The Classic, June 2019, Vol 35, No 5

SPECIAL FEATURE

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SPRING PLAY

2019 Valedictorian/Salutatorian

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SPORTS AWARDS

The Wiz makes its debut

Two students who have achieved at the highest levels at Townsend Harris sit down with our reporter to discuss their time in high school, their plans for college and beyond, and the advice they have for underclassmen who are making their way to senior year.

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MVPs named at ceremony

An inside look at the spring musical that the Townsend Harris players performed in early April.

A photospread from both evening shows provides highlights from the memorable event.

At this year’s sports awards dinner, two students received the night’s highest honors, while a large group of other THHS athletes were honored for their achievements in the past school year.

THE CLASSIC TOWNSEND HARRIS HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENS COLLEGE

thhsclassic.com

• June 2019 •

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No. 05 | Vol. 35

Administration to student body: no pass for racism

Use of a social media “N-Word” Pass sparks a larger conversation about race at Townsend Harris Page 02

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NEWS

Above is a screenshot from one of the resources that Principal Condon shared with students in his May 8 letter to the community.

N-Word Pass controversy leads to administrative intervention

By Isabelle Guillaume Editor-in-Chief

E

arlier this May, a Townsend Harris student generated and shared an “N-word pass” that he used in order to justify the use of the N-word. Although the appearance of the N-word within the halls of Townsend Harris is not something new, the appearance of a pass such as this has raised awareness among the administration and influenced a response to discriminatory language within Townsend Harris.

Despite not knowing the full details of the situation, many students, especially of the African American community, felt offended by the pass’s existence. “I’m quite upset about the situation because of the blatant disrespect I’m seeing towards black people and our struggles,” said senior Tyler Conway. “The N-word is not ‘just a word,’ and whether or not black people choose to use it is none of your concern when you aren’t a part of the group of people affected by you using that word. An ‘N-word pass’ is a spit in the face to all our ancestors that have been harassed, ridiculed, and killed over that word, equating their trials and tribulations to a simple piece of paper— and that’s not okay.”

“Personally, I was annoyed at the situation because this has been a problem for a long time and [non-black students] know how the black community feels towards the situation, yet they continue with their actions,” added sophomore Givon Carter.

Other students, like junior Ashley Facey, see this as a regular occurrence in today’s society.

“I’m not surprised in the slightest. Ignorance will never cease to exist, and it’s sad to know that this is an issue in a school held with such high regard,” she said. “lt

The Classic

shows that our community isn’t as elite as everyone thinks it is.”

“Since I was a freshman, I’ve heard people use the N-word around me or to me, and if they were confronted about it, they’d either get quiet in fear because they knew that what they were doing was wrong, or justified their actions,” Tyler said. “Their justification is always either ‘It’s just a word’ (which it definitely isn’t), ‘My black friends say I can say it,’ or ‘I grew up in the hood, so I can say it.’ The last one particularly strikes a nerve with me because it’s disgusting that poverty is so commonly considered synonymous with black people.”

On May 8, Principal Brian Condon released a letter to the school community titled “Respect for All.” Although the NYC DOE has recognized Townsend Harris as a Respect for All School of Distinction for 2019, Principal Condon explained that the creation of a pass such as this within the school community is unacceptable, particularly given that title.

“In order to continue to live up to this honor, it is important that we remain vigilant and actively address behaviors that are contrary to our community values. Sadly, I have learned that examples of disrespectful, insensitive, and bigoted materials have been circulating on social media among some members of our school community.

This material is especially harmful to our African-American students,” Principal Condon wrote.

“Let me be clear, there is no such thing as an ‘N-Word Pass’. No member of our community should be printing, distributing, or requesting, in writing, online or otherwise, that they be given such a pass.”

To conclude the letter, Principal Condon attached resources regarding the discussion of the impact of discrimination and discriminatory language.

For about a week and a half, the guidance department made visits to freshman writing process classes in response to the situation. According to teachers, the guidance counselors showed a video called “Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday Lynching in the 1930s”, which featured some graphic images of lynching and burning bodies, in order to show the hurt surrounding the word due to its tie to history. In addition, they facilitated a discussion among students regarding ethnic slurs and the feelings they induce.

“We talked about the history and how much hate and emotion and sadness it brings up in people and to just remember that,” said guidance counselor Sara Skoda.

“We also talked about just being allies: learning what to do when you’re put in a situation if… you’re with a friend or you see a meme where this ‘N-word pass’ is again out there— What do you do? How do you handle it? How would you address that situation?”

The administration hopes to extend these guidance visits to the rest of the grades, as well as to embed these discussions into next year’s freshmen orientation.

Principal Condon said, “When students come into the building right in the beginning of the year, we’re going to immediately address this particular issue, but just the larger issue of biased language and how that impacts your classmates.”

Besides through guidance counselor visits, discussion has flourished among the students, especially due to the efforts of the Black Excellence club. According to Black Excellence Club President senior Safiatu Diagana, the club has talked to Principal Condon about the discomfort experienced by the black community at THHS when non-black students say the N-word. “I think the reason why we started discussing

was because when we found out about the number of black students (7) who got into elite high schools, it was not shocking but rather disappointing to us,” she explained.

“From there, the club started to talk about how people within our schools and even other schools have said racist remarks about how that number is accurate since black students don’t study as much and don’t deserve to get into these schools.”

“I did have a meeting with the Black Excellence club, and we talked about what their experience was here,” said Principal Condon. “They talked about different issues that were going on, things they had experienced. I said, ‘We’re going to take some steps to deal with this, but it’s a sensitive issue and I need to be careful about it.’ So I made them a promise that I would directly address it.”

Givon added, “We talked about the reactions towards Principal Condon’s letter and hope for a change of heart in those who disagreed with the letter’s statement.”

“The overall take from the kids [from the Black Excellence club] was that they don’t think other kids are necessarily doing it to be harmful,” explained Principal Condon. “It was more out of ignorance….”

“I think because of what we see in the culture, whether it’s through music or social media, kids are getting all sorts of messages that are very confusing, and they’re seeing people use this word or some variation on this word,” he concluded.

“I think it’s lessened its meaning when you just throw it around casually and I think that we don’t want any biased language in the school at all, but this particular instance in this particular instantiation of bias is particularly pernicious and has to be addressed specifically.”

“N-WORD PASS CONTROVERSY” OPINIONS

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We invited members of the Black Excellence Club to share their opinons on this controversy. Below are two members’ thoughts.

On being black at It’s not just a Townsend Harris color

By Cailin Bell Guest Writer

By Danielle Chan Guest Writer

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eing black at Townsend Harris is something that is somewhat peculiar.

In most of my classes, I am one out of two black students, and it is evident that the black population at this school is low.

Thus, my experience and perspective of this school is different from that of people of other races who attend THHS, and I feel obligated to shed light on what THHS is like for me.

Adjusting to THHS was challenging for me. Admittedly, the transition between middle school and high school is difficult for almost anyone, but personally, the level of difficulty was increased by the culture shock that I faced.

I grew up in almost completely black schools for every school year until THHS, and my elementary and middle school placed a heavy focus on black history and had serious conversations with the students on what it is like to be black in America.

My experiences in my previous schools made me extremely comfortable with my skin color and sometimes made me forget that there was a world outside of its walls with people of other races and cultures.

When I got to THHS and no longer fit in simply due to my race, I felt like an outsider and felt that I had to completely monitor everything I did in order to not be known as the “ghetto black girl.”

Thus, I felt like I wasn’t completely being myself, and I felt like I had two personalities - one in school and one out of school.

I was hyper-aware of the fact that in most classes I was the only black person in the room, and I was shocked when people didn’t know things like the Black National Anthem and who Sojourner Truth was.

I would hear (and still continue to hear) people of other races freely saying the N-word around me.

This put me in uncomfortable situations where I usually had to choose between standing up for what I believe in by telling people not to say that word, or being the angry black girl that black women are portrayed as and potentially losing someone who I thought was a friend.

The adjustment was so difficult that I even considered transferring out of THHS my freshman year.

However, over time, I began to realize that my culture and my race are more accepted than I initially thought, and now I am a lot more appreciative of the fact that I go to THHS. Although Townsend Harris isn’t perfect, I am proud of the steps that are being taken, such as Principal Condon’s new policy regarding preventing discrimination, to make people of all races and backgrounds feel included and respected.

In the future, I hope that this school will become more diverse, but the path that it is currently taking makes me optimistic for the coming times.

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o be black within the walls of Townsend Harris High School, is both simple yet complicated. To many other students, this topic does not need to be discussed because “being black isn’t any different from other races.”

To many other students, this topic is trivial, nonessential and definitely does not require focus; rather, we should focus on the testing schedule and the mental health of all students. Yet, it is because of sentiments like these and silence towards this issue, that I write this article to demonstrate how being black in Townsend Harris High School is an experience worth mentioning.

Within the senior grade alone, there are 16 black students, including myself.

But at least there are sixteen of us since there could be less and we should be thankful that such a number even exists.

Yet, the issue lies within this number and the feeling that the 16 of us are held as “representatives” and “symbolic figures” for those who weren’t fortunate enough to be accepted into Townsend Harris. Speaking as one of those sixteen, I feel the pressure to excel, to constantly push myself in order to fulfill this image and ensure that I am not seen as another black student, but as a black student who was able to get into Townsend Harris, the top high school in New York State.

Seeing the sixteen of us reminds me that there are never many of us in schools like these and because of that, we are held to this belief of being “lucky” and “fortunate.”

Countless times I have looked around my classroom and noticed the faces of my fellow classmates. Countless times I have noticed that I am but one of the three or four black students in the class and again, I become disheartened by these numbers. It has become a routine to count and it is this routine that differentiates us from other students within the school.

Little actions from noticing the amount of black students in the room to asking myself if it would be appropriate to raise a certain topic because I don’t see enough people who can relate to my experience brought forth the startling realization that my experience as a black student in Townsend Harris has been reduced to being another number.

Attending Townsend Harris is not a drawback nor could I have imagined myself attending another high school for four years. However, I feel that it is important to note that being a black student in this school is an experience worth mentioning. I have never gone through my high school years as a high school student but rather as one defined by their blackness.

It may seem easy to ignore but it becomes hard to do so when everyday walks among the crowds reminds you of this difference. For me, being black in Townsend Harris is not just the color of my skin, but rather, my identity and my life.

Two members of The Classic’s sports department sent the following opinion piece for publication in response to the administration’s handling of the controversy

Administrative reaction too strong?

By Hritamber Chakraborty and Kunchaka Fonseka Sports Editors

On May 8, Principal Condon sent out a letter to all Townsend Harris students. He also requested and was granted publication on The Classic website of a statement he wrote regarding the concept of an “N-word pass.”

After a discussion with the Black Excellence Club, Principal Condon decided that his statement and administrative action would combat “disrespectful, insensitive, and bigoted” uses of the N-word.

His letter called for a reflection of communal values and condemned the N-word as “harmful” and “unacceptable in any circumstance.” Principal Condon stated that he would have the guidance staff take actions to “educate” Harrisites about “the negative impact of discrimination and discriminatory language.”

What we found appalling in this situation was that Principal June 2019

Condon found it necessary to take administrative action to address an issue that represents one isolated incident of immaturity from a few freshmen.

This should not warrant a written proclamation to the school about holding onto our clear and universal values of equality.

These values have not been renounced or besmirched, and we do not need to be reminded of the constitution of our school in a manner that blows situations way out of proportion. It is already understood that the use of racial slurs as a disparaging statement should not be tolerated in any sense, especially in a school setting.

There is no denying the history of racism, bigotry, and hate toward minorities, especially African-Americans, in the United States.

But does this juvenile scheme

require the whole school to be vigilantes for racism as if it thrives in the school? The repercussions of such ‘watchdog’ tactics have led to the intervening of the guidance department in freshman writing process classes in hopes of annihilating racism at its core.

What ostensibly seems to be practical in nature turned out to be pernicious as the freshmen were presented with footage showing images of lynching, violence, and racism. How could one put so much emphasis on isolated social media posts by connecting them to the atrocities that plagued the Jim Crow era?

What this attempts to solve or what values this inculcates in the Townsend Harris community is puzzling. “We will meet this challenge as we always do: by educating,” wrote Principal Condon, but showing obscene images and rehashing the wounds of the past

serves little to no purpose. A few students who do not represent the student body should not be met with a response that is far greater than the action being tried.

The school’s ultimate goal should be to cultivate an environment that reinforces ideas of respect, humility, and compassion while furnishing a stellar education in which students are allowed to think freely and express their thoughts.

Due to this incident, the school faculty is going to have meetings to “address the issue,” and the principal even went to the extent of posting a link to the American Psychological Association’s “Discussing Discrimination” article. Acting as if racism is a newly found epidemic that must be quarantined seems to be unfounded and the ways this have been already employed seem impractical.

We believe Townsend Harris students cherish their school’s values and this N-word pass situation will not make us perceive otherwise.

This is not a challenge that the school is facing but rather adds to one that is brewing in a world that seems ever so emotionally charged.

By sending these documents, it implies that the student body is ignorant of these issues, while this ignorance is only found within a small group of students.

This does not call for a mission to re-educate the entirety of the student body since this nword pass was not a school-wide issue. Issues like this should be extensively thought out before making such bold propositions as they reflect poorly on the administration’s judgment.

The Classic

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June 2019

The Classic

NEWS

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Saying Goodbye: 2019 Retirees E

By Carly Hu, Amrin Rahman and Bindu Koyi Features Editors and News Editor

nglish teacher Judy Biener, school aide Karen Drwal, and college office/ guidance secretary Tina Marie Kendall are all retiring from their positions at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.

Ms. Kendall began working at THHS in September of 2005, originally as the purchasing secretary. She later filled the role as the college office secretary before becoming secretary of both the college office and guidance. Some of Ms. Kendall’s most prominent responsibilities included organizing and submitting college application supporting documents, such as student transcripts, high school profiles, and counselor recommendations, and coordinating college related affairs.

Guidance counselor Jeremy Wang described Ms. Kendall as “a very efficient and experienced guidance/ college secretary” with a role that “will be difficult to fill.” Guidance counselor Jessica Graf, who has worked with Ms. Kendall for less than a year, added, “I was so grateful to work with her because she’s super organized and helpful.

I probably asked her 10 questions a day, every day, and she never grew impatient or frustrated.”

Fellow guidance counselor Sara Skoda agreed with Ms. Graf and discussed how Ms. Kendall not only helped her students, but also her colleagues. “She has great

advice, and I always know that I can go to her and ask her anything and she will help put things into so much perspective for me.

She also knows when the office needs to stop and take a much needed break, so she will gather us all together and celebrate a birthday in the office, and bake something special, so it becomes a great opportunity to spend time together,” Ms. Skoda explained.

As for future plans, Ms. Kendall plans to “relax, take some art classes and volunteer with organizations that help individuals facing deportation, such as Legal Aid.” English teacher Ms. Biener will also not be returning to THHS

Guidance secretary Tina Marie Kendall | Katrina Dydzuhn

in her power to make [her students] feel better.” Anna also expressed how Ms. Biener held “interactive lessons” that “tried to connect everything [students] learned to [them] and [their] lives.”

Freshman Medina Jule felt that Ms. Biener “was very different from [her] other teachers” in that “she managed to make [students] so happy and joyful every class [they] had with her, and rarely did that mood change. She was eager to teach and clearly she loved doing what she did.”

School aide Karen Drwal has worked in multiple departments at the school for over a decade.

She has worked in the library, the nurse’s office, the music department, the guidance office, and for much of her time, the humanities department.

Speaking about her time at THHS, Ms. Drwal said, “Ill miss my co-workers. I got to know everyone really well. We are friends. Everyone here works

“One of Ms. Biener’s students, freshman Anna Mirer, described Ms. Biener as understanding, and someone who would ‘do anything in her power to make [her students] feel better.’

Freshman Medina Jule felt that Ms. Biener ‘managed to make [students] so happy and joyful every class [they] had with her, and rarely did that mood change.’”

Mr. Wang recalled that during “the past few of [his] birthday celebrations, [Ms. Kendall] baked a peanut butter cake [for him].”

Ms. Kendall reflected upon her years at THHS fondly. She said, “I will miss the friends I have made in the building and engaging with the students,” and added that some of her favorite memories at the school have been made during the senior trips. “It was so much fun to spend the weekend with students and staff and seeing the students have a great time.”

in the fall. She began working at THHS in 1988, launching her career as an English teacher.

English teacher Brian Brewer spoke of his fondest memory of Ms. Biener, which was her annual “Christmas enthusiasm.” “She would wear her jingle bells and go from classroom to classroom on the 4th floor and sing Christmas carols,” he said.

One of Ms. Biener’s students, freshman Anna Mirer, described Ms. Biener as understanding, and someone who would “do anything

Judy Biener | Crimson & Gold

as a team. Teamwork is nice. We support each other and help each other. It’s a good feeling.”

Overall, she feels that this job has changed her: “Working has really stretched me and helped me grow as a person. I have come to look at things from different angles, and it has helped me in problem solving.”

Ms. Kendall, Ms. Drwal and Ms. Biener will be greatly missed by students and faculty at THHS,

Seekers holds charity relay for Beekman

By Jacqueline Woo and Julia Jinu Layout Editor and Staff Writer

On Friday, May 3, the Seekers Club held its annual charity event. This year’s event was Relay for Beekman, an obstacle relay race held to raise money for A House on Beekman, a local organization dedicated to supporting children and families in the South Bronx by providing them with long-term care and services.

“We make our charity event new every year in order to keep it fresh and original,” stated senior and vice president Christopher

The Classic

Thomas. “Last year, we made cards and raised money through selling them, and the year before that we had a bracelet making contest, etc. Each board member helps in coming up with the event, and this year we were interested in doing an obstacle course.”

Admission for the event was $5.00 per person; alternatively, participants could ask sponsors to make donations for A House on Beekman. “Under the guidance of Ms. Fee, we learned that we could raise more money by directly asking students for donations ins-

tead of selling products like greeting cards or bracelets like we did in previous years,” stated Lucy Yang, a senior and co-president of Seekers. “Donations in the form of admission fees and sponsorships worked for this purpose. We wanted to host a unique event for the school that was low-cost for Seekers but could raise the most money for the charity, and we decided that Relay for Beekman was the perfect balance.”

Freshman Johan Rengifo, one of the participants of the event, remarked, “I occasionally come to Seekers, so when I heard about

the event, I wanted to go support my friends. I had a good experience, the games they had were fun and it was for a good cause.”

Senior Kaitlyn Wu agreed, saying, “It was very well organized and a lot of fun.”

Relay participants competed in teams of four to earn as many points as possible. Among the activities that the teams engaged in were “Bird Box,” where a blindfolded player was guided by his/ her teammates through a path of hula hoops, and “Pop Up,” where team members had to keep a balloon in the air using their arms,

leg, or head while maintaining a square formation. Additional points were given if team members wore Seekers apparel.

The winning team consisted of seniors Barry Hui, TJ Patel, Akash Persaud, and Paul Rambharose. They were awarded a $50.00 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card. The second and third place winners received donuts and munchkins. Akash commented, “I had a really great time with my friends. It was also great to know that my entrance fee went to a charity.”

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NEWS HARRISFEST RETURNED THIS SPRING

By Yadira Gonzalez Staff Writer

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Water station install stalled

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he latest Harrisfest took place on April 17. This show consisted of a variety of acts ranging from dancers, singers, and instrumentalists as well as some acts that you don’t see every day. All ticket proceeds were donated to help provide clean water to the people of Ethiopia.

The show began with seniors Oluwafisayo Adeoye and Amanda Vialva performing their rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Give Me Love. This was followed by the much anticipated Flibbon FON performance led by seniors Nathan Fredere and Ralph Rodriguez, which introduced a fusion of Filipino and Chinese culture. Several dancers performed to various genres such as rap and Latin pop. Singers performed covers, some alongside instrumentalists, and there was even a performance of an original song titled Make It by junior Usha Sookai. The show was concluded with a solo dance by junior and Harrisfest organizer Annlin Su to Travis Scott’s Sicko Mode.

“As a fellow performer, I understand how exhilarating it is to perform on stage, and so, I wanted to give students another chance to share their unique talents,” Annlin said. “Not only can students share their talents and passions, but they can also help raise money for charity and give back to the community.”

Sophomore and performer Anika Rahman enjoyed the opportunity that Harrisfest gave her to perform her spoken word poem, This Poem is for You. The poem focused on the topic of anxiety and she wanted “to express what many students and [herself ] go through.” Anika stated, “I wanted to open up the conversation to new audiences.”

Freshman Daniel Song participated in multiple performances as a singer. “Practicing with friends is something I really enjoy… The people I performed with all did their part and it made things go rather smoothly.”

One performer that stuck out to many was sophomore Angie Delgado. Angie’s act was a combination of playing on her recorder and singing Car Seat Headrest’s Sober to Death. Many were surprised once Angie started to play the flute with her nose. “It was meant to be more of a funny ‘what if ’ joke when I learned that I could play full songs by nose earlier in the school year,” Angie stated. “Then the last day of Harrisfest signups rolled around and I didn’t have an actual act ready, so at 4:00 in the morning, the last day, I decided to just go with the recorder performance on impulse.”

Despite the rather low turnout last year, organizers still wanted to continue the tradition of Harrisfest. “I saw the potential in Harrisfest and knew that if given a couple more tries, it would be a successful event that everyone would love,” said Annlin.

Angie expressed much enthusiasm for next year, stating, “I’m definitely joining Harrisfest next year, no question… all I’m going to need is an act to top this past one!”

The tradition of Harrisfest seems to be making a comeback, as the arrival appears to be a success.

June 2019

By Nikki Ng and Victoria Oei Managing Editors

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The Brita filters pictured above have been in the school since the winter and are awaiting installation | Amanpreet Kaur

n February, Townsend Harris received four Brita water refill stations through a grant issued by the Filter for a Future Grant Program. Due to several setbacks, the date for the installation has yet to be determined.

According to custodian Gary Viola, who works for the Division of School Facilities (DSF) and initiated the installation, the delay can be attributed to the unconfirmed source of funding.

Viola said that he is “waiting to see where the funding is coming from.”

He also states that the Department of Education (DOE) is responsible for providing a team to perform the installation.

“The process is they come in, and they need to survey the installation,” he said. “They’ll pick a contractor. They’ll pick a licensed plumber to do the install.”

However, Assistant Principal Ellen Fee, who applied for the grant, maintains that the DSF is responsible for funding the installation and believes Mr. Viola understood as much prior to the arrival of the water stations.

Principal Brian Condon clarified the process stating that “it is under the auspices of the DOE, but it would be done by someone else.” Specifically, because it is not a

typical upgrade, the job requires a vendor or contractor to come in and do the installation.

In terms of funding, the money could come from multiple sources such as the school budget, a grant, a donation, or a request through the Department of School Facilities.

“On the surface it is what seems to be a very simple exercise,” said Mr. Condon.

Principal Condon also reports that the Alumni Association has offered to donate money towards the installation; however, the exact cost remains undetermined.

Additionally, issues and concerns from DSF regarding filters for the water stations arose.

“The units will not continue to work with old filters in it, and you have to have access to water,” said Condon. “They want us to make sure we have an ample supply of filters that the school would have to pay for… I don’t know how much the filters cost [or] how long they can go before they need to be replaced.”

In short, the exact date the installation will be processed remains uncertain due to various complications, but we can expect progress over the summer and completion by the end of the year.

“Principal Condon also reports that the Alumni Association has offered to donate money towards the installation; however, the exact cost remains undetermined.”

The Classic

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

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English selectives embrace curricular freedom in the classroom

Selectives give sophmores a chance to choose what they learn about in English class. | Jasmine Shum

By Samantha Alzate and Julianna Zitron “Selective lly able to gain more skills that Editor-in-Chief and News Editor courses, although you’ll be able to use in college his school year, the like your own way of studying, focused around English department your own way of contributing to introduced a new type the class.” a fixed theme, of class for sophomoEnglish selectives are straying res. These courses, referred to as away from the traditional tenth have allowed for selectives, are based on a variety grade English curriculum, inof topics including film, theater, corporating works of nonfiction changes to the the study of self, and more. For and esteemed works of literatuprevious English the upcoming 2019-2020 school re. This course presents students year there will be more options with the necessary skills and inthree and four available that revolve around a formation for the transition into certain medium or theme. an AP English Literature or AP curriculum.

Selective courses, although English Language class. Sophofocused around a fixed theme, more Odalys Nunez, currently English teacher have allowed for changes to the taking The First-Person: Repreprevious English three and four sentations of Self selective, staKatherine Yan curriculum. ted, “We do a lot of essays, preEnglish teacher Katherine Yan and we read a lot of explained, ‘I can explained, “I can choose texts sentations, books.” These classes accommochoose texts that I that I think will interest students date to the interests of each stumore but also weave in ones that dent. Odalys can attest to this as think will interest I think are really important to she stated, “[English selectives] as well.” make it more interesting.” students more but discuss Despite this being the first Most sophomores have been year of English selectives, most able to see a difference between also weave in ones students have enjoyed their time their selective and a more tradiin the classroom. Students have tional English class. Sarah Aguiar that I think are learned skills that fit beyond the is one of the many sophomores in this setting. Sopho- who claim this to be true. Sarah really important classroom more Ifeoluwa Adedokun said, takes the autobiography and per“In Lost in New York, you’re able ception class, and stated, “Last to discuss as to take the class into [different year a lot of the things were dewell.’” directions]. Even the room is not termined by the teacher and the

T

a traditional setting. You’re rea-

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curriculum, but for this year,

we determined what we wanted to read and what we wanted to analyze about the reading.”

Dr. Brian Brewer finds that teaching a selective course has taught him that teachers “need to branch out in different directions,” as he was exposed to “a wider variety of texts, a wide variety of voices, and more of a global approach.”

With all of this in mind, rising sophomores were given more topics to choose from when picking their English course.

Whether you were interested in Harry Potter, drama, or even zombies, there is something to suit your interests. Freshman Chloe Muñoz decided on the All the World’s a Stage elective as her first choice. Having prior experience in theater, she thought that the class would “help me with stage fright because in [my current English] class I got very scared during my presentations.”

Most students like Chloe plan to take a selective that they would see themselves enjoying. This would further motivate them to do well in the class.

When choosing a selective, most students had a goal in mind. For Amelia, she stated, “I want to learn how to write bet-

ter. I know especially in the future humanities courses it’s going to be a struggle.”

However, there were students that were stuck when choosing selectives and electives.

This was a process the freshmen were not accustomed to.

Kate Romero stated, “I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. There were powerpoints but I didn’t know the type of environment of the class.”

After asking her peers, Kate chose the Harry Potter selective with the goal of improving her analytical skills.

With the great success of selectives this year, there is no doubt that students will continue to grow and gain necessary skills in their classroom.

Ifeoluwa stated, “I think [English selectives] are a good idea. This is way that America’s shaping out to be is with this type of classroom setting.”

Ms. Yan concluded, “I always think ‘what are students going to remember 10 years from now?’

They’re not going to remember all the characters from A Tale of Two Cities, but they will hopefully acquire a love for learning.

That’s why I try to find things that interest them.”

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2019-2020 Student Union Elections

By Angelina Jimenez and Savannah Sclafani Staff Writers

S This year’s MIST team | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Moran Chirino

Harrislam competes at MIST 2019

By Julia Jinu and Amrin Rahman Staff Writer and Features Editor

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n March 30 and 31 and April 6, the Townsend Harris Muslim Student Association (MSA) attended the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament New York (MIST NY) Competition at City College and Hunter College, placing third overall. The annual three-day tournament brings together Muslim and non-Muslim students alike to express creative thoughts and ideas, developing a deeper understanding of Islam through a series of competitive events.

This year’s theme was Honor in Humility, which was emphasized in speeches and competitions. Some of the competitions in MIST included Bracket Competitions, Arts, and Knowledge and Quran. The Bracket Competitions comprised of MIST Quiz Bowl, Brothers and Sisters Improv, Brothers and Sisters Nasheed (a vocal music competition), and more. Arts consisted of 2D and 3D art, fashion design, and photography, while the Knowledge and Quran competitions were tests based on books and Quran recitation, respectively.

A common theme in MIST is a sense of unity, which many Harrisities embraced at the competition. First-time participant sophomore Jerin Tasnim said, “With a great team or environment it really does start to feel like everyone is family. Everyone was so kind and being able to share a love for MIST brought people from our team together as well as people from other schools.”

Freshman Zarif Rahman remarked, “My favorite part of MIST was the orientation, where each team got to say their own chant and everyone got to ring bells and make noise.”

This year, Harrislam took home a number of awards in a variety of competitions, including Social Media, Knowledge Test, Sisters Improv, Photography, Math, and other categories.

Seniors Safiatu Diagana and Sohail Sookram placed second and third for the best individual competitors at MIST, respectively. Rabia Akram (junior) placed first in Knowledge Test 1; Sohail placed first in Knowledge Test 4; Nowshin Arif (senior), Filisa Mohabir (sophomore), Nabiha Zaman (senior), Zarif Rahman (freshman), June 2019

Atia Ahmed (senior), and Ilma Aamir (senior) placed first in social media; Maryam Rahman (junior) placed first in photography; Safiatu placed first in Spoken Word; Kunchaka Foneska (senior) placed first in Math Olympics, and many other students earned second and third for multiple other categories. One competitor out of the many who received an award was junior Afrida Khalid, who earned second for Knowledge Test 3.

She explained, “I was honestly very surprised that I placed for my competition because it was my first time competing and I didn’t think I did very well… Walking [to the stage], I felt very proud of myself and happy that I was able to represent my team.”

Not only were there a series of competitive events at MIST, but also a variety of educational workshops.

Senior Joseph Zhao commented, “I feel like one of the most important things that I learned from MIST was how to be a good person. At MIST there are workshops that we can attend, and one of them was about the concept of masculinity. In that workshop, the presenter was basically telling us how we, as young adults, need to learn how to fulfill the responsibilities we will have when we grow up to be men.”

Joseph also elaborated on how he was warmly embraced at MIST despite being a non-Muslim.

He explained, “It definitely made me feel a bit out of place at first. However, I was welcomed and greeted with open arms by everyone that I interacted with. It was a very loving environment for me to be in.”

Many students agreed that MIST is more than simply a competition.

Harrislam MIST Organizer Moonshath Haque stated, “MIST allows young Muslims to connect and express themselves, but more importantly, it gives them a platform to shed light on the true meaning of Islam by attempting to alleviate some of the stigma created about Muslims.”

Junior Hudaiba Khatri added, “The supportive and kind people I found [in MIST] are a blessing to have; the school pride that emerged is such an advantageous and powerful feeling. I can’t really encompass my feelings in words but I am definitely joining again next year and I strongly recommend anyone to do so too.”

ince March 25, students throughout the grades have been campaigning for one of the 12 spots on the SU board. With the help of music videos, posters and the occasional meme, 19 students have landed their name on the 2019 election ballot.

Prior to running for a position, every candidate had to submit an election nomination packet that included a form outlining their academic standings, a declaration establishing their commitment to the student government, and a list of student signatures, all which were gathered by March 15. These nominations then went through the Election Committee headed by Coordinator of Student Activities Sarah Loew.

On March 25, the formal campaigning finally began. When campaigning for a position, candidates had to be mindful of rules: a limit of $25 spent on campaigning, a size limit for posters, and a ban on baked goods, as well as inappropriate or negative content regarding another candidate.

Campaigning for an SU position is no easy task. Senior Class President candidate Maria Arsenie said, “The hardest part was actually finding the time to campaign. I am a part of a lot of extracurriculars including the Debate Club, the Student Wellness Team, and Wrestling, so I had to manage all of those along with campaigning.”

Treasurer candidate Julia Jinu added, “[Some] of the harder parts of running include coming up with ideas that will attract voters and being consistent

with your ideas.” Traditionally, many candidates use posters as an effective means of getting their name out to the student body.

In addition to that, many heavily rely on social media to explain their goals and the policies they’d push for if they are elected.

Freshman-sophomore Class President candidate Ashley Wu said, “To campaign I first set up an Instagram so I had a platform where I was able to easily and efficiently communicate to my classmates. On Instagram I would post about my ideas and keep people updated on the election.”

SU President candidate and current Junior Class President Annlin Su said, “Generally, my social media campaign consists of memes for the days when students don’t feel like reading a lot of text, endorsements, my qualifications, and my experiences.”

Annlin is one of many other students who ran unopposed this election season but continued to participate in the campaign regardless.

She stated, “Even though many people told me that it didn’t matter so much since I’m running unopposed, I really wanted to show my classmates that I’m very serious about this position.”

The Candidate’s Assembly, the last major campaigning event during which the 19 candidates made a speech to the student body, occurred on May 14.

Students vote on March 15 through their Townsend emails, and the results will be announced May 16.

Late Science Regents

By Rachel Sage Zhang Staff Writer

T

his year, the chemistry and physics Regents took place on June 25, just one day before the school year ends. Since the test dates are set in stone by the state, Townsend Harris faculty had to make changes to its end of year report card distribution.

The current plan is to provide a provisional report card on the last day of school, followed by an updated report card at a later date. According to Assistant Principal Ellen Fee, chemistry and physics Regents grades should be available on Thursday, June 27. Students may pick up their report cards any following Wednesday or wait until the beginning of the next academic year to receive them.

Many students wish their Regents exams ended earlier. Junior Ida Dinapoli stated, “I wish it was earlier because I prefer getting things out of the way.”

Sophomore Sharon Li shared similar sentiments: “I’d prefer that Regents week

in general was earlier.”

Physics teacher Joshua Raghunath also expressed his concerns: “Even though we didn’t have control over the new test date, the extended testing puts prolonged stress on students.”

As the school year concludes, many students want to feel more relaxed. Sophomore Manu Gupta said, “I feel like the end of the year should be more [relaxed] when it comes to school. Having a test in the back of your mind doesn’t really help that.” Physics teacher John Tsai added, “students get tired towards the end of the year and are too tired to study for the regents.”

Still, there is an obvious benefit to the later exams. Sophomore Hans Li described, “I need a lot of time to review old material that I’ve forgotten.”

Chemistry teacher Joel Heitman continued, “later [Regents] in the testing schedule allows for more review and practice for students, so that is a positive outcome of the later testing date.”

The Classic

FEATURES SPOTLIGHT

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By Ilma Aamir Managing Editor The valedictorian and salutatorian of Townsend Harris’ Class of 2019 were honored at the Baccalaureate Awards Ceremony, which took place on June 3rd.

Valedictorian Atia Ahmed and salutatorian Nefertari Elshiekh shared a few thoughts about their time at THHS with The Classic.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned from your time at THHS? Atia: Nothing is permanent. Everything comes to an end at one point or another.

It seems a bit cynical, I know, but I’ve learned how this can apply to a variety of situations in life. It’s a comforting thought when you’re going through a rough period in life – the promise of an eventual end to your pain. But, it also serves as a reminder to cherish the good moments because you know that one day they will be nothing but memories. It’s a simple fact that time is fleeting; Townsend has taught me that what you choose to do with that time is up to you.

we going to not only choreograph a dance but teach it to others if we didn’t know it ourselves? We dedicated our time to watching videos and before we knew it we had a dance that we were proud of. Townsend taught me that I can achieve more than I believe, so test the waters; expand your comfort zone and see how far you can go.

Q: What is your favorite thing about THHS? Atia: Townsend is defined by its people; without the passionate students or the devoted faculty that walk its halls, Townsend would be nowhere near what it is today.

The small community one can find in

“Don’t normalize unhealthy habits. We have this tendency to compete over who got the least amount of sleep last night or how many hours we spent studying but by doing so, we actively promote developing habits that harm our mental well-being.

Nefertari: This is totally cliche, but I genuinely saw firsthand that with hard work and dedication, you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. It is easiest to visualize such accomplishments by looking at a test grade, but don’t limit yourself to just that. I remember when my sister and I wanted to start an Egyptian FON, but we had no clue how to belly dance. How were

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Townsend is my favorite thing about it; unlike other schools, you eventually come to know everyone’s faces even if you don’t know their names. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to so many people who are driven and vocal about issues they care for.

Nefertari: I love that Townsend is such a unique school rooted in tradition from

Q&A: 2019’s V and Salutatoria taking the Ephebic Oath to having Founder’s Day and Keeper’s Day even to something as simple as calling periods bands.

This reflects the unique students that walk through this school. Everyday I was amazed by the talent, intelligence, and dedication that I was surrounded by.

Q: What is your best late-night-procrastination memory?

Atia: I wouldn’t use the word ‘best’ to describe any of my late night procrastination memories. I actually never pulled an allnighter until senior year. My worst memory was around the end of Spring Break; I was out of the country and sleep deprived, but I had two huge papers due and so many tests the week I came back. I remember working at the airport, on the plane, and even having to stay up that night to finish.

But again, I had procrastinated for so long that it was kind of my fault. At the end of the day, it was a warning to never push things off for that long, but it was also my second semester as a senior so there wasn’t really much left for me to procrastinate on anyways.

Nefertari: Second semester in Humanities, we had our final paper due the week we came back from spring break. It was a group paper, and since we had already written two papers on the topic planning for the final one my group kept pushing it aside. Before we knew it, spring break

was over, and we literally had one sentence done. So we ended up starting what had to be about a 20 page paper at 8 the night before. We FaceTimed, but we spent an hour just complaining how much we didn’t want to do this or didn’t know where to even start. We finally realized that we needed to start and we ended up FaceTiming until 5:30am to finish the paper.

Q: What is the least expected thing to have happened to you during your time at THHS? Atia: I think Townsend is so important because it stresses the importance of physical health alongside academics. I never thought that I would be the type of person to have any sort of interest in anything remotely athletic, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed weight training. I’m not exactly in shape, but I’ve learned to find some sort of solace in weight training, which I’ve been able to do these last two years. I think it’s helped teach me the importance of being not only mentally healthy, but physically healthy as well, and how the two go hand in hand.

Nefertari: I never expected to join a sports team because I am far from athletic, but freshman year I decided to join the fencing team. I remember even thinking to myself during the Pep Rally who would join that sport, but then I found myself fencing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue sophomore year because it prevented me

FEATURES SPOTLIGHT

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Valedictorian an from being involved in other commitments, but the fact that I ever decided to join in the first place was very surprising to me.

Q: What extracurriculars were you most involved in at THHS? Atia: I was most involved in MSA and MIST during my years at Townsend. I was able to learn a lot about both community and leadership through these experiences, and I’m grateful to all the valuable relationships I’ve developed through these activities. It meant a lot to me because not only did it play an important role in developing a diverse community, it was also a platform that promoted the discussion of important social issues.

Nefertari: I was more involved in outside extracurriculars as I wanted to things that involved children, and there weren’t many opportunities to do so at Townsend. I devoted a lot of my time in high school to the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum, where I am an educator. I give demonstrations on the weekend related to density, flight, and space and get to interact with a myriad of children. I also spent many hours each week tutoring and babysitting.

I also was involved with Dancing Dreams, where I was paired with a physically disabled child and would support her through an adaptive dance class. This was especially meaningful to me because I have been a dancer since I was 3 years old, so it allowed

Nefertari Elshiek (l) and Attia Ahmed (r) are this year’s salutatorian and valedictorian

June 2019

me to combine my passion of dance while also gaining experience that would prepare me for future career as a special education teacher.

Q: What Townsend-survival advice would you give to underclassmen?

Atia: Don’t normalize unhealthy habits.

We have this tendency to compete over who got the least amount of sleep last night or how many hours we spent studying but by doing so, we actively promote developing habits that harm our mental well-being. Your worth surpasses a simple number on your report card. And, like Neffie said, this may seem hypocritical coming from us, but remember that no grade is worth losing a part of yourself over. Don’t let anyone tell you your worth or take your voice.

Nefertari: I know that this seems totally hypocritical, but don’t spend your four years obsessing over your grades. Always make time for yourself and to hang out with the people you love because Townsend has so much more to offer than studying. Now that I am leaving New York for Florida, I regret that when I look back at my high school experience it was mainly filled with long nights studying.

Attia Ahmed will be attending Yale University in the fall. Photo by Ilma Aamir. been given the opportunities that I have been given, and that I can use this privilege to not only give voice to important issues but to actually do something about them.

Nefertari: I’m inspired by people who became successful despite the odds being stacked against them. I know that there are people working ten times harder than me to just even the playing field, so I feel like what is my excuse.

Q: What does being valedictorian/ salu-

Atia mentioned it is not everything. I still would have been proud of my years at Townsend with or without the title of salutatorian. Townsend has so many intelligent and motivated students, and we should all be proud of what we accomplished during our years here.

Q: What college will you be attending?

Atia: I’ll be attending Yale University. I’m most looking forward to having more of an opportunity to actually invoke tangible change in the community. I feel that

Q: What is the best advice you have received that you’ve found helpful?

Atia: If you can do even a little bit of good, that’s enough. Even if your actions only help a single person, they’re still worth it. Life is too short to do anything but be good. My mom once told me that it’s okay to mess up, as long as your morals remain intact; be genuine and sincere about everything you do. That’s incredibly important to me, and it’s something I try to apply to my daily life.

Nefertari: My father loves to give me long lectures, but when I was deciding where to go to college, he said to me something very simple: “Happiness comes first; money is always second.” Whenever I say I want to be a teacher, everyone always asks me, “Are you sure? Teachers don’t make any money.” The first comment is always about the money, but I know I will be happy doing it, and to me that is priceless. When making my college decision, I followed my happiness over everything else, and I think putting my happiness as a priority helped me.

Q: What inspires and motivates you?

Atia: As cliche as it sounds, the thought of making the world a better place is what motivates me. And I suppose everyone wants to make the world a better place, but we don’t all have the same definition of what ‘better’ is. I’m inspired by the knowledge that I’m incredibly privileged to have

Nefertari Elshiekh will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall.

Photo by Ilma Aamir. tatorian mean to you?

Atia: It means a lot, but it doesn’t mean everything. I’m proud that my four years of hard work at Townsend have been recognized through such an honor. It was exciting hearing my name being announced and knowing how proud my parents would be but at the end of the day, there are so many students who have worked just as hard, maybe even harder, whose efforts shouldn’t be overlooked. There are so many people at Townsend that are talented in so many different areas that I have a lot of respect for.

Nefertari: It was surreal when they called my name because I had definitely put in my all throughout the four years, but I never expected to be salutatorian. I am very happy to be salutatorian, but like

once you get to college, you’re given a larger platform. There’s more responsibility, understandably, but there’s also a lot more to get involved in. I’m also looking forward to exploring different areas of study and meeting new people.

Nefertari: I will be attending the University of Central Florida. I love that UCF has a good balance between a large community as the school has over 50,000 students, but also a close knit community in the honors college. Since the school is so large, there is definitely something for everyone, and I can’t wait to explore new things that I didn’t have the chance to do in high school.

At the same time, I am looking forward to finding that close group of friends in the honors college that I can explore Orlando with.

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FEATURES

Cancel culture: The new wave of drama

By Carly Hu and Amrin Rahman Features Editors

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n only a few days, social media influencer and makeup artist James Charles lost 3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel after his former friend and fellow influencer Tati Westbrook exposed Charles’ betrayal of her. The drama between Charles and Westbrook began when Westbrook published a 43-minute long video on her channel, describing the numerous issues she had with Charles, ranging from his lack of support in her vitamin brand to allegations of sexual harassment.

Since its release on May 10, Westbrook’s video has garnered over 48 million views, while Charles’ apology video in response to Westbrook’s has amassed over 51 million views.

Almost instantly, Charles began to lose the support of his fans, and millions of disappointed viewers unsubscribed from his channel. While this was not the only scandal that Charles has been involved in, many viewers believed that this was the final straw and declared him “canceled.”

This instance of “cancel culture,” the idea of no longer supporting someone after their actions are deemed unacceptable or problematic, is not the first. Several celebrities have been victim to this, including actress Lori Loughlin, who was recently involved in the college admissions scandal.

Loughlin and her daughter, Olivia Jade, were both “canceled” and have not spoken on social media since the accusations made against them.

“I think celebrities are often canceled now because the general population doesn’t want to condone any negative behaviors and wants to make sure that celebrities are treated like everyone else,” junior Afrida Khalid said.

“Cancel culture allows people to express their opinions and make sure that people don’t idolize people who do negative or harmful

things.”

In some cases, “canceling” a celebrity seems like the righteous way to go about addressing the problem. Continuing to support a problematic influencer or artist can be seen as supporting the problem itself, and the obvious choice is to hinder their success, whether it be socially James Charles x Tati Westbrook drama sparked discussion of cancel culture | Jerin Tasnim or financially.

Sometimes, cancel we’re becoming okay with ‘guilty actions.” culture will go as far as major in- until proven innocent’ instead of Another anonymous junior dustries refusing to continue wor- the other way around,” Charles commented on how gossip king with a canceled celebrity. “It said. among students can contribute to only makes sense that companies “I truly hope that everyone student “cancellation.” would block out a celebrity who who participated in this, whe“Everyone talks about the same participates in a scandal,” said se- ther it be fans, influencers, dra- person, which makes it really easy nior Tyler Tavares. ma channels, or ‘credible news to alter one’s view of that person.

“They simply wouldn’t want to sources,’ take[s] the time to think It’s the whole idea of group menmake their product, or the enti- about [their] words and the im- tality,” they said. Just as rumors re company for that matter, look pact that they may have on others spread among a star’s followers, bad.” because I assure you and I pro- rumors that spread about one stuThis, however, raises the ques- mise you, it’s a lot stronger than dent can directly affect how they tion of whether cancel culture can what you may think.” are treated by their peers. become too toxic. In fact, junior Though not as dramatic as the Freshman Sophia Zion claimed Lucas Ayala thinks that “cancel world online, a microcosm of that she has also “seen ‘cancel culculture is too extreme, because the “cancel culture world” may ture’ in Townsend before,” and celebrities, just like everyone else, be seen in the halls of Townsend explained that “it usually happens deserve a chance to change.

Harris. because that person does someHowever, I know that James A more silent and subtle form thing wrong or goes behind other Charles is notorious for his ‘apo- of treatment than bullying, “can- people’s backs.” logy videos’ so I think Charles has celing” someone can isolate them, On the other hand, while fresbeen given those chances already.” or instead go unnoticed by the hman Audrey Chou hasn’t expe“These influencers, or celebri- victim. rienced “cancellation” herself, she ties, have been in the spotlight Although most students do not thinks that “Townsend is honestfor a while and should know by directly “cancel” their peers, there ly way too small of a school for now how careful they have to be, have been times where students anyone to be really cancelled,” as especially since social media plat- exhibited feelings of anger or students seem to already know forms such as Twitter can be used frustration towards their classma- “the true character” of one anoto spread information really quic- tes after incidents that occurred, ther. kly,” says junior Annlin Su. “If similar to how many fans become In an online community in they continue to act wrongly and outraged with a celebrity during a which rumors and hate can think that they can get away with canceling fiasco. spread rapidly, it is not surprising it because they’re famous, they One anonymous junior des- that cancel culture is as common need to be given a reality check.” cribed an experience of being as it is.

A week after his initial apology, “canceled,” saying, “People are “Cancel culture is common James Charles published a video very quick to judge, which ca- because of how our generation titled “No More Lies,” in which talyzes every process and makes today works,” said senior Kaitlyn he spoke about his views on can- it very hard for the victim to re- Wu. “Everyone communicates cel culture and its impact. deem themselves, not only to through social media and once “Joining in on bandwagon their friends but to themselves. word gets out, it spreads like wilhate and cancel culture is incredi- It makes the person reconsi- dfire and it is detrimental to not bly, incredibly toxic, and it’s very der everything they’ve done and only the person targeted but for concerning to me that as a society makes them regret many of their the ‘haters’ as well.”

A commonality among some of these “cancellations” is that many of the situations tend to be sudden and fast-paced.

Afrida explained, “When people can come together on one stance, the platform grows and allows people to feel welcome in a new community to some extent.

This allows for canceling to happen and grow at faster rates than other internet trends.” At the same time, sometimes a celebrity may do something so drastic that they never return to the fame they once attained.

When this sense of community develops once media users decide to collectively “cancel” a prominent figure, some believe that social “bandwagoning” often fuels the hate.

Sophomore Zoe Indarshan said that “Some of the people who now hate James Charles never used to stay up to date with what he was doing or never used to care [and only join in because] they want to feel included or they just want to be entertained.” For Zoe, jumping onto the bandwagon is “just another toxic aspect of social media.”

Nonetheless, cancel culture has undeniably become more frequent and controversial with the rise of social media.

Both in school and in Hollywood, numerous people, guilty or not, have become victim to this modern form of ostracism.

The continuation of this practice is ultimately up to the public, and how it chooses to handle these controversial situations.

Annlin does not feel that cancel culture is the ideal way to address such circumstances and said that while she is “all for putting power in the people to make decisions that affect them and the world they live in…the nature of [cancel culture] is rather frightening.” Lucas also believes that cancel culture should not continue, but he admitted that “people will continue to support it until they’re the ones being canceled.”

New club brings change to period stigma

By Navjit Bajwa and Dilpreet Kaur Staff Writers

The Period Poverty Club is a new club in Townsend Harris that raises awareness for what many people consider to be an embarrassing and offensive topic: menstruation. Many students agree that by starting a conversation about the menstrual cycle, we can change the stigma about periods at not only our school, but throughout NYC. The founder of the club, junior Nicole Monaco, was inspired by articles about period poverty, a

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growing concern for many females throughout the country with the rising cost of menstrual products.

She explained, “As a community, we can come together and raise awareness in NYC to donate to different homeless shelters that will allow them to gain access to these resources.” Starting a club about something many people consider “taboo” comes with a certain level of opposition.

Nicole believes that with further conversation, others can become more aware of what is going on outside of our school environ-

ment.

Junior Olivia Jablonski believes that menstrual products should not be considered a luxury and people need to understand it is a mere necessity for anyone who is menstruating, regardless of socio-economic background.

Olivia, who is a part of this club, explained that the group has taken strides to address this issue by “[making] bracelets to sell and with the money, [they] buy menstrual products and donate them to shelters.”

Junior Joshua Bae explained his reason for joining this club:

“I knew that my friend Nicole was passionate about this and I felt that I should help her raise awareness. I want to help as many women as I can.” Joshua is hopeful that other boys will also join this club and become a part of the movement.

Ultimately, the Period Advocacy Club hopes to trans- The new Period Poverty Club | Jason Bacalla form the stigma about periods throughout the student body by and making friendship bracelets. raising awareness.

The club hopes to create a They plan to accomplish this strong social media presence and by holding bake sales, printing create a movement throughout and reading excerpts of the pe- the student body at Townsend riod power menstrual manifesto, Harris.

FEATURES

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Toxic masculinity: What makes a “man?”

By Charissa Jada Bachan and Hudaiba Khatri Staff Writers

P

olished nails, lace tops, and heeled boots. Who comes to mind? A man or a woman? Generally, we are quick to associate these characteristics with a woman, denying the possibility of a straight man expressing himself through these same fashion statements.

Feminine or masculine, superior or inferior, strong or weak, we are trained to constantly categorize certain traits into groups that we create as a society, disabling the potential merging of any “contrasting” ideals.

When a man is shamed and discouraged from demonstrating emotion or “feminine” qualities, he conforms and accepts society’s division between men and women, giving birth to toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is associated with the notion of pursuing traditional masculine behaviors to an extent in which it becomes destructive to humanity.

Typically the “masculine” characteristics men are expected to have

can lead to homophobia and misogyny.

Junior Samantha Koshmerl believes that toxic masculinity is when men are “overly aggressive and violent and dominant. Anyone who doesn’t possess [these] traits or is more emotional and shows a more ‘feminine side’ is shamed.”

Junior Justin Chen has a slightly different view on toxic masculinity. “Toxic masculinity is really dependent on the context it is used [in]. There is nothing wrong with being masculine or aspiring to be masculine and that term is subjective to everyone. Toxic masculinity today is like a buzzword that should not hold any weight since one’s view of masculinity is different from others,” he stated.

Justin also offered his view on potential solutions for expanding the roles of men by stating, “The real conversation about the conflicting ideals between the traditional roles of men vs newer progressive movement of intersectionality should not be had with words [such as toxic masculinity] meant to create division.”

On the other hand, UFT Chapter Leader Franco Scardino, who is affiliated with the AP World History and the AP Social Science Research Capstone programs, commented his definition as, “the expectation that males suppress their emotional needs and reactions, and instead don the garb of toughness and hardness that is associated with dominance.

Another example, and one that I find particularly offensive, is the expectation that ‘boys don’t cry’.

Well guess what, they do. They also hurt. They empathize with the suffering of others. Crying is the most natural of emotions and when it is suppressed it damages the individual from the inside.”

This belief that “men don’t cry” doesn’t only inhibit men’s ability to express themselves, it has a negative impact on their mental health and relationships with others.

“The first time my boyfriend cried, it kind [of ] freaked me out.

I didn’t know how to react or how to comfort him. I felt bad for feeling weird about it and I’m trying to learn how to act better in those

situations,” an anonymous student commented.

Prominent figures widely recognized by numerous social media platforms, like solo artist Harry Styles, have worked to redirect the meaning of masculinity into a more friendly and “socially-aware” definition, and have motivated others to explore an unknown territory of questioning social norms along with gender expectations. Styles does this by emphasizing the need to embrace masculinity with an open-mind, often times allowing yourself to explore the possibilities of discovering passions and feelings, such as things often considered “weird” and feminine like men crying.

However, this is easier said than done. Mr. Scardino mentioned, “I think it is always easier for celebrities/artists to push the boundaries and challenge norms.

Wearing Gucci floral prints and polishing your nails when you are Harry Styles is fairly easy to do. But thinking of the average teenager doing the same thing, is a stretch.” He further mentioned possible backlash a typical

student might face due to this questioning of social norms. This is a serious concern that teenagers face when it comes to challenging the social status quo.

Sophomore Natalia Gierlachowski agrees with the work Styles has done, but shares similar concerns. She stated, “Social media in general can start conversations about toxic masculinity and I see many feminist accounts that do speak out about it and post for empowering men to get out of that train of thought. [Although,] social media [can also paint] a rosy picture of people’s lives, so for everyone it can make you feel lesser. So for toxic masculinity, males can see other males acting a certain way that makes them feel [like] they need to be [more] ‘manly’ [like the men that they see].”

However, regardless of social media’s positive and negative contribution to the discussion of toxic masculinity, it still brings awareness to this issue and leads to more teenagers pondering the concept of a less rigid and “gender-stereotyped” society.

How youth fit into the political scene

By Usha Sookai A&E Editor

Townsend Harris encourages students to be politically aware through annual election simulations and other extracurricular programs.

Civic engagement lets government officials know what people want. Younger generations need to get involved so that issues that they care about can be brought to the forefront.

UFT chapter leader Franco Scardino, history and AP Capstone teacher, said that action sends a “clear message to elected officials that these are the voters that are coming.” Involvement is the best indicator of what groups will turn out on election day and whose needs officials should adapt to.

However, many students are unsure of how to make educated decisions and partake in their communities.

With elections coming up in a short year and a half, many candidates will need volunteers and interns working with their campaigns, especially during the summer. Searching for whatever candidate you support (if any) and “volunteering” will lead you to their website, where you can register based on your own interests.

There are also several Youth Leadership Councils (YLC’s) throughout New York City.

They give high school students the opportunity to work with various adults to create and impleJune 2019

ment solutions that solve problems in their communities.

Many YLC’s are looking for new members, and cover issues from environmental justice to mental health.

More information can be found at www.nycser vice. org.

Grassroots organizations centered on many issues also exist in every community.

According to Mr. Scardino, focusing on one issue that is important to you is a good first step in becoming engaged.

Protests, marches, rallies, and ceremonies for different causes also happen all the time around New York City.

A group is likely hosting an event to support or protest any issue that you care about.

Over the next few months, there’s a solidarity walk in Brooklyn for survivors of gun violence and several Pride events throughout the city in June.

However, getting involved doesn’t always require civil disobedience.

“What students can do is find out who owns the companies that they’re patronizing [or funding],” said history teacher Ian Morzan.

Students participate in the Election Simulation last fall | Matthew Neil

In doing this, everyday actions like buying coffee can become political.

There are also several Townsend Harris clubs that work to help the community and educate its members. Junior States of America (JSA) works to promote awareness “through discussions, debates [about current controversies] and activism meetings,” said Vice President Annlin Su. Their recent “Fight Apathy” campaign aimed to encourage activism and concern about what happens around the world.

“Even as the youth, we can still be activists and turn our passion

for an issue into something for the betterment of society,” she said.

Model UN also uses debate and role-playing to increase student awareness about international politics.

Other clubs like Red Cross, Key Club and Amnesty International all directly deal with addressing human rights’ concerns and brainstorming possible solutions to them.

Being aware also means learning about current events. According to Mr. Scardino, one of the best ways to stay educated is to diversify the news you consume.

“It doesn’t matter that you can’t vote now... [because while] a lot happens at the ballot box… most policies are [made] between the politicians and the people who are trying to influence the legislation,” he said.

Because of this, it’s important to know about the other interest groups that impact public policy.

At any age, awareness is key. If politicians see youth awareness, they’re more likely to adapt their policies to benefit those future voters. Mr. Scardino added, “Political awareness is fundamental to a healthy democracy.”

The Classic

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SPRING MUSICAL

Audiences were off to see The Wiz this spring “I really like the style we worked with,” said director and English teacher Ryan Dunbar.

“We let the students make choices in their roles, and when we like what they are doing, we try to emphasize that. A lot of students were featured, in terms of their singing, in terms of their dancing, and I think it opened a lot of doors for students.”

All photos by Jasmine Shum

The Classic

By Sruthi Manish, Amrin Rahman, & Rhea Singh Staff Writers

The Townsend Harris players took the stage and brought fellow Harrisites down the yellow brick road in their latest school production, The Wiz, on April 12 and 13.

The school production of The Wiz, directed by Ryan Dunbar and Kevin Schwab, centered around a girl named Dorothy as she embarks on a journey to return home after being swept away to the Land of Oz by a tornado. On her journey, Dorothy encounters three unique characters who have their own wishes as well. Her first encounter, the Scarecrow, is on a mission to retrieve a brain from the Wiz, the leader of Emerald City who is supposedly magical.

The next character that Dorothy befriends is the Tinman, who is in desperate need of a heart. Lastly, Dorothy meets the Lion who longs for the courage he lacks. Amidst the personal issues the main characters have to face, all four of them are presented with a common threat: the Wicked Witch of the West that must be killed in order for the Wiz to grant them their desires.

Despite the treacherous aspects of their journey, the numerous characters, such as Addaperle and the Munchkins, that Dorothy and her friends stumbled upon added a comedic and reassuring tone to the dramatic story. The play also contained many musical and dance numbers that were loved by the audience, including “He’s the Wiz,” “Y’all Got it,” “Born on the Day Before Yesterday,” and of course, “Ease on Down the Road”.

Junior Ashley Facey, who played the lead role of Dorothy, commented on her experience as both the lead and one of the dance captains of the show. “This experience was incomparable to anything I’ve ever done. It took a lot of dedication, splinters, sweat, and tears… There were days where the stress was overwhelming and I questioned why I put so much on my plate, but seeing the show come together, the smiles in the audience and the strengthened friendships made everything worth it.”

Despite all of the hard work that the players and the directors put into the production, they faced some setbacks while preparing for the show. For instance, director Kevin Schwab said, “We planned for the set to be constructed in March but it really didn’t come together until a week before the show.” However, he noted that “The Wiz is set apart from other shows because we had a dedicated cast and crew that made it all happen consistently each time.

The quality level of the performances kept getting better and better and I hope that trend continues through all of my future endeavors at Townsend Harris.”

An off-stage aspect of the show is the loving relationships that the cast builds throughout their times rehearsing and preparing for their performances. Science

teacher and Dance Director of the play Katherine Cooper explained, “[The show] allows our students to connect with different emotions and to showcase their talents and to build new friendships and connections. All of the shows [she has] ever worked on have always shared in common the fact that they have brought the cast together… [She] really likes that it builds these sort of connections for those people and builds these different experiences.”

Senior Jacqui Valenti, who played Aunt Em, reflects on this year’s production as compared to last year’s In The Heights and said that although the stories were very different, “...they both had this idea of home.

The finale songs for both emphasize this idea of what home really is - not a physical place, but just a place wherever you are loved and with people who are important to you. I really love that because the cast members can easily say that the stage has become a home for them and it’s something that hopefully the audience can also resonate with.”

Junior Lucas Ayala, who portrayed Tinman, also elaborated on this idea and stated that “[He] enjoyed forming a strong bond with [his] other cast members, who became a second family. [He] practically saw them more than [his] real family in the days leading up to the play.”

Unsurprisingly, the production did not fail to amaze students of Townsend Harris who came to watch the show. Junior Afrida Khalid remarked, “I loved the Wiz’s introduction. The smoke and animation really pulled the whole scene together and put appropriate emphasis on his role in the play. [Senior] Matthew Cabrera portrayed him very well and it was very enjoyable to watch.”

Freshman and ensemble member Cate Nguyen described her very first experience in a Townsend Harris musical as “exciting” and a chance to “meet new people.” “This experience was worth the trouble and time all of us put in, and the number of people we entertained also made our hard work pay off. This was a fun time, and I got emotional when it was time to say goodbye to The Wiz,” added Cate.

Junior and ensemble member Jessica Lam agreed that there was a great deal of commitment that went into the production. “We stayed at school past 8 pm each night for the entire week for run-throughs, even though we still had homework to do and tests to study for,” Jessica explained.

After the countless hours of practice, her experiences during the days of the show were “exhilarating” and she learned that “hard work will always pay off in the end.”

Lucas concluded, “The play has been an incredible experience for two years in a row now, and [he] can’t wait for the next.”

SPRING MUSICAL

June 2019

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The Classic

OPINION

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Anti-immigrant policies threaten diversity of the student body

By Shawn Edelstein Staff Writer

T

hroughout US history, immigrants have defined what it means to be an American. The Statue of Liberty has become a symbol of hope and opportunity, welcoming the tired and poor from around the world. The “American Dream” was built by the first immigrants who came here and lived it.

Immigrants have contributed massively to American society and are an integral part of our national identity. Without the system of immigration that has allowed for America to become the most diverse country on earth, Townsend Harris would not exist in the manner it does today. Yet, immigrants today are facing unprecedented backlash as stereotypes surrounding immigration make their way into our politics and our culture, threatening to ruin the tolerance and diversity that have created a school like Townsend Harris, where students of all background are able to come together and share an equal opportunity to succeed in the future.

Calls to limit immigration are growing louder than ever before in the US, as some Americans fear that welcoming immigrants

into our country will come at their expense. Yet, the majority of immigrants attempting to enter the country are innocent people merely searching for a better life. Instead of trying to limit illegal immigration, politicians are trying to make it even more difficult to enter the country legally. Suddenly, the image of hard working immigrants earning a new opportunity is being torn down and replaced with propaganda-smearing immigrants, especially Hispanics, as criminals who are stealing American jobs.

This is not who we are. The basis of the American dream is that anyone, given an opportunity, can find success in this country.

People fleeing from violence, persecution, and poverty can find safety and protection here, and in return they will make a positive impact on our society and our country. By giving immigrants a chance at success, we have built one of the most successful countries in the world.

Our country is not just, when we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, blocking out those in need of our help, to protect our citizens from fears conjured from hate. How can we leave refugees to die at our borders just because of hypocritical stereotypes that

do not reflect the history of this country? If we have learned anything from our history, it is that we are at our best when we give people opportunities to succeed. Not only is it morally unjustifiable to ignore the pleas for help from immigrants fighting for their lives, but it is harmful to all Americans. When politicians and leaders complain about jobs immigrants might be taking, or the crimes that a small amount of them commit, they are ignoring the progress we have made as a country by taking in more immigrants than anywhere else in the world.

Today, at a time when immigration is one of the most pertinent topics of political debate in the United States of America, this country must return to its roots and give the American dream back to those in search of a new opportunity. We must reject divisive policies like the Muslim ban and the border wall that seek to cast potential immigrants as outsiders who do not deserve our help in their time of need. Instead of threatening caravans and separating children from their parents at the border, we should give them a chance to improve their lives free from the violence and starvation they faced in the past. Not only will

Calls to limit immigration in the U.S are increasing beyond reason. | Ariba Khan

this benefit the struggling human beings searching for a new life, but it will pay the country back through the contributions these people make to our society and economy.

The current administration has attempted to mask their antiimmigrant policies as attempts to target only immigration that is illegal. However, policies that deport immigrants who have lived as law abiding members of this country for nearly their entire lives are about more than just illegal immigration. If this administration wants to stop illegal immigration, they should do that instead of stifling legal immigrants or building a wall that serves as nothing more than a massive symbol of divisiveness against immigrants.

This is not a call for completely open borders, or to demolish the system we have for legal immigration. However, this is a reminder that we must uphold the values that make us all Americans. We cannot sit here and allow this treatment of immigrants and potential immigrants to continue. There must be a way to protect the jobs and safety of Americans without denying these people their basic human rights.

At Townsend Harris, and throughout New York City, we see first, second, and third generation immigrants all around us. We see just how important these people have become to our society. Immigrants shouldn’t be seen as a threat to Americans.

They are Americans.

Fighting against anti-vaccine rhetoric

By Ariba Khan and Miruna Radu Opinion Editor and Staff Writer

To tell you the truth, I think antivaxxers are simply…misinformed and ignorant. Almost as much as, if not more than, climate change deniers and flat earthers. They all belong in their own club - the “I hate modern science and all it has done for humanity” club.

Frankly, I thought that the antivaxxing generation would have ended with the last of the Baby Boomers. I could not have been more wrong. Just the other day at Townsend Harris High School I heard someone say they wouldn’t vaccinate their children simply because they have a “strong” immune system and have never gotten sick in their life. How many studies will you have to throw at them before they yield?

But of course, there is no magic number. Anti-vaxxers are so immersed in conspiracies that no amount of fact will convince them otherwise. It’s as useless as beating a dead horse. Conspiracy theories are seemingly at an alltime high due to the emergence of the Internet age and, subsequently, social media. With platforms like Facebook, theorists gain easy access to a multitude of

The Classic

false information to justify their peculiar beliefs. Their recklessness contributed to the emergence of previously eliminated diseases like the measles. It’s not only a public health emergency but also a public sanity one. Time and time again, medical experts, who have spent decades dedicating their lives to research, have disputed claims that link the M.M.R. vaccinewhich inoculates against measles, mumps, and rubella- to autism.

Still, parents shamelessly refuse to abide by doctors and medical experts’ advice and instead choose to risk their children’s lives and others by deciding not to vaccinate them.

Adversely, the media has played a role in igniting the resurgence of the anti-vaccination trend.

“Fake news” conspiracies and doubts spread like wildfire through various social media, raising questions about the safety of vaccinations. To exacerbate the situation, celebrities, in waves, have started showing support of keeping children vaccine-free: Alicia Silverstone, Selma Blair, and Jim Carrey to name a few.

Most notably, tattoo and makeup expert Kat Von D publicly stated last year that she would

not be vaccinating her newborn son, citing various medically discredited documentaries such as Vaxxed and Trace Amounts.

The lack of censorship of false claims against vaccines in articles circulating around in social media, coupled with popular celebrity support, has influenced parents into not vaccinating childreneven against the warnings of medical authorities. The ones most prominently affected by this whole ordeal are the children, trapped by the authority of their media hallucinated and uninformed parents.

Whose responsibility does it, then, become to prevent this antivaccination trend from causing a full-blown epidemic. Just recently in the Flushing community, the local Jewish school was shut down because it failed to comply with NYC government policy that required the school to exclude students not vaccinated against measles. The possibility of the health of THHS students being compromised is more likely, and it will become a reality until action is taken to prevent it.

Townsend Harris High School must recognize this potential threat and become a leader in

The recent anti-vaccine trend should not be tolerated. | Amanda Renzi

promoting vaccine awareness to both students and parents. Our current health curriculum needs to be updated to reflect the health needs of today. There needs to be a punctuated focus on promoting the benefits of vaccines to our high school students, thus clearing up any misinformation and concerns about the importance of vaccines.

Additionally, our school needs to further spread this awareness to the parents themselves. Fliers dedicated to educating parents

regarding this topic need to be sent home and days dedicated to vaccine awareness need to be set so our students can smartly talk about this with their parents in the comfort of their own homes.

We can all joke about the stupidity of anti-vaxxers.

However, in doing so we mustn’t become ignorant to the threat that lingers in our own backyard.

The disease is real and we need to gear up to fight against it.

EDITORIAL

The Classic After another testing schedule fails to solve the problem, time to look at root causes

E

to last no longer than 10 minutes.

Though the volume of tests per week has decreased for some, others still face a high concentration of assessments within a short span of time.

The testing schedule was designed to spread out the amount of work throughout a broader period of time and reduce stress, but it is clear that it has failed to remedy this

on the bus.

Does the problem lie in the fact that there has always a multitude of tests being given during the same week? Or does it run deeper than that?

This school is known to be a place for the overachievers, but has anyone started to think of the ways that THHS is pushing student limits to a point of ridiculousness? This is not found in all classrooms, but these are a few practices that we’ve heard about that make us question whether or not these are justifiable: • Two day tests • Attempted three day tests • 30 minute “quizzes” • Constantly postponing quizzes resulting in students anxiously studying material again • Friday “opportunities”: band long assessments that do not coincide with the testing weeks • Math tests weighing 80% of the overall course grade (previously 90%) If we are so effective in cultivating high performing students, why is it that we cannot come up with more creative ways to assess our students in the classroom?

Rather than the usual scantron and short response, can giving students more opportunities to show that they understand the material, whether it be through presentations or through plain old questioning, be a better way to remedy the amount of work that always seems to pile up?

It would definitely save us a lot of paper.

This is not a declaration of war on tests.

Oftentimes tests are an important indicator for teachers to know what students successfully understood and what they did not.

But with the culture that THHS has created, a reevaluation is needed once in awhile in order to examine what is working and what is not.

The #1 school in New York can and should lead the way with new and inventive ways to have students show what they know.

“Yet with all this tension surrounding the subject of testing, the underlying problem is the excessive demands of testing.”

June 2019

issue.

One of the main concerns is that teachers feel limited and often pressured by the schedule.

If a subject can only give an assessment once every three weeks, teachers frequently feel a need to rush teaching the material so that they can give a test during their week. The other option would be to not give an assessment during their week, and instead test their students on almost a month’s worth of material when their week comes up again.

However, what we see a majority of the time is teachers feeling like they have to test every three weeks rather than having the option to test during that week. The problem here is that while there may be a different policy, many teachers opt towards sticking to their set curriculums rather than adapting to the new schedule.

Yet with all this tension surrounding the subject of testing, the underlying problem is the excessive demands of testing. Testing is done in order to make sure that students are learning, yet with a competitive admissions process, a majority of Harrisites already succeed as a result of self-pressure to maintain high grades.

It is not uncommon for students to maintain high marks on both standardized and classroom tests regardless of how teachers may teach in class.

These high grades come as a result of sleepless nights studying and morning cram sessions

EST. 1984

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.

EDITORIAL STAFF

FROM THE EDITORS

very year a resurgence of pride rises to the surface on social media when the state high school rankings are released by US News and World Report. This year is no different, thanks to our small, non-specialized high school hidden in Flushing, Queens, taking the number one spot in the state.

However, after all the braggadocious posts and shares on every social media platform that students can get their hands on, it soon fades away and they begin to look upon the new moniker with fresh eyes. Once the boasting of the title fades, within the week, students return to the reality of being slammed with tests and quizzes amid the already overwhelming workload they have to complete.

Yet for being for the #1 school, THHS isn’t that creative when it comes to one of the key parts of school: assessments.

In our time at THHS, we have gone through more testing/homework schedules than there have been principals.

There have been countless complaints concerning how tests seem to always be able to pile up on the exact same day or week, as if there was no schedule in the first place.

ABC is not as simple as it sounds.

So what is the current testing schedule?

The schedule implemented during the 2018-2019 school year split subjects into an A, B, or C weeks. Though the new testing schedule cannot be found on the school’s website, a memorandum was sent out in September 2018. Week A is for social studies, mathematics, and art. Week B is for English, classical languages, and health. Week C is for modern languages, science, and music.

Teachers in their respective subjects would be allowed to give tests only during their scheduled letter week, and can give quizzes at their own discretion.

These quizzes are supposed

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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Samantha Alzate Isabelle Guillaume Amanda Renzi NEWS EDITORS Bindu Koyi Julianna Zitron

SPORTS EDITORS Abhinav Garg Ariana Vernon Kristen Zhou

FEATURES EDITORS Carly Hu Amrin Rahman

SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR Joshua Vieira

OPINION EDITORS Amberly Khan Ariba Khan

SCIENCE & TECH EDITORS Ryla Pasaoa Nataniela Zavlun

A&E EDITORS Victoria Kuzma Usha Sookhai

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Jason Bacalla Katrina Dydzuhn Min Hyeok Shin

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Kayla Kim Ava Nabatkhoran CHIEF COPY EDITOR Daniela Zavlun

LAYOUT EDITORS Alexa Jude Tumulak Jacqueline Woo

MANAGING EDITORS Nikki Ng Victoria Oei Samantha Sestak ADVISOR Brian Sweeney Copy Team: Antonella Abreu, Esther Dai, Yamila Frej, Afifa Ibnat, Natalia Madera, Jasmine Palma, Zeyad Shariff, Julia Wojtkowski, and Rachel Zhang We welcome letters to the editor.

Townsend Harris High School 149-11 Melbourne Avenue Flushing, NY 11367 thhsclassic@gmail.com

The Classic reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and concision.

Have an opinion on an article published in The Classic?

Want to have your thoughts on a topic published?

Write a “Letter to the Editor” and email it to thhsclassic@gmail.com.

Congratulations to our 2019 Classic Editor Graduates and to the Whole Class of 2019 The Classic

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Sun is Also a Star film shines bright

By Victoria Kuzma and Usha Sookai A&E Editors

T

he Sun is Also a Star, released on May 17, was expected to be a grand cinematic adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s bestselling coming of age story. It consists of underlying themes of such as human connection, race relations, and immigration. The movie demonstrated a clear effort to tackle these issues well, however, the cheesy dialogue and cinematography caused Russo-Young’s movie to fall short of its expectations.

The book and the movie follow two characters, Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) and Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi), over the course of one day. After they meet on a crowded street, Daniel is convinced that they are “meant to be.”

Natasha doesn’t believe in destiny, but gives into Daniel, who believes that he can make her fall in love within 24 hours. As the two characters battle with expectations and uncertainty, they slowly get to know each other.

We don’t see many stories that take place during the course of the day before a main character expects to be deported, which is a main reason why this movie had much greater expectations than its $2.5 million box office, and was so important. As something that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States experience every year, it’s a harsh story that deserves to be told well.

The director, Ry Russo-Young, worked closely with immigration lawyers to ensure that the details of the immigration and deporta-

Daniel has an interview with Yale that day and Natasha is meeting with lawyers to reverse her family’s deportation. Despite this, they rarely let these barriers take priority over their romantic desires. In an attempt to be cheesy, many impactful plotlines are overshadowed.

On the other hand, many believe that the book balanced the themes well, satisfying both dreamers and hopeless romantics.

Junior Afrida Khalid said, “... my favorite aspect [of the book] was how far fetched it was. Living in New York City, I know there’s little to no chance that anyone will find a stranger and almost instantly fall in love with them…”

Junior Elizabeth Katanov said, “The book was a very easy yet eye-opening read as it [covered] many relevant topics such as immigration, deportation, and racism.” However, she feels that other topics in the novel like suiStars Charles Melton and Natasha Kingsley of The Sun is Also a Star movie | Alyssa Nepomuceno cide could have been “more informed and developed.” tion process were accurate: “[we have. To All the Boys I’ve Loved groundbreaking themes that this The rise in diverse books and had him] change words and spe- Before, Love Simon, Everything, movie covers are overshadowed movies is a great first step to cifics because we really wanted Everything, and The Hate U by a familiar plot structure: two having a more inclusive and reto do justice to that part of the Give are just a few of the recent teens having life-altering events presentative media and enterstory,” he told Polygon, a cultu- book-to-movie adaptations that ahead of them against all odds fa- tainment industry. Stories about re-based news website. tackle important ideas of race, lling in love. immigration, power struggles, Recently, there has been a shift sexuality, and prejudice. The Sun Part of the issue is that the- and racial dynamics help create in the focus of Young Adult book is Also a Star does the same, and se life-altering events seem to conversation between groups of adaptations from those based makes sure that the characters be inconsequential to the main people. upon the supernatural and dys- aren’t just defined by their sexua- characters. The movie falls into Recent successes like Black topia, to those based on diversi- lity or cultural identity. a hole that portrays teenagers Panther and Crazy Rich Asians ty and exploring the nuances of However, in striving to be like as impulsive and desire-driven, shattered stereotypes and prehuman interactions. This switch its other diverse, Young Adult, whereas the book makes it clear conceived stigmas. On the other reflects our ever-changing so- book-to-movie counterparts, the that they’re not. Both Daniel and hand, coupled with the lowered cio-political environment, and film does the job a little too well Natasha are obviously intelligent expectations of The Sun is Also the conversations young adults and feels like just another Young and well-equipped to make logi- a Star, it’s clear that there’s more are more willing and eager to Adult Romantic comedy. The cal decisions about their futures; work to be done.

Latin music on the rise

By Jennifer Moran Staff Writer

In recent years, Latin music has started to rise in popularity throughout the US and music trends show that the genre is here to stay.

Well-known music festival Coachella featured a considerable Latino influence this year, a precedent set by the 2018 lineup.

Reggaeton singers, Bad Bunny and J Balvin who previously performed as featured guests, top-billed personal sets this year.

The festival also brought in folk artists like Los Tucanes de Tijuana, a band known for making traditional Mexican corridos.

Numerous Latin pop and reggaeton figures have soared in popularity among a new demographic through collaborations with mainstream English-speaking artists.

Bad Bunny’s release of “MIA” featuring Drake and his feature on “I Like It” by Cardi B were some of the few factors that led

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his latest album, X 100PRE, to remain on Billboard’s Hot 200.

Award-winning artist Ozuna saw his success soar partially through his collaboration with Selena Gomez, Cardi B, and DJ Snake on “Taki Taki.”

Similar patterns exist among the student body.

Many non-Spanish speaking students have taken great interest in Latin music, despite a small familiarity with the language.

Junior Sadiyah Islam said, “Latin music always has me searching up any lyrics I don’t know, and when I finally understand the meaning of the song, it just makes it even better.”

Likewise, senior Safiyah Khan said, “Even though I am not Hispanic myself, my knowledge of Spanish is enough for me to understand what the song is about.

The catchy tunes and feel-good vibes always put me in a better mood.”

The excitement of Spanish speaking students is also shared

by those who are part of the Hispanic heritage.

Junior Brandon Cruz added, “I think it’s good that our culture is spread to other people that don’t share our culture and it’s a fun way of trying to learn the language.”

Though the Latin music gaining recognition has predominantly belonged to the pop genre, increased interest in Latin music as a whole, reveals a greater willingness to engage in cultural appreciation and mutual discourse.

People gain a better understanding of different cultures once they connect to it, and they are less likely to feed into stereotypes and cultural

appropriation.

Music is one such way to experience someone else’s culture.

Latin music’s popularity in U.S

mainstream media is a sign that people are becoming more open to diverse and representative entertainment.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Shed-ding social barriers

By Victoria Kuzma and Usha Sookai A&E Editors

The Shed, which opened earlier this year, has become a new space for New York City residents to see and share various forms of art, ranging from music to pop culture while shopping and eating.

Located in the Hudson Yards area amongst Instagram worthy locations like The Vessel and The Highline, this cultural center is the perfect place for students looking to explore new exhibitions, concerts, and programs.

Since its opening in April, The Shed has earned its title of a remarkable institution, especially in New York City where access to arts programs and exhibitions come with a hefty price tag. The space opens doors for disenfranchised youths and residents to experience and learn about art.

With an emphasis placed on minorities, it works to promote and educate diverse voices through art.

The Shed, and its Board of Directors has placed an emphasis on tearing down social and economic barriers, motivated by the idea that “art is a right, and not a privilege.” This sentiment is reflected in the free admission, which provides audiences with insight into the creative processes of many artists, building relationships, and promoting their work.

Aside from the free exhibitions, The Shed offers a variety of programs for youth interested

in theater, choreography, dance, and writing. DIS OBEY is just one of the ongoing collaborations that provides a space to explore literary activism through writing, storytelling, and visual art workshops with guidance from acclaimed writers.

For those interested in the visual arts, specifically street dance and dance activism, FlexNYC, a citywide program available in The Shed, is perfect for those looking to practice their craft, and learn more about the influence of dance. In upcoming months, the center boasts the debut of programs for those interested in STEM fields, film, and electronic music.

Places like this are vital for developing a strong sense of community and identity among diverse populations. Our education system, while doing what it can, doesn’t teach youths how to use their voices and creativity to make a change, spread awareness or tell unique stories.

Artists are often not encouraged to pursue their passions, but to do it on the side. The Shed attempts to bring solutions to both issues by commissioning works and providing space to learn about them.

19 How many hawks?

MUSIC: Tyler, The Creator- IGOR album “The album definitely lived up to my expectations and I loved the vibe. I definitely would recommend it to all my friends.”

4/5 hawks- Georgia Malo, junior MOVIES: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile “This is one of a kind. The actors were very well prepared and convincing and their respective roles make the movie so much more real in the eyes of the audience.

You won’t want to looka away”5/5 hawks, Pauline Marek, senior

The Shed at Hudson Yards | Alyssa Nepomuceno

It’s a good first step towards making sure that younger generations know how to use their voices, and why that is necessary.

Seeing art as a form of activism is not a recent phenomenon, but a quiet one. Not many people view art as a way to create political change, and others can’t afford to; art, unfortunately, requires money and access to resources that

many don’t have.

The Shed at Hudson Yards and other open spaces like it help promote activism, freedom, and a sense of self-efficacy, especially among disenfranchised youths.

With increasing emphasis placed on minority representation in media and politics, places like this are becoming more important and necessary.

Booksmart “Booksmart was a lighthearted, refreshing take on the high school experience that puts an end to cliche teenager stereotypes in a fast-paces hectic storyline. It was extremely enjoyable to watch but lacked consistent emotional depth that similar coming-of-age films, such as Lady Bird, utilized to make a mark on the genre.” Abigail Dute, senior TV SHOWS: Game of Thrones- Season 8 “I felt that the pace of the development of characters was not consistent with previous seasons.

Nevertheless, this sesaon was aesthetically pleasing to watch.” - 3/5 hawks, Dhruv Patel, senior

Disney remakes take over: re-live the action

By Jessica Brite, Alexa Jude Tumulak, and Gianna Vincent Features Editor and Staff Writers

Disney’s live-action film Aladdin premiered on May 24. With other remakes like The Lion King, Maleficent 2, Mulan, and even a Monsters Inc show arriving, it’s easy to get washed up in nostalgia, especially for students who grew up watching these movies.

Nine years ago, Disney’s first live-action remake, Alice in Wonderland, debuted. The favorable response of the public led to other remakes, such as The Jungle Book (2016) and Beauty and the Beast (2017).

Many believed that special effects enhanced these films, bringing them life beyond that of a cartoon. Freshman Kate Romero reminisced, “It takes me back to the days when I was young and carefree: dressing up as the princesses and singing along to the soundtrack of animated movies.

There’s something about the dimension of the live action film that can make you actually picture yourself June 2019

in the setting of the movie.”

The latest live-action remake to hit the big screen is Aladdin. Set in Agrabah, both films follow the love story of Aladdin and Jasmine.

The live-action film had some changes, making it more appealing to a modern audience, while staying true to the essence of the original film. In the remake, Jasmine is given a new character arc as her motive throughout the film being to become sultan herself, contrasting the 1992 classic where her sole motive is to marry the man of her choice.

Actress Naomi Scott, who plays Jasmine, commented, “the story is a progression of how she finally speaks out and becomes the leader she is destined to be.”

Actor Will Smith, who plays Genie, wanted to make the character his own. Smith stated in a recent Ellen interview that he pulled from his “Fresh Prince persona” and “hip hop” vibe to “put [his] own signature, while maintaining the nostalgic attitude.” This new vibe can be seen in songs “Prince Ali” and “Arabian Nights” which faced some beat changes in the middle

of the song, before picking back up to the traditional melody.

Some of these remakes come with unprecedented changes. In fact, the director of Mulan is considering excluding music in their film.

This notion angered many including sophomore Stephanie Hernandez who said, “I feel like not putting music in the film hinders the movie’s ultimate goal, which is to shine light on Chinese culture and express the power of independent women through one of the songs called ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You’.”

Others are elated, like sophomore Jennifer Dutchin who expressed her excitement to see The Lion King come to life, ¨Beyonce’s personality and mannerisms are so captivating so I’m really excited to see Nala have the same effect. Everybody knows Beyonce, so it just makes The Lion King

Side-by-side comparison of Abu from Aladdin | Amanda Renzi

that more exciting to watch.¨ However, some believe the animated films are unrivaled.

Sophomore Francesca Manabat said, “I will always take an original over a remake because, to me, they hold a kind of sentimental magic and value you just can’t get from live action or CGI films.

The painstaking process and artistry behind a 2D film is some-

thing you can’t recreate again.”

Regardless of whether animation overpowers acting, sophomore Sara Tekin believes in the power of the story: “Without films being remade and readapted to our times, they’ll become lost in history. Storytelling is an important part of childhood and growing up.”

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The gravity behind the first image of a black hole

By Jasmine Palma and Ryla Pasaoa Staff Writer and Science & Technology Editor

S

cientists have procured the first visual rendering of a black hole, a cosmic entity once thought unfathomable. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) — a series of eight radio telescopes worldwide — is responsible for capturing this gravitational phenomenon.

After over a decade of dedication, an image of a supermassive black hole 6.5 million times the mass of the sun was captured. This black hole resides 55 million light years away within the Virgo constellation, located in the center of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy. The findings were revealed in global press conferences on April 10 and were published in a string of six papers in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Senior and Science Olympiad member Christopher Thomas marvelled at the revelation and was amazed at the accomplishment. “A black hole is such a mysterious object within our universe and they are not completely understood,” he said. “Prior to this image, people could only imagine what a black hole looked like but this scientific advancement is one step closer in unlocking the true mystery of black holes.”

Albert Einstein’s equations

for his theory of relativity entertained the idea that these beings exist in nature. The notion was regarded as ludicrous by many, including Einstein himself, and thus the prospect was greatly discarded.

Physicist and astronomer Karl Schwarzschild realized from Einstein’s papers that if nature is capable of sustaining a compact celestial body with such a small radius, its escape velocity will reach beyond that of the speed of light — a deterring 186,282 miles per second (299, 792 kilometers per second). Therefore, matter nor any form of radiation will escape the black hole’s clutches as nothing can go beyond the speed of light due to E=mc².

Einstein’s famous equation sets an equivalence between energy and mass. A body in motion requires energy, and in acquiring this energy the body will also obtain mass. That increase in mass will ultimately hinder the body’s ability to increase in speed, and thus more energy is required. Therefore if an object were to attempt to reach the speed of light, it would need an infinite amount of energy to do so since its mass would have then become infinite.

Once this state is reached, atomic forces become non-existent and consequently, the body collapses in on itself into an infi-

nitesimally dense point that practically punctures a hole in the space-time fabric. In this gravitational singularity, all the laws of physics are no longer applicable. The original object is indistinguishable.

Each telescope obtained about 350 terabytes of data each day. The data was saved in helium-filled hard drives and were then transferred to correlators, types of supercomputers, at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the MIT Haystack Observatory. The data was then converted into an image by computational systems.

Imaging algorithms were used to fill in the missing bits and pieces of data to process the entire image of the black hole.

The image itself is actually a shadow of the singularity. The event horizon of the M87 black hole is 2.5 times smaller than the shadow it produces, which spans approximately 40 billion kilometers across. “If immersed in a bright region, like a disc of

The first image of a black hole was obtained by an MIT Student | Megan Chang

glowing gas, we expect a black hole to create a dark region similar to a shadow,” described chair of the EHT Science Council Heino Falcke of Radboud University. The shadow is “caused by the gravitational bending and capture of light by the event horizon,” he elaborated.

Many have criticized the lack of clarity of the image. However, Christopher remarked, “The first image of a planet was not the best either, but technology ended up advancing enough to have almost crystal clear images of the planets.”

The optimum objective of the human race is to comprehend the natural order of the universe

by exploring the peculiarities within it. Every living organism and natural beauty is a consequence of the sublime complex-simplicity that science beholds. That is why we must understand it.

Christopher stressed that one must appreciate the gravity of this accomplishment that reflects on the intellectual passage of understanding.

“No one knows exactly where scientific advancement will be a couple of decades from now,” he said, “But one thing is certain and that is that the production of this image will lead to a greater comprehension of both black holes and our universe in its entirety.”

Science Olympiad reaches new heights in the face of adversity

By Adamary Felipe and Jasmine Wang the team’s Spirit Coordinator juStaff Writers

T

ownsend Harris’ Science Olympiad has had a rollercoaster of a season this year. In December, they took two teams to the Long Island SciOly (LISO) Invitational at Kellenberg Memorial High School. A month later, in January, they went to the Yale Undergraduate Invitational (YUSO) and placed 12th out of 30 schools.

Not long after, they competed at the NY Metro Regional Competition in February and ranked 3rd out of 71 schools. Since they placed in the top 8 schools, they moved on to the State Tournament, where they ranked 8th out of 54 schools.

However, these successes did not come easily. The team’s morale dropped exponentially after their first competition of the season. “[LISO] was a rude wake-up call. Almost all of our most experienced team members did not earn a medal,” recounted

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nior Elizabeth Duchan. “We were against some of the best schools in the Northeast, which was very unexpected because those schools don’t usually attend [LISO].”

President senior Michelle Lee and Vice President senior Lucia Lin reflected on the team’s performance in a long, ardent meeting.

They managed to instill incentive for subsequent competitions and come to terms with their losses.

“Even though the overall competition was disheartening, we won first place in the last event that they announced. [Although] it wasn’t my medal, the joy and exhilaration in that auditorium from our team was nothing I’ve seen before,” sophomore member Katie Sie said.

“Our epic failure really brought us together as a team.”

The team worked quickly to place what they learned about their events and the competition setting from LISO in their intellectual arsenal.

Within a week following that invitational, each competitor had compiled a list of topics with which they had been unfamiliar during the competition.

They also held more frequent team study sessions in preparation for YUSO and Regionals.

“Sometimes, my parents would get mad at me for staying in school for too long because the study sessions would go into the night,” commented freshman member Joanna Liu. “At YUSO, I wasn’t sure if all my sacrifices were worth it because we saw a lot of the same schools [that we did] at LISO. As a result, I was shocked, but more so proud, that we placed 8th.”

Despite the restored morale after YUSO, the team still had its worries.

“One of our biggest concerns every year is our Building Events,” Build Coordinator junior Ruby Wang remarked. “This year, we had problems with budgeting, but more importantly,

knowing where to start. Most of us [builders] learn how to construct these devices as we do them.

That’s what sets Building Events apart from the others— we solely learn by practicing.”

Regardless of how much practice those builders get, problems at the competition are inevitable and unpredictable.

This was especially true for an event called “Mission Possible,” which “ requires you to build a Rube Goldberg Machine that completes specific tasks in a specific order to meet a specific goal,” Ruby explained.

“For example, you can be prompted to start the chain of events with a chemical reaction, have a pulley machine involved in the middle, and somehow end with a specific sound being heard.”

Coach Katherine Cooper said that there had been a particular “unfortunate mishap [during Regionals] that [she wishes] was avoided and it involved the

[Mission Possible] device being bumped into right before it was tested.”

If the proctor had not bumped into the device, then Ms. Cooper believes that the team could have ranked higher in that event. “We did incredibly well at Regionals despite that and ranked 3rd, behind Stuyvesant and Staten Island Tech.”

Their ability to overcome countless obstacles before and during competition is only reflective of how “far [they’d] come as a team and family,” said Lucia.

The team has high expectations for next season and attributes their determination to the encouragement that they received throughout the year from their senior members while Ms. Cooper asserted that the reason for the team’s constant success is that they come back “more passionate, more dedicated, and readier to learn every year.”

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21

Boys’ baseball knocks it out of the park

By Hritamber Chakraborty and Dhruv Patel Sports Editor and Staff Writer

L

ast year, the Townsend Harris baseball team accumulated a 9-5 record during the regular season and made it to the second round of playoffs before losing to Richmond Hill High School.

Despite their success, the team came in this year hungrier, setting the bar higher and betting on themselves to surpass expectations.

“This year is our year. Our goal is to get to the championship and play at Yankee Stadium,” said junior Nile Johnson, articulating the sentiment of many on the team. With their zeal to win the championship, the Hawks crushed Flushing Campus in the first game of the season, winning with a final score of 13-4.

But after this bold win, the team stumbled on their quest, losing the next seven games in a row by a net score differential of 24 runs.

With the rest of the season looking dire, the team could have given up and dragged themselves to the end of the season.

Rather, they came together and maintained a positive attitude.

Suraj Jain, one of the five seniors on the team, helped the team get past the slump by mentoring the underclassmen: “The best advice that I have given underclassmen is that in order to succeed as a baseball player, you must put the past in the past, work hard to overcome difficulties, and play in the present.”

Despite their losing record, Suraj and the team remained upbeat, knowing that “baseball is a game of failure and mental

The boys’ baseball team at their last home game. | Photo courtesy of Daniel Singh

strength.” This mindset of moving on and remaining positive paid dividends: the team then went on a 7 game winning streak, a large part of which can be attributed to the development of the underclassmen.

Reflecting on the progress the underclassmen have made, Suraj said, “There were underclassmen who could barely swing a bat at the first practice, but now are making contact in actual games.”

This drastic improvement is what makes being part of this team so special and enjoyable.

Senior Brian Ooi stated that the most enjoyable part of this season was “seeing everyone helping and challenging each other everyday at practice.

Compared to where we were at the start of the season to where

we are now, everyone has improved so much and as a team we are more confident, which has been the key for turning our season around.” Regardless of the obstacles and failures the team faces, the positive attitude and work ethic of the team reassures them that they will indeed perform better as the season progresses.

With the last home game to end off the hard-fought regular season, the team went onto defeat Forest Hills High School in a very low-scoring game of 2-0.

Suraj pitched a seven inning fourteen strikeout shutout and said, “it was one of my best pitching games ever.”

All that said, this game was paramount in solidifying the true grit of this team as it was symbolic of never losing faith in a cause

that is greater than any individual player.

The seniors understood that their season and their four years on the team had culminated to this game and never once thought about giving up because they sought to set a precedent of tenacity for the underclassmen.

They instilled the ideals of ambition and team success through leading the team, despite the grim odds of making playoffs just weeks earlier when they sat six games below 500. Going on a 7-1 run is not an easy feat that the team will ever look past. It will be a season that the team can only look back on for inspiration and concrete proof that the seemingly impossible can be made feasible.

After the team fell into the 1-7 hole, many wrote off the team,

thinking that there was little hope of making the playoffs. The team, however, persevered and has finished off the season with an 8-8 record. Prepared by the obstacles and triumphs of this season, the team brought this same resilience to the playoffs. “We’re a resilient team that has what it takes to win and hopefully that means winning it all,” said Nile.

Unfortunately, the team’s playoff berth was soon ended by Richmond Hill High School, which went onto win 14-4. This playoff exit does not take anything away from the team, but rather reminds the underclassmen and rising leaders that it is their time to step up. The seniors are saying their farewells to the diamond, hoping it is in good hands.

Why I run: A story of passion and progress

By Tirthraj Patel Staff Writer

P

icture the freshman year club fair: a stuffy cafeteria chock-full of banners and trifolds advertising Townsend’s many extracurricular clubs and athletic teams; tables full of representatives loudly announcing their organization’s presence, handing out candy to those who sign up, and attempting to entice as many new students as possible.

For senior and track captain Matthew Neil, the annual club fair was the leap of faith that launched his prolific Track and Field career. Recalling this chance interaction, Matthew described, “I had decided to attend [the fair] to learn more about the environment of my high school. I came across many clubs and teams but what stood out most was the track team.”

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What drew him to the Track and Field booth was not the modest promotion or the lack of snacks.

He was instead impressed by the accounts of a group of athletes who had practically become family through years of training and competing together.

“I was always interested in track, but never had the guts to pursue this interest,” Matthew explained. “Yet when I met the coach and the members of the team, they told me how formative of an experience the team truly is; this is what changed my mind.”

Running is a key element of most other sports.

Despite high school being Matthew’s first encounter with track, the act of running itself— whether it be sprinting up and down a basketball court to prevent a game-winning 3-pointer or racing to the nearest Mr. Softy’s after for

a quick postgame snack— was something that Matthew had always enjoyed.

So, having been somewhat preconditioned for track from a young age, Matthew headed into his inaugural practice ready to take on a challenge.

“The first day was pretty rough because I was not completely ready to run, but over time I adjusted,” he said.

Still, what differentiates casual runners from serious athletes is the level of dedication and discipline when it comes to practice and steady progression.

And this is the very deterrent Matthew faced when reconciling with the fact that for nearly a year during his sophomore season, his times had remained relatively unchanged.

Matthew reasoned, “In track, there can come a point when you stay around the same time for a

little while and that was me during sophomore year, running in the 5:20s for most of the season.”

In a sort of self-fulfilling downward spiral, he credited his own lack of dedication for the stagnant run times, which only discouraged him, thus further preventing progress.

Now fast forward three and a half years; today, Matthew is a distance runner who partakes in the 800 meter, the mile, and two mile events across all three seasons of track and cross country.

Matthew noted the first time he set a notable personal record and overcame his slump by breaking the 5-minute barrier in the mile.

“I vividly remember how excited I was and how proud I was of all the hard work that led up to that moment. I thought I was going to get recruited for the USA Olympic Team,” Matthew joked.

Since then, Matthew has conti-

nued to run, training to bring his time down as much as possible.

“Currently, my best time in the mile is 4:45.

Making it to the 4:30s range by the end of this final outdoor season would be a huge accomplishment,” said Matthew.

Looking ahead, although he will not be competing in college, Matthew has the goal of participating in a half marathon.

But before graduating, he had some words of appreciation for the coaches who helped him and the team in general: “I would like to thank my coaches and all my teammates for all they instilled in me. As well as the team, for continuing to work hard daily and consistently producing great times at meets. Continue to work hard and it will pay off.”

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SPORTS

Athletes of the Year named at Sports Awards

By Ariana Vernon and Kristen Zhou Sports Editors

S

eniors Rosalydia Caputo and Derek Fucich received awards for Top Female and Male Athletes of the Year at this year’s 34th annual Sports Awards. The event, which took place on June 5, brought athletes together from 31 teams to celebrate their accomplishments.

Each year, the awards for Top Male and Female Athletes are given to seniors who have had major accomplishments and shown incredible dedication in their respective fields.

Rosalydia, a four-year member of the varsity basketball team, varsity softball team, and varsity volleyball team, received the award for MVP (Most Valuable Player) in each of her sports. Derek, a four-year member of the track team, earned first place in the pentathlon at the Outdoor Track Queens Borough Championships.

For Derek, the award came as a surprise because of the talent among athletes at Townsend Harris.

“There’s a lot of great competition at Townsend when it comes to athletes… Guys in other sports definitely put their all into their areas of discipline so it was definitely a shock,” said Derek.

Although Rosalydia aspired to win the award, she did not think she would win it automatically. She said, “I put in a lot of hard work and dedication to all my sports since freshman year. I was hoping all of it would pay off.”

As Derek reflects back on his sports career, he would tell his freshman self that there would be “a lot of heartbreak… and a lot of tears and scars, but in the end, it’ll all be worth it.”

Rosalydia feels that throughout her four years, her leadership abilities have evolved the most. “Now, I take the initiative of situations and can lead a group. I have become a more patient and compassionate person by being the captain of three teams, however, I learned how to be stern when necessary.”

With so many incredible senior athletes, the process of choosing two standout athletes proved to be difficult. Athletic Director Lauren Caiaccia had to narrow her choices down to Rosalydia and Derek, who both “had phenomenal seasons,” after talking to each of their coaches.

Along with the Top Male/Female Athlete award, awards were presented to nine other seniors.

Lucia Lin and Olivia Falba took home the award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, Eva Guo and Jairo Reina were named Top Male/Female Athletes in an individual sport, and Patrycja Lis, Daniel Singh, and Weronika Falba received the Unsung Hero Award.

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With so many incredible senior athletes, the process of choosing two standout athletes proved to be difficult. Athletic Director Lauren Caiaccia had to narrow her choices down to Rosalydia and Derek, who both “had phenomenal seasons,” after talking to each of their coaches.