022

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FEATURED TOPIC: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Townsend sits in Micah Sandy '22 November 24, 2021

Earlier today, three Townsend Harris seniors executed an organized sit-in protest in the lobby following coverage on former English teacher Joseph Canzoneri’s reinstatement at the school despite sexual misconduct allegations made against him until he was removed last week.

Organizers Isabella Sicilian, Alyssa Figueroa, and Audrey Chou (a Classic Photography Editor), began raising awareness of the sit-in on social media during eighth band on Monday. From there, the seniors released a schedule, posted a petition, and drafted a list of demands This list, signed by students with leadership positions across clubs and sports teams, consisted of five demands addressed to administration, deans, guidance counselors, alumni association, New York City Department of Education (DOE), and other constituents.

In essence, the demands called for transparency regarding credible sexual misconduct accusations that are made against teachers within the school, the banning of the ac-

The Classic

cused from entering the building and interacting with students, training for students, transparency for past failures, and the revision of DOE sexual misconduct policies.

“What happened here was atrocious,” Isabella said. “The reason we’re here is not because we think it’s helpless.

We want better for our school and for our children, so we really hope this [protest] goes well.”

Alyssa said, “I know students want to talk about it, but they can’t because we have to focus on school. This is just sequestering time for conversation to happen. We want to see change.

We want policies to change.

We want transparency.” She cited the inability to dedicate thorough conversations about the issue due to classes.

Students funneled in and out during transition periods between bands, with some staying in the lobby and its surrounding areas for the entirety of the protest.

Audrey said, “The fact that people were able to sit in the lobby for over six hours and speak to a crowded floor of people speaks volumes about what we’re capable of.”

The protest consisted of chants, speeches, marching

in the hallways, and open-mic opportunities for students who wished to share their thoughts about the situation in addition to any personal experiences with sexual harassment.

One of many students who took advantage of the open-mic opportunity was junior Axyl Fredrick. Prior to speaking, he said, “I feel really disgusted by this situation. It is beyond unacceptable for any of this to go on…The UFT has failed us.”

Senior Nadia Santo said, “I think it’s great that practically the whole school is rallying for this cause…I think it’s really brave for these people to have spoken up so far.”

In reference to the report by The Post saying that Mr. Canzoneri’s charges were dismissed because the accuser did not testify, sophomore Anusha Ramjanam said, “I feel like it’s invalid to say that the girl did not speak up enough because it’s really hard for some people to share their stories, especially for a girl in our society. To come up and speak up about these things is really challenging. Many young girls are judged or people don’t believe them.”

Freshman Hudson Wang said, “When we were young, we were taught that school was a safe

place for everyone, but this really shows that the system is broken and it’s not really safe for everyone. We have to make this change to make it safe for everyone in this community.”

Around the beginning of the sit-in, Principal Brian Condon informed students in attendance that their option to participate would not hinder them in terms of any tests, projects, or quizzes they may have had planned for the day, nor would they be marked as cutting.

Instead, students who had an assessment were to be given the opportunity to make up any assessments and be put down as absent for missed classes.

Junior Sophia Sookram said, “I know Mr. Condon said that you’re excused from all classes, but I think that whether he said that or not, people should still stay because it’s an important issue and it’s really wrong for students and parents to not have any information.”

“I think that the kids have a right to express their thoughts and I think they’re legitimate. This is what civics is about. I do think the law needs to be changed at the state level and if this leads to that, then good,” Mr. Condon said.

Each assistant principal at-

PHOTO: JASMINE PALMA ‘22

tended the sit-in at some point.

Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee said, “I support the student protest when the students are expressing their frustration with the system that puts teachers back into schools after questionable misconduct.”

Assistant Principal of Guidance Veronica York said, “I think you all are amazing and that the way you’re using your voice to really push for change, as a society and a system, we need to do better to protect our students.”

Several teachers witnessed the sit-in as well.

“I’m proud of all the students that are here today. It’s great that they are able to express their feelings on this, and they have every right to be here,” History teacher Francis McCaughey said.

“It’s a really difficult situation for everyone. As an adult, I’ve had a tough time processing it, not knowing anything about it and learning about it over the weekend. I imagine it’s that much more challenging for a young person to be going through this.”

At the time of publishing, the petition had accumulated around 1300 signatures.

“Today truly encapsulated what community looks like,” Audrey said.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

FEATURED TOPIC: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

11

Students report being in Canzoneri’s presence multiple times, despite DOE claims he was kept away them

Editorial: It is time for the DOE to free all student newspapers from the threat of

Ryan Eng '22, Julia Maciejak ‘22, and Jasmine Palma ‘22

Izegbuwa Adun '22, Kate Estevez '23, Janna Habibulla '23, Elliot Heath '23, Victoria Siebor '22

November 22, 2021

December 6, 2021

Isabella Sicilian, a senior at Townsend Harris, told The Classic she has had trouble processing the news that broke in The New York Post this weekend about former English teacher Joseph Canzoneri, who had been removed from Townsend Harris High School in 2018 over sexual misconduct allegations and had been reinstated at THHS this fall.

On Saturday, NYC Department of Education (DOE) spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon told The New York Post and The City that “[Mr. Canzoneri] was not permitted to set foot in a classroom once these deeply disturbing allegations came to light, and is not working with any students or in any classrooms.” Isabella, however, has been in his presence multiple times this fall; in fact, numerous students have at various times when visiting office 544, which houses teachers from various departments and is where Mr. Canzoneri set up a desk for himself.

“I just feel so disgusted,” said Isabella. She said she felt disgusted at the school for putting her in “a dangerous situation,” disgusted that Mr. Canzoneri still had a job, and disgusted that she felt like she’d been given a false sense of security when she entered the office.

Other students reported interacting with Mr. Canzoneri in room 544 throughout the past two months. One senior, who requested to remain anonymous due to the tense climate currently in the school, frequented the office to speak with one of their teachers. They told The Classic that they felt unsettled and concerned that Mr. Canzoneri had been there during their visits. They said they questioned the security they had previously felt while being in the office. Mr. Canzoneri was a constant presence in the room, they said.

One student directly worked with Mr. Canzoneri.

Senior Joel Ibabao worked with Mr. Canzoneri on his college essay, on the advice of another teacher, who was present in the room during their conference. Mr. Canzoneri read his essay, spoke with Joel, and provided feedback.

“I question deeply why he was allowed into the building in the first place and I’m a little alarmed,” Joel said.

Though the DOE statement to The Post said Mr. Canzoneri

Image of the Founders’ Day Assignments List

“was not permitted to step foot in a classroom,” according to two sources with direct knowledge of the communications, the DOE directed Principal Brian Condon to put Mr. Canzoneri in classrooms with students but Mr. Condon refused to do so.

In a statement to The Classic, Mr. Condon said, “Simply put this is an unacceptable situation, and I have been advocating and taking actions since September to remediate and mitigate this series of dangerous decisions and maladaptive policies.”

The DOE said to The Classic that because of state law and labor agreements, they were compelled to return Mr. Canzoneri to his former position at THHS after attempting unsuccessfully to terminate his employment.

According to the DOE, state education law requires tenured teachers to receive a hearing and when Canzoneri’s hearing officer dismissed all charges against him, the DOE was ordered to reinstate him at THHS. The Post reports the charges were dismissed because “none of the students agreed to testify.”

Despite these requirements, the DOE removed Mr. Canzoneri last week and tonight DOE spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon told The Classic that Mr. Canzoneri “​​will never be permitted back in Townsend Harris again.”

Mr. Canzoneri did not return a request for comment from The Classic.

Though they never assigned Mr. Canzoneri any classes to teach, the school administration did, on at least one occasion, put him in charge of a group of students. According to a Founder’s Day Assignments document obtained by The Classic, Mr. Canzoneri, along with another teacher, was given a senior homeroom class to oversee in the auditorium on November 12.

The entire senior grade, along with multiple faculty members, was present and the event lasted three hours.

Mr. Canzoneri was assigned to senior homeroom 124 in the auditorium.

On a separate occasion, one of the writers of this piece (Ryan) was in Room 544 and observed Mr. Canzoneri volunteer to briefly substitute in a freshman class while the teacher left the classroom to get a COVID-19 test downstairs. Ryan walked down the stairs with the teacher who went to get the COVID-19 test.

He did not see Mr. Canzoneri enter the classroom; however freshman Sebastian Morales, who is in the class, said that Mr. Canzoneri was present in the classroom on that date.

Two other students also confirmed this when shown a picture of Mr. Canzoneri.

When asked to comment, the teacher of the class said The Classic was “misinformed.”

The DOE said that it did not have any records of Canzoneri being assigned a class but will look into it.

The Post reporter broke the story on Saturday after obtaining a report on sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. Canzoneri from The Special Commissioner of Investigation For The New York City School District, which was sent to then-Chancellor Richard Carranza on May 31, 2019.

This was the same report that a person claiming to be an anonymous parent sent The Classic on November 7 (the parent received the document by filing a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request. The Classic subsequently authenticated that document by sending inquiries to SCI and then filing a FOIL request for its own copy of the report.

In that May 31 report to the chancellor, the SCI investigators concluded that Mr. Canzoneri “demonstrated a consistent and troubling pattern of inappropriate behavior.” As part of the behaviors described, the report said that Mr. Canzoneri “engaged in a sexual relationship…with a female THHS student.”

The office recommended for him to be fired and prevented from securing any future employment from the “DOE, its vendors, or in any of its facilities.”

Two weeks ago, The Classic’s editors-in-chief were credited on the front page of The New York Post for helping remove a teacher at Townsend Harris High School who a city investigative agency concluded “threatens the wellbeing” of students.

In other schools, principals can stop student journalists from taking on such stories.

However, that does not happen at THHS, which has a Free Press charter ensuring that the school administration will place “no subject off limits” and will not read and pre-approve articles before publication.

It is essential for every New York City high school newspaper to be protected by a similar charter that guarantees a free student press. By prohibiting censorship, the DOE can ensure student newspapers have the right to expose serious issues and ensure safer school environments for current students and future generations.

Many other student journalists in NYC schools unfortunately still work under the threat of censorship.

In 2018, Batoul Saleh, a student at The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria, documented her plight to publish articles freely within her school. She was told that all editorial decisions had to be approved by their newspaper club advisor or principal to reflect the school’s interests. In a City Limits article, Batoul wrote, “My classmates and I did not join a PR club, we joined a newspaper.”

A 1988 Supreme Court decision created a highly subjective standard for responding to student expression that school administrations have used to censor student journalists, and though 14 states have passed legislation to clarify that standard and protect students’ First Amendment rights, New York is not yet one of them.

For the past three years, The Classic has supported efforts to pass state legislation to ensure that all New York students have the same press freedoms that we do at Townsend Harris.

We support Teens for Press Freedom, the Student Press Law Center, New Voices in New York, and other student journalists who have been tirelessly advocating for New York’s

Student Journalist Free Speech Act. Nonetheless, we do not believe the DOE needs to wait for a change in state law to provide schools with the kind of charter that The Classic has.

A charter does not grant students total freedom to publish whatever, whenever. Consider the process that The Classic employed when it learned that a teacher had been returned to teach at the school after having allegations of sexual misconduct against him “substantiated” by an investigative agency.

On November 7, The Classic received an anonymous email containing an investigative report on the teacher. Rather than publishing a piece straight away, the editors-in-chief decided to spend two days deliberating and consulting with their advisor, who helped put them in touch with experts and legal professionals. The advice from the professionals was clear: before you publish, make sure the report is authentic since it came from an anonymous source. Ryan Eng, Julia Maciejak, and Jasmine Palma then began sending out questions to do just that.

The charter ensures that students cannot be forbidden from pursuing a subject; it does not mean they are on their own. We receive guidance and mentorship from an advisor, regularly seek advice from professionals, and follow the SPJ Code of Ethics as well as The Classic’s own set of Standards and Practices. Other students deserve the right to the same process. In a world where students take to social media to publish rumors and gossip, having a school newspaper program that teaches the importance of verifying facts and taking careful steps before publication is essential.

It’s even more important when you consider the issue of safety.

The DOE cannot guarantee that it has removed all educators with credible allegations of misconduct against them from being in contact with students across the city. We’d like to believe that what happened at THHS was an isolated incident, but we know from previous cases at our school that it is not. Students shouldn’t have to protect themselves by making use of a free and open press, but what’s clear from our school’s history, along with what’s occurring in other schools such as Babylon High School, is that we do have to protect ourselves.

Spring 2022

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FEATURED TOPIC: SING & FON

Freshiors take SING

By Lauren Jun ‘22 and Ramisha Parvez ‘22 December 16, 2021

S!NG returned to Townsend Harris High School with four shows on November 19 and November 20, with the Freshiors being announced the winners of the 2022 S!NG competition. The entirely student-written and directed productions by the Freshior and Semore teams were highly anticipated as one of the first in-person performances since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Friday and Saturday evening performances were broadcast on YouTube by The Classic.

After last year’s virtual showcase, S!NG veterans and newcomers alike were excited to get back to performing on the real THHS stage. Despite COVID-19 regulations such as vaccine mandates placing participation restrictions on students, both teams managed to successfully put on their productions.

Centered around this year’s theme of Apocalypse, both team’s productions highlighted concepts such as resilience, family, and friendship. The Freshiors produced “Deserted” and the Semores produced “Life Could Be A Dream.”

The two teams took distinctive paths when creating their show.

Freshior overall director (and editor) Elliot Heath said, “Our team interpreted the theme in a largely dark and dramatic way. The apocalypse immediately appealed to us as a unique S!NG prompt, so we did not want to waste its potential. You can see several of the effects of our interpretation in our show, including the ominous backdrop, the dark costumes that many of the performers wear, the punk and sinister song choices, and the overall narrative themes that were considerably more solemn this year than in past years.”

Semore overall director Lynda Iri-

The Classic

zarry said, “Our show was essentially a dream-pocalypse where everyone’s dreams suddenly come to life and the main characters are trying to figure out how to stop it. We really wanted to make a show that highlighted how family can be found and they can help you even in the darkest of times. We also wanted to avoid any topics too triggering and current because that is something that I know a lot of people and I, myself, struggle with.”

The Freshiors’ performance focused on two siblings and an android searching to uncover their scientist father’s secrets amid the aftermath of a nuclear fallout. They opened up their show with an explosive performance to Olivia Rodrigo’s “brutal,” later followed by a dance number to “One Way or Another” by Blondie.

Many laughs were shared among the audience from strong comedic timing by Freshior actors.

The Semores put a creative twist on their apocalypse, in which dreams manifest into reality, and protagonist Milo and company must navigate the chaos to survive through the chaos.

Semores set one dance to “Gloria Regali” by Tommee Profitt, and did a dance battle to a mashup of “Do you?” by Troyboi, “Start a Riot” by duckwrth, and “COPYCAT” by Billie Eilish. Captivating vocals to songs like “Six Feet Under” by Billie Eilish and “Dream” by Pied Pipers were used to reflect the apocalyptic setting.

The Saturday evening show was judged by a panel of 15 alumni from the Class of 2018 and years prior, based on seven categories: Art, Vocal, Instrumental, Dance, Acting, Writing, and Backstage. Although both the Freshiors and the Semores have a Costume & Makeup department, Costume & Makeup was not recognized separately in the rubric. Interestingly, both teams introduced an additional department this

year: Stunt for the Semores and Social Media & Communications for the Freshiors.

As tradition follows, the winners of this year’s S!NG were announced at the end of the Saturday evening performance. The Freshiors narrowly won by a score of 917-915 points, edging the Semores in the individual categories of Writing, Acting, and Backstage. The Semores won their respective categories of Vocal, Dance, Instrumental, and Art. For many S!NG participants, the announcement of department winners came as a shock since only the overall winner was announced in years past.

Senior Nissabelle Rianom said, “When I heard the announcements of department winners, I was extremely shocked and honestly really nervous about it. I knew that people would feel disappointed in themselves for losing their departments and I did not want that to ruin the overall energy.”

Similar reactions by both Freshiors and Semores were felt across the auditorium. Freshior Social Media & Communications director Benjamin Babayev said, “I was surprised they announced it by category as this isn’t a S!NG norm and I was worried that it could have made department directors feel they didn’t do enough and that they contributed to their department’s win/loss. ” In response to the victory, Elliot said, “To be completely honest, I was surprised that we won. I was so astonished by the spectacular production that the Semores put on that it diluted my confidence in our victory.

Our victory is nothing without them as well as our outstanding team of directors and participants. However, I don’t think whoever wins S!NG should matter all that much, since both teams performed great shows and hopefully garnered rewarding experiences along the way.”

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

FEATURED TOPIC: SING & FON

13

FON back on stage

By Kelly Gildea ‘24, Diana Piergrossi ‘24, Gabriella Renzi ‘24, and Lauren Xiao ‘24 March 1, 2022

The music blasts in the auditorium, echoing throughout. The costumes whirl as dancers spin in perfect sync on the stage. The world seems to narrow until nothing remains but a colorful display of culture, tradition, and friendship. The audience cheers and applauds as the performers finally present their work that they spent countless hours toward planning, choreographing, and practicing over the past few months.

These are just some of the long awaited traditions returning in Townsend Harris’ Festival of Nations on March 4 and 5, its first live performances in two years. The 2022 production has generated both excitement and new experiences for FON leaders and members under the challenges of the pandemic.

The annual Festival of Nations, also known as FON, is an annual event that celebrates diversity, culture, and community. Each year, FON leaders are tasked with choreographing dances, coordinating costumes, and organizing performances that are fully expressive of the unique beauty of their respective cultures.

Last year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, FON could not be held in person. Instead, a slideshow was created that reminisced upon past performances and discussed the different ethnicities typically represented by FON groups.

Several FON leaders have expressed their excitement for this year’s in-person experience. Junior Tijon Dembo, an African American FON leader, said, “FON… is one of those traditions we look forward to at Townsend Harris. It’s a great way to make new friends and explore different cultures and just have a place to be after school.”

Many performers are also grateful

that this year’s FON will finally take place in-person.“I’m super excited to be back this year,” Emilia Jankowicz, a junior and a member of Polish FON, said.

“Before FON started, I thought that the process and practices would be very different from how [they were] pre-pandemic, but Ms. Fee and FON leaders and the THHS community in general have been making sure that an amazing performance gets put together while still maintaining COVID safety procedures.”

However, some leaders said that the year off led to the emergence of new challenges, making it difficult for organizers to gain traction and recruit members.

“After COVID and coming back, I think another challenge is trying to get the freshmen and the sophomores… to come join,” said Caribbean FON leader and senior Angelina Kretz “For freshmen, it’s their first year and it’s in person after being in a pandemic, [so] I think [it’s] harder for them to connect with all the extracurriculars that we have, especially with FON.” On the other hand, numerous Harrisites who are new to this tradition are excited and hold appreciation for this cultural celebration.

Freshman Nicole Wikiera, a member of African American FON, said, “I love the atmosphere and the acceptance even if you’re not a good dancer.”

Sophomore Shranaya Kumar, a member of Bollywood FON, said, “I’ve always loved Indian dance, so finally being able to be a part of [FON] and learn the different techniques is like a dream.”

In addition, new FON groups have been introduced this year, such as Chinese water sleeves FON, part of the Chinese Silk FON performance.

Like many other groups, it has held multiple fundraisers to overcome financial difficulties and fund a performance that accurately demonstrates

its culture.

Junior Sean Zhou, a Chinese water sleeve FON leader, said that although fundraising has become less profitable due to factors such as the administration’s introduction of pandemic-induced safety measures and other expenses, “COVID hasn’t discouraged people from buying.”

Executing FON in person and in a post-pandemic environment has proved difficult in other ways as well.

During Omicron’s peak in late December, leaders were faced with keeping their members safe while simultaneously holding productive auditions and practices.

Senior Gabriela Quizhpi, a Hispanic Modern and Traditional FON leader, said, “Our traditional FON is very partner oriented… We were told to hold off on partner practices when Omicron was beginning to surge, but as it was a big part of our FON, we fell a bit behind.”

Given the dwindling state of the pandemic, many students are confident that COVID-19 will not further impact FON performances in significant ways.

“When Omicron started hitting…

I got worried because I was scared they would cancel [FON], but things got better and I’m glad it looks like we’re going to be able to perform,” said junior Camila Zarama, a member of the Traditional and Modern Hispanic FONs. Additionally, many Harrisites are excited to watch the first FON show in two years. Math teacher Abid Choudhury said, “FON is… one of my favorite things about this school. I definitely will be [at the performance].”

Sophomore Kaia Lain said, “People always hype [FON] up and they talk about how it’s a Townsend Harris experience, so I’m really excited to go see what it’s all about in person for the first time. I’m also excited to see my friends in it and hype them up in the audience. ” Spring 2022

14

FEATURED TOPIC: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT (CONTINUED)

Editorial: We need yearly training

By Nikki Ng ‘21, Victoria Oei ‘21, and Samantha Sestak ‘21 May 19, 2021

Last May, The Classic reported that five Townsend Harris alumni made allegations of sexual misconduct about two THHS teachers between 2016 and 2017.

This piece won an award at a high school journalism conference the following January.

“The reporters point to some clear areas for potential policy change,” awards judge and education reporter for the New York Daily News Michael Elsen-Rooney commented. He concluded that the information reported in the article about developing better procedures in response to sexual misconduct “could result in real change.”

Three weeks ago, an alumna from the Class of 2013 reached out to The Classic after reading that same article.

The article inspired her to come forward and share her story about her experiences with a third former teacher at THHS. “I was groomed by a predator at the school for over two years,” she wrote. “I had to undergo around six years of therapy to come to terms with it and move on in life. I haven’t yet felt like I’ve fully recovered from that nightmare.”

The teacher accused by this alumna—the sixth former student to speak with The Classic and allege faculty misconduct—does not currently work at the school. The Classic cannot confirm that these accusations are connected to why the teacher no longer works at the school.

When we spoke to the alumna and heard her story, she said she was passionate about protecting future students. She, like Elsen-Rooney, saw last year’s article as a path towards real change and an opportunity for the school to better implement policies and programs to keep students safe.

While the six alumni who spoke to The Classic had different stories, it is clear that what they experienced has impacted them into today, and THHS can do more to prevent this from happening again.

We believe it is important to honor their courage in coming forward by very clearly saying: Townsend Harris needs to implement a yearly training program that focuses on preventing teacher-to-student sexual misconduct.

The Classic

How it started: The Classic publishes on misconduct following #NotMyTownsend revelations replaced mid-year.

“The situation would’ve been handled more professionally and May 26, 2020 it would’ve appeared to be more under control had we been notiLast month, an alumna shafied,” she said. red student and alumni stories Seven students said their paon Instagram that alleged mulrents were only aware that their tiple instances of discriminatiteacher had been replaced beon and misconduct in Townsend cause of what they had told them.

Harris. On April 24, three days Senior Kelsey Zhen said that after the social media posts beher parents were never informed gan, Principal Brian by the school of the chanCondon responded ges that occurred in the to concerns related classroom. to racism and discri“The only information mination at THHS in they got was what I woa letter to the school, uld relay back to them,” pledging to “root out she said. bigotry, root and branIn his Monday email to ch.” However, ten stoThe Classic, Mr. Condon ries shared on the Insaid that the DOE dostagram page alleged es not have a set policy teacher-to-student on notifications for stusexual misconduct. dents, parents, and staMr. Condon did not ff about the removal of an address these allegaemployee for sexual mistions in his letter. conduct.

In an email to The In some circumstanClassic on Monday, ces, he said, principals Mr. Condon said emcan communicate diART: AMANDA RENZI ployees’ entitlement rectly to a school commuto confidentiality limi- Artwork by Amanda Renzi ‘20 nity, such as if a teacher is ted the discussion of arrested and the arrest is these allegations in reported on by the media. his April 24 letter. “All we would the DOE’s policy to “respect the volved, and taking all necessary “These decisions are made on a have been able to say was that privacy of all parties.” Regarding follow up action, including dis- case by case basis,” he said. allegations were made, that the the allegations made during his ti- ciplinary measures and sociThe Classic spoke to two exallegations were reported to the me as principal, Mr. Condon said, al-emotional support.” perts with experience in responappropriate investigative body, “It is my understanding that the The Classic interviewed sixte- ding to sexual misconduct in scand that’s all we know at the mo- investigation is still pending.” en students who were in the clas- hools, Virginia Commonwealth ment,” he said.

According to the five alumni, ses of a teacher who was repor- University professor Charol ShaOne of the criticisms levied the administration immediately ted on during Mr. Condon’s time, keshaft and psychologist Ricky against the THHS administration took action in investigating the each of whom said that they co- Greenwald. These experts said on the Instagram page was that students’ allegations and gathe- uld not recall clear follow up ac- that while privacy rules, teacher the school’s leadership sweeps red written statements of their ac- tion or communication from the contracts, and state law might negative issues “under the rug.” counts.

THHS administration, either by prevent schools from sharing inBecause Mr. Condon responded Three alumni said that they felt the guidance office offering ex- formation about specific cases, to some but not all allegations in comfortable reporting their clai- plicit resources for coping with school administrations should his April 24 letter, The Classic ms to guidance counselor Ron- the unexpected shift in teachers follow up with clearly communidecided to investigate some of dell McClary and Assistant Prin- or the administration providing di- cated plans to prevent future inthe claims along with the admi- cipal of Humanities Rafal Olec- rect communication to parents of stances. nistration’s handling of those ac- howski. The two other alumni said these changes.

Dr. Shakeshaft, who researcusations. that they felt comfortable reporClass of 2019 alumna Julia ches sexual misconduct in scIn May, The Classic spoke to fi- ting their claims to Mr. Olechows- Grygorzcuk said she felt there hools and was called upon by ve alumni who confirmed they fi- ki and Assistant Principal of Gui- was no support provided given the United States Department led reports of sexual misconduct dance Veronica York. the abrupt changes students ex- of Education to write a report on about two teachers at Townsend Assistant Principals Georgia perienced. educator sexual misconduct, said Harris.

Brandeis, Susan Brustein, Ellen “It was as if we were just ex- schools should communicate Two reports against one Fee, Rafal Olechowski, and Vero- pected to go along with this with students, parents, and stateacher were filed in 2016 during nica York did not return a request change even though we had ff after instances of misconduct. former principal Anthony Barbe- for comment. many concerns,” she said.

“If people are being remotta’s term as principal. The other Mr. McClary wrote in an email Senior Awestaa Zia descri- ved for sexual misconduct, the three reports against a second last week that he followed the bed the quickness of the chan- first thing it says is that the scteacher were filed in 2017 during DOE protocol “on all allegations.” ge to the class as strange. “I do hool needs to come clean to the Mr. Condon’s term.

Once the THHS administrati- wish the administration would ha- parents and to kids….and the“We take all allegations of mis- on collected student reports, the ve just been clear about what was re are things you can and can’t conduct seriously and ensure to New York City Department of going on,” she said. say because of privacy laws, bereport all allegations to the appro- Education took over from there Senior Daniel Montesdeo- cause of personnel laws, becaupriate investigatory agency of the and the claims were investigated ca said that the school did “not se of teacher contracts, but theDepartment of Education,” Mr. further, according to Mr. Condon. at all” communicate to students re are some things you can say,” Condon said. Mr. Barbetta did Afterwards, four of the alumni about the situation.

Dr. Shakeshaft told The Classic. not return a request for comment. said that they spoke with privaMelba Melo, parent of class of “You can say, ‘we have had inciNeither teacher currently wor- te investigators; all five said that 2019 alumna Melanie Esterine, dents of inappropriate behaviors, ks at the school. The Classic can- they wrote testimonials and that said she did not recall being noti- we are now doing something to not confirm that these reports the THHS administration notified fied when her child’s teacher was address this.’”

By Samantha Alzate ‘20, Isabelle Guillaume ‘20, and Amanda Renzi ‘20

are why the teachers no longer work at the school. In his email on Monday, Mr. Condon said school administrators are “restricted by state law, the employees’ contracts, and in some cases the authorities” in what they can share.

Chancellors Regulation A-830 regulates how schools and the DOE handle allegations of harassment. It states that it is

their parents about the investigation.

“We take very seriously any allegation of sexual misconduct and this troubling behavior has no place in our schools,” said DOE Deputy Press Secretary Nathaniel Styer.

“Our priorities when responding to allegations are engaging in a thorough investigation, protecting the privacy of those in-

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

FEATURED TOPIC: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT (CONTINUED)

15

News Analysis: DOE working on changes

By Kate Estevez ‘23, Janna Habibulla ‘23, and Elliot Heath ‘23 April 26, 2022

Students meet with UFT representatives

PHOTO BY JASMINE PALMA ‘22

UFT meets with students, pledges to bring proposals back for discussions

By Kate Estevez ‘23, Janna Habibulla ‘23, and Elliot Heath ‘23 April 26, 2022

Following student protests held earlier in the school year over how sexual misconduct allegations against educators are handled by the school system and the teachers union, representatives from the union, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), met on April 12 with members of Protect Our Students, a Townsend Harris student advocacy group.

“Our values are not to protect predators,” said Amy Arundell, UFT Queens Borough Office Representative, in an interview after the meeting, which took place at THHS and lasted for more than two hours. “Our values are to make sure that schools are safe learning environments and our members can teach and guidance counselors can do all the things they do in schools and know that…if something were to happen and they were accused they would have due process.”

At the meeting, Ms. Arundell was joined by UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds, Special Representative for High Schools Anthony Klug, UFT General Counsel Beth A. Norton, Queens High School Representative James Vasquez, and THHS UFT Representative Kevin McDonaugh.

The students in attendance representing Protect Our Students — seniors Isabella Sicilian, Audrey Chou, and Alyssa Figueroa — have called for reform to the city policies and state statutes that determine what happens when students accuse a teacher of sexual misconduct and city investigators “substantiate” those claims. They expressed concerns about how and where alleged victims are

asked to testify about the alleged misconduct, the statute of limitations that determines how old an allegation can be to merit a teacher’s firing, rules relating to sexual grooming, and more.

Student activists were first alerted to the problem of how misconduct allegations are handled when news broke in November about sexual misconduct allegations against a former THHS teacher who had been removed and then reinstated at the school. The teacher, Joseph Canzoneri, was removed from THHS in 2018 and investigated by the city’s office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations (SCI). In Spring 2019, SCI released the results of their investigation to the Department of Education (DOE) where they concluded Mr. Canzoneri had “engaged in a sexual relationship… with a female THHS student” and recommended his termination. The DOE told The Classic that after receiving the report they moved to terminate Mr. Canzoneri’s employment. Once a school district decides it wants to attempt to fire a tenured teacher, it must go through a process governed by state education law 3020-a. According to the New York Post, the case against Canzoneri was dismissed by a hearing officer because “none of the students agreed to testify [at the 3020-a proceeding].”

Canzoneri was returned to THHS after the dismissal of the case, only to be removed again amidst media inquiries about the SCI investigation from Classic editors, reporter Susan Edelman at the Post, and reporter Katie Honan at The City. Soon afterward, THHS students created Protect Our Students and organized a schoolwide sit-in in November, followed in January by a phone bank event where they specifically called on the UFT, politicians, and the DOE to ad-

dress a list of demands for reforms on how allegations of educator misconduct are handled in schools.

During the April 12 conversation at THHS, which the UFT representatives invited The Classic to observe, Ms. Hinds made it clear that they were not authorized to make any commitments to policy changes during the meeting. But she said they were planning to return to UFT offices and follow up on the proposals voiced by THHS students, which focused on reforming the policies and procedures surrounding the removal and reinstatement of teachers accused of misconduct.

“We hear what you are saying,” said Ms. Hinds. “We are committed to engaging in conversations with our colleagues about advancing the concerns you are raising.”

In response to a request for comment about the meeting and UFT plans to engage in conversations on student proposals, the DOE told The Classic that they are working on making changes to DOE policy and credited THHS students with helping to inspire their planning.

DOE spokesperson Jenna Lyle said “Our schools must be sanctuaries for our students – anything less is unacceptable.

While this teacher was not assigned to teach any students, he should not have been placed back in a school, and we applaud the young people at Townsend Harris for speaking up about this.

Because they raised their voice, we are working on new policies to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

The Protect Our Students representatives, reflecting on the UFT meeting, said, “We are very thankful that UFT took the time to meet with us. While we do wish they could’ve committed to greater transparency in regards

to future policies, we are excited to know that they will bring up our concerns to UFT leadership.” They said they considered it a success that their efforts were noticed and addressed.

During the conversation, Isabella, Audrey, and Alyssa focused much of their attention on the role of testimony from alleged victims in the hearings that determine if a teacher loses their job. During their sit-in and phone bank event, the protestors referenced the role of testimony in the case of Joseph Canzoneri.

At the meeting, the students asked the UFT representatives about the conditions under which students who allege sexual misconduct testify during a 3020-a proceeding, in particular the physical space itself where these hearings take place. Mr. Vasquez, UFT’s Queens High School Representative, said that the rooms can be small, though sizes vary. He said there are “usually no more than six or so people in [a] room” during the proceedings.

Alyssa said that asking alleged victims to testify in close quarters with the teacher they’ve accused of misconduct could be potentially traumatic and might hinder students from agreeing to testify.

“That’s a very good point,” Mr. Vasquez said.

More contested was the discourse over the need for cross examination itself. Isabella asked if there was a need for alleged victims to testify after they had already been asked to sit for interviews with the SCI investigators for a report.

The UFT representatives emphasized that teachers, who are public employees, have the constitutional right to face their accuser. They said that SCI reports should not have the final say in these cases and that there must be due process.

On April 12, representatives from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) met with Townsend Harris students to discuss student demands to reform how NYC schools handle educator sexual misconduct. At the meeting, the representatives pledged to return to the UFT and share student concerns. Since a prominent topic throughout the conversation was the responsibility of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to more effectively protect students from educator abuse, The Classic contacted the DOE for comment on the UFT meeting.

In a statement, spokesperson Jenna Lyle announced that the DOE is working on new policies as a result of THHS students speaking up about misconduct.

The DOE also told The Classic that it supports reviewing a law that determines how teachers can be fired in New York State.

Both represent significant moments in the conversation that began in November after news first broke about a teacher who was returned to THHS after city investigators concluded in a report that he “threatens the well being…[of] students at THHS.” Asked to comment on the DOE’s statement, Principal Brian Condon told The Classic, “I am encouraged by the statement the DOE has made, and I too am proud of the efforts of our students in raising and reporting on this important issue of student safety. I have faith that the new administration will make significant reforms and will ensure that the voices of school communities are heard regarding matters of this nature.”

Perhaps even more significant is the DOE confirming to The Classic that it supports a review of education law 3020a to ensure that all misconduct can be heard by the hearing officers in charge of making final decisions on termination.

These developments represent a step in the right direction towards answering that question, as does the UFT’s willingness to sit down with Townsend Harris protestors and journalists for more than three and a half hours to hear out concerns and speak on the record about these topics.

Spring 2022

OPINION

16 SEL ISSUES

By Matthew Merino ‘22 and Haley O'Toole ‘22 March 1, 2022

Recently, Townsend Harris High School students began to receive emails containing their social-emotional learning (SEL) assessment scores from late last year. The score results listed those with a score of 60+ with a “strength” indicator showing “well-developed social-emotional skills,” those with a score of 41-59 listed as “typical”, and those below a 40 score indicating the “need for instruction.”

Behind all of this data comes its downfalls, mainly concerning its reliability and its effectiveness, especially with the vague label of the “need for instruction” when it comes to helping a student’s mental health.

This is a DOE-based program that all schools are mandated to participate in with a price tag of $18 million to school assessment company Aperture Education.

The screener, also known as the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), required teachers to answer a survey of 43 questions about a student’s “social-emotional functioning including decision making, relationship building, confidence, and others.”

Many teachers were assigned approximately 31 to 35 students to evaluate their well-being.

However, the questions presented in the SEL survey are worded in ways that are difficult for faculty to gauge in students.

One of the questions asks, “How often does the student seek the advice of a trusted adult?”

A faculty member assessing a student will ultimately be unable to answer this question accurately.

When would a third band teacher see this?

And why would they know how frequent it happens?

The Classic

THHS moved sex ed to senior year, leaving its students at risk In my three years in Townsend Harris, I’ve only had one sex education lesson. The lesson occurred just before my sophomore health class was abruptly canceled and shifted to a physical education course. This was done to correct a programming oversight that would leave THHS students without the required Phys Ed credits to graduate. Since then, the THHS administration has decided to push health and sex ed to senior year.

This was a mistake and the decision should be reconsidered.

In the one lesson I had, students learned how to apply a condom; this is important, but, sexual experiences encompass far more than just contraceptives. At present, the only students that took sexual education lessons with some depth at THHS are the current seniors, which means that 75% of the student body has never received adequate or any sexual education. This is a major problem. A study

conducted by the CDC reports that over half of teens have sex by age 18. Thus, high school students need to be taught proper behaviors right away when partaking in such intimate moments so that both parties feel safe and respected—ideally during freshman year.

In a previous news article about the physical education changes of last year, Assistant Principal Ellen Fee said, “We [the administration] are still thinking that it [health class] probably belongs most in senior year.” In a later article, The Classic reported that “when students take health in their senior year, the course will focus on facilitating their transition to college.” In the same article, Principal Brian Condon explained the decision and said, “There’s a lot of issues around mental health, social skills, [etc.] that you may encounter in college.”

This decision suggests that a lot of aspects of health are not going to be essen-

tial for students until college. This can be very damaging, as the sexual safety of students is crucial earlier on in life.

Our high school needs to teach health earlier and take a serious look into the nuances of health that will teach students detailed lessons on the multiple responsibilities that come with being sexually active.

Consent, for instance, is an essential topic and is much more complex than just “yes” or “no.” According to experts, “education for young people is one of the most important ways to diminish the incidence of sexual assault.”

In THHS, there’s a belief that all students are well-informed, upstanding mem-

Remote testing needs revamping A holistic outlook of a student’s profile is critical as it embraces various aspects of a student’s performance in school. Townsend Harris integrates the Pupilpath grading system, allowing teachers to assess students on a range of categories: assessments, homework, and classwork/participation. Most teachers weight assessments as the most significant determinant of a student’s average, as they comprise between 45 and 70 percent.

Homework, on the other hand, accounts for a meager 5 to 20 percent of a student’s grade point average. The excessive emphasis on exams fails to accurately gauge a student’s academic strengths, and thus testing must be modified to incorporate alternative assessment methods.

Confined to their homes, students may be hampered by the distractions of bustling family members. The aroma of lunch, the chatter of siblings, and the reverberating footsteps of people are part of daily life at home. This is by no means an ideal environment for testing, let alone learning.

A student’s ability to focus falters and is further exacerbated by the 37-minute time constraint allotted for an exam. Additionally, online exams tend to be vulnerable to connectivity issues that are detrimental to test-takers. Technological fallibility creates anxiety and oftentimes forces students to retake assessments. During a pandemic, avoiding unnecessary stress should be a top priority of our school’s

administration and teachers.

Three students who shared their experiences with The Classic revealed that most examinations are administered within the allotted band, and additional time is granted as needed. Quizzes and exams are administered in three to five of their classes—namely mathematics, science, history, and language—using platforms like Google Forms, Test Wizard, and AP Classroom to do so.

At-home distractions for these students ranged from a lack of stable internet access to having siblings causing inconveniences during exams. To address these unfavorable circumstances, alternative tes-

bers of society simply because they are part of the THHS community (or worse, that THHS students are all more “innocent” and don’t need to worry about these topics at their age).

These are very dangerous assumptions to make.

Additionally, there should be inclusive education available for members of the LGBTQ+ community before senior year. Many members of this community struggle with being accepted by their own family, friends, and people around them, making them less likely to receive necessary information from people in their life. According to Planned Parenthood, they are more likely to have sex earlier, more likely to face dating violence, and more likely to contract STIs. It is imperative students are taught this information at the age that they need it most.

I spoke to students in the school who did have sex education classes before the program changes went into effect.

Miruna Radu ‘22 May 6, 2021

When asked about his sexual education experience at Townsend Harris, senior Xu Dong said, “I received half a school year’s worth of sexual education during my sophomore year at Townsend Harris. I don’t believe anything was left out, as Ms. Assante didn’t shy away from any subjects.

She made sure that we understand the consequences of our actions.” While this is wonderful to hear, the younger grades haven’t had this experience yet.

Our high school needs to teach health earlier and take a serious look into the nuances of health that will teach students detailed lessons on the multiple responsibilities that come with being sexually active.

A high school in which students are spending the majority of their time learning how to calculate the limit of twenty different equations while not knowing how to engage in safe and respectful sexual relations is a school that is failing its students.

Michael Babayev ‘24 and Matthew Babayev ‘22

ting formats, like project-based assessments, should be integrated into the virtual classroom.

Project-based assessments (PBAs) are an in-depth exploration of a topic that unfolds over the course of a semester. PBAs enable students to highlight underlying concepts of the curriculum while incorporating problem-solving, higher-order thinking, and creativity.

The nature of PBAs allows them to be conveniently completed over a time span rather than in a single sitting.

Some argue that exams are among the most precise indicators of a student’s aptitude and a fundamental part of the learning

March 25, 2021

process. Test scores are commensurate with the depth of students’ knowledge and achievement. However, high-stakes testing undermines the purpose of meaningful learning.

Testing can involve comprehension and conceptualization but it can also be a game of memorization, inhibiting creativity and critical thinking.

A significant disadvantage of traditional testing, especially in a remote setting, is the high probability of cheating. PBAs mostly eliminate the prospect of cheating because of their creative components that are required to produce authentic work.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

OPINION

17

Despite its recent embrace of anti-racism, THHS has yet to confront the racism that Ariana Vernon ‘21 exists within its halls

April 15, 2021

EDITORIAL STAFF 2022 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ryan Eng Julia Maciejak Jasmine Palma NEWS SCIENCE & TECH Micah Sandy Elsa Oreen Lauren Jun Jocelyn Wang Ramisha Parvez PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Audrey Chou Hana Arafa Kate Romero Juney Liu Alisha Ansari SOCIAL MEDIA Farah Haq OPINION Haley O'Toole Miruna Radu Cecilia Taravella ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT William Rhee Jessica Sandoval Amelia Harrington MULTIMEDIA Zuzanna Kowalski Amelia Ferrell Riya Singh

It has been nearly a year since THHS alumni started a platform called NotMyTownsend (NMT) on Instagram to allow current and former students to express their experiences regarding racism and bigotry in our school. In response, Principal Brian Condon released a letter in April 2020 identifying four steps the school must take to create a more inclusive school environment. These steps included “rooting out bigotry, root and branch” from Townsend Harris. In the year since, THHS has taken clear steps to publicize its embrace of “anti-racism,” but it is unclear what efforts the administration has made to identify and confront racism in our school.

One of the most common experiences of racism a Black student at THHS faces occurs when college decisions come out.

When I was accepted into Harvard in December, I was supposed to be celebrating, buying apparel, and joyfully throwing out other applications, but I kept hearing rumors that I only got in because of Affirmative Action and didn’t earn my acceptance based on merit.

When I first heard about these statements, I wasn’t shocked. I expected it based on what I’d heard about other Black students at THHS getting accepted into prestigious colleges.

However, I didn’t expect all of the repercussions that come with it. I didn’t expect to have 22 FaceTime calls within four days of hearing the first rumors. On these

calls we tried to figure out what I was supposed to do.

Do I confront the situation directly? If I confront it am I going to seem like the stereotypical “angry Black girl” who wants to pick a fight?

Do I say nothing and let it keep going?

These FaceTime conversations and texts went on for weeks, and figuring out all the possible scenarios was exhausting. I even had to question my own friends.

I started to wonder if they believed it too and were just trying to spare my feelings. It never led me to doubt myself because I knew I deserved my achievement, and frankly, I don’t care what strangers think of me.

But it planted a seed of doubt in my mind about my friends, people whose opinions I actually value, and what they thought of me.

A statement like this is told to create self-doubt, and to stick with me through everything I do for the rest of my life.

Students may have differing political opinions on Affirmative Action as a policy, but they are not at all experts on my resume or anyone else’s. Statements like these racially-motivated forms of bullying are the school’s responsibility to confront.

On the NotMyTownsend Instagram story, former students also posted about peers accusing them of only getting into a college because of Affirmative Action.

This is not a new issue, and administrators have probably been hearing si-

milar stories for years.

In fact, if they had mounted a thorough exploration of racial issues at the school over the past year, they would have heard this coming up frequently.

Something should have been done last year when NMT brought this issue up.

In fact, something should have been done five years ago when The Classic published an opinion piece on the very topic.

The Townsend Harris administration needs a protocol to name and address these problems, and problems like them, that repeatedly arise.

My experience with racially charged remarks like this will not be the last; those micro-aggressive racial comments are a constant recurrence, and the administration must find a way to make students and teachers aware of the harm being done, work to prevent that harm from occurring, and make clear the repercussions for those who contribute to this climate.

This is important because of how frequently this issue occurs and the impact those comments have on students’ mental health.

Education on and discussions about this during a senior meeting would be helpful, as would some specific indication that these statements and others like them will not be tolerated.

This, however, is not the only issue at THHS and it raises a larger one: recent efforts to promote anti-racism at THHS have tended to avoid conversations regarding scho-

ol-based racial issues because to address these issues means having to confront a harmful environment that members of the school community perpetuate.

Instead, the administration and its Equity and Access team have favored general discussions about racism in society, a choice which makes it less likely that members of the school community have to be held accountable for racist behavior. By definition, an institution cannot be anti-racist if it does this.

The Equity and Access team was created “to engage in discussions about race and equity.” These discussions are important; however, discussions about race and equity aren’t effective unless they are held alongside more frank conversations about problems in the school community itself.

The team’s work on creating a speaker series, encouraging students to read Stamped, commissioning a mural, and so on, should all be part of the solution. But without focus on—or even acknowledgement of— the issues within the school, these actions are not addressing the real problems identified.

It is admirable that the team hopes to diversify admissions, but can the team promise that newly admitted Black students will feel welcomed and included in the THHS community?

Can they promise those students won’t work hard for four years only to be told one day by their peers that they have not earned their achievements?

ART Jialin Chen Veronica Kuzma Sophia Park ACCURACY Richard Lu Matthew Merino

SPORTS Madeline Cannon Gabriel Matatov Zaynah Shariff

EST. 1984

MANAGING EDITORS Izegbuwa Adun, Kate Estevez, Elliot Heath, Janna Habibulla, and Victoria Siebor ADVISOR Brian Sweeney Copy Team: Faiza Tasnim, Jasmine Deonandan, Daffny Cardoso, Emma Joa, Genessa Kahn, Matthew Cantor, Michael Babayev

We welcome letters to the editor.

The Classic Townsend Harris High School reserves the right 149-11 Melbourne Avenue to edit letters for Flushing, NY 11367 clarity and concithhsclassic@gmail.com sion.

The Classic is an open forum for the expression of student views. The opinions expressed therein should not be taken to represent those of the administration or faculty, or of the student body as a whole.

Top ONLINE ARTICLES .

LASSIC THHSC COM

March 2020 to May 2022

1 A&E

" There is a new game Among Us"

by Lauren Jun, Daffny Cardoso, Reem Nasrallah

2 FEATURES HEPA filter report with CDC interview

by Ryan Eng and Jasmine Palma

3 NEWS

"Students report being in Canzoneri’s presence multiple times ...” by Ryan Eng, Julia Maciejak, and Jasmine Palma

4 A&E

Review: Best and worst ‘Drink Cirkul’ flavors by Jessica Sandoval

Spring 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

18

FON goes remote

By Izegbuwa Adun '22, Lauren Jun '22, Juney Liu '22, Victoria Siebor '22 May 14, 2021

The problem with TikTok’s unrealistic beauty standards

By Reem Nasrallah '24, Daffny Cardoso '24, and Melinda Wang '24 May 21, 2021

The Festival of Nations (FON) is a way for Townsend Harris High School students to learn about and appreciate their peers’ cultures. In the past, students led cultural dances and collaborated to create a large, diverse showcase, held during the first few days of March. Typically, there would be two or three final performances where friends, families, and relatives would come and watch what the students had worked tirelessly on for the past few months. Given the current circumstances however, the school decided to hold its first-ever virtual FON as a replacement for the twoday on-stage performances.

“I’ve worked with leaders since January to collaborate to see how we can recreate the FON experience, pandemic-style. We tried to find a way that all groups would be recognized even if they didn’t have the means to choreograph a video. The google slide presentation seemed like a good compromise. We added trivia, dance descriptions, professional examples of dances (video links), and past FON videos from THHS,” said Assistant Principal Ellen Fee. Some FON groups did choose to include new choreography, editing members into a group dance.

With this new virtual format came challenges for student leaders. “There were countless factors that we were unfamiliar with, such as teaching choreography through Zoom, finding an effective way to communicate, and ultimately, just plenty of technical skills to learn,” said junior Fiona Zheng, leader of Chinese Modern FON. “To me it was similar to watching Hamilton last July. It was great to watch it from my living room, but it wasn’t the same as being in the theatre. ...It’s not the same watching it by yourself,” said Ms. Fee.

The Classic

TikTok, the viral social media platform, takes up a significant portion of the lives of Harrisites who use it. While users can pick up various pieces of advice and tricks from scrolling through their feeds on TikTok, including recipes and TV show recommendations, they are also enveloped by unrealistic societal beauty standards.

Students have expressed that it is no secret that TikTok trends, from revealing side profiles to body shapes, have impacted its many impressionable young users. The disturbing hourglass trend showcases young girls demonstrating how to get abs by wearing plastic wrap around their stomachs. Junior Maimuna Muntaha said this trend “broke my heart as I never realized how many children see these unrealistic beauty standards and want to be like their favorite TikTok influencers.”

Unrealistic beauty stan- Image courtesy of Pixabay, Pixabay license

dards can have detrimental effects on all peo- patients because they stru- ls take diet pills, laxatives ple and their body image, ggle with poor body image. and take many other harmespecially developing chilIn the United States alo- ful actions in order to lose dren and teenagers. A stu- ne, the number of indivi- weight. dy conducted by Bradley duals that will be diagnoMany students exHospital, Butler Hospital, sed with an eating disor- pressed the sentiment that and Brown Medical Scho- der sums up to be 9% of creators and users of Tikol found that one-third of the population. In additi- Tok have perpetuated the inpatient adolescents are on, approximately 35 to 37 concept of an ideal body notably more ill than other percent of adolescent gir- image in young children

ART BY PIXABAY USER ANTONBE

and teenagers by planting insecurities in banyone that looks different. Senior Natalia Gierlachowski said that many of the trends “push viewers to compare themselves” to the social media standards of what constitutes being ‘pretty.’

The app itself has not

done anything to prevent young children from viewing this kind of content except implementing an age check when someone first downloads the app.

However, anyone can easily lie about their age to get around this feature.

Freshman Jenna Diaz states “I’m always catching myself trying to change something about how I look to try and look like one of the gorgeous girls that popped up on my For You page.” Many other students agreed that TikTok has caused them to compare themselves to others. Senior Aliyah Ghany said, “In general, I would say [that] TikTok has made me a lot more critical [about] my own body, and [I’ve] noticed ‘flaws’ that I never even thought about before I had the app.”

While some students have had negative experiences with Tik Tok, others have had mixed feelings regarding the standards put out on the platform.

“It really does go both ways, because in general, I do feel more confident due to the makeup and style freedom TikTok expresses,” said sophomore Kylie Gavlin.

“The trends sometimes hype up features that are typically put down in society.”

Food Review: Tasting halal carts throughout NYC

By Matthew Merino '22 April 8, 2022

Along with bagels, pizza, and pastrami, the halal cart platter is a staple of New York City cuisine. Consisting of yellow or basmati rice topped with chicken, lamb, or falafel it’s a quick, inexpensive, accessible across all five boroughs, and filling meal on the go. However, not all halal platter fare is created equal, and since there are no best-of-the-best rankings out there, I set myself to find the best halal places in New York City.

For consistency, all halal platters were a chicken and lamb combo over rice, topped with white and hot

sauces. If offered, orders were also topped with green chili chutney. The listings below show a combination of brick-and-mortar physical locations and portable carts. Listings are selected from existing rankings and well-acclaimed halal carts.

Below is the winning platter. You can find all rankings in the full article published on thhsclassic.com.

Adel’s Famous Halal Food (6th Ave. & 50th St., Midtown) Adel’s Famous Halal Food, which is diagonally across from Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center, is one of the more widely praised halal carts located there.

Even with their late wee-

kday opening hours starting at 6 pm serving the late-night crowd (and at 2 pm on weekends), Adel’s really stands out in multiple ways. At Adel’s, they serve two types of rice, the usual yellow rice and their special “spicy” rice, both retaining their fragrance through the many sauces and meats. The romaine lettuce didn’t hold moisture, a definite plus when it came to being slathered in their sauces. The chicken was superb, with a well-seasoned, juicy, flavorful consistency. Their lamb gyro really stood out, shaved and then sautéed with onions and peppers as a boost. The white sauce has a nice balance between thick and thin, while not

The highest ranked of eleven platters PHOTO BY MATTHEW MERINO ‘22

overwhelming the other sauces. Although the green sauce is on the milder side, it added a nice touch to the overall dish overall. The sauce really packs that kick that is necessary, with all three sauces taking on great coverage

on the platter topped with soft pita. Overall, Adel’s represents what an NYC halal platter should be, even with their higher than usual price of $9, it would be an eye-opening experience for any tourist visiting New York City.

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

19

Harrisites earn multiple seats in NYC Honors Music

By Jessica Sandoval '23 March 23, 2022

The New York City High School Honors Festival is a selective two-day annual music event that selects students from public, private, and charter schools to rehearse and prepare for a concert performance. For this year’s upcoming eighth annual festival, 15 Harrisites were chosen to participate in modern band, orchestra, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, and chorus.

The music festival is a new step for the music program at Townsend Harris. “[Harrisites will] want to strive to be the greatest and be in the festival,” music teacher and band director Kevin Heathwood said. “We now have a serious arts program at Townsend. Students can come to THHS for the high academic rigor and be able to play music at a high level.

It’s the beginning of a new era.”

Sponsored by the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and Music Educators’ Association of New York City (MEANYC), the festival divides students into different music groups, in-

cluding modern band, string orchestra, symphonic band, chorus, and jazz ensemble. This year’s participants were nominated

by Mr. Heathwood and selected by the honors festival committee board. The program also features other musically talented students across NYC high schools who were nominated by their teachers.

The festival will be conducted by Marlon Daniel, director of the orchestra ensemble at Fordham University, Ray Vega, senior lecturer and conductor for jazz and trumpet at The University of Vermont, Charles McGuire, professor of musicology at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and Bryan Powell, assistant professor of music education and music technology at Montclair State University.

For the modern band section, applicants were required to submit their own auditions to the music festival committee instead of being selected by Mr. Heathwood. Junior Darian Jimenez and senior William Rhee (who is also a Classic editor) were chosen with 10 other students to represent this newly ad-

ded section in the festival.

William spoke on his experience, and said, “I think the music festival is a great opportunity for m e n o t Fifteen THHS students were chosen for the eight annual festival only as a stress replay with other musicians.” worth it: “Performing weliever, but also as a way to Nathan agreed, saying, ll and entertaining the aumeet and jam with other “I’m excited to see what it’s dience is always enjoyatalented high school stu- like performing in one en- ble. I love creating mudents beyond the Town- semble with such a diver- sic with people that are send community.” Dari- se group, and I can’t wait just as invested into it as I an said, “I’ve always found to see how the final perfor- am, and the feeling of bethe bass really interes- mance goes.” ing proud of something ting… Between school Nicolas acknowled- you’ve worked extremely and other commitments ged that being a musician hard on with other people it’s easy to let my passion requires long and arduous is one of the best feelings for music fade, but I’ve be- work, and said, “The dai- in the world… The reward en doing my best to keep ly grind of practicing se- of performing and sharing up with practicing.” veral hours a day, mono- your work with other peoSophomore Nicolas Lin, tonously playing the same ple more than justifies [the juniors Joyce Ke and Lana parts over and over again, struggles],” he said.

Yepifanova, and seniors is a constant struggle.

The symphonic band Nathan Lin and Amelia What people see when I features sophomores Harrington were chosen to perform is just a few minu- Kaylah Rouzier and Ann participate in the orches- tes. What they don’t see is Hsieh, junior Rebecca tra section along with over the hundreds, even thou- Ortiz, and seniors Alyse 50 other students from sands of hours that I spend Sayed, Matthew Babayev, across the city. Lana said, on each individual piece of and Aviv Fetaya. This “The sheet music was har- music.” year’s Symphonic Band der than expected…[but] Even with this extensive is composed of 65 stuit is a nice opportunity to practice, Nicolas said it is dents. For seniors such

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN HEATHWOOD

as Matthew Babayev, the festival is especially rewarding as it is their final year at THHS. Matthew said, “[As a senior] I get to actualize my work in an honors festival with other Townsend musicians. Playing French horn for the past four years with Mr. Heathwood has really been an amazing experience, and I have his classes to thank for my continued interest in music.” Likewise, Ann is excited to learn from the other high school musicians.

She said, “It’s extremely rewarding because when I’m onstage in a big group, I’m not as nervous, and when we play well, it feels like I’m able to almost stare down the audience, which is a lot of fun for me.”

An Interview with Wednesday Addams

By Antonella Abreu Filpo '21 April 25, 2020

Tonight would have been the final performance of The Addams Family.

The Classic asked juniorFrancesca Manabat to design what Junior Weiye Yasen would have looked like as Wednesday Addams, a key role in the musical. The image is featured to the right.

Wednesday Addams is known for her gothic fashion sense, as well as her bitter and dry-witted personality. She enjoys raising spiders, writing poems to

them, and painting sinister pictures of human heads and trees. She falls in love with a “normal” boy and must learn to balance her relationship with his family and her quite unusual family. What follows is a Q&A with Weiye on the role.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about playing Wednesday Addams?

A: My favorite part of playing Wednesday is trying to figure her character out. She is a really interesting character that has a lot of different sides to her, and I feel like, throughout the play, she is trying

to figure out who she really is.

It’s also about learning the process of making decisions, not based on what I would do, but based on what Wednesday Addams would do.

Q: What scene in the play were you most looking forward to seeing executed on stage?

A: There are so many exciting scenes, but I was looking forward to putting One Normal Night together because practically everyone is involved.

Q: How has CO-

VID-19’s effect on the performance made you feel?

A: I was extremely disappointed, but I tried to have hope that we could still go back to school early enough to still put some sort of production together. I guess in a way, my wish came true because we’re still doing something virtually.

Note: Since the spring musical was already in production when schools shut down, The Classic worked with The Townsend Harris Players to release a series of pieces that would show what the musical might have looked like.

had the show been allowed to go on.

A number of students recreated scenes/songs on YouTube and artist Francesca Manabat drew various renditions of students as they would have appeared in costume had the production have been able to go on in the spring of that year.

All of these features are available on The Classic's website and on the Classic's YouTube channel.

The following year, which was all remote, the THHS Players created an origi-

nal and virtual performance called The Sunrise.

Both shows were made with the support of Mr. Schwab, Mr. Dunbar, Mr. Heathwood, Mr. Louis-Pierre, and Ms. Cooper.

Francesca Manabat's concept art of what junior Weiye Yasen would look like as Wednesday Addams.

Spring 2022

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

20

The DOE calls the air purifiers that will be in NYC classrooms “HEPA purifiers.” The Classic asked the CDC if that’s accurate.

Here’s how the CDC responded

By Jasmine Palma ‘22 and Ryan Eng ‘22 August 31, 2021

The Intellipure Purifier

PHOTO BY MATTHEW MERINO ‘22

Given that aerosolized particles with SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can remain suspended in the air for long stretches of time, ventilation and air purification represent key preventative strategies. In its guide to opening schools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends schools consider adding portable air purifier units with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to “enhance air cleaning wherever possible.” The CDC’s FAQ on ventilation notes, “Portable HEPA filtration units that combine a HEPA filter with a powered fan system are a preferred option for auxiliary air cleaning.”

An investigation by The Classic has found that, though it has told the public that two “HEPA Purifiers” will be in each classroom this fall, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) will be providing devices (Intellipure compact air purifiers) that do not match that description. The DOE has repeatedly referred to the Intellipure units as “HEPA pu-

rifiers” on its website, in a “DOE Homecoming Health and Safety Guide,” and in statements to The Classic. Multiple experts have told The Classic that to be a “HEPA Purifier” the units should have within them an actual HEPA filter, but they do not.

When asked by The Classic to comment on the accuracy of the DOE’s decision to describe the Intellipure units as “HEPA purifiers,” DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said, “We never said that the units had HEPA filters. We said that they met the standard for HEPA filtration. That they are HEPA purifiers.”

On Twitter, Mr. Styer claimed that HEPA refers to a rating that could be applied to “different types of machines” that filter particles at the level of HEPA filters. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the designation HEPA is specifically applied to “a type of pleated mechanical air filter” tested to a standard level of efficiency. Citing the CDC, Mr. Styer said that because Intellipure’s process as a whole can filter at HEPA filter levels, it is a HEPA purifier. The Classic contacted the CDC, however, and a representative said the two technol-

ogies are distinct.

“The distinction between an air cleaner using a true high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and one that does not should be clear,” said Dr. Steve Martin, an engineer and expert on ventilation at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, a branch of the CDC, in an email to The Classic.

Dr. Martin said that while “it is certainly possible for other air cleaners to use a combination of filtration technologies that can perform at ‘HEPA-equivalent’ levels (and maybe even higher),” the Intellipure air purifiers are not true HEPA devices. “The distinction should be clear between true HEPA air cleaners and others,” he said.

The difference between a true HEPA filter and a HEPA-equivalent device can be significant, according to Dr. Martin. “The biggest concern with air cleaners claiming ‘HEPA-equivalent’ performance is how they perform over time. As a true HEPA filter loads with particles over time, the overall filtration efficiency will only increase. The same can not necessarily be said for other technologies,” he said.

Other experts spoke to The Classic about wheth-

er it was accurate for the DOE to describe the Intellipure units as HEPA purifiers to the public.

“HEPA refers to having a specific type of filter… so a product should have one of those filters in it to be a HEPA purifier,” said Dr. Delphine Farmer, an atmospheric chemist with a research focus in air pollution from Colorado State University, in an email to The Classic.

According to an email from Dr. Donna Green, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia and a founding member of the Climate Change Research Centre, “[Intellipure] uses a different process, which may meet or exceed the filtration standards of a HEPA, but that only makes it HEPA like, not true HEPA.” The HEPA filter level of efficiency is set by the United States Department of Energy, but manufacturers do not receive certification for their filters from the government. Dr. Martin said, “HEPA filters are tested and certified by their manufacturers according to consensus standards.” The consensus testing standards come from the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology.

Research Spotlight: Conceptualizing Experiences of Breast Cancer

By Carolina Corcuera ‘24 June 23, 2021

Juniors Sai Choudari and Asha Suganthan excitedly entered the second year of their science research course, having acquired a heightened zeal for science in their first year. There was one notable difference, however.

While their ability to explore scientific fields was limited in year one, the pair said, year two offered full autonomous initiative in pursuing individual research that catered to personal interests.

While searching for possible research topics, they uncovered the expansive study of breast cancer. Although there are a great number of studies focusing on possible treatment avenues, Sai said she realized there wasn’t much on the “patient and their journey with cancer.”

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the Unit-

The Classic

ed States are projected to develop breast cancer once in their lifetime; it is also the most common cancer in women, besides skin cancer. As reported by the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s patient information site, there are currently around 3.8 million women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

Being diagnosed can invoke fear and stress, the uncertainty of the situation often being an overwhelming ordeal. Diagnosed patients often have to undergo the harrowing process of wondering what the next steps will be, if they can afford treatment, or how their life will proceed from there on out. Not only that, they will have to deal with pain from the chosen treatment or the swelling in their breasts.

Surviving cancer is a daunting and draining hardship, both physically and emotionally.

In light of this, Sai and Asha

aimed to use narrative research to provide emotional guidance to breast cancer patients and their families, as well as clinicians, a process which they found to be both inspiring and fulfilling. Narrative research gleans interpretations from any form of expression, should it be words, representation, or behavior. Typically, it is based on stories and experiences, and developed into quantitative data to conceptualize human experiences.

“By taking the patient’s narratives into consideration, it gives medical experts and the families of breast cancer patients a more personal insight into what the journey is like, allowing for them to provide the best support, relief, treatment processes, and more,” Asha said.

The two are currently working on a study titled “Narrative Research and Breast Cancer.”

The project studies the experiences of women who have or

have had breast cancer. They analyzed the stories of 40 women of all ages and stages worldwide, and compared the experiences within the generational divide of their patient pool.

“Previous research on breast cancer largely consisted of medical studies done on the successes of treatments and possible cures, however not much research addresses the patient and their journey with cancer,” Sai said. “Our study wants to explore this experience as qualitative data, in order to provide both patients and clinicians information on coping with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.”

Asha introduced the idea after discovering a publication by Dr. Janine Overcash about how narrative research could be used to understand how elderly patients are affected by a breast cancer diagnosis. “This caught my eye because it was interesting to see how qualitative information

could be converted into quantitative research to improve the breast cancer experience and highlight the common concerns that many patients face,” Asha said. She eventually reached out to Dr. Overcash and successfully acquired her as their mentor.

Dr. Overcash is a Professor of Clinical Nursing at Ohio State University. She specializes in geriatric oncology, working as a nurse with older cancer patients, and has written over fifty related peer-reviewed journal articles. Many of her penned papers adopt a narrative research methodology.

According to Sai, Dr. Overcash was the one who “truly inspired” her to take on this type of project. “Our mentor has been a guiding light throughout our project. She had helped us navigate the narrative research method, as we were both quite new to it. She would help us plan and outline.”

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

21

Research spotlight: phytoplankton blooms and climate change

By Amy Jiang ‘24 May 27, 2021

After first developing an interest in chemistry her freshman year, junior Sonia Hasko became enthralled by the sciences. Junior Alisha Ansari, meanwhile, was attracted to a class that would “develop an autonomous and innovative mindset” and “expand [her] knowledge.” When it came time to choose their sophomore elective, the science research program seemed the most compelling choice.

Once students enter their junior year in the program, they must complete an independent research project. For their junior research, “18-Year Trends in Phytoplankton Blooms and Associated Physical Variables in New York and San Francisco Estuaries,” Sonia and Alisha worked together to analyze satellite measurements of chlorophyll-a concentrations, fluorescence line height, sea surface temperature, and salinity to detect patterns. The project placed first at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Semifinals and was selected as a Regional Finalist.

Phytoplankton are paramount to the health of an ecosystem as they form the basis for most aquatic food webs and sequester carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Through studying their bloom patterns, it is possible to indirectly observe environmental health of a given area. However, prolific blooms can be damaging to ecosystems through eutrophication. That is to say, a body of water can become excessively rich in nutrients due to pollution, which then proliferates dense algal blooms from the phytoplankton that are damaging to animal life.

“The myriad pollutants associated with our society have devastating impacts on aquatic ecosystems. For instance, estuaries, which we focused on, experience nutrient pollution that originates from farms or water treat-

ment plants, alongside other sources. This encourages excessive nutrient concentrations, and ultimately, oxygen deadzones and harmful algal blooms,” Sonia said. “Far from a distant worry, estuaries are a source of recreational, scientific, and practical use on which humans and wildlife rely.”

“This is critical because we needed to use these findings to better explain phytoplankton associations with climate change and identify which phytoplankton populations need the most surveillance and monitoring,” Alisha said.

The urgency of the research matter founded the inspiration for the project.

When Sonia met research scientists at a virtual career day and learned about this type of research, she “was hooked.”

“Learning about the importance of phytoplankton in our ecosystems and how pollutants cause eutrophication made the research seem much more urgent,” she said.

While working on the project, the importance of this research was only further highlighted. “Climate change and pollution are not simple,” Sonia said.

“Without research, there’s no understanding, and without understanding, we cannot hope to alleviate such issues.”

To carry out the project, Sonia and Alisha used many online research databases to search for trends based on phytoplankton indicators such as chlorophyll-a concentrations and fluorescence line height. Focusing on two estuaries in New York and San Francisco, both of which house wildlife and provide drinking water to many people, Sonia said, “we downloaded eighteen years’ worth of monthly data, then analyzed it using original Python programs.” Although there were some challenges, such as learning to use computer programming specifically for this project through “incessant trial and error,” the pair was able to make several interesting finds.

The Steel Hawks won the regional championship in Albany and are advancing to the Worlds Competition

Steel Hawks advance to Worlds

By Anton Rud ‘25 and Jocelyn Wang ‘22 March 25, 2022

By the end of the final round at the FIRST Robotics New York Tech Valley Regional Competition last Wednesday, the Townsend Harris Steel Hawks robotics team were all sprawled across the floor of the stadium in exhaustion, but for many of them it was worth it. After a long build season and three days of intense qualifying rounds and elimination stages at the Albany competition, to the relief of the entire team, they won the tournament championship. This is the second time the team has won this event in its history; with this result the team has also qualified for its seventh Worlds Robotics Competition, which will be held this upcoming April in Houston, Texas.

“What is meaningful to me about FIRST is it celebrates ‘coopertition,’ which is what they say. That if you win against a team that’s not a good rival, it doesn’t mean anything,” Assistant Principal of Science, Math, and Technology and robotics coach Susan Brustein said. “Your goal is to help somebody else to become better so that when you compete you’re actually winning. It’s enshrined in their gracious professionalism award, which we have won in every venue that we’ve ever competed in.”

The regional had 69 qualifying matches. The teams were randomly placed into alliances, either red or blue, which are made up of three teams each. The alliances raced to score cargo into two hubs, a lower one worth one point per cargo and an upper one worth two points per cargo. They could additionally earn points by climbing four rungs, with the lowest one worth four points

and the others worth six points, ten points, and fifteen points.

Each match lasts a total of two minutes and thirty seconds. The first fifteen seconds of the match relies on precoded information to move the robot autonomously. Human drivers and operators can control the robot during the rest of the match.

The team’s Head of Communications, senior Karan Ajmera, described the preparation for the competition. He said, “The preparation process was long and it all happened pretty quickly since we were running behind, but it worked out well in the end. Our main challenge was just ensuring that we packed all the right things because we haven’t packed for a competition in almost three years. Also, just finishing the robot became a challenge because we had a lot of moving parts and not enough time to get everything on there, but in the end it worked out really well for us.”

The team discussed the many challenges that they had to overcome. Ms. Brustein described the financial costs of competing as “wicked expensive.” Though they have donors, she said, the team had to pursue additional fundraising efforts to cover competition fees, travel, robot parts, and other expenses. The Steel Hawks has been operating a morning cafe where they sell drinks such as boba and coffee. The Chairman’s financial team also worked towards amassing team funds.

“The Chairman’s team did such a good job on explaining our finances that they won an award we didn’t even know we were going for, which was the entrepreneurial award,” Ms. Brustein said.

The residual effects of the pandemic also posed many difficulties.

“I would say one of the biggest challenges in this build season specifically was the fact that we were all adjusting to return back to the really long days as well as adjusting to the work requirements,” senior Ethan Diep said. “All the veterans were at least a little bit rusty, and tasks had to be done longer than it would’ve taken in the past from rustiness and inexperience combined. Despite this, we were able to complete our jobs, which I definitely give props to the whole team for.”

“I felt awe at the team overcoming the obstacles of not having two years of hands-on experience and still triumphing at the competition, which is a testament to how hard they all worked,” Ms. Brustein said.

“The only people that remained on the team were freshmen.”

Freshman Abdullah Khan, a member of the Programming Department, said that going into regionals, “Some of the members had low expectations when we were going after the Falcons, because they had swerve drives which let their team be very fast. But then, after we lost the first round we started chanting crazy for the second, and all of a sudden people were chanting for our team – even those who weren’t on it. We got closer and closer to winning, catching up by the last round, and our defense was just insane. After we traversed the final rung, everyone was just jumping up and down.”

“The robot did things towards the end that I don’t think they were able to do in the beginning. I think that in the first couple of matches I was watching it only do the low goal and then suddenly the high goal,” Ms. Brustein said. “I didn’t know that they were prepared to do that, so once they did that it changed our game of play.”

Spring 2022

SPORTS

22

PSAL players respond to closures

By Ryan Eng ‘22 May 15, 2020

In an unprecedented situation, the spring season, meant for practices, games, and bonding, has been replaced by a quarantine order that will be active until at least May 15. Perhaps the most hard-hit by this situation in the Townsend Harris sports community are the seniors, who had their wishes of a farewell season cut short. Regardless of the adversities and unfortunate circumstances, seniors are still determined to bounce back by finding ways to adapt and make the best out of the situation at hand.

The seniors and their respective coaches are understandably upset by the outcome of this season, however they refuse to be defeated. Many seniors are trying to move on and stay in shape. Senior Vivian Chen of the girls’ wres-

tling team stated that she is “working out at home and getting the exercise through home workouts”. In addition, while discussing the possibility of goals she set for herself in the new offseason, she said, “Some new goals I plan on setting are just learning to exercise on my own and to motivate myself… Since I’m graduating this year, I felt that it was important to learn how to work out myself and motivate myself.”

Senior Noah Pearlstein and math teacher Kevin Claesgens, captain and coach of the boys’ tennis team, respectively, find that though the events had hit their team hard, they remain positive for the future. Noah stated, “The cancellation of the spring season has been extremely tough. I felt as if we had a real chance to compete … Though, I am hopeful that the underclassmen can carry the torch.”

16 teams set to return for the spring season

By Kristen Zhou ‘21 April 6, 2021

After the return of sports was announced on March 8, many were left with questions about what this would look like for Townsend Harris. On March 27, Athletic Director Lauren Caiaccia sent out an email detailing which sports would return, possible locations for practice, and the necessary steps and forms needed to join any given team. This condensed spring season will not run until mid-June.

According to the email, 16 sports teams from the fall, winter, and spring seasons will return. These sports include boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, girls swimming, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls handball, baseball, softball, and fencing. Each sport was followed by a list of possible locations that will be available for teams to practice at. Some of the locations included Kissena Park, Pomonok Playground, Cunningham Park, Main Street Park, and the Townsend

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Harris gym. “I want to emphasize that this is a very large offering, and we ([administrators], [Athletic Director], and coaches) will do the best that we can, and we will need to coordinate with many constituents (security, custodians, attendance, permits, etc),” said Ms. Caiaccia.

Offering 16 teams was not an easy feat and required the coordination of many, including Principal Brian Condon and Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee. The process of selecting which sports to offer also involved many variables.

According to Ms. Caiaccia, primary concerns included location and space, where teams could practice and possibly compete; coach availability, which coaches would be willing and able to return.

Ms. Caiaccia also said, “PSAL was not offering any form of JV programs, and they were only allowing general track and field.”

Ms. Caiaccia’s email also included instructions for joining a team, as well as four forms that studentathletes must complete.

Girls Swim Team seniors reflect on last four years

The 2021-2022 THHS Girls Swim Team

By Madeline Cannon ‘23 and Ryann Plaisir ‘24 November 8, 2021

On October 27, the Townsend Harris Girls Varsity Swim team had their last swim meet of the regular season. The event, referred to as Senior Night, commemorated the last home game of every attending PSAL sports team. This year’s seniors are Kaitlyn Chung, Faith Grinion, and captains Crystal Lin, Raquel Mulakandov, Elon Orr, and Sophia Park.

The senior swimmers were presented with gifts from the underclassmen on the team to thank them for their contributions throughout the last four years. They were given cards with individualized messages from each swimmer, personalized Crocs, and matching green, heartshaped sunglasses.

After their win against Bayside High School on October 26, with a score of 49-43, the team qualified for playoffs. Later, on October 28, the team competed against Hunter College High School in their playoff game. Although the team lost by a score of 31-55, the team was ultimately able to place second in the PSAL Queens A Division, after Francis Lewis High School and Benjamin Cardozo H.S. who tied for first place. Throughout this season, every senior has broken their personal swimming records as well.

As these seniors reached the

end of their time on the THHS swim team, they looked back on the time they dedicated to the team. “[There was] always such high energy and anticipation at each race so I’ll definitely miss it,” said Kaitlyn. Similarly, Faith said, “I’m definitely going to miss cheering for my team during each race because supporting them during their events brings the team together. I am going to miss those bonding moments the most.”

Raquel said the team traditions that she will miss the most are “[the] senior meet, senior relay, team picnic, [and] singing in the locker room after a win.”

Regarding the team’s accomplishments, Sophia said, “The team has had its ups and downs over the years. Our team used to be the Borough Champions for 10+ years, but it hasn’t been that way recently, but I know that in the upcoming years, the team can improve greatly and get back to that level.”

The swim team captains also reflected on their experiences leading the team. Raquel said, “I, along with the other captains, created line-ups for every meet, organized car rides, created sets and workouts, and always had to assure that everything was orderly.” Crystal also said that “the adjustment period for new swimmers was a bit stressful at times, but nevertheless, [she] couldn’t be more proud of them and their success within the season.” Sophia said, “I didn’t realize

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAYNAH SHARIFF ‘23

how hard it really was to be captain and get everyone in order, but it helped me to work closely with the other captains, helping to grow our friendships.”

As for advice for underclassmen and prospective members, Kaitlyn said, “The season goes by in the blink of an eye, so make sure to always have fun and cherish every practice and meet. Also, remember that swimming isn’t only about how fast you are but how you can contribute to the team as a whole.”

“This team is a great commitment, so if you plan on joining, make sure you’re willing to put all the time and effort to make this team great, while still creating amazing memories,” Faith concluded. But then, after we lost the first round we started chanting crazy for the second, and all of a sudden people were chanting for our team – even those who weren’t on it. We got closer and closer to winning, catching up by the last round, and our defense was just insane. After we traversed the final rung, everyone was just jumping up and down.”

“The robot did things towards the end that I don’t think they were able to do in the beginning. I think that in the first couple of matches I was watching it only do the low goal and then suddenly the high goal,” Ms. Brustein said. “I didn’t know that they were prepared to do that, so once they did that it changed our game of play.”

Many of these articles are excerpted. Read the full versions online at thhsclassic.com

SPORTS

The 2021-2022 THHS Boys Badminton Team

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN CAIACCIA

Boys Badminton Team defeats Stuyvesant to win PSAL Championship

By Ryan Eng ‘22 November 16, 2021

Earlier this evening, the Boys Varsity Badminton Team defeated Stuyvesant High School 3-2 to win the PSAL championship.

A high stakes affair for the Badminton team, it was the first time the team had won the title.

In their previous history, the team had never made it through to the second round of the playoffs.

Leading up to the finals, the Boys Varsity team had enjoyed an unprecedented regular season, coming back from last year’s modified pandemic season to earn two impressive wins against Hunter.

However, the catalyst for the Badminton Team’s growth would come after their two defeats against Bronx Science, one of which they were narrowly edged by a score of 3-2.

In describing the impact of the loss, senior captain Justin Luu said, “this loss was a big wake up call for us but it allowed us to work on making the adjustments and improvements necessary to advance in the playoffs.”

Ultimately, the team placed second in their division, with a regular season record of 8-2.

Then on the road to the finals, the team defeated New Utrecht and Franklin D Roosevelt High School in the first and second

round of the playoffs respectively without dropping any games.

“The players on the team push themselves each practice. If we are in the gym working on skills, or in the weight room working on strength and conditioning, the team gives it their all each and every day,” said Matthew Lemanczyk, coach of the Badminton team, while summarizing the team’s season.

In recalling the season overall, senior captain Justin Luu said, “This season has been an incredible ride to experience so far. I don’t think anyone on the team expected this level of success considering how the previous year was shut down due to Covid, but the fact that we have been able to rebound back stronger than ever has been amazing to witness. I am extremely proud of all the hard work, effort, and time that we have put in as a team during practices and games to make our dreams a reality.”

Reflecting on the team’s success this season, senior captain Wilson Chu said, “This season, we have gone way further than my expectations. I am personally really proud and grateful of everyone we have on our team.

We all have come a long way and this year’s season was definitely unexpected.”

“Reaching the finals and bringing a banner back home

This season has been an incredible ride to experience so far. I don’t think anyone on the team expected this level of success considering how the previous year was shut down due to Covid, but the fact that we have been able to rebound back stronger than ever has been amazing to witness. I am extremely proud of all the hard work, effort, and time that we have put in as a team during practices and games to make our dreams a reality.

Justin Luu Class of 2022

has always been the team’s dream this entire season, and it’s thrilling to be able to make this dream come alive. I don’t think it has even hit me yet how fast this season is coming to a close, but looking back on it, being able to reach the finals this year and win the championship has been a wonderful journey,” added Justin.

Regardless of their championship win, senior captain Spencer Zou was also quick to point out the team’s growth this season.

“It has definitely been a comeback season. We lost twice against Bronx Science and it was a crushing blow as we had been undefeated before then.

Despite these defeats, however, we have managed to make it to city championships without losing a single set in playoffs,” added Spencer prior to the match.

“The ‘X-factor’ for the team’s success this year is the senior leadership. Our captains, Spencer, Wilson, and Justin set the tone for each practice and they lead by example,” said Mr. Lemanczyk.

Reflecting on the reason behind their success, Spencer said, “I think our team chemistry has definitely contributed the most to our success. Everyone is very comfortable with each other and we are a very closely knit group. Having a supportive team that you know you can

trust and rely on to show up to games and practices to cheer you on is really helpful mentally and emotionally.”

“They poured their blood and sweat into spending so much of their free time practicing but due to covid, they lost their opportunity to showcase their skills.

The seniors are all definitely very grateful for having this opportunity and having the chance to put a banner up is simply insane to even think about. I am so grateful for this journey.”

With the season concluded, those who will remain on the team for future seasons are motivated to build on this result.

“My goals are to maintain this camaraderie and to simply train more. Training isn’t just training.

The fact that we are together brings us together even more.

It’s not pushing people to work harder and improve. The amount of fun that we have motivates us to work harder,” said sophomore Jie Xuan Tang.

“For future members of the badminton team, I would just like to say that this team is more than just a regular sports team.

We’re a family. We create and share great memories on this team and we all help each other when in need. So, commit to the team. Time goes by fast when you’re having fun,” Wilson concluded in a final message to the team.

Spring 2022

SPORTS

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Mayor de Blasio suspends PSAL activities indefinitely amid Coronavirus panic

By Amir Baig ‘21 March 13, 2020

On Thursday, March 12, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all after school programs are suspended until further notice. The mayor’s statement said, “Non-essential, non-instructional activities [will be] altered… That includes PSAL activities, games, and practices…” This news came right after many teams in Townsend Harris began the spring season. The decision to suspend athletics indefinitely produced an array of reactions from teams, especially senior members.

The spring season represents a senior’s final season competing in the PSAL and its suspension carries considerable weight for them. Senior Joe Guartan, a member of boys’ volleyball, said, “I am really bummed out with the decision because my teammates and I were really looking forward to this season. Hopefully [the mayor] will allow us to participate in our activities soon.”

Co-captain of the girls’ flag football team and senior Kelsey Zhen also weighed in on the decision. “[I feel that] PSAL sports should be continued. I really hope that it resumes as soon as possible because these experiences only happen once in a

lifetime as a senior,” she said.

“As a senior, I know that I’ve practiced for years to get better, so that now, we can sh o w o t h ers the same love that we’ve adopted for our sport.” Senior member of the baseball team Nile Johnson echoed these sentiments, sayi n g , “ E v - The 2020 Flag Football team, whose season was cut short by the closing of spring PSAL sports PHOTO COURTESY OF SAVANAH SCLAFANI ‘20 ery year you see a group of players leave pointed that our season was in- “Although it is above my author- season has disappointed mathe game, putting everything terrupted so abruptly. I was re- ity to make these decisions, we ny athletes around Townsend they have, and dealing with the ally looking forward to the sea- need to make sure that our ath- Harris. fact it’s their last chance to play son and growing as a part of the letes are informed about the However, the athletes uncompetitively again.” However, team.” situation so they know how to derstand the reality of the situNile acknowledged, “[Mayor De Kanny also noted that with the handle it. Our priority is to make ation and agree that their health Blasio] definitely made the right season being suspended, she sure we don’t jeopardize our should be the number one prioricall. At the end of the day, health now has “more free time to fo- athletes and coaches.” When ty. The news also hasn’t discourcomes first.” cus on schoolwork and APs, as asked about how the athletic aged them from looking forward For non-seniors, the news of well as relax and get rid of some department will be moving for- to activities potentially being resuspension still impacts them stress.” ward, Ms. Caiaccia said, “It’s sumed. “I can still see my senior greatly. Junior Kanny Ho Fang, Athletic Director Lauren Cai- just something we will have to moment… Hopefully it’s on a a member of the girls’ badmin- accia also commented on the take day by day.”’ scalding hot June day with the ton team said that, “I’m disap- suspension. Ms. Caiaccia said, Suspending the PSAL spring playoffs on the line,” said Nile.

Phys ed teachers transition to teaching fitness remotely

By Ariana Vernon ‘21, Amir Baig ‘21, Andrew Mak ‘21, and Dylan Samuel ‘21 April 3, 2020

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the shutdown of New York City schools, teachers transitioned to using remote learning. Most classes don’t have a problem with this, as Google Classroom has always been a major resource for teachers to communicate with their students.

However, physical education teachers face a new challenge: transitioning to remote learning in the absence of a structured physical education (PE) class.

The sudden change to remote learning means that PE teachers now have to create lesson plans through a virtual platform. This,

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unfortunately, removes the student/teacher interactions that physical education highly values. Despite these changes, teachers have been able to find ways to teach their lessons online.

Athletic Director and PE teacher Ms. Caiaccia said, “Currently, I am using Google Classroom as my primary means of communication. This may evolve as time goes by, but for now, it is an efficient and effective tool.”

Google Classroom has become a source for PE teachers to convey their lessons and the “value” of exercising at home.

Ms. Assante, the aerobics and health teacher, has also been assigning her students their work through Google Classroom.

One of her students, junior Jaida Boodram said, “Ms. Assante

has assigned articles about how to keep mentally healthy during these times, and workouts to do that require questions, which is some sort of reflection to be done after.”

Senior Emily Yan thinks her assignments are beneficial in helping students stay active. “I feel that this is an adequate way of making sure that students are staying fit by giving easy workout videos to follow at home,” said Emily.

Mr. Bermudez, another health and Physical Education teacher, gave his students workout reflections that they have to complete three times a week.

Each reflection contains four questions, such as “what did you do today?” or “how intense were your workouts?” Junior Natalie Villacres says she pre-

fers this method of learning more than working out in class. “I actually like working out at home because for a lot of people it’s never really comfortable working out in front of others, like how we do in school. So, it’s much easier to push myself and feel comfortable exercising when I’m home and get to do it on my own schedule,” she said.

Other PE teachers have taken a different approach.

Ms. Figelman, who teaches weight training, said, “I created a new Instagram account [so] you can see where I will be posting different types of workouts, and they can use these videos as a reference.” This Instagram page is a public account that students can access anytime.

When asked about class expectations, junior Anil Singh

said, “Ms. Figelman posts weekly workouts that we have to do twice a week. We then have to record ourselves and submit the videos.”

Ms. Figelman also advised that her students workout and alleviate their stress for the next few months while also enjoying fitness.

Even on such short notice, Physical Education teachers have been able to maintain a connection with their students in order to teach their lessons and make sure they stay fit.

As Mr. Lemanczyk put it, “We are encouraged to stay inside and isolate, but there is no reason we can’t continue to exercise and take care of the body and mind. Fitness and exercise is essential to living a life of wellness and happiness.”