The Classic newspaper Volume 14 Issue no. 3

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vasebSic Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

149-11 Melbourne Avenue. Flushing, NY 11367

Westinghouse honors three seniors

by Natalka Palczynski

meteorite was the cause of an impact Craters, 57,000 year old teeth, and crater located in Chesapeake Bay near laser speckle patterns proved to be suc- Maryland. As a meteorite hits the earth, cessful topics for Tara explained, hot molWestinghouse ten from the meteorite projects as sewould explode into the niors Megan § earth. This molten, once Dwyer, Tara ~ · exposed to air, would tum Paterson, and J: into tektites, or Jamie Tong, all . ~ glass. Thus, if inreceived semifi;, deed a meteorite .0 nalist rank in the s was the cause of · O 57th Annual -§. the crater, tektites Westinghouse should be found in 'science Talent the sediment of the Jamie Tong Search. This naarea surrounding tionwide competition awards scholar- the crater. Tara did not find tekships for excellence in a particular sci- tites in the area, but did find other ence field to high school students. evidence: quartz with stress Susan Appel, former Assistant Prin- lines, and high pressure, that cipal of Science, has yearly aided stu- would indicate a meteorite had dents to finalist and semifallen alfinalist standing. This year, most 38 Ms. Appel's last as advisor million· years of student entrants, she ago. helped Megan, Tara, and Tara, who Jamie become three of the ;.,:i!/,;;;,...;.t;",l\ .g plans to major in 300 semifinalists (chosen biology in colfrom 16,000 entrants) in lege, worked for this competition. a year and a half Under the guidance of on her project.

Dr. Cecilia McHugh of She also spent Queens College, Tara exmuch of her plored evidence that would summer reMegan Dwyer · B a1indicate whether or not a . searc h mg.

ancing all her activities- the soccer team (of which she is tri-captain this year), dance classes, and work - was "definitely difficult," Tara said. "Although I spread myself really thin for awhile, it paid off!'

Tara vividly recalls the moment she was informed of the good news. "Megan called me up and told me thilt she ~ was a "2., semifi.. r.t nalist," ~ she said. "' "Wewere ';, .0 so scream.

-§. mgon the phone together and I told Tara Paterson her how happy I was for her. And then she says to me, 'Check your mailbox- you're a semifinalist too!'"

Megan's Westinghouse, entitled "ESR (electron spin resonance) Dating ofTooth Enamel from theArchaeological Site Tsagaan Agui'. Mongolia," required Megan to clean and date a horse tooth and deer tooth found amidst various animal remains in a cave in Mongolia. Megan began her project at · Contmued on page 4

Chemical fumes seep into auditorium

by Hope Villella Lack of chemical diluting agents and a burnt-out exhaust fan have brought activity in the second floor chemical treatment room to a virtual standstill. The room, located in the rear of the auditorium, houses the tanks used to neutralize chemicals discarded in the science department before they are released into the sewer system.

In November, as a result of the bro-. ken exhaust fan which had come loose from its hinges and mounting, as well as the broken heat fan in the auditorium, the odor of the chemicals had begun to escape into the adjacent auditorium.

This problem was eliminated by midDecember, said Custodian Engineer Joseph DiGiacomo, after he alerted the science department of the problem. He explained that they were able to help by

cutting down on their use of harsh chemicals as well as neutralizing the acids with baking soda and diluting them in the sixth floor science laboratory.

"It was horrible that we couldn't even start class until we had opened all the doors of the auditorium," said junior Andrea Martin of her Intermediate Band class. "They really shouldn't have these problems in such a new building."

While the smell has been eliminated, the problem of operation in the chemical treatment room is still unresolved.

Mr. DiGiacomo said that the blame lies with outside companies. "The general contractors and the sub-contractors have reneged on warantees and guarantees and the [School Construction Authority (SCA)] was powerless to enforce these," he said. The assistance from the SCA

Who was Valentine? pages·

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has been limited to certain emergency services and "there is nobody to. call," he added.

Normally, problems such as this would be dealt with by an SCA-designated Project Officer, but Mr. DiGiacomo explained that the death of Townsend Harris' Project Officer Louis Gigi in early October has impeded this process. The SCA has now appointed a new Project Officer, Henry Caeso, but it will take him time to get to know the situation at Townsend Harris.

Mr. DiGiacomo said that it will take Mr. Caeso a couple weeks to piece together the information that the current staff can give him about the building, and the files left by Mr. Gigi, so that he can get acquainted with the overall situation before he addresses individual problems.

Saying farewell to Seinfeld page 10

IHenryo.sherett remembered:

Harris community saddened by death of founder byAlanFu Townsend Harris High School alumnus He·n.r y David Shereff passed away Gn January 6, 1998, at the age of 78. Having been graduated with the class of 1936, Mr. Shereffbecame the driving force byhind the re-establishment of Harris.

Wilen Mr. Shereff and other alumni decided to re-establish Harris in 1981, they had three main goals, acc01:ding to retired English teacher Thomas Sweetin: 1) to refound the school; 2) to get a new buildmg for Harris; and 3) to leave a $1 million endowment to Harris.

Working with fellow alumni who shared his dreams, Mr. Shereff did fttlfitfms fiiSttWo'goals;' Prfricfplil MaJC()lm Largmann stafe(,f.it was Mr. Shereff's '"gentleness, focus, dedication, and soft~spoken power to persuade others'' that ensured the re-establishment of Harris. Assistant Principal Malcolm Rossman added, "He was very, very bright, but he was quietly dynamic." Similarly, Mr. Sweetin commented that "you knew he was in another league."

Up until his death, Mr. Shereff continually worked toward his third goal. raising trre $1 million endowment. and, thanks in large part to his efforts, the fund is well on the way to completion. Alumnus Irving Gerber remembered how "Mr. Shereffwould invite possible donors to dinner and 'hit 'emup'formoney."

Throughout the complex process of getting the new building for Harris, Mr. Shereff played a vital role.

Undaunted by formidable political obstacles, he tirelessly lobbied aiL concerned parties. Dr. Largmann particularly recalled "the way [Mr. Shereff] made us believe we wer'e going to be wonderful and triumphant in the end ... [even though] many thought it a pipe-dream.'' His optimism, though, appeared to be Continued on page 11

Sports:

Angela:S Ashes reviewed page 13

Spring tryouts page 15

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2 What happened to "learning for the sake of learning?"

The Classic

February 1998

How many times have you received a test grade back and noticed the person in back of you, peering over your shoulder, trying to find out what you got?

Mumbling starts in the classroom; rumors spread about you, the curvebreaker. Soon, everyone knows that it was you who got the 98 and prevented the teacher from cur~ing the test.

This scenario is not uncommon at Townsend Harris, where using the words "grade-obsessed" to describe the majority of the student body would be a severe understatement.

Harris brings out the competitive nature in all of us; it seems that every week another team has won a cham pionship, a school publication is lauded, or an individual student advances to the next level of a prestigious competition.

This competitiveness can be beneficial because many times it is the driving force that pushes us to try harder to sueceed. Yet, we seem tc:> have lost sight of the essence of a humanities education, "Learning for the sake of learning." Students, faculty, and parents, should all take note of this philosophy and concentrate on education, and not the grade point average. (By the way, students, this will be on the exam!)

It is impossible to completely eliminate this grade-consciousness among us because of the type of students who are attracted to the school: those who are

highly intelligent, motivated, and driven to succeed. This problem is aggravated by pressure from parents. Many push their children to maintain high grades no matter what the cost, with students often resorting to cheating or brownnosing to receive high marks. This carries over into the classroom, with students constatly worried over their peers' successes, or rather, failures, on exams, so that they can go home and tell their parents that they "got the highest grade in the class," or that "everyone else failed too." Many students strive to sueceed solely to gain admission to selective colleges; they are so focused on the numbers in their transcripts that they fail to enjoy the high school experience.

Since it is impossible to entirely prevent parents and students alike from exerting this pressure on their children and on themselves, action should be taken within the school to de-emphasize grade-consciousness and put the focus back on learning.

The faculty should make a strenuous effort to lessen the importance of test scores. As the system stands now, many teachers have exact formulae to determine our grades, whereby they multiply test grades by .47329, divide them by 37 pi, add in collaterals by taking the raw grades and subtracting them from the negative reciprocal of your birthday, and then factoring in between -37 and 2

points for class participation. This does not apply to all Townsend teachers, but many do overemphasize the role of test. scores in determining our fate - oops, our grades.

Especially in humanities subjects, there are other methods of evaluating students than by standard multiplechoice exams, with questions as obscure as "What color were Huck Finn's bloomers when he rowed down the river?" or "How many people died on the second day, during the first voyage, on the Oregon Trail?" which fail to evaluate how much we have learned, but rather test whether our short-term memory can recall insignificant facts.

A better evaluation, for example, is the way seniors' humanities classes are graded. Seniors write journals reacting to the assigned text for each class session, and rather than receive standard exams, they write papers about the text once they have finished discussing the work in class. In this way, students learn, rather than memorize, by developing analytical and writing skills. In order to be successful in this course; students must carefully execute their assignments and participate in class discussions. The humanities seminar provides the ideal learning environment, parts of which should be implemented in all grades and throughout the humanities curricula, from foreign languages to social stud-

ies. Reading Don Quixote in fourth year Spanish and then discussing it in seminar style .would serve a dual purpose of improving students' fluency and facilitating analysis of the text. It would admittedly be difficult, however, to test mathematics and the sciences with this method, since proficiency can not realistically be measured without objective tests, but humanities courses should try to eliminate short answer examinations.

Grading should be a secondary purpose in the education factor. The beauty of a humanities school is that the student leaves well-rounded with an understanding of a variety of subjects that will provide him I her with a hearty background for the persuance of other studies and perhaps specialized areas of interest. The GPA should be something that naturally falls into place while the student is engrossed in the world of academia; not something to fight over, cry over, and dramatically "die" over. A humanities education is not about regurgitated information; it is about the retention of the :;testhetics, the appreciation of literature and the arts. It would seem that Harris has dragged itself into a pit of numbers, people stomping on each others' heads to get to the higher ones. We urge the faculty, students, and parents to remember the underlying principles of a humanities education and to look beyond the crude numbers.

Too much stress, too hard to handle; let us relax a little!

To the Editor: At a news conference held by the journalism class a few months ago, three Egyptian guests were offered a chance to relate stories about the schools in Egypt, answer any questions that the journalism class had formulated, and to share their impressions and feelings about the school. Serious and polite questions presented themselves to. the guests, and they answered happily and eagerly.

well-developed English sentences they comment.

It was evident to a foreigner who had must write, while the teachers are inunonly visited the school for a few days dated with papers they must correct, how much work and stress the teachers tests they must mark, and the well-deput upon themselves, and in turn, put veloped English sentences they must read. The whole school is fueled by the upon the students as well .....

The relentless stream of homework will of the teachers to push each indiand collaterals ... is the typical agenda vidual to their sticking point. "I've for Harrisites. Who is responsible? You turned into a workaholic!" exclaimed can safely say the teachers are, although, Esther Lin, sophomore ....

Students must also be aware of their in their defense, they might not be aware if the implications of their assignments. well-being. Excessive mental stress is "Most teachers think that their class is detrimental to a person's health. Studthe only class that the students have," ies have shown that it can cause weight said sophomore Ralph Marquez. Still, gain and painful gastric ulcers.

Horrific as these consequences ing skills" we learn in dealing with our the poor victims are Harrisites, who bear sound, there are those who push themheavy workload actually benefit us in a the load in silent drudgery.

Ask any Harrisite and you will find selves to the limit and beyond in order similar way.

High schCJol would be nice if we out that all of them have experienced a to please the teacher. Townsend decould all just sit back and relax like they jam packed program of rush cram work mands an amount of competitive edge, do on Saved By the Bell. But all of this whenever it nears a vacation and I or the and the teachers feel it too. But a word work really does have a point. It took end of term. The students are over- to the pedagogues of Townsend - lighten me four years to realize that my friends whelmed by the papers they must write, up! Why not give both yourselves and at other schools weren't really better off· the tests they must study for, and the us a break and relax?

- Hai-Phong Tran. than I am because they never had homework or reports to do; similarly, they had Natalka Palczynski Townsend Harris High School at Queens College very little drive to do what work they Editor-in-Chief 149-11 Melbourne Avenue. Flushing. N.Y. 11367 did have well.

Hope Villella Beth ·citron Kate Rube Readers are invited to submit letters to the Feature Editor Sports Editor News Editor My point is that despite the moaning editor. Letters should be placed in Ms. Cowen's mailbox in the general office. The Classic reand groaning we do here, it really is Jeannemarie Hendershot Erika Zwetkow serves the right to edit all letters. Letters must Editor at large Photography Editor worth it. It is true that too much stress include name and official class. Names will be Romina Perrone Julia Kohen Alan Fu withheld upon request. can be "detrimental to the health, " but Business Manager Managing Editor Circulation editor anyone who has accomplished some News Staff: Bosede Adenekan. Afton Baff. Dominika Bednarska, Andrew Goldberg, Karen Halperin. Helen Haritos, Christina great tasksuch as a collateral under presLesica, Stefan Muehlbauer, Mark Von Ohlen. Anette Orzechowski, Maggie Yuan· sure knows the feeling of satisfaction Feature Staff: Rudy Ash, Paul Bruno, Noreen Bukhari, Surabhi Jain, Lorraine Kapovich, DanielJe Lord, Adam Mingione, Chris Munde, Aliza Nadi. Rachel Nobel, Lauren Paley, Ramsey Peele, Carol Pruss, Catherine Santos, Steven Seidenfeld that follows.

Sports Staff: Justin Fox, Brian Griffimg, Tabitha Hsi, Jarvis Lagman, Mark Von Ohlen, Sara Yun And as for the teachers, it may sound Photography Staff: Laura Bassilino, Frank Cherena, Jason Freedman, Arielle Freeman, Sara Gross, Alice lofescu, Athena cliched, but by challenging us, they feed Ledaias, Nancy LU.o, Sofia Pami.giotakis, ·Karen Parado, Joseph Paso a, Lisa Schapira, Eric Trager, Marco Tra:uzzi,· Audley Wilson, Henry Wong, Dawn Wing, Young Yoon our spirits and our minds.

Artists: Vivien Chang, Lucy Hong, Rachel Sperling -Jeannemarie Hendershot Principal - Dr. Malcolm Largrnann Advisor - Ilsa Cowen Editor-at-Large

Slowly the mood shifted to fun and personal questions; one of which struck the students to the core: "What is one piece of advice you would give to the teachers here at Townsend Harris?" One of the three gave a hearty laugh and a mischievous grin. He replied keenly and quickly, without hesitation. "They need to relax and let the students relax as well.

Too much stress!" The journalism class erupted in laughter, knowing, unfortunately, first hand what he meant by the

Too much stress? Not really!

I doubt anyone would say that stress is not a factor in this school. I have experienced my fair share of days filled with three tests, an article due for The Classic , and a swim meet the night before all of this. I have pulled all-nighters in order to deal with this stress, and I spent every minute of my freshman year whining and complaining about how stressed out I was. It had crossed my mind more than once that teachers might be out to destroy all of my free time with last minute collaterals.

With time, though, we grow to appreciate what once made us frustrated.

Taking classes at Queens College has made me see that Harris teachers are not the only ones who seem to think that their classes take precedence, and no matter where you go, you'll find this .

Many of us work best tinder stress, and without it, we probably wouldn't get the full effect of the "Harris experience."

The school emphasizes the Bridge Year as a major part of what prepares us for college, but the stress and the "cop-

The Classic February 1998

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ditors' Adventures: Cafe hopping in Manhattan's West village

French Roast Cafe by Natal¥ Palczynski If sidewalk Par,s.ian .cafes ti¢)de your fancy and the ·•. uisine (with a tinge of rich flavors of go~·et:Frenc~.

Americana) pleas .; o r·~PP!ft.it , then stepping into the : v,,brove to be the first of French Roast Cafe!'

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though beverages tend to be on the high side.

Cafe Mona Lisa by Beth Citron It's hard to stand out as a cafe in Greenwich Village when a plethora of such establishments line the streets, each one seerillng to offer a unique setting. However, with an eclectic array of chairs, couches, and tables amongst contemporary artwork adorning the walls, Cafe Mona Lisa offers a comfortable and hip atmosphere for meeting friends. It is also quiet enough to be enjoyed alone, to read an intriguing book, or even study. Its menu offers typical American fare, as well as some Italian specialties. The dessert menu is also extensive, with a variety of cheesecakes and mousses, as well as ice cream. However, Cafe Mona Lisa is distinctive for its atmosphere, not its food. Some of the foods were bland and also overpriced. A fruit and brie platter costing $8 didn't even contain some of the fruits listed by our waitress. If you choose to stop by, we recommend sampling some ofthe enticing desserts with a cappucino. Although the food is not superior, we recommend Cafe Mona Lisa for its unique_artistic atmosphere, which stands out even in a community filled with artsy cafes.

Petit Abeille by Hope Villella Upon entering the small, storefront cafe of Petit Abeille, one might wrinkle his nose at the aging walls and counters of the room. But the fading paint and the broken down pantry disappears in the mind of the visitor as the daylight shines into the sunny yellow room. Much like an old-fashioned kitchen with its tiled walls, Petit Abeille envelops its guests in its warm feeling that can only say to them "You're Home."

The menu, a small but nice mixture of salads, sandwiches, and entrees, presents most of its items in flowery French titles (all of which are translated). The food was only so-so, the grilled chicken in the Caesar Salad dry and tasteless, and

are scatis a bit tight, one forget on the lunch menu about the craJiw!td nn"rt""" range from $2.~ such as omelettes, salads, and sandwiches. Dishes generally are prepared with cheeses like roquefort, brie, goat, gruyere, cheddar, and blue. Be experimental and try the duck mousse pate over greens for $5.50 or the eggplant and peppers club on sourdough with sundried tomatoes for $5.75. Finish it off with some warm chocolate cake served with ice cream and poached pear and you'll be ready to cry "C'est Magnifique!" Our only complaint was the poor service, which we attributed to age discrimination. Our waitress failed to find a reason for the missing potatoes from one of our meals. She insisted that the dish was served without them, though it was clearly listed as accompanying the omelette on the menu. We had to remind her several times about water refills and the complimentary bread basket. If you arrive, however, with an older looking comrade, we are positive that you won't experience the same inconvenience.

Factory Cafe by Erika Zwetkow Cozy and comfortable, this coffee bar is quite inviting. The tin ceilings are a throwiJack to the sixties but this dimly-lit, brick-walled, antique-chaired cafe is not a time-warp ~~--~;.,::;~~~~... -~ · :~~ at all. It is a hip little cove in the ~ heart of Greenwich Village.

Walk into an J.1 ·c:: Ill aroma of different ..s blends such as Sumatra Mandheling or French Roast Vanilla. Both coffees are sold by the pound or freshly ground and served to the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich decent, but rather flavorstay. Loveseats and coffee tables welcome all types of less. On the other hand, biting into a warm, soft Belgian people. The Factory Cafe advertises itself as being gay- Waffle was nothing short of heavenly goodness. With no . friendly. A variety of soup, salads and sandwiches awaits sugar, ice cream, or other toppings, the waffles had a syryou, as well as the selection of cakes and cookies which upy, but not overpowering sweetness. They literally melt in change on a daily basis. We recommend the Death by your mouth. Prices were reasonable, ranging from $4 to $7, Chocolate cake, or the Peanut Butter-Chocolate Mousse and service was fast and friendly. cake. So give the coffee, the couches, and the cafe a try.

Anglers and Writers by Jeannemarie Hendershot Caffe Lucca by Kate Rube Anglers and Writers offers everything but your typical Nestled in the heart of Greenwich Village, Caffe West Village cafe atmosphere. This spacious haven is remiLucca;s iwndescript building invites those who know that niscent of B&Bs (bed and breakfast places) in Irish fishing the diner makes up in desserts what it lacks in decoration. villages. From its walls adorned with antiquated fishing paraBefore the cafe craze of the '90's, there was Lucca's: phernalia, to the family-sized kitchen tables, to the crocheted small, but cozy, its plain brick walls adorned with black doilies that lie beneath porcelain vases of fresh tulips, the and white photographs ofltaly, its generic tables and chairs cafe provides an environment condu a far cry from the eclectic mixture many places sport to- tions with close friends. This is also the day. With this old-fashioned, mom-and-pop atmosphere der a cup of infused tea and read {jf.igt>(}<l,-Q<;>Ql<} or ·. also comes an old-fashioned, mom-and-pop type of cook- Tea and coffee are served in ing. Though famous for its desserts, Lucca also offers saucers: herbal teas, pastas and sandwiches of generous portions and home- twists on the typical options made taste. If you only have time for a quick snack, go treats an adventure.We recom~e!J straight t<? the back of the menu, where a long list of tempt- 'Belgian chocolate ing desserts awaits. The Frutta Di Bosco, a fruit tart con- whipped cream. sisting of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, is much in the way of highly recommended, as are the assorted array of fresh which includes a variety fruit sorbets~ Dessert and entree prices are reasonable, cakes. The blueberry crumb pie,

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4 ·science projects· propel three to Westi·n ghouse semifinals Continued from page 1 the start of her junior year under the direction of Queens College Professor Bonnie Blackwell. The decayed teeth needed to be cleaned with a hand-held drill until the enamel was perfectly white before they could be dated, a process which took months. Megan's research concluded that the horse tooth was some 57,000 years old, while the deer tooth was some 50,000 years old. Megan's use of ESR dating is important to science research as the technique is slowly gaining more credibility; carbon dating is the most commonly used method.

Megan admits that there were times when she wanted to forget about entering the competition. School, work, dance class, and her project were, at times, overwhelming. She plans to pursue a career in business, saying that science research is both "frustrating and tedious." "Research is a difficult thing to dedicate your life to," Megan said. "You spend years finding such a small piece of information in such a huge world."

Jamie's project, entitled "Laser Speckle Patterns: Factors which_Affect Speckle Patterns and a New Method of Measuring the Size of Speckle," studies the effects of changes in focal length of the< lens, the illuminated area of th~ laser beam, the spot size of the laser beam, and the curvature of the wavefront on the speckle pattern created by shining a laser through ground glass. Ground glass is the rough medium created by rubbing two microscope slides against each other with an abrasive in between them. She also found a way to measure the size of the speckle using autocorrelation in the computer graphics program Adobe Photoshop 4.0. By

using a Charged Coupled Device (CCD) Camera, she was able to place photographs of speckle patterns on a computer and import them into Photoshop. After duplicating the image, the program was able to multiply the original and its duplicate's intensities, enabling her to measure the size of the speckle. The program was then able to generate a graph of her findings.

Jamie conducted her research at Stonybrook University for the past two summers under the direction of Professor Harold Metcalf. She started her research there during the summer of '96 when she was sponsored by the Simons Fellowship program whrch paid her a stipend and enabled her to stay in campus housing for the summer. Jamie applied for the fellowship while in Odile Garcia's science research class. Since the commute to Stonybrook was too long to be made on a regular basis, Jamie moved some of her research to the Queens College lab, and continued working from there. Jamie, who plays the piano, is a leader at her church fellowship, volunteers at the Red Cross, and used to be on the swim and debate teams, plans to major in bio-physics in college. "It's interesting how physics affects other areas," Jamie said. "I realized [through my research] that I don't have to be a doctor to make a difference in fields like medicine." Her research has a variety qf uses in bio-medicine, astronomy, engineering, and even opticmedicine in the correction of nearsightedness and far-sightedness.

"The caliber of the [students'] papers was very high; I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with them," said Ms. Appel.

Writers disp·lay creativity at Phoenix's Open Mike

by Jeannemarie Hendershot Huddled into the dark first floor publication office, a crowd of75-80 students sat in chairs arranged like movie theater seats while other students occupied every last inch of available floor space in the small room. All eyes focqsed on a tall microphone stand in front of a backdrop of retro bead chains while a makeshift spotlight shone on senior Dorninika Bednarska as she spoke clearly into the microphone and said, "I want to be listened to ... ," reciting a line from a poem she wrote called "Trains."

Dominika was among the 18 students reading their original poems and short stories at the school's first ever Open Mike on January 28. The event was sponsored by The Phoenix , Townsend Harris' literary magazine, and its advisor Helen Rizzuto. Admission was free because according to Phoenix editor Daisy Chung, "We didn't want it to be a fundraiser; it was just a fun thing."

Students from all grades were invited to participate in the event, and the performers did not limit themselves to poetry and short stories; senior Eric Baez and junior Barry Games, with the help of junior Terrell Lovell's sound effects, each performed original rap songs.

"Terrell, give me a nasty beat," said Barry as he began his first song about "a girl I have a crush on." Barry's other song, "High Pill," had an anti-drug theme.

"I'm brain dead, so sue me, I've got money," was the title of the play-inprogress that Daisy wrote .. Her friends, seniors Ann Marie Dull, Gloria Ahn, Althea Harvey, and Sabeen Edwin, per-

formed a scene from the working script that dealt with the evils of money and the illusion of success in American Society. The play also touched on the theme of a modern breed of slavery to society. Daisy began the play as an assignment for her Creative Self class, but wanted to continue work on it. She is still writing it and is receiving feedback from Ms. Rizzuto.

Friendship, love, relationships, and depression were among the themes in the poem,s that were read. "Being black is not about a skin color/ In fact it is a state of mind," read sophomore Angelique DeCosta from her poem entitled "Being Black Through My Dark Brown Eyes," a poem about having racial pride: Senior AnnMarie Dull spoke about former friends in her poem "Elementary Memories," reading, "Too remiss to say hello, but too attached to say goodbye." Before sophomore Alison Park read her three poems, "Literature," "The Coming of the King," and "Baby," she told the audience, "They're kind of long, but just sit there and stuff." Senior Sabeen Edwin read the only short story at the open mike; entitled "Ravaged," it told a story of a girl's death after a brutal rape.

Completing the artsy, coffeehouse atmosphere of the open-mike, students from The Phoenix sold coffee and deserts. They plan to hold another open mike in the spring. "We put a lot of emphasis on sports, math, and science in this school; I think that since this is a Humanities school, we should emphasize creativity more in ways like this," said Daisy.

Games, cotton candy, com.plete winter carnival

by Lorraine Kapovich Fun and games transformed the school January 28 as students, teachers, and their families gathered for the firstever carnival in the new building. A number of booths were set up by clubs and organizations to raise money. The event, organized by Coordinator of Student Activities Odile Garcia and cosponsored by the Parent Teacher Association, ran from 5:00- 9:00P.M., with activities in the cafeteria, gym, and lobby.

A five dollar entrance fee provided carnival-goers with 12 tickets that could be used to play any of the games, or to buy hot dogs, cotton candy, and baked goods. Activities ranged from fencing,

(718) 297·3555

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volleyball, and cheerleading exhibitions were able to bring family and friends, in the gym, to raffles sponsored by Save so the crowds didn't bother me so the Children and Students Against much," said junior Laura Bassolino.

Drunk Driving, to mock marriage and The faculty also participated in many divorce booths in the lobby run by the of the activities. Games such as sponging the teacher sponsored by the FencSenior Council. , Proceeds from the carnival totalled ing Team, making warrants for the art$3,000. Twenty-six clubs and organi- rests of your friends with the yearbook zations represented themselves. "It was staff, and throwing ping pong balls for wonderful; the P.T.A. donated the hot goldfish with the Soccer team attracted dog stand, the cotton candy machine, many students and teachers. soda, and ice cream. The hot dogs and According to Ms. Garcia, the cotton candy alone made $200 each," "sponge the teacher booth" collected · over 400 tickets, as did the mock jail. "I said Ms. Garcia.

The large turnout made the cafete- liked when Ms. Figelrhan was literally ria crowded, but that did not put a carried to jail after resisting arrest," said damper on the event. "There were a lot fre~hman Bettina Blanchard. English of people at the carnival, but at least we teacher Michael Carbone drew a large

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crowd of students with sponges in hand when it was his turn to be hit. with the wet sponges.

Most agreed that the carnival was a success and a great way to bring the clubs and students together. Student Union president Vicki Realmuto said, "It was better than I had expected and I knew it was going to be great with all of the creative booths from the clubs and teams." The last winter carnival was held five years ago before this years' senior class entered the school, making this a first for everyone except faculty:· "It was one of the best nights I have had at Townsned Harris," said senior Kristin Candan," I hope they hold another one before I graduate."

Do you need a math tutor?

Why not call the math teacher who recently ('96) retired from Townsend Harris?

See Mr. Rattien for details

The Classic February 1998

5

Peer educators spread AIDS awareness at workshop for Queens High School Coa-lition

by Maggie Yuan "If more people in this country took seriously what this day is all about, the horror so many young people face in terms of AIDS might be eliminated," Dr. Malcolm Largmann, Principal, said at the Queens High School Coalition for Peer AIDS Educator workshop on January 30.

Spanish teacher llene Marcus and her Peer AIDS Educator Group invited schools from a.ll over Queens to Townsend Harris for the workshop.

"The purpose of this workshop is to empower the schools to start getting more involved in AIDS awareness. If there's dedication and commitment from the staff and the student body, hopefully, we can stop the spread of AIDS," said Ms. Marcus.

The workshop included guest speakers, a special performance by the cast of The Last Session (a play about AIDS), and discussions between the Townsend Harris Peer Educator Group (P.E.G.) members and students from other schools such as Newtown, Queens Vocational, and Jamaica.

At the workshop, Dr. Emily Carrow, the Assistant Director of the Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology at Queens College, spoke on behalf of Dr. Luc Montagnier, the world-renowned AIDS researcher who recently moved from France to work at Queens College.

According to Dr. Carrow, Dr. Montagnier has come to Queens to begin a new initiative in the fight against AIDS. Dr. Montagnier has been conducting AIDS research in France for 35 years and was one of the first scientists to discover the AIDS virus in 1983. He

co-founded the World Foundation for number of people who have AIDS was," ally know about AIDS until you actuAIDS Research and Prevention in Paris said junior Zara Ziff. ally interact with somebody who has it.

Carol Kaplan, the Peer AIDS Health When you can actually hear the story, it with the aim of bringing together governmental, educational and private sci- Coordinator at North Shore University has such a profound impact on you that entific institutions t-o collaborate on sup- Hospital, spoke about the dedication of it makes you want to reach out and help." porting AIDS research around the world. peer educators. Approximately 30 The cast of The Last Session perThe researchers at the Center in Queens P.E.G. members were trained to give formed for a student assembly and at the College have workshop. The play is been trying to about a musician livlocate .,- (in ing with AIDS who Queens and considers committing Brooklyn) those suicide. He gathers rare individuals his band for a last recording, but through who are naturally immune to talking to his friends the disease with and reminiscing, he the hope of deknows killing himself veloping a vacisn't the answer, and cine against he decides to dedicate his life to helping the AIDS. fight against AIDS. Dr. Carrow provided statisThe cast sang four tics that were resongs from the play, leaving the students ported by the more aware of how it United Nations. feels to have AIDS. "There are curMembers of the Townsend Harris Peer Educator Group (P.E.G.) gather in a classroom on "Seeing the perforrently 16,000 AIDS Awareness Day to warn their peers about the dangers of AIDS. new HIV infecmance alerted me tion cases daily. One out of every 100 lessons on AIDS at the hospital. P.E.G. about the AIDS virus. The song sexually active people between the ages members have worked together to raise "Friendly Fire" made me aware of the of 15 and 49 is HIV positive. The dis- money to send children living with pain and suffering an AIDS patient has ease is continuing to rise in minority AIDS to Camp Heartland, a summer to go through," said junior Monika groups. In other words, the spread of camp devoted to youngsters with the Singh.

After the assembly in the auditorium, AIDS has been grossly underestimated," disease.

Ms. Kaplan also spoke about the de- students were divided into groups to said Dr. Carrow.

The statistic that impressed many nial teenagers go through when it comes have discussions about what each school was that only one out of 10 HIV infected to AIDS. "We practice denial because is doing to promote AIDS awareness. "I individuals knows he or she is infected. we think nothing as bad as this will ever was surprised that a lot of schools dido 't This translates into 90 percent of AIDS happen to us. Well, it can," said Ms. have P.E.G. programs set up, but I was victims being unaware that they have the Kaplan. She emphasized the power of really glad that they were interested in disease. "The statistics were really knowledge in preventing teenagers from getting something started," said junior shocking. I never realized how great the getting into risky behaviors like experi- Jodie Horton, a P.E.G. member. "This menting with drugs and being promis- workshop allowed Harris students to share information with other schools. cuous.

"There is no chemical vaccine to cure This is great because now they can take AIDS," said Ms. Kaplan, "But there is the information to their communities an intellectual vaccine, and it's called and spread the word," said senior its peak during this time. Most of the education. You are the people who have Amanda Teitler, also a P.E.G. member. students from Mr. Hynes' class who to deliver that vaccine to your friends When asked why she thought the rate came then, found the fair to be an excit- and family to prevent this horrible dis- of AIDS is still growing among teenaging evel)t. Sophomore Zully Cordoba ease." Junior Elena Stavros, co-president ers, sophomore Monica Arora recalled the festival a "great learning ex- of Students Promoting AIDS Awareness sponded, "If you're in a comm!Jnity perience.''

(SPAA), agrees. "As a peer educator, I where you're not exposed to informaThough global history teacher Adam feel that since many teenagers are in- tion about AIDS, it can contribute to the Stonehill brought his class of sopho- fluenced by their peers, we are the ones rise of AIDS. That's why spreading the mores down to the library, attendance who can make a difference and encour- information to teens is so important." in the morning and towards the end of age teens to change their behavior and For students who were unable to atthe day tended to be low. The event was most importantly, change lives." tend the workshop, P.E.G. members 路attended mostly by sophomores who Another part of the workshop in- gave lessons on AIDS in class. They had learned about the fair through their volved a presentation by Louis Weise, a provided information about ri'Sky behavfriends. "I liked the fashion exhibit, es- man who is living with AIDS. He spoke ior and how students can prevent thempecially the hats, because they had many about his life as a teenager on Long Is- selves from infection. "A lot of students, different varieties," said sophomore land, and how his behavior in high especially freshmen, didn't even know Venu Dhanaraj. school set him up as a likely candidate how the AIDS virus is transmitted and Many of the juniors and seniors who for AIDS. Mr. Weise contracted the HIV how to protect themselves. I'm glad I came to the library looking for a quiet virus through sexual contact, and had was able to teach them," said sophomore place to do schoolwork or study didn't full-blown AIDS by the age of 19. He Prarnilla Borhara. In each lesson, a video have time to check out the fair. has spoken out about his story all over called "Steven's Message," a documenStephanie Tuzio, who was among those the country to prevent the spread of tary on a teenager who contracted AIDS busy juniors, recalled that her class had AIDS among teenagers. "This is the through sexual contact, was shown. put on a similar medieval fair last year. most rewarding experience of my life," "Even though I've seen this video a The medieval projects were first pre- he said. Many students were touched by couple of times, each time emotions sented in class by committee groups and his story. "The most emotional part of were brought to surface; it made meregraded as a collateral by Mr. Hynes. "It the workshop was when Louis spoke," alize that teenagers are not immune to was an interesting glance back into said senior Liron Shapir. "You don't re- AIDS," said junior Sabrina Chin. time," said sophomore Alison Park.

Festival revisits medieval times

by Noreen Bukbari Puppets, folk music, duels and fashion shows created a medieval atmosphere in the library on January 20 in a fair organized by John Hynes and his tenth grade global history classes. The festival , which lasted the whole day, displayed students' collaterals about medieval life to the rest of the school.

The fair, which according to Mr. Hynes, "gave the students a hands-on experience and a chance to show off their artistic talents in a creative way," featured models they built of castles, monasteries, churches, and manors to represent medieval architecture. Puppets and teddy bears were dressed as peasants and clergymen, while a video and drawings illustrated lifestyles during that period. Some of the students also created models of weapons and constructed games to allow the audience to participate in their projects. The themes of the displays ranged from manor, monastic, and church life to knighthood, entertainment and crusades.

Since students from other classes were only allowed to visit during their lunch bands, the medieval fair reached

6

The Classic February 1998 __

Day of lovers draws on ancient R·oman festival

by Rachel Nobel Hearts, candy, flowers, and the second-most profitable greeting card business in America. Appearing amidst dreary February days, that could mean only one thing- Valentine's Day has arrived!

"He's a person?" said freshman Kimberly Wong when asked who Valentine was. After Christmas, Valentine's Day is the most popular gift-giving occasion in the country - but how many reaily know how the holiday originated?

The truth is, nobody really does know. Valentine's Day has been attributed to everyone from pagan worshippers to racy individuals attempting to spice up the chaste Victorian era. What is known is that Valentine's Day actually began around 270 BC as the springtime festival of Lupercalia, a great feast in honor of the Roman god Lupercus, who was rumored to watch over shepherds and their flocks. Each year, on February 14, the Luperci priests gathered to perform traditional rituals, one of which involved running through the streets in a goatskin thong, called a februa, from which the name February - to purify - is derived.

As the Roman Empire spread to France and Britain, so did the festival of Lupercalia and its new customs, the

most popular being an annual lottery in which adolescent males drew at random teenage females for sexual companionship for one year. Wishing to end the 800-year-old practice, the early Christian leaders sought a more suitable figure to preside over the day of lovers: Enter the martyred Saint Valentine, who, as bishop of Interamna, was named the 'friend oflovers' two hundred years earlier.

During the height of Lupercalia's popularity in 270 BC, the Roman emperor Claudius II had issued an edict fording marriage on the grounds that married men made poor soldiers who were reluctant to leave their families for battle. The emperor had been enraged to discover that Valentine, a Christian bishop, invited couples to visit him and be married in secret. When Valentine refused to convert to the Roman religion, he was thrown in jail. Awaiting execution, legend has it, he fell in love with the blind Asterius and miraculously restored her sight. Before he was be-

headed on February 24, Valentine sent a farewell message to Asterius: "From your Valentine," a phrase that has since become famous.

Valentine, who had died for his beliefs, seemed to be the ideal patron saint ofLupercalia. With time, most Romans gave up the Lupercalia festival and replaced it with the new version: Valentine's Day. But a version of the original custom stuN<:: Roman men soon began offering handwritten invitations of courtship on February 14. With the spread of Christianity, the tradition expanded. The earliest known Valentine's Day card was sent in 1415 by Charles, the Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while a (~~ prisoner in the Tower of If~ London. In the sixteenth century, as the cards became more decorative, Cupid became a popular Valentine image, being the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Nearly 100 years later, a daughter of Henry IV of France held a party in honor ofValentine's Day, giving each lady in attendance a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Since then, Valentine's Day has come to be a reminder to appreciate the ones we love. In a survey of 40 Harrisites from all grades, all but six said they enjoyed the day. "It's cool because it's a celebration oflove, a positive emotion," said senior Peter Stampfel. "I think it's so incredibly sweet," agreed sophomore Vanessa Matsis.

Some complained that the holiday has become too commercial. "Hallmark invented it," said biology teacher Howard Wagner.

Many students indicated they didn't expect to have dates on February 14.

When asked what he'd like to receive on Valentine's Day, freshman David Yang replied, "A girl." · Despite its commercialism and the threat of winding up alone on 'the day of lovers,' Valentine's Day is tremendously popular. After all, "it's a reason to eat chocolate!" said freshman Nicole Arriaga. So grab some candy hearts, read that sappy love poem, and smile have you bought your sweetheart a bouquet of flowers today?

Sources:

God's Valentine, http://members.carol.net/ -asmsmsks/valentin.htm.

Flower Net, http://www.flowernet.com/v4/ val.htm: Amore, http://www.america.net/seasonall valentine

Friday the 13th:

Do you have triskaidekaphobia?

by Catherine Santos and Alan Fu You wake up to the pestering buzz of your alarm clock and notice that it's Friday the 13th! Do you secretly cringe from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, when you imagine what this day may have in store for you?

But why are you scared? Junior Terrell Lovell guessed the origins· of Friday the 13th. "Maybe it developed from an ancient myth or story," he said.

Although the origins of the association between bad luck and · Fridays the 13th are not certain, the Christian religion does offer the most widely accepted theory: Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ, was the thirteenth guest at the Last Supper, Christ's final meal before crucifixion.

Aside from Christianity, however, the number 13 itself is not usually associated with bad luck. In fact, the number plays an especially important role in American history. There were 13 original colonies. And on the Great Seal of the United States, th~re are 13 stars, 13 stripes, an eagle with 13 feathers on its tail and each of its wings, 13 letters in the motto beneath, and 13 clouds in the glory above.

The day Friday, on the other hand, has been identified with bad luck through the legend of Captain Friday, a figure of early European mythology who

did not believe in superstitions and criticized others for such practices. Supposone Friedly, he s~t sail / . day on an Ill/.'I fated voyage and never

returned home.

Fridays the 13th occur more frequently than some may think. In a period of 400 years, for example, there will be 688 Fridays the 13th. The next most recurrent 13ths take place on Sundays and Wednesdays with a total of 687.

Why are people so infatuated with a day about which so little is known?

"People like to be scared," said sophomore Kristie Alfaro, "especially when they have· a chance to control their fear." Others feel that Hollywood plays an extensive ·role in superstitions associated with Friday the 13th. "Movies publicize Friday the 13th so much that we begin to wonder if superstition is really true," said sophomore Krississ Ohneswere.

Many students admitted to being influenced by superstitions on Friday the 13th. "For some reason I feel like I'll have bad luck on · that day," said sophomore Angie Carballo. "I don't like to travel far or take tests. I like to watch my step."

However, many believe that Friday the 13th and bad luck do not go hand in hand. "Any day is a day," explains senior Joanna Wasserman.

"Bad things happen because people think they will."

Sources:

Lorie, Peter. Superstitions. Simon and Schuster, 1992.

Ashley, Leonard R.N. The Complete Book of Superstition, Prophecy and Luck.

New York: Barricade Books, 1984.

Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth.

NewYork: Doubleday, 1988.

Other superstitions explained: Walking under a ladder This superstition apparently stemmed from the European tradition of banging public offenders as punishment for their crimes.

Ladders were propped against the gallows in order to lift down the dead body. Thus, wai!king under a ladder would !:>ring !:>ad luck.

Seven y-ears' bad luck for breaking a mirror -Europeans considered a person's reflection in a mirror to be a replica of oneself. ff the m,ir.ror became damaged, the budy and soul ~ would be injured as well. They believed that the body changes its physiol ogical make~up every . seven years and that bad luck would not vanish until the body naturally ehanged within that time.

Black cat ·The Egyptians worshipped a cat god named Bast. The Bast cat is always seen with its paws positioned perfectly in front.

The dark, black figure is supposedly reminiscent of power and black magic.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,February1998

7

Simulation documentary premieres at Inaugural Ball

by Dominika Bednarska & Natalka Palczynski "Scarier than Scream and more dramatic than Titanic," said senior Ashika Jain. "It was definitely better than Titanic," agreed senior Yong Taing.

No, they're not talking about some new box office sensation. They are referring to Take '97, the film documentary of the Townsend Harris mayoral simulation which had its premiere at the Inaugural Ball on January 30.

The ball was the culminating activity of the school-wide mock election campaign in which all seniors assumed simulated roles. The documentary aired in the auditorium before the "invited guests," dressed in chic finery, returned to the lobby for the dance.

The documentary, which covered ev- . ery aspect of the election, from the candidates to media coverage, was hosted by seniors Eleanor Hynes and Heather King, who led viewers through the 45minute-film. "As an anchor for the documen.tary, it was my responsibility to write scripts which summarized every aspect of the simulation and include all the outstanding activities of the classes that participated," Eleanor said.

A key force in the production of the film was broadcasting studio director Jeff Spurgeon. "The documentary committee went through a great deal of

tough moments between creative differ- evening. "It was superb,'' said Lois ences," said Eleanor, "and Mr. Spurgeon Polansky, Project ARTS coordinator, was there to keep the peace and give us all the · ~.~ technical assistance we needed to create a first~ class production." "Over the last two and a half months, the bakers dozen crew and I decided it was better to work together than slaughter each other over petty little fights," said Kevin Woo, Take '97's producer.

"There could not have been a better assembled group. Everyone contributed all they had - three long months of toil and trouble - and the results spoke for themselves, with everyone saying, not, 'I liked it,' but 'I loved it,'" said Jon Vafiadias, one of the producers of the video. Senior Geraldine Vinci agreed, saying "They should have sold copies."

All dressed up: Seniors Kim Finneran and Matt Gottlieb The premier was fol- (aka Rudy Giuliani) sport formal wear at the Inaugural Ball. lowed by hors d'oeuvres, cake, and who added, "I can't stop raving about dancing, but most who attended said the the [senior] class!" documentary was the highlight of the Much like the mock election, the documentary was controversial. Most of that controversy carne from NYl anchor Jason Ng, who in the spirit of his simu-

......

Ramadan reminds Muslims of those less fortunate

by Noreen Bukhari You may have noticed some of the students at the next table in the cafeteria not eating their lunch last month and wondered whether the lunch food had suddenly become so unbearable that people were beginning to boycott it ..

Actually, if any of those students are Muslims, they were probably celebrating Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar lasting 29-30 days. Throughout this whole month, Muslims are obligated to fast from dawn to dusk. They wake up and eat before dawn and do not eat again until sundown.

The purpose of fasting is to create an understanding of the less fortunate people all around the world who are starving and inspire Muslims to give to charity. Restricting their consumption of food to twice a day also aids in controlling their appetites and teaches them self-discipline. Sophomore Rehan Ahmed said, "Fasting doesn't make my day much different except that I get more time to talk to my friends during lunch, but gym really strains me." .

Besides denying themselves food, Muslims must 'also refrain from cursing, backbiting, fighting, and other forms of behavior which may spiritually weaken their fasts. Although they are expected to restrain themselves from acting inappropriately throughout the year, it's even more important during Ramadan. However, young children, pregnant women, sick people, and the

elderly are not expected to fast due to their physical conditions. People who are on journeys are also exempt from the fast because it may pose a threat to their health. After Ramadan is over, though, Muslims who were unable to fast for the aforementioned -reasons, but are now capable, must make up for the missed days, preferably by fasting. They also have the option of donating money to charity.

Living up to the high standards of Townsend Harris and fulfilling religious requireme~ts may seem like a tedious task, but sophomore SadiaArshad said, . "The days are short and my schoolwork keeps me occupied, so before I realize it, it's time to eat."

Since Muslims follow a different calendar, Ramadan doesn't always occur in January, as was the case this year. When Ramadan happens to fall in th~ summer, the fasting period is much longer and families must wake up earlier in the morning in order to eat before sunrise.

The completion of Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day holiday called Eid-ul-Fitar. Families reunite to celebrate with a big feast and children receive money from each parent and relative. Sadia says every year her family goes to the mosque in the morning for Eid prayer and afterwards they get together with their friends and relatives.

So the next time you see a person skipping lunch, check the calendar and see if it is Ramadan. There might be more to the story than meets the eye.

lated role, made humorous and sometimes offensive comments throughout the film. "They mixed the absurd with the serious," said senior Ari Gershman.

"It was good because they took an unusual approach." But senior Tracee Ng disagreed. "I think he may have gone a little too far," she said.

Even underclassmen who worked at the ball enjoyed the film. "It was great.

I finally got to see Mr. Kadamani break dance,'' said junior Vanessa Matsis.

Chemistry teacher Adel Kadamani wasn't the only unexpected face in the documentary. Principal Malcolm Largmann also made a guest appearance wearing a Yankee hat and introducing ballot question number two (whether a stadium should be built on Manhattan's West side). Many seniors noticed their own faces in the video, too, since the documentary featured as many of them as possible.

All who attended received a copy of a Commemorative Issue of THHS Newsday, which featured reactions from the seniors and faculty. Everyone also got a keychain as a party favor, which read, "I had a ball at the THHS Inaugural Celebration."

An edited version of the documentary, which according to Kevin contains "less profanity ... and is 15 minutes shorter," will be sent to the actual mayoral candidates andNewsday, which provided a $25 ,000 grant that made the simulation possible.

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February 1998

What's _up with t~~ weath~

Global warm1ng may cause envlrQnmental ca

by Andrew Goldberg keep in mind that the amount of sunlight that Blazing heat and volcanic eruptions, balls would reach the earth is attennated by par.of ice and frozen continents have all reigned tides in the atmosphere, as well as the quanon earth throughout its history, creating co- tity of other gases in the environment. ei:cive, but natural, climate change on a planet The project itself, however, is not without 4.5 billion years old. Today's climate, how- its limitations. ''Automated sunphometer inever, for all its variations, has remained re- struments are able to take readings every markably stable, with far fewer climatic thirty seconds all day long," said Mr. Curran, ~wings than stirred the earth ~uring t~e last . ~~,.JlY~ that he never takes more than 20 tee age, 10,000 years ago. Sttll, d~esptte.th'i'S""'feadmgs;n a day. Furthermore, comparative calm, those forecastin glo- ·the'[;liJ on the sun photombal warm~ng with catastrophic c~ sequences eter i only equipped to meas ·li the. green part of the have concluded that the steadY. ris.e-i~he u~js spectrum, which is just earth's temperature may not . ~ely n ··whose full a fr:action oflthe total li_ght ral. !hey are. assessi.,.. tenttal remams unkirtown. Among the)n ts emtttedl by t~e sun whtch Brendan Curran,/;\ssistant Princ~J,.O"f scl-~ reachesllhe earth's surface. ence, whose join~ort with the,JnsdlJite on MeasurJments available over Climate and Planets :o~A doddard · thJ,,Jnternet, however, are taken Institute for Space Stu~ es (GISS) has by wrofes~ional laboratories, and 1 brought a global problem a l#t clash to honly. are undemably more accurate and With a homemade sun ph6tom~ier, a COilfl.- include all parts of the spectrum. pact black box consisting of an LED, a de- "The most difficult part of all has vice responsible for sensing sunlight, as well been calibrating the instruments so as two terminals to take readings of the sun, that the readings we obtain are comMr. Curran measures incoming solar radia- parable to those available over the tion. It is this direct sunlight which serves Internet," said Mr. Curran. as the source of life for his project on eliAlthough Townsend Harris is the only mate change. The purpose of the project, New York City high school involved as a partsponsored by a $7,000 grant from the ner school in this project on climate change, Goddard Institute (GISS), is to detect aero- Mr. Curran hopes to expand the project in the sols in the_ local ~nvir~nment which _may ~f- future by· e~f~~Ily assess.ing the ~emaining feet the chmate m vartous ways. It ts an m- parts of thllJP,ectrum and gettmg other vestigation which he hopes will'"get students schools inv~6~v~ Mr. Curran began the involved_ in a great way of d~~'e.cti~_?_t:,.n;:i~~~Ji .~ ccrt with l ~To~~s~ent at the Bronx derstandmg the problem of clt~ate chang~~ Ftrg]i~chooi!ofStTence:·-.Mr. Curran intends to inst~~t _h_i.:\t.fi~~ ~.:[ Global W~{;ntin~ T~ends research classes on how to liffild a;lll)l~liO-~ For over 100 years, sctenttsts have been tometer by hand and how to(.,~..kke. £~~gf of. /).~.c,!"~p. ulo~sly gathering and verifying d.ata ~n the sun as part of a new cumtuhfm_.focused ~earth s temperature. At a recent htstonc / c, inate conference in Kyoto, Japan on Deon climatic study.

How .does the pho~om~.ter··}'i.O.£~lf'f/ ~ember 1-10, over 5,000 de~egates representCurran atm~ the LED dtre~tl;Y. at t~,~~-~f-. .t)hg more than ~so. countnes assembled to ter first taking a dark readm~l~sta~1tsh~ .f ~dopt a le~al_ly bmdmg measure to cut greenc.ontrol. He repeats the exp~~~jver~l / ?o~e er~usswns on a g_lobal.scale. The latest ttmes a day and accounts fqf-1~~ .sun's 1~os1- mform _ at10n under consideratiOn reveals some ".til ' I ~ · t··~.t tion overhead, pass!n8£lm:.i;O$, ~n~~ther i alf-;' s(_~g trends: All 10 o~ the warmest years ral phenomena whtch m~ltettll~RCC~a'y~ _ on-rJeorf!.!!~.~l!!!~<:l.,w_ the last 15 years, of his results. Scientists .can use readings of;,~ and according to the National Oceanic and the actual amount of sunlighttransmitteiH5 Atm-;pheric· Administration, 1997 was the the earth's surface to calculate the extent of warmest year on record. The number of "exaerosols in the atmosphere, but they must treme precipitation events," rainfall of more

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than two inches in 24 hours, has leapt 20 per- . spread with higher temperatures, and re cent since the beginning of the century, and duced fresh water supplies from change: heavy rainstorms have become more com- in regional rainfall could cause a highe1 mon. Deadly heat waves have takentheir toll incidence of water and food-borne dis· in Chicago and New York, as well as other eases and parasites, increasing the risl major cities. These heat spells are expected to human health. The expansion o to become twice deserts, the prevalence 0 1 as long in the droughts, the melting of tht next century.

O ~ '~ Anta.rctic ice sheet: the pre· Whereas the ~ dieted list of climatic change1 trend's associaL ~ t.'(~ 1 .' coul.d assume catastrophic pro· tion with global ~. 0 f1.. .r j port10ns.

What the Future Holds But, who could have known~ It has only been two decades since scientists began to make numerical fore· casts of climate change using comple~ computer models. This year alone, the warming United States has spent more than $1.73 has not yet billion on developing models that take been confirmed, into account the compiexities oJ mainstream scien- weather. Based on fundamental equatists say it is pre- tions, scientists project a further increase cisely what would be in global average surface temperature expected as the earth's of anywhere from three to eight degree~ atmosphere continues to by the year 2100. grow warmer.

Such forecasts, however, are rife Human influence on global climate with uncertainty, and many scientists, According to the UN's Intergovernmental skeptical of the impact of anthropogenic Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of gases, refuse to advocate immediate ac2,500 scientists from around the world ap- tion based solely on potentially unrelipointed to. study global warming, t~~ ''b~l~ .t ~ble m?del~. "Yes, there have b~en ance of evtdence suggests that there 1~ , s~B'tg. . cli..mat.e changes, but I think ce~nible hu~an influe~ce on glob~!,pl?. t.e." • J!i~~Ml..lt natb~l:" said ~octor WillCln~atologtsts and envrronmental}sts, hn~~a..~~ c\l'-atologts~ at Co~o­ the mcreased levels of heat-trappfng gases m rado S~e ~ l'vg.•ntyt A votce of mthe atmosphere to human activiti_e~'SP~9_·:fi_ dutfuailrttrre ts'ifiid pplitical conservacally, the burning of fossil fuels, inclulijng_,rtiXs,~ectorRichard Lindzen, of the coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as deforls- Mas,s-achusetts Institute of Technology, tation, cattle ranching, and rice farming lh.~\e argues'tnat-thl~. .a'Vtrage global temperat' . ;.... . _j pain~ed a bleak outlook for the. futur~\ Ac~u,re wtffi11~1·~/.nly about ~ d~gr~e cordmg to the IPCC, seas may nse~-8·t,.,.eb~s Fiihrenhi 1V, ~f.. tf carbon d10x1de ts by 2100, inundating many coastal ate\?,it~'-dQl!1J~d..,<qtdCompares the effectiveness severe flooding and swamping smaffi:tslan&\.... of such rnd~l:s£~ that of a ouija board. nations i~to oblivion. The climatic z~nes ~rvfC~~P;?Y...~ver, disagrees. "We ~auld sht~t away from the poles, and scten- /''t;an-gau~e how reliable these models ~e ttsts predtct that many natural ecosystems\~y _!!!l}Iftng them over and over agam, would be unable to adjust to the unusual (;Q,Oiil~ statistics and comparing them to warming. Whole forest types could disappear; ,t:l;al world," he said: "You can only warming could bring agricultural and eco- f\!.fi:.clhe real world once; that's not true nomic ruin to much of Africa; tropical dis- fo~computers." Though he believes eases like malaria and yellow fever could "mankind is having an impact on the eli-

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The Classic February 1998

9

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1tmity, scientists say mate," Mr. Curran concedes that "the ice age came and went without people burningcoal."

The Public Will Rogers, an American cowboy philosopher; once said: . "It seems a scientist is a man that can find out anything, and nobody in the world has any way of proving he really found out anything or not."

Indeed, the problem of scientific jargon surfaces, as the public, through its elected representatives, must decide on critical policies which will influence emission of green house gases and future climate change. Yet, 路 despite the efforts of environmental groups to educate and alert the public about the prospect of global warming, few people have begun to sweat the slow climb in a world in which temperature changes constantly. "I think global warming is a small problem now, but there are signs of it, and if we don't pay attention to those signs, it will become a much bigger problem in the future," said sophomore Sadia Arshad, a member of Students for the Preservation of the Earth (SPE).

Sophomore Venu Dhanarha, another member of SPE, agrees that climate change is a major problem and fears the forecasts for the future.

"Global warming is altering our weather now, and will one day cause the ice caps to 路 melt, resulting in disaster," she said. Despite her concern, Venu admits that SPE is not that concerned with global warming. "We've been busy fighting to save the whales," said Venu.

With economists and industrialists recommending only modest steps, and

environmentalists urging immediate action, the issue of giobal warming remains.

"Government and industry working together on technological innovations ... is the economically and environmentally sound path forward," said Red Cavaney, President of the American Petroleum Institute in a paper outlining his company's position. "I think that we should begin by taking steps in energy conservation and the development of clean alternative fuels that make good economic sense anyhow," said Dr. Hansen. "We will need to continually reassess the situation every several years as we see how climate is changing, how our understanding of climate advances, and as we see what steps make good economic sense."

"Climate change is both a problem for today and tomorrow," said Mr. Curran, glancing out at the blue sky from his sixth floor office window. For now, however, this scientist is satisfied with proving that "not everyone talks about the weather, and never does anything about it."

@ Sources: Cooke, Robert. "The World is Warming."

Newsday 9 Jan. 1998, A4.

Cushman, John H. "U.S. Gas Output Is Rising." New York Times I Dec. 1997, Fll. Hansen, James. "How Sensitive Is the World's Climate?" Research and Exploration Sept. 1997, 143.

Hansen, James. "Is Climate Changing Significantly?" Common Sense Climate Index 31 Dec. 1997, 1.

Revkin, Andrew C. "Getting New York Ready For a Hotter, Wetter Future." New York Times I Dec. 1997, FS. Stevens, William K. "Experts on Climate Change Pondering How Urgent Is It." New York Times 9 Sept. 1997, Cl. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://epa.gov/global warming/ Second Assessment Report by UN at http:// www.unep.ch/ipcc/ipcc-O.html December 11, 1997 American Petroleum Institute - http:// www.api.org/globalclimate/starta.htm Last Updated December 18, 1997

Aspiring meteorologist strives to stand out

by Mark Van Ohlen You don't meet many teenagers who are aspiring meteorologists, but sophomore Andrew Goldberg is interested in something most of us would consider just an inconvenience in our daily commute: the weather.

Hoping to work for the National Weather Service some day or .at a Hurricane Center, Andrew's forecast on life is nice and sunny.

Andrew became intrigued by weather when he was young.

There was really no one particular event that sparked his interest, but he did watch the Weather Channel frequently as a child.

Andrew even tried to volunteer at the Nationa! Weather Service last year, but couldn't get a position. He would have had difficulty getting there and the 路NWS wanted someone to be there without fail. For now he's happy providing his family with the five-day forecast. "They all depend on me for the weather," he says.

He goes online to the Internet for radar images and to do research on upcoming weather patterns.

Tracking weather patterns was a skill Andrew aquired in part while taking Earth Science in his junior high school. In that class Andrew learned the fundamentals of weather: warm fronts, cold fronts, how to determine relative humidity, and the like. He also has many books about weather tracking, filled with radar images and pictures of specific weather patterns.

This year, the main newsworthy aspect of weather has been El Nino. Monitoring El Nino, the warming of the ocean current in the Pacific around Christmas time, has become an interst of Andrew's. The warmer weather in the New York City area lately may be one ofEl Nino's effects. Andrew also points out the increase in precipitation we have been receiving, but cannot tell if it is due to El Nino, which can cause weather changes ranging from floods to drouts, or global warming.

The threat of global warming is also a special concern of Andrew's. "Nothing is proofpositive," he said while discussing global warming, but "we're definitely feeling the effects right now." There have been warmer winters and less-snow in some places, but otherwise the effects have gone unnoticed by most. In the distant future, though, the effects will be much greater. "Everyone should

be concerned for their grandkids. If we take action now, we may be able to prevent the catastrophic effects," he said. . Aside from the weather, the world of politics also interests Andrew. When he was a little boy, he had a dream of being President of the United States and starting a war against crime and drugs. This dream was spawned in part because of the book Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Andrew originally thought he could never get into it and described the book as "enormous."

What interested him, though, was the political background of the book and the perseverence of the main character, an architect. This man wanted to break through the regular rules of society and try to be different, something Andrew supports. "There are so many people who are willing to go with the norm, but I want to stand out," he says.

When not busy with weather-tracking or dreaming about his possible political career, Andrew enjoys going to the theatre. His trips to Broadway began as a family tradition; when a family member's birthday came tip, everyone would go to see a Broadway show.

This has been going on since he was five and now he has seen "almost everything." Andrew couldn't choose a favorite but thought The Buddy Holly Story should have gotten much better reviews.

Andrew also likes the show Seinfeld. He says he can relate to it because it involves everyday life in New York. He even went on the "Meet the Real Kramer" tour in Manhattan for his birthday a few years ago. He got to see the outside of Jerry's apartment, the Restaurant from the show, a bus tour of the city, and the infamous Soup Nazi. Andrew is particularly upset about the show going off the air at the end of this season.

"It's horrible," he said. "I don't watch much television, but Seinfeld is the one show I make time for." (For more reactions to the end of Seinfeld, see page 10).

To Andrew, expressing himself has always been important which is why his humanities subjects have always been his favorites. He especially likes to write and is a staff member of The Classic. Andrew has already determined to be a meterologist, though, and says if he writes in his future, it will only be a secondary focus.

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The Classic February 1998

All this fuss about 'nothing':

Seinfeld annoUnces end of popular show

by Lauren Paley their benefit by making New York City uniquely linked to Seinfeld's own alma gotten better, or maintained its quality By now everyone knows that Jerry the back drop of their own shows, in- mater, Queens College, were polled since its start.

Seinfeld's long-running and extremely cluding sitcoms Mad About You, about Seinfeld. A questionnaire entitled Students appear to enjoy the show. successful show, Seinfeld, is in its last Friends, Caroline in the City, Spin City, "The Seinfeld Survey" was distributed However, whether they love the man season after nine years on "Must See and Veronica's Closet. Seinfeld has last month to 220 students in all grades. behind it is another story. When asked TV." When · Seinfeld announced his proven his loyalty to the city by stating Seventy percent said that they watch who their favorite character is, they gave plans to leave the network, he Jerry the smallest number of votes, with no doubt expected a reaction. barely 13 percent. Respondents were The feedback during the last asked to select from one of five choices: Jeriy, Elaine, Kramer, George or "other." few months, however, has been larger in scope and more Kramer received the highest marks, with intense than nearly anyone 31 percent and George came in second could have predicted. A wide with 27 percent of the votes. Results like range of emotions have been these hint that audiences tune in every displayed, from anger and week to see the zany friends of Seinfeld sadness to complete indiffer·rather than the man himself. If popularity of the other characters remains, there ence.

Most have expressed unmay be a spin-off in the works, as many happy feelings about the magazines covering the Seinfeld story show's end, though others predict. In the past, The Mary Tyler find it just as easy to say Moore Show gave us Rhoda, and Frasier "good riddance." "I don't emerged from Cheers. There is a possicare!" said Odile Garcia, Cobility that Seinfeld will be followed by a show entitled Kramer or George. ordinator of Student ActiviHarrisites' accessibility to the city ties (COSA) with a half grin makes it possible for them to get a taste upon her face. Either way, of the adventures chronicled in Seinfeld Seinfeld remains in everyone's awareness, its cast just about.any day of the week. There's The storefront of Tom's restaurant has now become famous as the front window of Monk's, a favorite hangout always Chef AI Yeganeh, also known as recently appearing on the of the Seinfeld characters. the "Soup Nazi;" his Soup Kitchen Incovers of Time and People magazines, and covered daily by local that he will soon return from Los Ange- the show, and of those, 70 percent said ternational on the West Side serves as newspapers. les, where Seinfeld is taped, to live here. that it depicts New York City accurately the front for "Monk's Coffee Shop" on Seinfeld's first episode aired in the It seems only logical that the people and that they're proud of Seinfeld's the show. And don't forget those New summer of 1989. Despite relatively poor who have experienced Seinfeld's inspi- work. A similar 70 percent said that _York Yankees! If anything, New Yorkratings the first season, NBC held onto rational New York as only residents Seinfeld is making the wrong decision ers have prospered from the attention the show, believing it had potential. As could, would have strong feelings about to leave at the age of 43. As one female that Seinfeld has brought to the city.

1992 approached, the show's ratings the famous comedian and his show. sophomore wrote, "$5 million! He's a Many of the sites mentioned in the show began to pick up. Seinfeld was noticed Townsend Harris students, New York- fool!" Eighty percent of those who have become regular stops for tourists for the unique circumstances in which ers in their own right, whose school is watch the show say that Seinfeld has and have increased business. its four dysfunctional characters managed to find themselves each week. In one of the show's best-remembered episodes, Seinfeld meets a naked man on

by Danielle Lord 'Wei recited his prize-winning Japanese diversity of the school, but teachers the subway. While the other passengers New York City is nicknamed the · speech which earned him second place recited poetry in other languages as nervously avoid the man, Jerry decides well. Latin teacher Richard Russo, "melting pot of the w0tld" because of in a regional competition. to start a conversation. "You realize, of The audience heard prayers in San- French teacher Mariet D'Souza, and 1he diverse range of ethnic groups that course, you're naked," Seinfeld says to Spanish and Latin reside here. the nude man, played by Ernie Sabella. teacher Sarah Ladereute Townsend Harris is The two continue to talk about the Mets all participated, presentno less than a microand Coney Island as if everything is ing pi:eoes in Russian, cosm of the city; the normal.

Dutch, and Italian. . school provides an . Eventually, Seinfeld became known environment that al··~ Each poem and story as the show about "nothing." In 1993, ~ .. tied in univers·a l them.e s lows students to imits ratings were at their peak and Seinfeld :~ merse themselves ~ ~ o~love, beauty, an~ hapestablished itself with a strong hold on each day a great the number one spot in television. pl~·es~ .• As _ Assnt~nt variety of cultures, , 1 '» Pnnctpael of Feretgn Seinfeld, now one of the highest paid . ·· ~ '.s Languag.es Joan 'Walsh languages and ideas. comedians on television, is such an imeKf>lained in her i•nt!OThe full eKtent of portant asset that NBC reportedly ofduction to the program, this diversity was refered him five million dollars per epidespite the language barvealed on lanuary sode to stay with the network. The rest riers, the main ideas of 29 when the foreign of the cast, consisting of Jason the poems could be unlan,guage departAlexander (George), Julia Louisclers.t ood because ..the ment held its second Dreyfus (Elaine), and Michael Richards students are speaking in annual Bilingual (Cosmo Kramer) have also built highSpeaking in Hindi, sophomores (from left to right) Shivina N'aidoo, Kavita Sharma. the language of the aratoria. paying acting careers from the popularPoems, short sto- Ajita Kundaikar, Hal'i Kondabo1u and latin Chopra recite a prayer from their ancestral heart." ity of the show. country of India.

Junior Annette ries, and prayers Born in Brooklyn, raised in the New were recited in 17 different languages; skrlt, an Indo-European language~ and Orzechowski, who performed a PolYork area, educated at Queens College French, Spanish, Hebrew, Japanese, Hindi, the official language of India. A ish love poem entitled "Blindness," and a long-time resident of Manhattan, Latin, and Greek were among the Polish love poem, an Italian sonnet, and said, "The Oratoria was a great way Jerry Seinfeld has spent most of his life a song written in Tagalog, a language to appreciate the differeitt languages more fanrlliar ones. in New York City. His show itself is built spoken in the Phillipines, were among of each culture. 'We should really exJunior Leonard Fok recited a poem around "the city that never sleeps." Over pand it and make it two bands long so the other pieces presented. in Mandarin and Cantonese, two disthe past few years, other shows have that more students can participate." tinct languages spoken in China.

Peak Not only did students represent the tried to use the success of Seinfeld to

Bilingual oratorla celebrates diversity

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11

Remembering Henry D. Shereff Continued from page 1 justified when, in 1989, the New York City Board of Estimate allocated funds for construction following a public hearing at which Mr. Shereff, other alumni, faculty, parents, and students had all testified. When ground was finally broken on April 26, 1991, Queens Borough President Claire Schulman acknowledged Mr. Shereff's foresight, hard work, and inspiration by declaring that date Henry D. Shereff Day. Once Harris had been reinstated, Mr. Shereff still played an active role in school activities. He regularly attended Archon inductions and graduations. "At graduations, Mr. Shereff would charge graduates to uphold the Ephebic Oath even after they left Harris," said Mr. Sweetin; Mr. Shereff would then pass the plaque containing the Ephebic Oath onto the current senior class president, who would, in turn, pass it onto the next year's president. Whenever Mr. Shereff attended such ceremonies, he would wear sunglasses and a green visor due to his sensitivity to light. Mr. Sweetin recalled that "students would ask, 'Who's the cool dude with the shades?"'

Mr. Shereff also paid many visits· to the school, where, according to Mr. Gerber, he became very popular among students and faculty. Mr. Sweetin attributed his popularity to the fact that "he really cared about you; he was really in!erested in the person he was talking to." Mr. Gerber commented, "He

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didn't have a bad word to say about anybody." Mr. Rossman added that he had "a 'twinkly' sense of humor." In short, "he had all of the best qualities you would want in a person," Mr. Rossman said.

Born May 25, 1919, Mr. Shereff attended the City College of New York (CCNY), after he was graduated from Harris. During World War II, he served in the United States Air Force. Mr. Gerber recalled that when Mr. Shereff was in the military, "his commanding officer ordered him to handle meteorological issues ... because he said, 'We went through the IQs of the base and you have the highest."' Mr. Gerber also remembered that "when he [acted as] meteorologist, he predicted a flood based on the average rainfall, but nobody trusted him. And, sure enough, there was a flood."

After being discharged with the rank of Master Sergeant, Mr. Shereff attended Columbia University Law School and was graduated in 1947. One year later, he was accepted to the New York Bar, and he worked as a Staff Attorney to the New York State Revision Commission.

He then became a Staff Attorney at Berlack, Israels & Liberman, where he stayed until 1971 when he founded his own firm, Shereff, Friedman, Hoffman & Goodman. There, he specialized in corporate tax and agricultural cooperative law. He wrote three books about tax law for the Practicing Law Institute.

'

According to Mr. Sweetin, he also wrote "the definitive textbook of the time on tax law" for the American Law Institute of the American Bar Association.

After retiring, Mr. Shereff studied calculus and quantum mechanics at Queens College. Mr. Sweetin said he took such "intimidating" courses because he believed that "if he stopped using his brain, it might shut down." Mr. Gerber added that Mr. Shereff once said, "If I dido 't have to make money, I might have started off studying [these 'subjects]."

Despite the wealth that Mr. Shereff gained -through his successful law career, he lived a modest life, evident in the }0-year-old car he drove and the apartment on Sanford Avenue in Flushing where he lived. "He never wore his money," said Mr. Sweetin.

Mr. Rossman similarly stated, "You could never make him bigger than he wanted to be. That was just the way he was."

Mr. Rossman recalled a time when the school was collecting photos of alumni for a bulletin board, and Mr. Shereff sent only a 2.5" by 4" photo and wouldn't send a bigger one. Mr. Rossman commented, "I like that story."

Mr. Shereff's funeral service was held on January 8 at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial chapels in Forest Hills, where fellow alumnus Ted Peck delivered a eulogy and other alumni and members of the Harris community attended.

Is Coeducation

Dead?

Research suggests that for women, at least, coeducation may not be the best choice.

Numerous studies have shown that women's college graduates achieve at higher levels throughout their lives. than do women from coeducational schools.

In all-women institutions, women have more role models, more support, and more access to everything from leadership positions to scientific equipment. Women learn to define themselves as themselvesand not as men define them.

ll-male organizations, such as fraternities, argue for the same kinds of things. In allmen situations, men acquire confidence, learn to relate to other men, find new strengths, have more access to role models, and gain a better understanding of masculinity.

Opponents of single-sex institutions argue th<~t it's Nnot the real world• and that men and women ought to learn to deal with ~ach other as equals-in a coed environment. But when you see the same gender stereotypes perpetuated on all kjnds of camharassment puses, when you of women and male-bashing, or Title IX regulations being violated in athletics programs, and when women and men on coed campuses regularly protest against sexism, something's very wrong.

A

see

Coeducation doesn't work. because oor society hasn't yet resolved the gender issue, and men and women are forced to be wary and defensive. Our culture has made gender a polarizing issue-not one of mutual respect and healthy give and take. What happens on a coed campus is the

b!··catheriDa&mtos . ' .... ··~· ..

Adv~d '· Piacement classes will tmally ~iil&de available to studeiits PriDcipat nr. . . ·tatin . 8,.French. .. ' Malcolm Largmann is hesitant about eStablbhing the Class. At the consultative council meeti;n.g on February 5, he said,.. it won't be an easy process to set up." But Joan Walsh, Assistant Principal of the Forei-gn Language Department i-s ''Wilting to make th'e comtnitment."

The class will assemble in the fan

semester of 1998 and is expected to contain at least 28 studeJl,ts.

A dance scheduled for March l3 may give students the chance to invite one outside guest. But, if half of the four hundred guests in the gym are outsiden; many are wor.ried that students from this school willa not ha:ve an equal opportunity to attend the dance. Another major concern is safety. ••sometimes nice kids wal:k around witb thin.~s that

area' t so nrce," said Assistant Principal of Guidance Sheila Orner. The final decision wilt be made by the end of.February after ict is discussed between clean Wanda Nix, secnrity o:fftcer Le,roy Howard, and the school's safety committee.

real world, true, but it's-not the ·best world.

At Hobart (for men) and William Smith (for women), we've developed something quite different. We're coordinate, not coed; our two institutions operate interdependently and usually seamlessly-almost as if they were one. On the surface, what happens here looks like what happens on many coed cam-

munity. We've also tried to make thinking about differences between people central to the experience here. Stereotypes fall by the wayside. People become aware of the subtlest differences and develop exceptional skills of understanding, relating, cooperating, and respecting.

As a result, HWS graduates on to great success.

They know how to work w~ll with

puses--classes, dorms, parties, and even some sports are coed.

But look a little deeper.

Here, men and women actually are equal. We've created a microcosm where women and men truly have equal power to influence and affect their com-

others, how to really understand and respect differences, and how to look at our culture with enormous critical insight.

So, no, it's not the real world.

It's our version of an ideal. But if you want to change the world, it helps to have a working model. ,.

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES What Do You Tltintd Ttlis is't!ie th.ird in a.~eiies ohs~ys

for Men, For Women; For Society.

Hobart alltf William Smith Cdlfft,g~

from Hobart ifnd William Smith

ate.Highly selecti\(e, liberal arts lnstltutibns of i ,1100 students ih

Coll~esaifdtesslffgccfiticaltopics

ill coflege life today. These essays are appearing in the ~pers of many of the oation's top public and independent schoois.

What Do You Have To Say1 This Is wl1ere we stand, but what about you? What's yourperspec~ tlVe? We1re,inlerested in heating from you. If you miss any of the essays in-this series, let us know and we'll send y.ou a copy.

Geneva, Ne\\1 Ybr~. The colleges have a uniqu~- i'nter-relatlonslllp that provides men and W<lmen with a eritkal understandilJg ofthe role.of gender ill' our culture. To .receive our iiiewbook and applitation,. or to learn more.about !he tolleges and their tradition of innovative education, please call, e-mail; or write:

The Gt~at Deirafe: What REAlLY Counts In aGoll~g~' Education

c/tJMar; t:Ylaugltlin~ Proje<;J,fatilitator Hobart.andWifliam Smith Colleges Ceneva1 New York 14456-3397 800:.l4$"(}100 e.mail: olaughlin@tiws.edu wWW.hws.edu

............,.,. w~tc~t tor

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The Classic

12 Patel uses technology to overcom·e vi-sua.l handicap February 1998

colors and large objects. "For example, ing. "Kids tend to pick up bad habits. he spends most of his time reading. He I can sometimes see what is on my com- They do not pick up the good things," listens to books on tape or uses Braille. puter screen, but not where the cursor he said. "They think that cursing and "I read all the time, mainly old classics: is," he said. He finds many electronic things like that help make them more George Elliot, Jane Austen, Charles ways of compensating for b,is loss of vi- sophisticated." Pratik says he is happy Dickens and Leo Tolstoy. I like the lansion. "I have a portable dictionary and living in America, though, because it of- guage, but also the ideas," he said. other things that speak to me," Pratik fers more opportunity and said, referring to technological devices is more advanced.

Pratik is multilingual. that use voice commands. He also uses his "Braille and Speak." "It's not hard He speaks his native to follow in class. If the teacher explains Gujarati, English, and the notes, I generally know what is go- started to teach himself ing on," he said.

French during the summer Pratik's vision has gotten progres- through books on tape. "It's sively worse. It is one of the reasons that really not that hard a Ianhis family left India and came to the . guage," he said. Pratik United States. "The services for the dis- plans to visit some of the abled are really behind. There was one places where these lanspecial school I could have gone to; but guages are spoken. "I hope it was really far away," he explained. to go back to India some However the medical care was not day. I have not returned the only difference he noted between the since I moved from there. I two countries. In India "there are many would really like to travel arranged marriages; there is not dating everywhere: Paris, Enbetween young people. They do have a gland, Greece, Europe in choice, but not much time to decide be- general. Maybe even fore they commit. There is also more China," he said. · crime here [in the US] than there; but it Though Pratik plans on Pushing buttons on his ''Braille and Speak" senior Pratik Patel, though visually impaired, is able to take notes in class. is not as violent [in India]. Indians do traveling in the future, now not have murders or shootings. The police there are not as efficient. In fact there are many religious riots. That is the only time when there is violence," he said.

'I'bat night. the stars lay-under- the I cannot begin io relate all the inIndia is becoming more Americanjustice - all the sn:lfering- that my soul proteCtion of the gentle white clouds; ized. However, Pratik is not all that has endured; nor can I begin to show the moon appeared to sleep under lits • ' happy with the way things are changmy b.eart, upon which many heavy misty; bright sky; though I lay awake, and iiJlorant feet have engraved their pondering' the question of my existmarks. I cannot even begin to recall ence and the question of such misunall the pain caused by those dark, ig- derstanding upon the pan of humannited fires. Neverthdes'S, I must en- ity.

I ~ted'ly asked myself: "Why deavor it. I must uncover the wound which n:ow and then bleeds afresh must 1 be veated in such a manner? from the misery of this tormen'ted Must we forever live in ignorance?''

The answers to these questions, howhumanity. .

I came out of my revery, stood up ever, woulel not come. 'lllus with a heavier heart, I fell into from the park b.encb (wher:e I had been sitting fur the last few hours), and an abyss of confusion and a sense looked around me.The usual crowd bewilderment.

Almost five y-ears have come and was just beginning to emerge into the brilliantly lit park. Yet the evening gone between tne day of this incident shadows were beginning to appear and today. And, when I look back I I slowly but. st~adily like the night spir- upon this <lay, I no longer feel the anger that I had. I no longer blame the i>ts.

I picked up my cane from w.here it teenagers whose ignorance nad lee lay, and was almost in the motion of them to do such a thing. I pity them opening it when I heard a bmsque f0.r it since they learn what they have ·······'*····· voice which startled and surprised me. been taught. I pray for a better future ' Average SAT score Top 28% of Kaplan fer them• ..Yo, blind kid,'' said the voice.

SAT students increase of all Kaplan l resent my blindness no longer; I I tumed toward the source, and saw SAT students... surveyed went up two teenagers r.e,garding me with an accept myself as I am and ·no more. I at least 170 points.** ex,pression which I t:ould not ·make know my at>iiities, and lknow my inabititie£: I know my strengths, and I out too distinctly~ weakriesses- in short, I per"How many Ange.rs am I holding kn0W up?., asked the one who hati begun fectly 1Hee the way 1 am, and sh0Uld be different in no other way. the conversation.

The.re is a hope which keeps me I wanted to reply, but nothing would c.ome out. I wanted to tell him alive; a hope which gives me the wa'(eleven fingers;' though the wol'ds ter and the air that I need. Oh! the were frozen. I felt so angered by this fuifiUment of this hope has kept ev• question that I thought that the world ery l,ast b.reath 1n this wretched body. hati ceased revolving. Did they not And it i5 tht} knowledge that I may, see that I held a cane? Did they not someday, somehow, contribute to the http://www.kaplan.com see that I could not see? Then, why cause of making the wor&d what it is not - Jiving 'the world what it be)S not mookme?

'SAT is • regisllorlld tradernalk oil he Colege Board and it nolaiiUialed wifl this program.

I turned and ran with all my might, - quenching the raging fires of the "1995 Kaplan SAT Co~ Stultt condu:led by llruskil&ldtilg Research. world witb cool, cool water. and I did not stop until'l got heme.

by Dominika Bednarska You probably see him in the hallways and wonder how he makes it through our daily obstacle course of bodies and bookbags. He is Pratik Patel and although he has a severe :visual impairment, it has not stopped this native of India from working on a Westinghouse, teaching computer skills to teachers, speaking many languages and reading extensively. "I have so many interests they probably won't fit into one article," he joked.

Right now, technology is a major one.

Pratik is working on an international web site for the blind. "It is going to contain information on vocational, technological, and interpersonal relations. I am in charge of content - what it looks like," he said. "They asked me to do it because I have the computer skills, not just the writing the skills."

And it seems he does. He is affiliated with many computer groups, and runs the meetings for the special interest group Braille and Speak. Braille and Speak is an assistive technology that allows him to type his notes in Braille and verbally access them. He also was a teaching assistant at a workshop for Townsend Harris teachers. "It wasn't a big deal," he said, "It was just demonstrating the latest software, Windows 95 and how to get on the Internet." He has also taught workshops for blind children on how to use the available technology.

Pratik is able to see light, shadows,

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The Classic

13

February 1998

'Lion King' roars successful reviews

by Natalka Palczynski Standing on line at the Lion King box-office for nearly an hour and a half one Saturday afternoon in November, I was doubtful that any play could be good enough to justify such a long wait. I was even more skeptical when I heard that the first available seating for two was a Wednesday matinee in late January, but I bought the tickets anyway. When the curtain opened two months later, I remembered that Disney always puts on a first class production. Julie Taymor's interpretation of the Lion King is nothing less than a visual masterpiece.

The Lion King is the story of Simba: a young lion who leaves Pride Rock, his home in Africa's Serengeti, after he is led to believe by his evil uncle Scar, that he is responsible for his beloved father's death.

Simba must undergo a long patb of selfdiscovery before he may return to Pride Rock, avenge Scar's regicide, and take his place as king. The difficulty of bringing this story to the Broadway stage lay in the transformation of people to animals, as there are no human roles in the piece. Their choice ofTaymor, who was nominated for a Tony Award for her production of Juan Darien, as director could not have been wiser. Taymor;s ingenuity is evident as she does not hide the actors in elaborate, bulky and. furry cos-

tumes, but rather lets the human form blend with the animal-like representation giving both animal and human identity. The fact that humans are able to replicate animals so convincingly suggests something about the

later, love interest) don't even wear masks. Humans could be seen on stilts in the giraffe and elephant costumes through the transparent material with slits used for the animal skins. The plains of the Serengeti, too, had the human element, as actors wore large square patches of grass on their heads.

As the actors kneeled and swayed, the audience's imagination easily took root: viewers watched as the wind blew through the plains. "When we see a person manipulating an inanimate object like a puppet and making it come alive, the duality move& us," Tayinor writes, "Hidden special effects can lack humanity, but when the human spirit visibly animates an object, we experi~~ ence a special, almost life-giving conii(ifj~~ nection." Indeed, we do. ' Taymor will transport you to a world where imagination has been unleashed and where will istence in relation throw away your ideas of conto one ap.other. In ventional puppetry. Sometimes her 'book, The Lion the person is inside the puppet, King: Pride Rock on a t other times he is operating the puppet from behind. As for the score, it !Jroadway, Taymor writes, "I wanted the human being to be an is a wonderful combination of the songs essential part of the stylization, creat- from the film by Elton John and Tim ing a double event where the audience Rice with new additions by Mark can watch both the actor and the animal Mancina,Jay Rifkin, Hans Zimmer, and simultaneously."

South African performer Lebo M .

The Lion King is a play not to be All adult lions wear masks on their heads rather than over their faces; cubs missed. However, be aware of limited Simba andNala (Simba's playmate and availability: performances are sold out until next November.

11t the mo·vl•s...

H~.e are a f~w films to 11et1t on video when you ·r~ snowed in l!his February. (Or considerina how miJ4 tbis W'int~r has been, if y,qu tak<t~ a tri~ Upstate. or somepflaoe where tlbere is snow..See PafeS 8-9 on Glohl Warm-

ing.)

- My Best Friends Wedtltng, star• ring Julia Roberts as Jt:ttiatme. a food orit'ic, Cameron Diaz as Kimmy, Ru~l't J31'ert.as George, ami Dermot Mttltoney as Michael. Aftet Michael

an,nou,n(:es Iris eagagemen.t to Kimltl;y, JW:btnne realizes her love for Michael, her best friend, and she schemes to br'0ak up their upcoming w:.edding. This extraorElioorily funny mo·vie al'So :feat:ttres the antics of George, Ju,lianne's gay editor, includin,g his versi•on of "I say a little pray>Cr'' by Diana King. ~ Austin l'ocw.ers, staai:ng Mike Myers as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil and Elizabeth l'Iurl>Cy as Van:~tssa Kensing:ron. After bein:g cryogenically frozen for 3'0 year>S, Austin Powers must a€;lotimate himself to life in the ·"'9U' s whit«~ trying to prevent Dr. Evil from. !!>lowing up the worl:d. Full of~sterieal one~liners and sexual

in· nuen<tos, Austin Powers is sure to keep viewers laughing until the cred~ its roll.

-eompiled by Beth Citron

Film fails 'Great Expectations'

she has put it, Finn responds that it's her "boob," rather than answering with Pip's "your heart" to which Ms. Haversham, in the book, famously replies, "Broken."

Still, Ms.· Dinsmoor has some of the better lines. "Everyone says the eyes are the windows to the soul," s~lls Finn.

"Bullshit, it's the hands." : thing about her slightly/' w one-liners that make Ms. Din~ 1 o · nteresting, and her words the ' · ~rth a ~ J ond thought.

by Alexa Steinberg Take a naive yet inquisitive boy named Finn played by Ethan Hawke, add in Anne Bancroft as an eccentric

McCourt's memoir chronicles .poverty-stricken Irish childhood

by Kate Rube The abuse McCourt endures through"When I look back on my childhood~ · ~~ ··early life and adolescence- from I wonder how I survived at all," Francis relati s, schoolmasters and schoolMcCourt writes on page one of b:i~ · ate ..and from other individuals in his

~~s this v' ~ . ··~ 'd nb · i A

ore, who has become colorful, smoldlfher cigar and wearing gaudy California colors. Unfortunately, though, along with her West coast clothing style comes a superficial, Hollywood version of Dickens: when Ms. Dinsmoor places her hand on the left side of her chest, and asks where

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Yet the story escapes a typical sob story due partly to interjections of humor and hope, and mainly to McCourt's unique way of writing.

Tales are strung together in a carefully crafted fashion, told in the voice of a child who, though wise beyond his years, remains innocent by virtue of a strict Christian upbringing.

_

filS-

as though McCourt was somerrow meant to undergo this ter- . rible and difficult childhood existence.

Without such an existence, he writes, there would be no story to tell, no Angela's Ashes to publish.

..

14

The Classic February 1998

Juggling 3 batons, Rubin twirls -to the top

by Bosede Adenekan the local level, and end in July, when Jackie Rubin, sophomore, twirled the Nationals take place. "It's really herself all the way to victory last year, becoming the 1997 Senior National Champion at World Class (:ompetitive Three-Baton Twirling. A stereotypical image of baton twirling involves females, dressed in flashy outfits, twirling to the beat of a marching band during a parade. Yet, three-baton twirling involves a combination of juggling thret? batons and performing gymnastics. "It's not at all like marching in a parade," Jackie said.

Baton twirling has been a part of Jackie's life since she was eight years old, but it wasn't until she turned 12 that Jackie began to practice three-baton twirling. She is coached by her aunt and mom, and has a background in gymnastics and ballet. She practices at Then and Now: Jackie Rubin, at age five and universities like Hofstra and as the 1997 Senior National Champion of threebaton twirling Stonybrook during weekends, and sometimes during weekday evenings c~mpetitive. I used to feel really nervous when a competition is drawing near. and sick," Jackie confessed, "but now Practice includes a half-hour stretch, I've learned to concentrate on what I followed by run-throughs of her routine have to do." This mentality took Jackie for about two to three hours. "It's frus- straight to Nationals last year, which trating when you're spending hours on were held in California. one thing and it just isn't going right," The surprises didn't stop there. said Jackie, "but it's exciting when you "When my friends, who were other finally get it." competitors, and I were inside the hotel Competitions start in November on room, it became infested with termites,

so we were given a penthouse instead!"

Jackie said with a smile. Little did she know that there were still more surprises in store . .

"We had a chance to meet Richard Simmons. He asked us to perform with him on local television, and we did. I'm

glad baton twirling is finally recognized as a real athletic sport," Jackie said.

Then came the biggest shock: Jackie won the entire competition. "I had finally accomplished a goal which I had

"Wbere's lbe Chemisby between Applied ...... s Mathematics and Womaa's Studies?''

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One of the basic tenets of a liberal arts education is that students must become fami Iiar with each of the major categories of learning. hus many schools have instituted something like distribution requiremcn~equ ired courses in the hard sciences, social sciences, humanities, and (rne arts, and then some de rigeur courses in things such as non-Western cultures, theory, computers, etc.

When you graduate, you leave with a transcript that looks as if it were assembled by throwing darts at a course catalog.

T

Many colleges reinforce this significant and relevant.

One way we do this is problem. Academic departments through our bidisciplinary semiare strictly delineated: tJ?e math department doesn't have much nars; Team-taught by faculty members, these courses give stuexchange with the English department. The faculty may be dents a dramatic understanding of the dynamic possibilities that deep into their focused worlds exist when you go beyond tradias a result of research demands tional academic boundaries. and have little time to consider work outside their fields.

Some of \he bidis courses we Students graduate overflow- teach include: Metaphoric ing with information that doesn't Process in Science and Religion; Women and Health; add up. Your mind is filled with Baudelaire, Euclidean geometry, and constitutional interpretation. You understand how What Db You Think?

Japanese culture construes feminism, and you know that pandas Tlii!~'ls'ltl\e fourth in a ·series 6f i!ss.a}'S ftdln Hobart and William do not hibernate, but you can't Smith (:qJieges add~sing.criticat draw connections among these . topics lrH:ollege life tO!;fay. These things you know. essays are· appearing 1lr ihe. paper5 At Hobart and William of ijiany.pf the nation's lop public Smith, we think connecting the and.imJepend!mi schooK · · dots is vital. It's part of how we >WhatD6 Ybu Have T!)Say?· define a good education. When .··. This is wh~r~ we stahd; blli what students graduate from this about you'H·Vhat•~ 'yot!r perspec- . institution, we don't want them tivetWe'tl!hl!ere~ted in hearing to feel that their education is ·from Y<#i· if you mlsnny of the .. fragmented, but rather that .it essa~ hi this series, let us know is coherent and substantial, and we'll send you a copy,

spent many years working toward;" said Jackie.

"There really isn't anything I dislike about baton twirling," Jackie said, "It's an exciting sport to be involved with and it's interesting to meet new people and go places you've never been before."

The only dificulty Jackie has is trying to balance schoolwork and practice.

Although Townsend Harris provides its students with plenty of work, Jackie is still determined to do her best at baton twirling.

"It's hard to do both. I don't know; I just manage," said Jackie, "I have to be dedicated and sacrifice hours of sleep, but I do what I have to do."

Jackie's inspiration has been her mother and other renowned baton twirlers. "My mom has taught other students who are Grand National Champs," Jackie said.

She herself is striving to achieve this goal. "Once you accomplish something, you always set your goals higher. Besides, there are just so many titles to win," said Jackie.

Environmental Policy: The Economic Perspective; and Sense and Nonsense--a course that links chaos theory and Allee In Wonderland. · The interesting thing about these courses is that students get to see faculty members learning as students. A chemistry professor debates the ethics of treatments for people with AIDS, while a religious studies

how to get the work done.

Bidis courses are only the tip of the iceberg. Crossing boundaries is central to the culture of these Colleges. Our faculty do it as wei I as our students. Our culture encourages it-sit in on a lunch conversation and you'll hear people talking about environmental policy, for example, from the political, ecological, sociological,

>-

professor learns the chemical properties of anti-AIDS drugs.

When you experience talented, recognized experts working alongside you like this, it gives you interesting ideas about how to approach new materials, how to solve problems, and

and economic perspectives.

A college education ought to leave you with more than a head full of knowledge. At HWS, we believe that what you learn should also mak~ sense.,,

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The Classic

15

February 1998

Season of setbacks plagues boys' indoor track 168 Street Armory, Rodriguez ran a

by Tabitha Hsi and Kate Rube A distance-oriented team, most "We have a highly motivated team," time of 3:01 for the 1000 meter race, a members compete in races of 1000 commented Boys' Indoor Track coach personal best. Although this year's team meters and longer. One exception is junAdam Stonehill, as he reflected on the past season. Despite a group of runners whom Stonehill calls a "pleasure" to work with, the season has been both a frustrating and a difficult one.

As a non-PSAL sponsored team, the boys run as a club organization at the meets organized by the league. Their standing is due to a lack of funding, and led to the team being misinformed about several occurrences throughout the season, including the date of the Queens Championships. The day for the meet was switched with that of the Freshman/ Sophomore Championships, a competition taking place two weeks earlier.

Notices were sent to schools to appraise them of the change, but the boys' team never received any such notification, which resulted in the team missing out on a chance to compete for the Queens title.

"It was completely ridiculous that we were not informed [about the switch]," said Stonehill. The team intends to file a formal complaint with the PSAL. Despite such setbacks, the boys managed a respectable season. Stonehill Indoor track team coach Adam Stonehill practices with his team in the halls of Townsend Harris . . highlighted junior Eric Rodriguez as a member who has made notable improve- is relatively small, with only about nine ior Damon Swift, who competed in the ments in his running. At their latest com- runners, Stonehill said that "each of 300 meter dash and the 55 meter high petition, the citywide Mayor's Meet, these members is dedicated and works hurdles at the Mayor's Meet. which took place on February 7 at the hard at improving."

Alex Arriaga, the only senior on the

team, has served as a "motivating force," said Stonehill, leading juniors Anthony Prince, Rodriguez, and Marco Trauzzi in the long distance events. Despite the lack of freshmen on the team, newcomers Derwin Sisnett, sophomore, and juniors Young Yoon and John Zhu show much promIse.

Stonehill cited "tremendous improvement" among the accomplishments of the team. Setbacks and frustrations did not preclude the boys' coach from thoroughly enjoying the season. "I love · running and working out with these guys," he said of the team members, "And when they're motivated, they're fantastic."

As for the next indoor season, the team hopes to, with the presence of more members, place at least fifth in Queens, as they did last season. Looking ahead to the Outdoor Track and Field season, the team hopes to equal last year's fourth place finish.

Breaking the height barrier, boys' basketball sets quick pace with best record ever

by Kate Rube For a team that, up until three years ago, was nothing more than a hoop dream in the minds of many males at Harris, the Boys' Basketball team has undergone an extraordinary evolution, this year pulling off a 9-13 record overall, 6-10 in the league.

A disportionate male-female ratio, along with the primary focus on academics, rather than athletics, at Harris present obstacles which are difficult for boys' sports within the school to overcome without talent, drive, and determination on the part of both coaches and players. The Boys' Basketball team has proved to possess all three.

Coach Keith Hanson devoted much practice time to conditioning and running, getting his team into "the best shape possible." "Our goal was an up tempo game,"said Hanson,"And we did have games where the other team could not keep up the pace."

Their quick-paced game enabled the boys to beat last year's division champs, Long Island City High School, twice during the season. "We turned a lot of heads," said senior Nick Diunte, "We sent a message to the league that we're definitely here to stay, by showing we could compete with the bigger and better teams."

Junior Steve Seiden led the team in

"every offensive category and nearly every defensive one," according to Hanson. Seiden outperformed last year's senior Dave Blechfeld, breaking both the scoring and rebound records he had set, by averaging 17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. · Hanson also singled out the play of senior Nick Diunte, who contributed 157 season points, and freshman Philip Marmon-Halm, who racked up 200.

Junior Devon Skinner's game also underwent "much improvement," said .

Hanson, although next year, he would like to see his point guard contribute more assists and fewer turnovers.

As for next year, the team will undergo few changes, excepting•·the loss of seniors Diunte, Steve Schuh, and Marlon Palache. The boys will look to retain, or better, their record, ·as well as to beat a team which Hanson felt they should have been able to beat this year, but didn't- Aviation.

However, the league the boys compete in may experience some structural changes, as members of the High School Games Commission have expressed a desire to realign the divisions. Harris may find itself placed among a group of sq:1aller and less competitive "New Vision" schools. But whatever happens, Hanson said, "We'll still be praying for someone of height and size."

16 . ·Girls shoot for playoff position ·~ -·-~~·~

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Girls' indoor team tracks in 4th place Queens finish

by Brian Griffing The Harris girls, who will enter second meetrng between the two With the regular season apthe playoffs for their eleventh con- teams, .Townsend Harris won in a proaching its end, Lawrence Ceraulo · secutive season this year, have got- simialr fashion, 62-29. ·

by Tabitha Hsi and his Girls' Varsity B·a sketball ten as far as the second round in reIn the playoffs, Ceraulo will Screaming at the top of their lungs, the memteam will enter the playoffs this cent seasons. They hope to maintain stress the things he feels has gotten . hers of the Girls' Indoor Track and Field team month with a current record of 14-6 and even surpass their previous ef- · the team this far. Defensively, they cheered each other to a fourth place finish in overall and 9-3 in their division. forts this year. will probably start out with differQueens on January 25 , missing third by a slight Much of the team's success will rely "We have a strong team and we ent zones, and then play more of a ~argin of only three points. Going into the · on their playoff position. "If we work well together. I think we'll do pressure defense as the game goes championship meet, which took place at the 168 come in second place [in .our well in the playoffs," said Nicole on. Offensively, Jen Galatioto will Street Armory in Manhattan,. Coach Joseph league], we should be comp.etitiv!!

Strippoli, senior. Von Ohlen added, be a key player . . Ceraulo comHorn had high expectations, and was delighted in the playoffs," said with the performances of all the girls. "Each Ceraulo. one worked to her potential and improved treThe team moved mendously; many even broke their personal into a tie for second records. I am happy with that," he commented place with Springfield proudly.

Gardens after a come~ Surpassing even the team's highest expecfrom-behind 33-29 win tations was a second place finish by the 4x800 over them on January relay, which was led by junior Heather ibert.

22. The game featured "It was an exciting race to watch," said freshintense play throughout man Christina Kuo, Two other members of the its four quarters. relay team were also successful . in the 1000 Springfield Gardens meter race. Clare Marks, sophomore, racked in jumped out to an early the team points with an impressive sixth place 10-2 lead but sopho~ finish, closely followed by fellow sophomore· more Kristy Von ] Alexa Steinberg, who placed seventh.

Ohlen's nine first half ~ In other track events, Sarah Sidar, senior, co points kept the score ~ strolled into the city championships with a first close at the half. £ place finish in the speed walk. Newcomer With just over two Ciarra Toomey, sophomore, followed Sidar's . minutes remaining in lead with a well-earned fifth place finish. the fourth quarter, Von Points were scored within the field portion Ohlen struck again with of the meet, as well. Shot-putter Dorcas Davis, a baseline jumper that junior, threw 24' 11", qualifying for the finals, gave them a one point and rising from sixth place to a third place finlead. When Springfield ish. Junior Tabitha Hsi qualified for the long made a run, Townsend jump finals, and jumped a personal best. Hsi Flannery Stevens, junior, releases a shot over Hillcrest players in a season game.

Harris answered with led the high jump team, finishing in second, clutch-shooting by junwith freshmen Kuo and Wai Wong coming in "We've improved a lot from last year merited, "When she's shooting well, iors Jen Galatioto and Flannery third and fifth, respectively. with the additions of our three fresh- we score a lot of points."

Stevens to seal the victory.

An equally successful Freshman and SophoAfter the win, Stevens said, "I'm men [Danielle Carlino, Chanelle Ceraulo has the option of adding more Championships, held at Manhattan very confident about our playoff Pearson, Andrea DiMango], and some of the younger teams members College's Draddy Gym, took place the we're looking to improve in the play- to the starting lineup in the future. position." If they are still tied for foll woing week on February 1. The sophmore second by the end of the season, a offs."

Freshman Chanelle Pearson has 4 x 800m relay team, led off by Bosede coin will probably be flipped to deThe turning point of the season, played well of late and could possiAdenekan, came in an exceptional second place. termine their playoff position. Winaccording to team members, came on bly start. Game strategy will also Follwoing closely behind them, the other ning the coin flip will give the girls December 9 at Far Rockaway: in a be an important factor in the playsophomore 4 x 800m relay placed fourth, and sole possession of second place in crushing 63-19 victory. "It showed offs. Set plays have worked in the also medalled. Ciarra Toomey, sophomore, how we are capable of playing," said past for Harris, but if they are going their division; they will then face speed-walked her way to a third place win.

Grover Cleveland in the first round Ceraulo. The fact that they held their to win in the playoffs, it will prob-.

The indoor season has not· yet come to a opponent to under 20 points showed ably be their transition game that of playoffs. Losing the coin flip close. On February 7, the team will enter the that they were strong defensively and will help them the most. "When we drops the team down to third place, Mayor's meet and on February 16, the team will forcing them to face off against a the 63 points that they scored showed can rebound and run, we're good;' send two qualifying members, Sidar, and se- . tough FranCis Lewis team. an effective transition game. In the said Ceraulo: nior Lara Rios, to the City Championships . .

If Townsend Harris were to add another sports team to our current school lineup, what sport would you want it to be, and why? ~

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"Lacrosse, because it's a game I'd like t-o play. And besides, I like to bang into people."

• Kristin Candan, senior

"Football·· because it's the only sport I can play." • Chris Munde, sophomore.

"Every other high school in America has a football team." ·Jack Bouba

~'Ice

hockey. I play for an outside league, but playing for school would be fun!'

• Rehan Taqi, sophomore

"I think a boys' swim team would really help guys' sports in our school, because it's an area we could be competitive in."

• Shawn Sweeney, senior