NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 163 COMMACK, NY
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Townsend Harris High School at Queens College
149-11 Melbourne Avenue. Flushing, NY 11367
Seniors in spotlight at Baccalaureate by Rena Varghese college. According to figures "Working with this senior released by the college office, class has been a terrific joy,'' of the 100% college-bound sesaid College Advisor Marilyn niors, 39 will be attending a Blier. "Seeing so many of them State University of New York at the Baccalaureate Ceremony (SUNY); 21 others will go to a validates my feeling that they City University of New York are a spectacular group of (CUNY); 94 graduates will young people," she said, attend a private university in referring to the awards New York; while 83 students cerem ony that took place tn will go out of state. College C o I d e n Auditorium on June II . There , 183 seniors were honored for 'It has come to my attention that excellence in the members of the class s e r v 1c e , of 1996 are growing too big for leadership their britches.' a n d academics. The 237 students of the senior class that Office Secretary Joan Starr has reaped the most honors in estimated that the total amount the school ' s history will be of scholarship money won by graduatedonTuesday,June25 . theclasstobeover$17million. The graduation ceremony that That is the highest amount of will mark the end of four years money ever won by a senior of high school will also signify class at Townsend Harris. the beginning of yet another • The achievements of ·the adventure - the challenges of senior class were reflected in
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the Baccalaureate Ceremony. "Events such as tonight's Baccalaureate ceremony are the culmination of three or four very special years which have been challenging, interesting and very exciting,"said Sheila Orner, Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services. "You havebeenanintegralpartofour community . You have learned to give as well as to receive." In his speech, Principal Malcolm Largmann asked the seniors to turn to the audience and to applaud thetr parents for · their support. Then he said that thts was espectally important because he had to talk to the parents about a dilemma that was created by the semor class. "It has come to my attention thatthemembersoftheclassof 1996 are growing too big for their britches," said Dr. Largmann. "You [the senior class] have won too many scholarships, copped too many awards, been accepted into top colleges, propelled teams into top spots and created awardwinning publications," he said.
· Dr. Largmann said that when seniors during their last year a class as small as the senior also expressed their feelings about the class of 1996. Senior class outstripped every other Coordinator Thomas Sweetin school in academic and service said, "I think that this is the best accomplishments, he was class we've had all the way ostracized by other high school principals. "It's tough being the most envied guy at the Board of Education ," he said. 'I think that this is the best Afterwards, class we've had all the way members of the around - in every way.' faculty presented sen10rs wtth plaques, _medals and certtftcates for exemplary achievement. around - in every way." Queens College Coordinator The. ceremony also featured musical presentations by the John Hynes said, "This year's chorus, accompanied and senior class has made conducted by Florence themselves noted for their McKinley, and by senior Sylvia politeness, caring and Yue, who played the piano. The discipline that far surpasses ceremony closed with the senior classes in recent years. I presentation of sashes by Dr. feel that these qualities are just Largmann to the Valedictorian, as important as excelling in Rebecca Mandell, and to the academics . This cl ass is Salutatorian, Jessica Gazsy. probably the best class ever in Members of the faculty who that regard. What will I do next have worked closely with the year?"
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Extending a friendly hand:
Relationship with local residents grows stronger by Veronica Lee signed the tour project as a col"My feeling is ... the more they lateral to his senior Economics get to know us, the better it will class. "We ran this program to be," said Assistant Principal of show them we're not as bad as Pupil Personnel Services Sheila they think we are," said senior Orner. Since the relocation of tour guide Roshni Eapen. "The Townsend Harris to the new people I took around were imbuilding on the Queens College pressed; they were always woncampus last spring, students, dering what our school looked teachers and the administration like on the inside .. .! think the have been working together to project was successful," she better the relationship between added. The problems which draw the the school and local residents. Tours of the facility and most complaints from the invitations to special events like community are the traffic and the Spring Concert have been . parking difficulties as well as offered to the neighbors, and the the school's fire alarms."The fire alarm system, which has college gave us enough often plagued the community at congestion, and now, getting night when set off by inclement around is even harder. With the weather, will undergo adjust- teachers and students using ments in the summer. many of our spots, and parents According to Ms. Orner, the picking up their children after purpose of the building tours school, there is less room for the was to "extend a friendly hand people who live there," towards the neighbors." Social explained Susan Winnick, a Studies teacher Paul Stessel as- resident of one of the nearby
apartment houses. '.'1 know that parents sometimes double, triple, and quadruple park," said Assistant Principal Malcolm Rossman.
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'He praised our students for being the most courteous, well-behaved kids he has ever seen.' "We can try working with the PTA to educate parents about the dangers of double parking, and let them know the police are out there patrolling the area all the time, so if they don't want a $50 ticket, then they'll make other arrangements to pick up their kids," he said. As for the fire alarms, Mr. Rossman explained that an
opening in the side of the building currently allows wind, pigeons and squirrels to get in, setting off the system at night. "It's ridiculous. All the noise keeps me awake at night, I can't get any sleep, and sometimes they take forever to turn it off," said one frustrated neighbor. "Well right now, that opening is covered with something that is the equivalent to cardboard, but it will be worked on in the summer, and sealed with a big _ gate to prevent little things from setting off our alarms,'' Mr. Rossman responded. In 1987, when the proposal to construct a new building was approved, the local community surrounding the construction site on the corner of Melbourne A venue protested the plans to build a high school on the quiet parking lot of Queens College. "The .construction of the building itself upset people
more than the actual school and students that are there now, " said Ms. Winnick. "In the summer, it was noisy and dusty, and the people typically thought of high school students with loud radios and all the commotion. Now I think that most of the residents here are impressed with the kids," she added. "We're getting lots of nice feedback from the community," said Ms. Orner. "Dr. Largmann received a letter from the driver of a bus that' goes down Melbourne. He praised our students for being the .JllOSt courteous, well-behaved kids he has ever seen," she said. "We try to accommodate the neighbors; we try not to use the front entrance as a courtesy to them. Sometimes we use the entrance for ceremonial purposes ... but we always let them know when we plan to open it," said Mr. Rossmann .
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rifte Music Makers:
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A Special Pull-Out Section
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College Choices p.5
Women and Science p.6