November final color by Brian Sweeney

MR. HANSON’S GUIDE TO A HEALTHY THANKSGIVING

SING! BEHIND THE SCENES

MR. KADAMANI THE TRACK RUNNER -

> FEATURES PAGE &

> FEATURES PAGES !"-!!

> SPORTS PAGE '"

CLASSIC Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

the

Jane Smith

SING marvels took the -

Thor’s Batman plot-

Victories split in Simulation races Sarah Iqbal and Simrankaur Wahan STAFF WRITERS teacher Linda Steinmann con-

$e Hawk Talk survey found classroom visits to be the most eﬀective tool.

could’ve done

Senior Ji n Won believed determined -

Photo by

voter par-

he believed that

“The Republican Party came candidate interaction put a lot

Joe Lhota did an

Jin Won in victory

> NEWS PAGE (

> NEWS PAGE '

Sangiorgi honored by Sloan Foundation Hailey Lam STAFF WRITER

2 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

NEWS/FEATURES

Se’mores assemble a winning team

ently had no emotion in the and Nina -

to put me and on a date

“I think the crowd wasn’t expecting [the Joker] to dance with us also so it really got everyone hyped up.”

A n n a She noted that the theme

STAFF WRITER Lee -

“You have to have a very

be able to pa r t icipate i n -

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

NEWS/FEATURES

Seniors excel in science competition

Queens College Correspondent

STAFF WRITER

the initiative to be an admira-

Few surprises in Election Simulation results

Photo by Aditya Samaroo

ELECTION SIMULATION VS. ELECTION REALITY

in order to learn about the

THHS POSITION WINNER

REAL WINNER JSA on NYC issues

Queens Borough President

Times

The New York

Tony Arcabascio (R)

Melinda Katz (D)

City Council Sunny Hahn District 20 (R)

Peter Koo (D)

THE THHS

City Council Craig Elizabeth District 30 Caruana (R) Crowley (D) See the rest at thhsclassic.com

4 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

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THE CLASSIC

November 2013

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6 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

NEWS/FEATURES

Mr. Hanson’s Healthy Thanksgiving Guide STAFF WRITER

THE MENU

HEAR THE -

RECIPE: LOW FAT LASAGNA

This recipe was adapted by The Classic to fit Mr. Hanson’s suggestions. It is not Mr. Hanson’s recipe.

1/2 cup minced onion

“A butterball turkey alone can

T-DAY CALORIES

can make all the

RECIPE: LOW FAT MACARONI AND CHEESE This recipe was adapted by The Classic to fit Mr. Hanson’s suggestions. It is not Mr. Hanson’s recipe.

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

NEWS/FEATURES

This year’s Halloween costumes

The month

STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER up

Lilo and Stitch,

The Classic

ple embrace the hair that they -

Sandy delayed the traditional

and hand out candy to trick-o-

The Classic

STAFF WRITER -

to venture out inal loca-

“It’s a good cultural experience, and it’s not that expensive.”

The truck -

8 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

NEWS/FEATURES Photo by Sharon Chin

Time to bring back the “Funny” and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Canzoneri’s choice for the musiCanzoneri to get a clearer idea of the talent in the building, which

his time directing at Townsend .

it would be this soon but we have

Funny

New Guidance Counselor arrives

Being a farce, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Jennifer Urgilez

BEGINNING THIS school year, Harrisites may have noticed a new face in the Guidance and newest member of the Guidance -

Freshman Marina Aweeda said that since it

as a school counselor is also to create an environment that encourages students to share what’s on students and their families in the

Junior Jennifer Walsh, who will be serving as assistant stage manager this year, is very

ences include being a College Mentor and Guidance Counselor

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

she feels welcomed and comfortaSchool and a Graduate Admissions Counselor at Touro College School of Health Sciences, is now the Guidance Counselor for of-

sure the student body and faculty Junior Sadiqa Taaseen shared, of the concerns he has with THHS, he seemed than ten minutes but remembered

December’s Mystery Staff Member November’s “SINGer”

G u id a nc e C o u n s e l o r S a r a in Australia during her junior year

ing time with my Boston Terrier Queens College built into their -

the Townsend Harris family, she has easily adjusted to the hectic the THHS community has been

body have been welcoming and but the hat we wear every day is

Every month, the print edition of The Classic will provide you with four clues. Can you guess the identity of the staff member who matches these clues? Submit your guess online at www.thhsclassic.com. We will reveal the identity of the staff member in the December issue. One thing we can suggest is this: do not make assumptions. Many people making guesses last month assumed that SING! is a Townsend Harris only event, which caused most to guess teachers who are THHS alumni. Here are December’s clues:

WHO AM I? CLUE #1

CLUE #2

munications consultant, CLUE #3

CLUE #4

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

NEWS/FEATURES

Steel Hawks plan to go international

PSAT POLICY CHANGE FRESHMEN NO LONGER REQUIRED TO TAKE EXAM

led by new coach and Physics teach-

Kristin Cour -

attend the Greater Toronto East

another formal event will bring

time this school year, in addition

This year, members have deON

ing the PSAT during freshman

According to Assistant Prin-

event and is eager to begin funof the most successful teams worldwide will be attending the

United States to have registered

decided it would be too stressful -

Though the school is unsure tice in future years, the decision

sent not only the school, but also Every year, the team comgionals will cost a lot of money, the team has already started in a variety of challenges that change every year -

two years, when the current Guidance counselor Sara

botics team has another advantage: it will be one out of many teams using software beta testing, which tests the software libraries and tools before they get With all of this in mind, Neil

able to meet the monetary goal gether on fundraising and devel-

their junior year, the school will understand that PSAT is just a you don’t do well, it’s not a big

robotics team to contend with -

historically, then maybe we don’t need to have the freshmen

The PSAT is the Preliminary SAT test that allows juniors to receive a National Merit -

you more comfortable while to receive information on col-

Annual fundraisers held by

no doubt that our students will

Senior Anthony Chiarenza

10 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

SPECIAL FEATURE

BY SUSWANA CH

SING is practically 1984 re-establishment though production st vived again in the yea ber of ways to becom

During a certain time of the year, chaos and stress plagues the metropolis of townsend Harris high school. Witness the broken spotlights, the narrow stages, the panicked rushing of the actors. These are the grave and terrifying challenges posed by none other than SING the day can be saved by just one thing: a dazzling performance.

SING used to ary until fIn ing Regents w has always t

In the past, the day in addition nights, though t erably sm

BY VINCENT CHU AND ZACH OOI Anna S t . Clair h a d no mus i c a l or theatrical experience before coming to Townsend Harris, but that didn’t stop her from joining SING! in freshman year. As director, Anna enjoys writing the script, the story, and, most especially, getting to see the whole performance come together. Anna considers the stress of the event to be part of the fun, and she views the nervousness as a good motivator.

F o r Dimitri, the world of theater is no stranger. He has acted in countless productions and starred in SING freshman and sophomore year. He also gained experience from elementary and middle school productions such as the lion king and the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. Though new to scripwriting, out of all his responsibilities as a director, Dimitri felt casting was the toughest. He explained that this was because he had no hint of what sort of talent would come his way.

Nathaniel Cheng was not as enthusiastic about SING as his co-director. he didn’t even want to join SING until his older sister’s dedication to SING inspired him. Nathaniel enjoys the SING for the fun, family-like environment it provide. As a director, Nathaniel has a great deal of responsibility. He is particularly known for being a spirit-lifter during “crunch time.”

Nina Leeds also brings with her previous relevant experiences. She attended a performing arts camp for eleven years, performed in musicals in middle school, and acted in SING. While being a director was certainly a transition, Nina enjoyed the process. Despite her off-stage position, she especially enjoyed being able to guide the actors through developing their performances.

BY STEPHANIE

The instrumental dire one interested. During a ty the entire song, and plays o

“I went around the gr for a bassist, guitari mer,” said frankie nico co-instrumental

Vocal directors choose storyline. Singers then sepa

“We try to choose s popular, appealing, and nies,” said Freshior vo Jennie Lynn

Dance directors lead eve the hardest to choreogr

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

SPECIAL FEATURE

HOWDHURY AND KATHERINE MARADIAGA

y intertwined with Townsend Harris’s postt. it’s been around since the beginning, and topped for a period in the ‘90s, it was rear 2000. Since then, SING has evolved in a numme the show Harrisites are familiar with today.

While actors, singers and dancers earn plenty of applause in SING, there are unsung heroes who must make sure the show runs smoothly. The audience may not give much thought to the hours spent painting backdrops or the precision of lighting cues, but they are just as essential to the production as their on-stage counterparts.

tech

by michelle gan and jennifer walsh

o occur at the end of Janunals were introduced durweek, and since then, SING taken place in November. It consisted of three productions—Sophmen, Juniors, and Seniors—until these merged and became the Se’more and Freshior shows.

e show aired on Thursn to Friday and Saturday the audience was considmaller on Thursday.

A part of SING that for the most part goes unnoticed is the Tech Squad. Tech takes charge of sound systems, lighting, spotlights, microphones, projectors, and music tracks. Spotlights, which are controlled on the balcony, need to be specifed for scenes based on size, shape, and intensity. The light room is used for blackouts, which are used to transition between scenes, and to also control the smaller overhead lights on the stage that emit different colors. For sound, there are two housings, or towers of equipment: one for the microphones and another for CDs and DVDs. There is a large soundboard that controls the volume of the microphones using sliders to adjust volume. The housing for CDs and DVDs are used to play each SING’s music. According to senior Aditya Samaroo, the Tech Squad needs at least Five people for each SING performance. They need “one for the soundboard, one with the CDs, one in the light room, and two for spotlights.” Despite the Tech Squad’s underappreciation, there are many hidden perks. according to senior Angel Song, the tech squad president, “The balcony is the coolest place ever. You’re basically in a restricted area. Also you can be best friends with Ms. Fee.” However, stress still builds in the tech squad as the days leading up to SING wind down. “We’re the scapegoats of SING. Basically all the pressure is put on you, and if you mess up, everybody blames you,” said Angel. Once the directors hand over the script to the Tech Squad, the Tech Squad works with each SING to make sure that everything works out perfectly. Once run-throughs begin, the Tech Squad can be seen working just as hard as the rest of the cast of SING. Many may not realize it, but Tech is essential to many of the school’s performances. Angel sums it up, “We’re the backbone of the show. If they don’t have lighting and sound, they’re nothing.”

E GEIER AND MAGDALENA GRABOS

ectors Assign instruments for their songs to anyypical practice, the band listens to a track, practices over any parts they mess up on until they perfect it.

rades and asked ist, and a drumolazzi, freshior director.

e among song suggestions and alter the lyrics to Fit the arate into Alto (melodies) or soprano (harmonies).

songs that are d have harmo“We’re given all summer. ocal director as soon as the script is writn. ten, that’s when I start to plan how each song is going to be performed,” said Se’more vocal director Rianne Bawalan.

eryone in practicing their biggest number fIrst, raph with space and time provided. They then

“When I am choreographing, I usually like to look at the talent First and then Find a style that would be most suitable for them,” said Se’more dance director Amanda Ruggieri.

art

by michelle gan and jennifer walsh

The audience may not give much thought to the hours spent painting backdrops or the precision of lighting cues, but they are just as essential to the production as their on-stage counterparts. The art department’s chief responsibility is to design and create the backdrop and build props. Of the $1,000 allocated for each SING’s budget, approximately 50% goes towards purchasing art supplies. The art director is in charge of purchasing materials, designing the backdrop, and making sure everything gets done in time for the show. “The hardest part [of my job] is trying to meet due dates and stay within budget,” remarked Freshior art director Ariana Stergiou. The FIrst step is priming the backdrop. During this process, they cover last year’s backdrop with white paint and primer so that they can put their new design on top of it. Once the art director completes the backdrop design and primFinished, they begin the process of gridding. Gridding means that they sketch the backdrop design onto the tarp, making sure that everything is to scale by literally creating a grid on the backdrop. After gridding, the art crew begins the process of painting. “Painting is all hands on deck,” said Se’more art director Megan Parker. The crew outlines the designs in painter’s tape to ensure they stay inside the lines. Other props may be made if necessary such as bookshelves or grocery shelves. For this year’s Se’mores, Megan serves as lumberjack. “Whatever I’m building, I cut the wood at home and bring it here to assemble,” she said. Despite everything, Megan FInds the reward in looking at the FInal product. “Sometimes when you’re working on it, there’s this sense of working towards the common good. But at the end, you have something tangible that represents your months of hard work.”

12 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

OPINION Obamacare, a safety net for the American people ON

THHS VOICES

IGOR PORTNOI IS AGAINST OBAMACARE

FRANKIE NICOLAZZI IS FOR OBAMACARE

President’s healthcare system a complete failure

the long awaited

ET’S FACE IT: the idea of a universal healthcare system for

MUHAMED BICIC, #TH

who received letters about cancellations of their cur-

FOR & AGAINST

OBAMACARE

NATHANIEL CHENG, !"TH in theory but in reality it has not

This all might have been bearable had the rollout of Obamacare

SARAH OBERLANDER

Quotations & Photos gathered by Vincent Chu and Zach Ooi

It’s 2013: Don’t lecture me Harry Petsios IF ONE imagines an average class-

comes to mind: a teacher lecturing, a -

sound in theory, this style of teaching fails to involve the most crucial element in the entire education system: the stu-

have gone through their academic ca-

In our school and across the nation, -

After centuries of education reform, to challenge a teacher if it becomes nec-

Ivy Global Meet Our Team Jason P. Yale

Although there are certain subjects

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THE CLASSIC

November 2013

The Classic

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

Photo by Brian Sweeney

THE EDITORS

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Suswana Chowdhury Katherine Maradiaga NEWS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITORS Bianca Dilan Michelle Gan

FEATURES EDITOR Magdalena Grabos

LAYOUT & DESIGN Christina Wang

OPINION EDITORS

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Asia Acevedo Fran Horowitz

A&E EDITORS Jennifer Walsh COPY EDITORS

Classic

Evan Mancini

HE STAFF OF The Classic

College’s

Newsies! Awards

The awards ranged from

were blown away by the level -

better than certain unnamed best overall online high school C h o w d h u r y,

Katherine

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A s for Ch r ist i na and

Christina Wang won individual awards, as did alumni Genna

on its website following the

EDITORIAL

Time to replace the AP courses

the right THHS spirit

ADVISOR Brian Sweeney

With Th e Cla ss i c’s bel l online version of The Classic as

ONLINE EDITOR

THIS -

their teachers to create a challenging curriculum -

and the charities received the At Montclair K imberley Academy in who creatively integrated string

Of course, the sabotage necessi-

SU’s Battle of the wonderland on the fourth -

far more than just another fun thing to do in between the hec-

decorating victory with ease; the seniors still won the overall Donating money to select

isfactory if the main goal had been for each grade to raise the -

nates the stress of cramming all of US History into -

towards credible education is a taste of what our

truly nice about the announcement of the victors after the

Since arriving at Townsend Harris, I have real-

overall Battle by raising more -

Sure, not everyone donned their manner, students were encourthose reasons, but for those who needed a reason, the earning of This year’s Battle of the twist allowed for more money hall decorating winner and

that truth, and we commend its

-Christina Marshall, junior

14 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THHS Trend Watch: Neutral Knits, Sartorial Stripes MANY OF us who spend hours meticulously choosing our out-

The Art of Afghan Food Andrew Mitchel deli-

!e portion size was surprisingly large for lunchtime, and the food was filling.

little resemto the limp

From the left, the trend is shown in the simple striped detailing at the end of each shirt sleeve, on a blue-and-white button-down shirt with very thin stripes, and on a cardigan with color-blocked stripes in crisply contrasting navy and white.

lettuce -

Music: Bastille

Fall in love with Frozen this Friday

thought Frozen -

Frozen

Wreck-it Ralph

Netcliques Suggests

ing her own in duets

Frozen

in Tangled

Frozen

The Nutty Professor The Family Stone Meet the Robinsons SEE FULL STORIES OF THE ABOVE AT THHSCLASSIC.COM

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

A&E

16 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

A&E SPECIAL FEATURE

Doctor Who is an alien (though he looks human) who travels through time and space in a blue police box known as the TARDIS. He is often accompanied by one or two of his human friends, called companions.

DEBORAH CHAI Favorite episode: “The Family of Blood.” This is the episode that made me see the serious side of the show and the full spectrum of David Tennant’s acting. Doctor Who is often a very silly show with jokes and gags but this episode took his acting to the next level.

Favorite doctor: The 9th Doctor is underrated since he’s only in one season, but Christopher Eccleston does a great job tapping into a wide range of emotions. In “The Doctor Dances” when he says,“Please let it be one of those days. Just this once, everybody lives,” the pure joy on his face was what got me into the show.

Why are you a Whovian? I love Doctor Who because it can be anything it wants. They have the ability to go anywhere! They can go visit Van Gogh and then go all the way to 2090. It isn’t tied down to one genre either other than is very childish but it’s coupled with lovable characters and brilliant writing.

ANNA ST. CLAIR Favorite episode: “Asylum of the Daleks.” The Doctor’s arch-nemeses, the Daleks, summon him to investigate an insane Dalek. Writer Steven Moffat crafts a thrilling epic that features one of the best plot twists of the season, if not the entire revived series.There’s so much of the show’s canon, too. Favorite monster: The Weeping Angels are one of the few monsters that horrify you on a deeper psychological level. These stone statues can’t move when you’re looking at them, but look away for less than a second and they move to attack. Get too close and they can turn you into an angel yourself. Yet they are so normal looking, possibly hiding amongst the statues of any cemetery, museum, or building facade.

Favorite companion: Donna stands out from the rest of the companions as she took down the “damsel in distress” cliche that previshe was sarcastic, assertive, and lively. She was also the only companion that didn’t go through the tiered “will they or won’t they” romance.

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

A&E SPECIAL FEATURE

On any given day, you are likely to spot a number of Doctor Who fans at THHS. You may spot them by their apparel, their locker decorations, or their frequent (often loud) conversations. With such a large and vocal culture of Doctor Who fans (or “Whovians,” as they are often called) at our school The Classic decided to celebrate the fandom and the occasion by asking a few of our Whovian staffers about their favorite Doctor Who Doctors, episodes, and moments.

creating a new generation of Whovians that turned the show into a global phenomenon.

JENNIFER WALSH Favorite episode: “Vincent and the Doctor.” The Doctor goes back in time and meets Vincent Van Gogh, and it is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. It’s all about Pyrrhic victories and how some tragedies can’t be avoided, and makes me cry every time.

Favorite Doctor: The Tenth Doctor is my favorite. He has this sense of warmth and openness about him that make him instantly likeable, but it doesn’t mask his darker side.

Why are you a Whovian? Doctor Who is so different from everything else on television, and the combination of intelligent storytelling and action is the reason it’s reached cult status around the globe. The characters are relatable, and watching the show is like watching your friends go on the adventure of a lifetime.There’s so much of the show’s canon, too - the old series, spinoffs, books, video games - so fans can

MEGAN PARKER Favorite doctor: The 11th doctor is quirkily charming and childishly curious, while still managing to balance the age and tragedies of the doctor with the excitement and open-mindedness that harkens back to when he stole the TARDIS all those years ago. Favorite companion: Jones; she’s intelligent, cheeky and surprisingly tough. What I really loved about her was her refusal to pine away after the Doctor, instead opting to assume the lead role in her life instead of second in the Doctor’s. She was always independent in never completely giving up her life on earth to be swept away by the Doctor.

Why are you a Whovian? I feel Doctor Who manages to (like The Twilight Zone of yesteryear) connect with the humanity in all of us even through extrahis best to bring peace to the universe using nothing but a sonic screwdriver and a big blue box. Art & Design by Christina Wang

18 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS

Fall 2013

Familiar end for Girls Bowling

Girls volleyball falls to Bronx Science O

the

THE CLASSIC

November 2013

SPORTS

CHEERLEADING COMES TO THHS

20 November 2013

THE CLASSIC

SPORTS FACTS

he is now more determined to

In his element: Mr. K, the runner -

“It’s good that [students] run but what they really need to do is run five miles.”

Boys XC makes top ten in the city O -