Classic newspaper Volume 21 Issue no. 4

Vol. 21, No.4 May 2005

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asstc Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

149-11

M~lbourne

Avenue, Flushing, NY 11367

Career day paints variegated picture of post-Harris life

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Hamming it up from the bottom of his heart, senior Kris lmperati enacts "a stranger Pyramus than e'er played here" in the Townsend Harris Players' production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Junior Emily Grecki as Puck spies on him, Shaunte Baboumian, Lesley Sarran, and Harrison Magee as they rehearse the "play within a play." Fairy queen Irene Zoupaniotis, foreground, sleeps through all the hilarity.

See review on p. 4

Schneps walks in principal's shoes

by Jocelyn Wright Interested in a journalism internship? Victoria Schneps, president of Schneps Communications, visited on April 6 as Principal for a Day, and recruited interns for her newspapers, which include The Queens Courier and El Correa de Queens.

As Principal for a Day, Ms. Schneps visited educators and classrooms. She wished she had had more time to talk to students. "I observed more than I spoke," she said.

For the' past four years, Ms. Schneps has been coming to

Townsend annually. She decided to visit schools because she wanted to volunteer her time and learn more about local education . She picked Townsend Harris because her daughter is an alumna, and because she thinks this school is a good place to get students for summer internships at her paper. "I know that there are students who are interested in writing, and I want to encourage them to use my newspapers for internships," she explained. .Ms. Schneps gave the school a glowing review. "I felt it a center of excellence and I was

most impressed with the principal's pride in the school and the students." Ms. Schneps met several other administrators, whom she thought "had a lot of passion for what they do ." She was also pleased with students' response to classroom instruction . "I liked the fact that many of them were engaged with their teachers and well-dressed and neat and ready to learn."

Ms. Schneps hopes to return next year. "I like seeing the amazing young people that are the future leaders of our country," she said.

by Alyssa Chase and Cindy Chen Welcoming a break from classes, students explored a broad range of work opportunities April 9 on Career Day, organized by Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Janet Solomon . Many of the speakers were alumni of Townsend Harris and related their experiences at school to their current careers.

Speakers represented a wide variety of careers, including a disk jockey, two judges, a biomedical researcher, a professor. of English, and an actuary. Regardless of their fields, many highlighted the importance of developing strong writing skills while at Townsend Harris. They also urged students to pur..sue careers they enjoyed rather than simply seeking the best-paid work.

Freelance writer Eileen Gunn ('93) explained, "Media business isn't for money making- it's for the excitement and fun."

Many of the guests emphasized their own high school experiences, including collaterals and homework, as valuable preparation for their jobs. Krystal Hartley, sophomore, said that the speakers were "encouraging [because] many of them had a good career coming from Townsend Harris. She found the speakers to be "inspiring and helpful." Junior Victor Ho said, "I liked it because it helped me a lot in pursuing a career choice."

Some students were disappointed that they were not enrolled in the classes for which they had indicated preference online.

Stephanie Chow, freshman, commented, "I did not get my choices, and the speakers did not help me [choose a career]."

Many speakers spoke favorably about their own experience on Career Day. According to Gina M. Tufaro ('95), a class action securities litigator, "[The students] were great and attentive and asked intelligent questions."

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Upcoming Events:

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5/16-5/20 Spirit Week 5/17 Art Show

5/19 Spring Concert 5/20 Foreign Language Awards

Midsummer Night's Dream

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Brenda Morrissey, '95, describes her life as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Festival of Nations

!Pledge ofAllegiance

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pp. 8-9

New SAT

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The Classic

2 Let them see the show May2005

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Festival of Nations participants deserve to see their peers perform The Festival of Nations is easily one of the school year's biggest events next to Founder's Day and SING! Over a hundred students perform to a packed auditorium every year. It is in fact so packed that not all those who finish performing on st-age are able to get seats to view the rest of the show.

This is an unfortunate problem that has found its way to every Festival of Nations. Students should not be kept from seeing their schoolmates per. form just because they were in another act.

Festival of Nations has always been a night of student talent and appreciation for the cultural diversity that is easily recognized within the student body. This year was no exceptio_n. All the acts were multi-faceted and reflected the hard work and dedication that the particpants put into them. It was especially delightful to see that performers did not restrict themselves to performing a dance from their own cultures, but also partcipated in acts from different countries, emphasizing the multicultural spirit behind the even.t. The audience is eve~y bit a part of this spirit. That is why it is a such a shame that not all the performers can appreciate the show from an audience's perspective.

The Festival of Nations' organizers always leave the back row of the auditorium for the performers, but this is an ineffective remedy since the back row can't possibly seat the large number involved. The arrangement is also inconvenient for audience members near the back because they keep getting distracted by the people entering and trying to find a seat in the dark. Often, the performers have been turned away by faculty members stationed at the auditorium doors because there aren't any available seats or they are conscious of disturbing the paying audience with the constant opening and closing of the doors.

A possible solution to this yearly dilemma is to have a presentation of FON exclusive to ~he performers, apart from the night in which the paying audience 'watches the show. If this presentation takes place before

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Introducing the tarantella act, seniors Harrison Magee and Kris lmperati make a great comic duo and set the audience laughing at their banter.

Corrections The Classic would like to apologize to the following people whose names were ·misspelled in the February .2005 .issue: Christopher Chen, Padrnavati Sridhar and Maria Wojakowski.

Managing Editor

Alyssa Chase Mimi Chung Co·News Editors

Michelle Montgoris Sports Editor

Laura D' Amato Photo~raphy

Editor

Eugene To Art Editor

Taking the SAT

by Diana BeD Despite horizontally blowing snow and my own head cold, the first administration of the new 2005 SAT went on as scheduled on March 12. I arrived at Forest Hills High School, my designated testing center, 15 minutes eafly (7:30am instead of 7:45 am). I waited outside, rosy-cheeked, until the powers tbat be (FHHS security squad) deemed it time to open the doors and allowed the frozen teenage cr0wd ad1ni·ssion.

A little past eight, the doors opened, and I entered the lobby, where I stood S<Juashed for the next hour w·ith an impressive number of students., many of them Hardsites. When topics of conversation ran. dry and it seemed I would never leave this sru-dine can of a lobby, the secortd set of doors opened, and - FINALLY! - I joined the mass of student-S milling, up the stairs in a clespeFate, slightly drowsy search for their testing rooms. How can a school housing over4, 000 students have such narrow stairca:Ses? I grumbled, as my shoulder banged against the &ide wall for the umpteenth time.

Reaching rny fated room, 301, I slid into a seat in the front and <Fllow.ed my eyes to' droop as the monotonous voice of the prootor droned on. "Please begin filling out the front page ... " Three h'ours and seven sections later, I stood up during the second five,.. minute break and walked out into the ha:U to' stretch my legs. As my eyes drifted over buUetin boru-ds, I absentmindedly thanked Clarence Crane, inventor of Life Savers hard candy. They had proNided me with an instant s.u gar rush that kept me going during the te.s,t.

My thoughts were interrupted by a school a,ide patrolling the halls. '+BetteF hurry back to c'lass,'' she s~aid as she pointed down rhe halt "You don ''t want to be late."

Heaving a heavy sigh, I obediently began moving in the direction that~ she pointed. There were, aftetr aU, only three more sections ...

I left Forest Hills High Soh:o0l at l :00 pm. And: what a change in weather! The snow was gone, the sun was ·Shining, and it was aetuaUy warm. My mind was a tittle clearer, my shoulders felt sli,g htly .tess burdened. Only one AP exam and two SATIIs to go!

Feature Staff: Faith Aronowitz, Rookminie Behari, Cindy Chen. Gloria Chen, Tiffany Tanaz Talebpour Cheng, Annie Choi, Marissa Green, Elena Gullotta,Shruti Karnawat, Sangsoo Kim, Maureen Feature Editor McCluskey, Donna Mordente, Stephanie Pak, Mary-Grace Papatheodorou, Jennifer Park, Darcy Rendon, Priti Shah, Marlene Sim, Nisha Singh, Anita Sonawane, Samia Ullah, Maria Ann Margaret Santa-lnes Wojakowski, Devon Wright, Madeleine Wright Business Editor

Diana Bell

Jocelyn Wright

Food and

Editor-in-Training

lisa Cowen

the public show, it could also serve as a run-through, giving a chance for performers to dress in full costume and for the Tech Squad to smooth out any kinks with lighting and sound. , Performers will sit as members of the audience, watching their fello~ schoolmates perform their acts in the order in which they appear on the program. When one act finishes, the participants will return to their seats in the audience, while those in the next group make their way to the stage.

This private showing of FON should not in the least be confused with the stage rehearsals that take place in preparation for the main event, since they are just attended by the participants of specific acts and are scheduled at different times from each other. All performers will have to be present this night, wearing their full costume; they will only get one chance to perform without any direCtion from choreographers or teachers. It will be a complete performance, which will benefit the participants by letting them see their peers and giving them a complete run through of their acts.

With the performers of FON having been given the opportunity to see their classmates perform the night before, the back row will be free to seat more audience members at the public showing. The school will certainly benefit from the extra ticket sales and the proud friends and family can enjoy the night of culture, song and dance ~ithout distraction.

Everybody wins.

News Staff: Samira Annabi, Andrea Gavora, Megan Law. Robert McCullogh, Jocelyn Wright

Francesca Pizarro Editor-in-Chief Christopher Amanna

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Entertainment Editor

Advisor

Principal - Mr. Thomas Cunningham

Sports Staff: Rookminie Behari, Gabriele Guelly. Maureen McCluskey. Alex Rush, Lance Tomas, Wendy Yan Artists: Mitchell Bader, Darren Deoraj, Rowena Eng, Bonnie Ng Photography Staff: Diana Deng, Warren Cheng, Hannah Kang, SunMei Liu, Matthew Molina, Tabassum Rahman, Jonathan Stein, Alexandra Stergiou Business Staff: Janet Hwang, Nora 0' Brien, Sorah Park, Kim Quon

Townsend Ha.-ris High School at Queens College 149-11 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, N.Y. 11367

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

Readers are invited to submit letters to the editor.

Letters should be placed in Ms. Cowen's mailbox in Room 315 ore-mailed to thhsclassic@yahoo.com. The Classic reserves the right to edit all letters. Letters must include name and official clliss. Names will be withheld upon request.

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The Classic _

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May 2005

·eathr.o·om To.ur

by Noureen Ramzan "Hel_lo students. Let me be your guide to the lavatories and the water fountains: The la~atories here are great. We have found them to. have neither graffiti nor vandalizing, and our water fountains are superb and easy to use.

I don't think you'll ever find a school cleaner than ours.

The bathrooms may have problems, but none serious enough to worry over. Water has always been a thing to conserve and not waste unconsciously, .and we pay special heed to it here. A few sinks don't work, but two or three are perfectly convenient, and more than enough for you to wash your hands.

In some cases, the water might not stop flowing, but if you tip the faucet at .just the rightangle,.thewater won't be wasted much, so there are no prob. lems.· There is plenty of soap; although we might run out of it now and then; we at least have water in some faucets. We supply enough bathrooms for our students; there are restrooms on every floor. True, the ones on the sixth and third floors are not made available, but that's only two floors out · of six! .'"

Soine bathrooms give us problems, so don't upset yourself over the 'not in ser.vice' signs. We.just want to provide you with the best restrooms which are saft?and handy. If there is an awkward flushing style to a toilet, it · may flood, but don't worry- there is usually one other stall in service.

Our bathrooms a!e so popular, people even form lines for them. You may think they are .waiting for the next available bathroom in vain, but please under'stand ... our bathrooms are worth waiting for, even if you may be late as aresult. Don't worry about your teacher; he or she knows it is worth every minute spent waiting in line for our precious lavatories. . When it's time for gym, don;t fret if you need to use the bathroom. We have them in the locker rooms! So what if you hav': to wait in line? So what if you might be late? At least you will learn to dress faster in our bathrooms. Another plus -we provide enough mirrors for examining the depth

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Procrastin_ators respond

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of the bags under your eyes.

Now, if you look this way to the w&ter fountains, you m~yobserve that we provide enough water fountains for everyone. If you push this .tab, you may see one work. Don't get upset if not enough water comes out; just push it really hard - but no harder than that! If you're still not met with success, try moving a couple of floors up or down, and I'm sure you'll h~ · able to find a working fountain. Don't get mad at the water fou~tains that don't work; it's not their fault you aren't pushing the tab hard enough: Some quick advice on the water fountains in the gyms - some don't work, and, some are mis~ing. We do have a water-vending machine. Teachers find our water bottles too distracting (they're secretly fans of the water fountains), so hide them in your book bags if you don't want to lose them.

That concludes our tour, students. I hope it was educational."

·siNG! 2005 articl·e--uhfa.ir, 'should .praise experience' To the·Editor: _ ·· I am writing in reference to the article, "Seniors triumph at SING!2005.~' First, I would like to note, with a bit of cynicism, the innocence with which you present the title, as though anybody else in SING! would win. I' m not complaining or being bitter, but I would like to say that I think your article would have benefitted the school more if it had been presented differently.

I understand that ·siNG! is a competition, but having participated in it, I can safely say that most of the people involved did not see SING! as a competition but ' ' as a bonding experience and a chance to perform. All your quotes in the -article praise the experience, not the contest. Even so, the article was written as though it was in your -sports section. The winners - the seniors - were given much more attention in the article than the juniors and sophmen. I have spoken to friends in the three lower grades, and many were similarly upset by the ·article.

All juniors and sophrrien. worked just as hard as the seniors and deserve equal credit. · . · Melanie Sovern, 907

·To the Editor: I;ve been recently diagnosed with procrastination. My symptoms started to appear shortly after my arrival.at Townsend Harris High School.~· ve always thought I was among the few with this problem but I took great comfort in reading the fact that 99% of the freshman class suffers frbm procrastination. · .

I am positi'-:e nobody procrastinates on purpose. We all lead busy lives and juggle many daily activities. Homework, exams and clubs overwhelm us. There are television shows we simply "must" watch and quality time with our friends we "must" spend. Some days, it is simply impossible to fit in "collateral time" among other things to do.

I would like to thank The Classic for devoting an article to procrastination. It showed how the "procrastination plague" has widely spread. I learned that I wasn't the only one with this problem. I will no longer feel ashamed working on projects at the last minute because there would be some other kid doing the same. I hope teachers dori't mi·sunReaders are invite~ to derstand me. I put a lot of effort in all my work. Some people ,submiL letters to .the ·. just tend to work better under pressure. Needless to say, I'm editor. Letters should be ·.· one of them.

June Pak, 906 ·· placedin theLetlers to the

Editor mailbox in .Room 505 or e-mailed to

The· Classic takes · reader suggestion

To the Editor: Students are often unaware of school events until The ClasTo the Editor: thbsclass~c@yaboo.com. sic publishes an article about them. It's unfortunate that so In response to the article "Procrastination Plague Affects Most," I would. like to say that it is a very informative report The Classic reserves the much time and energy is put into events such as Harris fest and of a common Townsend Harris student problem that comes the upcoming talent show and nobody knows of them. If you right to edit all letters. with our school experience. The article is accurate in describput articles in your newspaper about some lesser-known perLetters must includ.e ing days when collaterals are dQ.e, an account I find both unformances or school functions before they happen, more stu· n;;tme and official class. fortunate, because some students succumb to horrible "alldents will be interested in them. Consequently, more people Names will be withheld nighters," and highly amusing. The teachers' opinions on prowill buy tickets and/or refreshments at these events, and the upon request. school will reap the financial benefits. Even if articles cannot crastination and the visual aids support the article's aim in shedding new light on the dilemma. Though I cannot say I be written in advance, a small list of events on the side of the will never procra~tinate again, "Procrastination Plague Af~ front cover would still increase student awareness.

Adrianna Mateo, 905 fects Most" has definitely movecl me to finish my work at least a day before it's due.

Adrianna, thank you for your helpful letter. We have already taken your sugKaren Bulaklak, 902 gestion and placed an "Upcoming Events" section on our front page.

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The Classic May 2005

Harrisites donate pints; feel good about decision

by Gloria Palma -Knowing their minor discomfort was worthwhile, 55 students and faculty donated a combined 44 pints of blood in this year's blood drive on April 5. The blood drive, organized

by Coordinator of Student Activities Adam Stonehill, was the most successful in three years.

Students who are at least 16 years old and II 0 pounds were eligible to donate blood. Ap-

plicants filled out paperwork Two juniors, Gloria Palma and medical quesetionaires be- and Stephanie Bernardis, fore medical technicians fainted after donating, but soon checked their blood pressure, regained consciousness after temperature, pulse, and hemo- the medical staff rushed to their globin content. Ten minutes aid. Most students reported · and a pint of blood later, donors ·feeling lightheaded after domltwere served light refreshments ing, but great about their consuch as Oreos and orange juice. tributions. Junior Peter Gyuratz The blood collected was sent to said, "I felt pretty good about laboratories where it will be being a donor, the [idea] that it tested for blood type, hepatitis, might be used to help save HIV, HTLV, and syphilis. someone was what really at-

Archon shines light on service

by Diana Bell Proud parents and solemn students filled the auditorium March 22 for the 2005 Archon service league. induction. to honor those who, if they had it their way, might not wish for recognition at all. · The ceremony ran from 7 pm to 8: 15 pm and honored Harrisites who spent their free time undertaking community service projects while balancing -a hectic school schedule.

- Over 100 were newly inducted into Archon this year.

Four students were given a special plaque signifying their four- year dedication to Archon.

After the· reading of the Induction Pledge, members were called up to receive pins andcertificates.

Highlights of the event i·ncluded sophomore Katrina Mateo playing "Meditation" from Thais by Jules Massenct

on the tlute, and junior Lara Torgovnik singing "Somewhere" from West· Side Story, bO c: <!) accompanied by senior Sharon Cl Lim on the piano. "'0 It also featured the 6"' Flower of Tradition ;>, .0 Ceremony, which) 0 0 ..c: passed leadership from 0. the outgoing Executive Board on to the new one.

"The Flower ceremony embodies the true meaning of Archon. I'm proud of our incoming board," said junior Jackie Dinas.

Advisor Adam Adam Stonehill congratulates the newly Stonehill bestowed inducted members of the service honor praise on the group and society, Archon.

Principal Thomas Cunningham shared remarks minimum of 80 hours of com. munity service, and at least on serv1ce.

85 average. Two walks and a Light refreshments folhospital visit per year are manlowed the induction. datory.

Archon requirements are a

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Breakfast for local leaders aims to prevent budget cuts

by Alyssa Chase Principal-Thomas Cunningham invited local politicians to Townsend Harris to raise public support for the school at the Legislative Breakfast held in the library on February I 0. Mr. Cunningham highlighted student .achievement in academics and involvement in the community with hopes of protecting Townsend Harris from future budget cuts.

Many of the local leaders, who included representatives from Mark Weprin, Nettie Mayersohn; and Serphin Maltese's offices, along with arecent .contender in the election for State Assembly,Peter Boudouvas, pledged support for Townsend Harris. Some of the officials have worked with seniors who flock to the local officials' offices each year to meet their community service requirement for the Participatory Government class. This interacti on has contributed to the politicians' interest in the school. Flushing Councilm,e mber John Liu commented, "They are always· welcome.

We had 25 students one afternoon demanding [volunteer work]. With regard to the resources, our schools, and especially Townsend Harris, need a lot more."

The representatives urged students to combat budget cuts by forwarding their g complaints directly "'N Q:; to Mayor Mich'ael Bl o omberg a nd "'"'u 80 Governor George Pataki . Accord ing cl::"' ;>, ro one representa.0 · o "We ask you tive, 0 ..c:: 0. to per s istently Councilmember John Liu encourages local leaders to ensure the school's come down to City fiscal stability.

Hall and fight."

tracted me."

Although many students donated~ others were prevented · by age, medical qualifications, parents, laziness, and pure terror. "I wanted to. but my mom wouldn't even sign me off because she was so worried I'd pass out," explained senior Christine Schniittgall.

Sophmore George Vatougis felt there might have been more participation if the opp9rtunity

had been better advertised. "I didn't know about it until like the day after. Otherwise, I might have done it," he said.

"I feel like. it's my responsibility since I ~ave good blood to share with those who need it. I started donating in high school and I think it's a discipline that pcopJe should con- · tinue through life," said Assistant Principal of l\'lathernatics Elle,~ Fee.

A Midsummers Night Dream:

Hilarious, talented cast delivers

by Samia Ullah and Christopher Amanna Whether it was due to the beautiful music or the actors' grace on stage, the April 8-9 production of Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream thoroughly captivated the audience. The play opened on a dreamy note with junior Lara Torgovnik's phenomenal vocal performance. And the Tow_n send Harris Players didn't disappoint as the play unfolded, keeping audience members both on the edge of their seats and on the tloor laughing.

"The cast was outstanding," said audience member Chris~ tine Valentin, Her comment was right on the mark, as the fantastic acting led to a ~ruly memorable performance. The cast refrained from zealous ·over-acting and seemed comfortable on ·stage, a rare sight in a hi.g h school production.

Each star also had his or her own style, creating an overall . vibrant and dynamic play.

The plot is fairly complex, but the short summary in the back of the program should have cleared up any questions.

Hermia (Eiana Mugdan, Laura Schubert) and Lysander (Michael Cass-Antony) are in love, but her father, Egeus (Boris Rivkin), has arranged for her to marry Demetrius (Barnaby Grzaslewicz). Helena's (Ellie Philips) feelings for Demetrius turn the love triangle into a quadrilateral.

At the same time, Oberon (Heikal Aliakbcr), King of the Fairies, plays a trick 6n his q-ueen, Titania (Irene Zoupaniotis), with the help of the mischievious Puck (Emily Grecki) and the juice of magical tlower.

A third subplot develops when a group of workers stages a performance of Pyramus and Thisbe to celebrate the wedding of the Duke of Athens, Theseus (Kevin Topar), and Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta (Meagan Aladin).

The highlight of the performance came when this play· within-a-play was performed. Seniors Kris lmperati as Bottom/Pyramus and Harrison Magee as Fluteffhisbe stole the show. The audience was -in stitches watching Harrison prance around the stage readjusting his pink dress.

"We knew that it would be really funny if we had the most manly, tall, so-not-a-woman guy, playing [Thisbe]," said sophomore Nancy Lin, who played Philostrate. "And we knew that Kris could do any job spectacularly, so it all worked out very well."

The actors were just as excited about their work as the audience. Junior Michael Cass-Antony said, "This year everyone at first was a little reluctant to do another Shakespeare play, but by the end of it we could(;l ' t have been happier with the way it turned out."

Instead of using Shakespeare's original setting of ancient Athens, the time frame was moved to the 1920s and given a more Jazz Age fee l, despite keeping the Athens locale. Flapper dresses and sets remi niscent of Central Park only complemented the acting.

Even great actors are lost witho ut great direction, so the players were lucky to have Engl ish teacher Joseph Canzoneri at the helm. M r. Canzo neri allowed th is play to exceed all expectations . Special credit must also be given to Assi stant Principal o f Humanities and producer Susan Getting; photography teacher Margherita Wishcerth for her wo rk on the sets; classics teacher Andrew Hagerty and the tech squad; and c-o-director and Engiish teacher Peter Wamstaker.

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The Classic

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May 2005

Festival 'Of Nations wraps up culture week

by Alyssa Chase The annual celebration of the Festival of Nations .on March 16 manifested · the unique cultural diversity at Townsend Harris and marked a resurrection of ethnic pride and school spirit at the culmination of an otherwise apathetic Multicultural Week. The foreign language department sold out tickets to this one-night performance, which highlighted the need for global peace. Lisa Mars, Assistant Principal of Languages Other Than English and the Fine Arts, lauded this year's presentation as "the most successful year ever."

The theme of world peace dominated the acts . The Advanced Placement Spanish class, for example, performed a skit that raised awareness of global injustices. Senior Brian Na explained, "We used a pop-Spanish anti-war song, and we did a skit to show the pain in the world and how no one really cares. [The performance addressed] genocides, civil wars, and current affairs." According to Ms . Mars, "We had a very strong message. Peace doesn't come naturally; we have to work for it."

The Festival of Nations concluded with the entire cast and the Townsend

Harris multicultural club Educate to Elevate joining together to sing John Lennon's " Imagine, " which promotes global peace.

Despite the long months of preparation, performers generally enjoyed their experience. Sophomore Rowena Eng, who-performed Chinese martial arts, said, "[We] trained really hard. It seemed cool to learn kung fu, and I got to meet people from different grades."

The Festival of Nations also encourages students to embrace for0 eign cultures and perform in events E that do not represent the student's <t:: ethnic origin. Junior Christine ...::l"' Arcidiacono, for example, joined the Armenian and French dances, -l "';>, although she is neither Armenian .0 0 nor French. She said, "It's fun learn0 ..c: 0.. ing about different cultures, differSeniors Christina Tzeng, Joyce Lee, Bonnie Chan, Melissa Cheng and Janice Ren ent customs, different languages. perform the Chinese fan dance-, a regular feature at the' annual Festival of Nations.

The show went really well, and I stage speaks to who we are as a school. think everyone had a lot of fun." by limiting performances to traditional The Festival of Nations not only cel- It is the most important social event of dances and songs.

The foreign language department ebrates each student's unique ethnicity, the year."

Because the Festival of Nation explans to sell DVD recordings of the Fesbut it also unites the student body by detival of Nations for $5. Students will be fining a distinctly New York culture. Ac- tended for four hours this year, Ms. notified when they become available. cording to Ms. Mars, "This one night on Mars plans to curtail next year's show

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Multicultural Week suffers from poor spirit 92nd Street Y

_ Freshman JosePulido proudly displays his Ecuadorian heritage by wearing his flag like a cape.

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Freshmen Silbia Han and Jenny Kim dress up in traditional Korean attire for Multicultural Week.

by Francesca Pizarro Lack of student participation dominated Multicultural Week, the annual celebration of the school's ethnic diversity which led tip to the more enthusiastically received Festival of Nations. Contrary to previous years when it was scheduled for the start of the week, this year's Multicultural Week started on a Friday, March II, and continued through Wednesday, March .16. Many students attributed the lack of enthusiasm to this unique schedule.

"The days were very confusing. The week was broken up," said senior Catherine Durante. Junior Elisabeth Mead voiced a similar opinion, saying, "I didn't like that it started at the middle of the week because the weekends didn't count for anything."

"I don't think it impacted anything a lot," said junior Ana-Maria Bonner, "but it was really weird." Assistant Principal of Foreign Languages Lisa Mars explained that the "weird" scheduling could not be helped. Festival of Nations, which usually falls on a Thursday, had to be moved to Wednesday because of St. Patrick's Day, among other constraints of this year's calendar.

This peculiarity happens about "once every 15 years," said Ms . Mars.

Like previous years, each day of Multicultural Week was designated for a parti"cular activity. Students were encouraged to bring international flags and music on Friday. The flags were put up in the lobby on Monday and the music was played on the PA system to mark the bands over the week. "The music was good [but] they should have a bigger variety of songs because they kept repeating them," said freshman Vikram Pooni.

Tuesday was Dress-up Day, when students were supposed to come to school in costumes from their native countries. While Ana-Maria observed that "more people dressed up this year," others noted the lack of excitement. "It wasn't as festive as usual," said Catherine. "Not many people were really in the spirit of it, but more people participated than I've seen in the previous years," said senior Mohammad Waqas.

Karaoke was availabe in the cafeteria during all the lunch bands on Tuesday. "[Karaoke] was really cool. It would be really great if it happens again," said Viki-am. Students, alone or in groups, took the opportunity to sing their favorite popular tunes, and classicallangwage teacher Andrew Hagerty sang a couple of songs as well. "Mr. Hagerty is the grand master of karaoke," . observed senior Nikita Patel.

Wednesday was Food Day; students donated food from their cultures that was served during the lunch bands. · Despite the lackluster response, there were those who appreciated the intention behind Multicultural Week. "It was good to see people [from different cultures] come together," said freshman Sayyid Choudhury.

Ms. Mars is looking for ways to ensure more participation in Multicultural Week in the future. "Maybe we need to promote it more ... that's something we can do," she said. "Next year will be better!"

offers chance to meet authors

by Rookminie Behari English teachers Robert Babstock and Richard Cappuccio took selected students to the 92nd Street Y, specifically the Unterberg Poetry Center, where they met authors Mary Gordon and Marilynne Robinson and stayed for a book reading.

The reading was sponsored hy the Schools Program, which encourages students to attend literary and cultural events. Students from Townsend Harris, John Bowne, and Richmond Hill High Schools attended the event, which also included a pizza dinner and a question and answer session with the authors.

The event was held from 5 to I 0:30 pm . Students gathered in front of the school and waited for their transport to the Upper East Side. Upon arrival, students ate their pizza and mingled with students from the other schools.

Afterwards the students were given an exclusive opportunity to talk with the authors. Mary Gordon is the author of the newly released Pearl, about a young woman aHd her fight for independence.

Marilynne Robinson wrote Gilead, her first novel after a I 0-year hiatus. Both women were welcoming to the students and answered all types of questions.

"The workshop at the 92nd street Y was an amazing experience, especially for students who are aspiring writers," said sophomore Marissa Green. Mr. .Cappuccio said, "The Y's program for schoo1s is simply a blessing."

Students rode home in vans provided by the 92nd StreetY.

6

The Classic

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May 2005

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Harrisites top New York City w·ith hig,h est Regents

by Maria Wojakowski known as a Humanities high Huge charts displaying New school, excelled not only in EnYork City schools' Regents glish and history, but also in scores proudly occupy a special math and science. "Our high place in nearly every office. Regents passing percentage is The yellow highlighting draws a reflection of our students ' attention to the school's out- hard work and mastery of a substanding performance, coming j~ct that is not necessarily their in first in New York City with favorite;· nor comes easily to I 00% of its students meeting . them," said Assistant Principal Regents standards . of Mathematics Ellen Fee. "The scores suggest that Senior Chantal Bruno bewhen talented teachers are lieves that achievement in the matched with gifted students, science Regents could not have everything is possible," said been attained without some English teacher Peter help . ''We have a group of the Wamsteker. best science teachers. They are Townsend Harris, which is outgoing and always willing to

listen and help," sht< said.

Like Chantal, many students were not shocked by the news.

Junior Karin Firoza exclaimed, "Whoa, that is absolutely amazing' I'm not surprised, though, since our school is collectively the best school in the state."

"They [the teachers] make us work so hard . I would have been surprised if we didn't get the highest overall Regents grades," said sophomore Anita Sonawane. Fellow sophomore Amy Feng suggested that the students' own motivation and study led to the success . "I think it's the high standards stu-

dents in Townsend Harris set College Counselor Antoinette Teague . for themselves ," she said.

These high standards may Seniors showed their combe the recipe for college admis- petitive side and pride upon sions success as well. "Regents hearing that their own perforexamination scores of 85 or bet- mance on the Regents surter demonstrate that a student passed that of students at other has achieved mastery of the academically prestigious high academic content in that disci- schools, especially Stuyvesant pline. _When coupled with ex- Sadia Bhuyan, senior, asked, cellent grades and good SAT "Why is it that Harris shines scores, this expresses to college -and Stuy hogs up the Ii meadmissions counselors that a light?" Senior Iman Ahmed student is working to ....fullest said, "Though many people bepotential and is therefore an at- lieve Stuy to be the best school tractive candidate for admis- in New York City, it is now obsion to their institution," said vious that THHS is the best!" ·

Science honors society inducts over 200 members at ceremony

by Shruti Karnawat mesters of high school or col- a first-year inductee, said the Over two hundred inductees lege science. Inductees also had performances were "great, as to the New York State Science to commit to tutoring their usual. All the performers s~mg Honors Society (NYSSHS) cel- peers in any subject of science. or played really well." ebrated their achievements on Science and Technology After the Pledge of AlleMarch I 0 from 6 to 8 pm . giance was recited, seniors Assistant Principal Susan The ceremony was a recog- Devana Singh and Sherleen Brustein declared 2004 - 2005 nition of the hard work of the Gandham led th~ National An- as "The Year of Science at inductees, who had to have a them . Next came performances Townsend Harris ." minimum average of 90% in by junior Lara Torgovnik, who She described the addition science and math, and a mini- sang Au fJord de l'eau by - of new electives such as Biomal overall average of 90%. · Gabriel Faure, and senior medical Ethics and Forensic They also had to be recom- Sharon Lim, who played Science, and the I Oth place mended for membership . by at Partita II, and Gigue by J.S. citywide victory of the newly least two members of the Sci- Bach on the violin . Sharon also formed Science Olympiad. ence Department Sophomores played piano accompaniments Additionally, she congratuand juniors were required to to the singing performances. lated the two semifinalists for have successfully completed at The ceremony ended with Intel, 38 semifinalists for The least five semesters of high Devana's rendition of the Alma New York City Science and schoo"l science, or be a science Mater, accompanied by senior Engineering Fair, and the three research student. Seniors Windell Cadelina on the piano . semifinalists for the Nobel Launeeded a minimum of seven seSophomore Sonia Mohabir, reate Competition .

Anam, Talebpour place in NYC Brain Bee

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by Jocelyn Wright Seniors Anika An am and Tanaz Talebpour triumphed at the 2005 NYC Brain Bee this year, earning second and third place, respectively. The competition took place on Thursday, February 17 at Rockefeller University.

The Brain Bee is a yearly competition held as a part of Brain Awareness Week in which students from 27 New York City high schools compete about their knowledge of the brain, and how it relates to such things as memory and emotions.

The Brain Bee peak$!d Anika's interest when AP Psychology teacher Shibing Shen mentioned it at the beginning of the school year. "I was into it anyway because I really like psychology and neuroscience," she said.

Tanaz first got involved with the Brain Bee last year wheri "Ms. Shen told the class that she was looking for two representatives and that anyone interested should come a certain day after school to hold a school Brain Bee," she explained. Because only a senior and Tanaz showed up, they automatically qualified. This year, Tanaz was asked to participate again because of her previous experience, taking third place last year. "I jumped at the opportunity to participate again," she said.

Anika and Tanaz put a lot of work into the competition. Ms. Shen provided Anika with preparation materials about two weeks before the actual competition, soAnika found it hard to find time to study for it. "I had a lot of stuff going on and a lot of homework so I didn ' t get to study as much as I wanted to," said Anika. She did, however, do an Intel project on neuroscience and is taking AP Psychology, both of'which helped her in the competition since she was familiar with much of the information already. Tanaz, having the advantage of competing in last year's Bee, already had all the materials. She started early and used "a series of mnemonics to try to make the information stick."

Though they were nervous about competing, both Anika and Tanaz enjoyed participating in the Brain Bee. "Throughout most of the competition I was really nervous and my heart was racing . But by the end I was really relieved ," said Tanaz. Although Anika was worried about not being able to live up to Townsend's previous wins, she ad~itted to having fun . "This is going to sound really ridiculous but I loved writing down the answers on colored papers with Sharpie markers," she said .

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Mu .Alpha Theta throws 1t party for inductees

by Gloria Chen The induction ceremony for Mu Alpha Theta, the mathematics honor society, took place on March 14 (3/ 14) or "Pi Day," in the cafeteria from 2 to 3 pm. It was coordinated by . Assistant Principal of Mathematics Ellen Fee. The ceremony featured musical interludes about pi, such as "3.14259" and "Oh, Number Pi," the latter of which was sung by second-year member, Devana Singh, a senior. They also had a feast of pizza "pi" and apple "pi" while participating in a trivia contest about pi. The winner, Nalin Kashyap, won a $15 gift certificate for iTunes, an online music store. Later a raffle was held in which students could win stress balls, a Texas Instruments keyboard for their graphing calculators, a flash drive, and elevator passes. New member Donna Mordente, junior, commented, "Mu Alpha Theta was very creative because rather than hosting a formal evening ceremony, the teachers incorporated math songs and trivia with pizza and pie that could easily be enjoyed · after school."

Mu Alpha Theta is a national organization dedicated to inspiring keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting its enjoyment, as indicated by its mission statement "It's an honor. It's really rewarding to be able to help others in math," said senior Emily Tam, the only third-year member.

To qualify for Mu Alpha Theta, students must have at least a 93 current math average and maintain an overall 90 in all mathematics courses that were taken. They must also have completed Math B. Members have the opportunity to "attend special events that are still unplanned," said Ms . Fee, as well as tutor other students once a week in the math office during lunch bands, before school, and after schooL

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The Classic May 2005

7

PrOblems plague April dance

by Darcy Rendon April Fool's Day brought a low turnout to the Guest Dance. Sixty people, the majority freshmen, attended at a cost of $5 per ticket. Coordinator of Student Affairs Adam Stonehill and senior Jeffrey Snop organized the event in an attempt to bring students together.

Students and guests socialized in the gym, but only 20 danced to the school's newe.st DJ, the PA system. Many said they were not pleased with the outcome of the dance.

According to sophomore Heather Lonks, "The dance was definitely something: I was really disappointed; practically no one showed up. I thought it would be something like the '80s dance but the April fools Day dance was horrid. I was taken aback when I walked in at how bad the speakers were . They also kept repeating the same songs over and over. The '80s dance was much better."

Sophomore Sarah Rosengard said, "My guest and I were so bored, we started race walking around the gym in our attempts to quench our boredom. We even timed ourselves . The dance was really bad. My guest did not enjoy herself at all." Another student added that it showed the lack of spirit within the school. She believes that the fact that mostly freshfl1en attended reflects the great faith they have in the school.

"It's all in the mindset. We wanted to have fun, and we didn't let low attendance get in the way," said junior Liya Shuster.

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Senior Joshua Levi won a Merit Award for the 2005 ACTEA Conference Cover Design Competition, ''CTE . .. Driving Werkforce and Economic Development."

Junior Foster Wang placed second in the Julliard Music Festival Twenty-two students earned perfect scores in the 2005 National Latin Exam.

Their names will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on May 20.

Senior Nikita Patel w0n Honorable Mention for City College's High School Poetry Contest.

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Senior Devana Singh placed first in the I" annual Townsend Harris Math Contest, while seniors Jason Wu, Celia Lu, and Yeseniya Aronova tied for second plac.e.

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'80s Dance.

by Madeleine Wright Despite a massive advertising campaign and meticulous preparation, the turnout at the '80s Dance on February II fell short of the organizers' expectations.

According to Senior Advisor Franco Scardino, 160 people bought tickets, but only 100 attended . Problems with the theme, the cost of tickets (eight dollars), and lack of school spirit were cited as possible reasons for the poor attendence at the event, which aimed to raise funds for the Senior Council and yearbook.

Mr. Scardino suggested that "maybe the theme intimidated [students]" from attending. "Most peopl.e don't have the '80s clothes, so that's why they didn't come," said senior Robin Petrizzo. "They should have known that they didn't have to dress '80s," she added.

"I feel like [the people who didn't come] are missing out," said senior Iaisha Smith, who dressed as Michael Jackson. 'They'd have a great time if they came.

Lack of school spirit, I guess."

When asked why he was not going to the dance, a freshman answered, ''I'm not paying eight dollars to go to a school dance." Senior Council member Rachel Smith explained that tickets were only a dollar more than most dances and that soda was given out for free. "It was a senior fundraiser. The point was to raise money," she said. \ Only three freshmen bought tickets to the event. "I really think it reflects the spirit in part of the underclassmen," said Mr. Scardin~. "All of the underclassmen are going to be seniors one day, and when they sponsor a guest dance, why would they expect underclassmen to come? If they don't get involved in school activities, that's the trend they're setting."

At the dance, Rachel said, "Everyone that's here is having such a great time ."

Robin agreed that people "seem[ed] to be having fun."

The organizers went through a lot of trouble to encourage people to attend. . One week before the dance, seniors visited individual classes to advertise the event. The Senior Council also put a great deal of etfort into the decorations. The cafeteria was transformed into the Love Shack. Cozy round tables and comfy chairs with cushions and armrests replaced the long white tables and benches. The gymnasium was adorned with balloons and '80s posters.

The '80s fashion emphasized neon and brightly colored clothes, spandex, legwarmers, and big, teased hair. The five winners of the costume contest were awarded free tickets to any movie of .their choice.

Juniors Christie Sze, Kimberly Ng, Amanda Pneuman, Jane Wong, R.obert - Ehrlich, Eleanor Fallon, K.haled Hassan, Shruti Karnawat, Bonnie Lee, Kristin Maiorca, Atin Saba, Priti Shah, and Sunita Aggarwal each received $2@,000 scholarships to attend Polytechnic University in recognition of their acheivement at the NYC Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF).

Senior Maria Wojakowski will represent NYC in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona next week. She received a stipend · to pursue research at Duke Un:iversity in the fall.

SeniorPadmavati Sridhar received a stipend to p·ursue research opportunities at Cornell University.

Senior Shaunte BaboumJan received the Association for Women Geosci" entists Award for Excellence in Geosciences.

Junior Kristyn Miaorca was a finaList in the New York Academy of Sc·iences Laureates of Tomorrow - Nobel Essay Contest. The prize is a trip· to Stoekholm., Sweden for the next Nobel Laureate induction ceremony.

Congratulations everyone! We will continue the list of contest and scholarship winners in the next issue. If you have received an award or won a contest, please put a note in an editor's mai.lbox in rootn 505.

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The Classic:

May 2005

By Max Rivlin-Nadler "/pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States ofAmerica, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

These words are a pledge, a promise to the country you live in. It is an oral contract recited every day in public schools throughout the nation . And yet, when saying it, students rarely contemplate the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. Of those who do bother to analyze the pledge, some find within it a necessary affirmation of their patriotism, while others find problematic implication and offense, especially in regard to the controversial "under God" clause.

"I think it's an unfair assumption of religious belief in a country that's supposed to be tolerant to all," said Kyle Gilbride, a 12'h grader.

Junior Joe Conte, however, defends the clause. "I believe it is constitutional," he said. "Our country was founded on religious ideals. No matter what we think, it's [the words 'In God We Trust'] on our money."

Junior Jackie Dinas tolerates the inclusion of the clause. "I don't necessarily agree with it, but I don't believe it's unconstitutional. People don't have to say it," she explained.

'Under God'clause challenged Recent events have intensified the debate over the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance. In June, 2004, a case regarding the 'under God' clause of the Pledge was brought before the Supreme Court. Michael Newdow, a California atheist, sued the Elk Grove Unified School District for violating his nine-year-old daughter's religious rights. Newdow claimed that her rights were violated by having her listen to her teacher, a publicly paid instructor in a publicly financed classroom, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, thus giving an endorsement of religion. He argued that because it refers to God, the Pledge is unconstitutional, violating the separation of church and state.

Instead of giving a definitive ruling, however, the Supreme Court dismissed the case base.d on a technicality. The court ruled 8-0 that Newdow had no legal standing to speak on behalf of his daughter because he did not have sole legal guardianship of her. Instead of putting an end to debate by delivering a judgment from the highest court in the nation, the Supreme Court only shelved the matter. By refusing to deliver a judgment, the Judicial Branch effectively transferred decision-making responsibility on this issue to the Legislative Branch.

Pledge Protection Act And Congress took up the issue. On September 23, 2004, the United States House of Representatives passed the "Pledge; Protection Act." This act denies jurisdiction to any federal courts in cases regarding the Pledge of Allegiance, shielding the institution of the Pledge from an entire branch of government.

The Pledge Protection Act, which has

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yet to pass the Senate, was backed. by conservative members of the House with the intent of forever ending the debate about the inclusion of the 'under God' clause in the Pledge. Critics of the bill say that it is unconstitutional, arguing that it violates the Fifth Amendment by denying the due process of law.

"If people are denied the right to make a grievance that their constitutional rights are being violated to a fed-. era! court, the Bill of Rights is nothing more than a piece of paper," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D~NY), in an interview with The Classic. He is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Judiciary Committee and head of the Democratic opposition to the Pledge Protection Act. · Junior Steven Widom offered a contrasting opinion. "I agree with the House passing the Pledge Protection Act. I think that The Pledge of Allegiance is a reflection of the Christian values that this · country was founded on, and the values that keep this great country going today," · he said.

Sophomore Dylan Reynolds does not agree. "I think it-'s unconstitutional because it's encroaching on our rights as Americans and our ability to make any

claim that our rights are being violated and bring it to the to federal government," he said.

Controversy surrounding the Pledge of Allegiance is not new. Since its introduction in 1892, and its subsequent adoption as a mainstay in the public school system, the Pledge has been . a focal point for different arguments.

Pledge undergoes changes Written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, the pledge for him was an expression of the duty that people should feel to protect the United States' ideals of liberty and justice for all. Bellamy, who was chairman of a committee of state superintendents of educatioa in the National Education Association, as well as a clergyman and socialist, originally had the word "equality" inserted at the end of the pledge, but it was removed after several segregated school boards across the South refused to say it. The original text of the Pledge of Allegiance as it was first recited was: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic, for which it stands: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The pledge was first taken by school children during a Columbus Day celebration in 1892. This set the precedent

of its use in public schools.

The text of the Pledge remained intact until 1924, when "I pledge allegiance to my flag" was replaced with "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America" to inake the Pledge applicable only to Americans.

Bellamy disliked the change, because even though he wrote it for U.S. school-. children, he wanted to spread themessage of internationalism by not making it uniquely American.

'Under God' gets added But the greatest controversy took root in 1954, when the text ofthe Pledge was further altered at the urging of the Christian fraternal association, The Knights of Columbus. ':The Knights of Columbus was instrumental in getting the words 'Under God' added to the Pledge of Allegiance," claims the Knights of Columbus Homepage. The Roman Catholic organization and several religious le;:~ders across the nation reasoned that the Pledge needed to be distinguished from similar orations being used by "godless communists." Although Bellamy was long dead when this alteration was made, his estate released a statement stating that Bellamy had opposed any suggestions to put anything to do with God in the Pledge, because he strongly believed in the absolute separation of Church and State.

School policy While Michael Newdow had argued in his Supreme Court case that being forced to listen to the Pledge of Allegiance constituted a violation of this First Amendment-guaranteed separation, the New York City Department of Education does not agree. According to Howard Kwait, Assistant Principal of Organization, the school is required to broadcast the Pledge every day in its entirety. "I felt my rights as a student and as an American citizen were infringed upon when a teacher yelled at me for not standing during the recitation," said sophomore Chris Serna. The teacher's rebuke, however, was not in accord "With school policy. Mr. Kwait explained that you neither have to stand nor recite the Plege while it is being read over the loud speaker.

Global History teacher Aliza Sherman stressed the importance of the recitation of the Pledge on the development of students: "I think everyone should say the Pledge. Part of our job as teachers is to make our students good citizens - the patriotic values in the Pledge convey this message."

"I've always had a problem witt) the invocation of God in a school," said English teacher Robert Babstock. " I believe the pledging of support to the government is fair and should be said if you so choose to, but the mentioning of God has always bothered me because we live in a secular country."

"I don't believe it's necessary to include anything about religion," said Spanish teacher Amelia Betancourt.

"I've lived in Ecuador, Guatemala, Spain, and none of those places have anything like the "unoer God' clause. · Continued on p. 9

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The Classic May 2005

9

Winning 'free m,o ney' can free worri·e s

by Tanaz Talebpour

tion to receive a scholarship, Do you ever worry about how to finaHce your col- if you are a finalist in a conlege education? Tuition can cost anywhere from $4000 test you never entered, or if . at a CUNY (City University of New York) school like an award is refundable, that Queens College, to $27;448 at an Ivy League institu- is, · "guaranteed or your tion like Harvard. On top of that, if you choose to money back." Another comdorm, room and board can add up to $9,500. For many mon s9am is one that asks for students, paying tuition can be a difficult task, some- your credit card and/or bank times even an impediment to attending a desired post- · account number to "hold" the secondary school. It may, however, comfort you to scholarship for you. So reknow that there is a lot of "free money" out there 1 member to steer clear of such most of which comes in. the form of.scholarships and phony awards; otherwise you grants . . or your parents could end up Uri! ike a student loan, a scholarship does not need with empty pockets. to be paid back. Consider it a very expensive-gift that This year's 12' 11 graders "' C<i .D you can actually use. College Counselor Antoinette have undergone the process :2 (/) Teague believes that receiving a scholarship is not only of researching and reeling in c: "a good opportunity to get money to pay for your col- scholarships. Before Thomas ·;;: "' lege expenses, [but also] a chance to be recognized as Ahn was awarded a scholar>>, distinguished among your peers." .D ship by the Posse Founda,.,.. ...

There are thousands of scholarships out there to tion, he had to attend three 0 ~ which you can apply, but the key is to find the ones interview meetings "to detert that are right for you. Most awards have eligibility . mine ruy leadership qualities, "' requirements. They can be based on how many hours my speaking ability and how well I worked in a group," school you're applying to," .said Janaile. Moreover, of community service you've completed, academic or he explained. "Each time I received a letter for a call- the various essays required by some applications make athletic talents, financial need, ability to overcome ad- back, I felt that the scholarship was close, yet it seemed senior Iman Ahmed "feel like it's a waste of time." versities , race or ethnicity, and a whole gamut of other to become even farther to grasp." In the end, Thomas Senior Elana Gray had applied to a few scholarspecifications. Some scholarships are completely ran- was chosen from among a large pool of applicants to ships before landing a $1000 award , courtesy' of the dom , much like a lottery. Monetary awards can vary receive a four-year full -tuition scholarship to Brandeis Ruth H. Howell Scholarship Foundation of the United from as little as $500 to full tuition, and can range' University in Waltham, Massachusetts. "When I heard Negro College Fund. "I was extremely happy," said .from being a one-time deal that -I had won ... my heart Elana, who plans to attend Hampton University in · to· being renewable over dropped to the floor, along Virginia. "I need all the money I can get." Elana's four years. Not only can with m'y jaw," he said. "I scholarship was based on a combination of financial 'I suppose the best part of winning... was the was very thankful because need, academics, community service., and race. Her you win a private scholarship that is not affiliated idea of knowing i was selected from hundreds it lifted a big financial bar- advice to ~eniors is; "Stick with it. There are thouof students' with the schools to which rier off of me." sands if not millions of different scholarships to apply you've applied, but once Yvonne Williams was to. Try to find local ones." you have been accepted to a college, the admissions another re.cipient of the Posse Foundation Scholarship.

Although cost is one factor to consider when deoffice may offer you .a certain amount of scholarship "I suppose the best part of winning ... was the idea of ciding where to go to school, it does not have to be the money, perhaps even full tuition. For any award, it's knowing I was selected from hundreds of students," reason to turn down a prestigious college. "Ivy League essential to keep in mind the importance of deadlines. she said. Yvonne plaris to attend DePauw University schools, for example Harvard, may provide full tu-If you miss a deadline, you miss your chance to win in Greencastle, Indiana. ition coverage for a student whose fm~1 ily income is free money.

Some seniors expressed discouragement over the less than $40,000," explained Ms. Teague.

Government grants can be another means of financ- high !evil ofcompetition' a,nd the amount of work inAfter being awarded the New York Times College ing college . You may be eligible for receiving a Pell volved to win a scholarship. Kelly Wong applied for Schol.arship, senior Pamela Chan, who plans to attend _ G ran t or a Supplemental Educational Opportunity several awards, but has yet to hear from any of them. Columbia University, said "The money is very good Grant (SEOG), both federal awards based on finan- "I try to apply to as many as I can, but in reality I since if I did not have it, I would have had to ta:ke out cial need, or a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grant, don't think l-ean get any," she said. For Janaile Spence, _ loans"; yet the $7,500 per year that the scholarship which is for New York State resident students who the applications are "tedious." The reason for this is grants is not sufficient to fully finance her $42,884will attend a college ~n New York State. According to that some scholarships ask for too much information, per year Ivy League education. Pam's advice to her Ms. Teague, the federal she explained. For ex- fellow seniors is "to believe in yourself. Do not hesigovernment also provides ample, students who ap- tate to apply _to scholarships, even if the odds seem certain tax credits for stuplied to the Alb ert riot to be in your favor, because even though you might dents who qualify through 'When I heard that I had won ... my heart . Shanker College Scholar- not think you are worthy, 0thers will. If you do not an award known as the dropped to the floor, along with my jaw.' ship Fund of the United ~pply , ther. you will never have the chance." _ Hope Scholarship. Federal Federation of Teachers, Sources: student loans are also which offers awards ACT: Information (or Life's Transitions (independent,non-for-profit available. worth $1 ,250 per year for four years, needed to gather organization serving education and business commu niti.es). "A You may be thinking, "All <?f this sounds great," copies of income tax forms, and an array of other perGuide to Colleges and Universities for High School Students and Parents." Key. Fall 2002. but remember to read the fine print. Sometimes it's sonal information, in addition to transcripts ·and recdifficult to determine whether a scholarship is legiti- ommendations required by the selection committee. "First"fhings First: Figuring Out How to Pay for College."

Collefie Outlook Mafiazine. Fall 2004. Kansas City: Tow nsend mate, or whether it's really a sc·am. One sign that the Some students said it was "just not worth it," whereas Outlook Publishing, 2004. scholarship may be illegitimate is if you are told that others-thought all the work is ultimately for the money. Get a Jump! The Financial Aid Answer Book, Third Editiim.

Canada: Thomson Peterson's, 2005. pp. 66, 69-70, 76-77. · you've been randomly selected by a national founda- "I think it's .better to get a scholarshi p through the

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Pl_edge or prayer?

Continued from p. 8 Each of their national anthems or pledges of any sort have an emphasis on the history of their nations, but no references to any religion."

In a sufvey of around 300 students conducted in March by The Classic, 59% of those students polled said they believed that the 'under God' clause does not violate the constitution, while 58% of Townsend Harris students believed that the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited every morning in public schools. "We

should say it to show pride in our country and honor those who won the country's independence," wrote a junior. Only 24% of seniors indicated that they find meaning in the Pledge, with one female senior respond- . ing, "The Pledge is a mind-numbing protocol unnecessarily implemented to brainwash and encourage a false sense of patriotism."

For some, the Pledge of Allegiance is a reaffirmation of their religious beliefs and their beliefs· in the country, a prayer as well as a pledge. For others, the Pledge as constituted today is an attack on civil liberties and thus an untrue assertion of American values.

At publication, the Senate had shelved The Pledge Pro-

0

t

JJ

tection Act for the time being, but this in no ';Vay means that the debate over the Pledge is over.

Sources: Baer, John . The Pledfie of'Allefiiance, A Centennial History, 1892 - 1992. Annapolis: Free State Press, 1992. ' Fineman, Howard. "One Naiion, Under. .Who?" Newsweek July 8, 2002 :20-25.

H. R. 2028 . Pledge Pimei:tion Act 11{2003. Committee on the Judiciary~May 2003.

Hamilton,l'V!arcia A. "Lunacy of Pledge Protection Act." Cnn.com special report . 23 Sept. 2004. 14 Dec. 2004. <http ://www.cnn. com/2004/LAW/09/23/hamilton.pledge/index .htmb Miller, Margarette S. Twenty-Three Words . Portsmouth: Printcraft Press, 1976.

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The Classic

May2005

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New SAT changes, additions cause a~xiety

by Diana Bell · choice sections, and is used by the Col- course, it promises to teach tricks and ones that received zeroes did so as areA basic stim!Jlary of the new SAT, lege Board as an indicator of how stu- strategies that will raise scores by at least sult of their failure to address the quesanyone? !.found it to be long ... and an- dents perform on specific parts of the . 200 points. _Other companies, such as · tion . noyingly so. According to a survey of . test. There are two five-minute breaks, Kaplan, offer similarly priced programs, Perhaps it was uncertainty over the · almost.2000 of their students by Kaplan, and a qne-minute break. and on average, private SAT tutors start new test format that can explain why 1test preparation ~ompany, 87% agreed, Effects on Scoring at about $70 an hour. Many students say _ II% fewer students showed up to the ·Stretched an ex~ra hour from its former All these changes lead. to a change their parents coughed up the extra cash SAT this March than did so a year earversion to lasr three hours and AS min- in scoring. The new "holy grail" of a for prep courses and tutors; a large num- lier. For those that did, results were .re. ' utes, the. new SATccmtains three 800 . . perfect score is no longer 1600, but ber of students took the Kaplan (,:Ourse leased by phone or online April II, and mailed out April 18. . · ; point sections: inilth,· critical . reading, 2400. How exactly will this affect col- offered at Harris. and writing'. The new writing section is •. ·_ lege admissions? The answer to that With the.addition of the timed essay, But let's pot it this way: I tookthc idb1tidl to the old SAT II: Writing .. question is so far unknown. "The real some parents are concerned about a pos- SAT in March, and I'm still alive. exarn, with a 25 minute essay ;and a 35 •-- question is ... if they add their scores to- sible SAT bias . According to the _ Sources: minute s'e ction . testing basic grammar, gether and come up with a 1750 or 1820 Harvard Educational Review's "execu~ Feedle, Roy 0. "Executive :summary- Correcting the SAT's ethnic and social-clitss bias: a ·sentence structure, and paragraph con- or 1900, what co.nstitutes a good score?'' tive summary" of the new SAT, "many method for ~e-esrimating SAT sc.on:s." struction. · said Brain O'Reilly, executive director _essay topics could show ethnic bias," Han·ard Educational Rl'l'il'lr. 12 December ' The Ne.w Format for SAT information at the College due to "ambiguity in vocabulary use ot· 2003. Online. 14 April 200). Http:// g s e w e b . h a r v a r d . e .d u ( he p g I Change's in the math section include Board. He added that the College Board common words across ethnic groups." t' r e e d l e s u m m a r y html the elimination ;Of quantitative com pari- -will not be releasing national percentile Essay Anxiety - son's,'and the inclusion of slightly harder rankings on the writing section for a Some educational activists argue that Ma, Joy J. "New SAT biases feared." National & World News section. Asian ,Week. 8 April !Jlath. ~- I 0% of the problems are eqwil while. The board says it needs a ftill what the SAT cove.rs is only taught in 2005. Online. 14 April 200). Http:// in difficulty to the SATII: Math ICe~am round of results over a year or longer more prestigiou~ schools, which is a news.asianweek.com/news/ view _a r I i c I e. hI ml 'I a r I i cl e i d = I I 0 2 and the·Algebra II course. The math on before it can provide students with ac- · clear disadvantage on test day for stuthe ole! SAT was at a1,1 eighth grade level. curate percentages. It will start releas- dents who don't fit into this bracket. Slobod;:ian, Joseph A. "New SAT results delityed over essays.:· The Philadelphia t:nqui-rer. 30 - The part called critical reading, for- ing them in October 2006, with the They also add that writing an essay in a March 2005. Online·. 14 April 200S: Http:// ~erly kn~wn as the verbal section, re- rankings ranging from I% to the high- . limited time frame can paralyze perforwww. phi II y.co m/miJ/i nq u i rer/news/nat ion/ 11262040.html · places abstract analogies with short est rating of 99+%. mance, since techniques for this type of writing are not practiced in school on a Silverstein, Stuart. "In the SAT world , 2400 adds SAT Controversy reading passages: one or two paragraph up to perfcctiqn." LA Tin;e_,._ '-) April 200). bits of reading followed -by-three or four , There is also a long-standi-ng contro- · regular basis.

Online.

14 April 200) _ - Http:// The College Board responded io questions. . . versy over what the SAT actually tests. · www.latimes.com/news/locallstate/la-me- . sat'-JaprO'-J, I ,468881 O.story?coll = la-news ' There are now 10 sections on tne test: · · The Princeton Review, a~ other of the these claims by assuring parents and state&ctrack= I &cset=true.html three math, three critical reading; two testingprepanition companies, states in test'-takers that graders understand the "New SAT is long.'' Washington Post . 27 March grammar, an essay, and an ex peri men- • _ its course manual that "the SAT mea- essa)' is only a first draft, and so it will 200) . Online . 14 April 200) . Http :// tal section that doesn't count towards the sures only how well you take the SAT." be graded accordingly. In fact, or the www.ch r?n .com/cs/cda/ssist ory.1npllfea! ures/ 3104672 final score; it can be any ot' ~he multiple At a · charge of almost $1100 for its 95% of essays scored so far, the only

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The Classic

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11

May 2005

Multicultural experience continues:

R·ev·iews take o.n i·nternational theme Ratings G uide .

\... lfl Soar past this one •

')I ')I

Star t to shake your tailfeather...

\... Ji \.. Ji \... Ji Sh~iek for •••

th1sone!

')1')1')1')1 Don' t let it get away!!

'Nobody Knows' tugs at heartstrings

by Francesca Pizarro Nobody knows that 12-year-old Akira and his three younger siblings Kyoko, Shigeru and Yuki had been abandoned by their motfier in a small Tokyo apartment. Left with little money and the daunting responsibility of looking after his brother and sisters (ages ranging from about ten to four), Akirahimself a child - is forced to grow up and rely on ingenuity and perseverance to survive.

Director Kore-eda Hirokazu tells a powerful and heartfelt story that, despite its grim and tragi-c subject matter, never

'Dear Frankie'

by Marissa Green . Director Shona Auerbach showcases her wit and creativity in the movie Dear Frankie, which traces the tale of a boy in search of a soulmate and the discove! y of love in the strangest of situations.

The movie revolves around a deaf, nine-year-old boy, Frankie Morrison, played by Jack McElhone. He writes letters to the father his mother Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) tells him is away at sea. His mother, -hoping to shelter her son from his father's abusive nature, encourages Frankie to write the letters to which she secretly responds .

To protect him when his father arrives back from his voyage, Frankie's mother pays a stranger, Gerard Butler, to pretend to be Frankie's father, who becomes Frankie's soulmate and his mother's lover.

Jack McElhone was perfectly cast for the role of this genuine little. boy. His

wri~es

fails to remind us of the uplifting and quiet beauty of children 's innocence.

Even in the face of starvation, they are . able to look at the world with trust and wonder. So long as they are together, . there is always hope.

The movie is based on a real event in which a family of children was discovered in Tokyo in 1988 , six months after their mother left them to fend for themselves. But this is also the true story of countless other abandoned children ' across the globe, left to tragic fates and the indifference of society. This is what • makes the story of Akira and his siblings

touching letters

portrayal of the character displays a young child wise beyond his years .

Throughout the entire movie, only in the reading of the letters does he write to his father. But without speaking, he is able to show his emotions with intelligent facial expressions.

The deveropment of the relationship between Butler, the" rough-around-theedges" stranger, and Frankie is a beautiful emotional odyssey polluted by the lie of Butler 's identity. I fell in Jove with Butler's character and was disappbinted only by his short role in the film.

Emily Mortimer leaves you rooting for her throughout the entire movie to find the Jove she has so long awaited, since the end of her abusive marriage with Frankie's father left her with a fear to trust anyone easily.

The love story, between Lizzie and Butler, although short-lived in the movie, often consists of intense silent

moments between the two. Lacking any uncomfortable. sexual innuendo, their relationship rests on a true mutual love and respect that is often hard to find in movies today.

The beginning of the movie has a rough start. It is a bit difficult to understand Frankie's accent when he reads the letters, but soon enough, you find yourself hanging on to his every word, not missing a detail or syllable.

Disappointingly, the film concludes a bit abruptly, leaving you after an entire emotional whirlwind with an unsettled stomach and Jack of closure as to whether the lives of Frankie and Lizzie will go the way you long for them to go.

)1)1)1)

Minado offers a/1-you-can~eat· sushi, more popular among the customers along with

by Stephanie Pak We all know what sushi is, but have California rolls, spicy tun·a gunmaki you ever tried a s~shi buffet? Minado is · (sushi shaped like battleships), and crab the first Japanese restaurant to have an meat sushi.

A particularly delicious sushi is the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Not only is caviar gunmaki . Although it may look there sushi, but there are also other types strange, as a ball of rice and orange of Japanese foods such as teriyaki, crab caviar wrapped with a band of seaweed, cakes, and udon. the caviar crunches softly and mixes Different foods are categorized as with the rice, giving it a Jot of flavor. It fried or hot dishes , which- include sweet but also a little tart. is a little teriyaki, tonkatsu (like thin pork cutlets), The shrimp nigiri· sushi, which has a and dumplings. As you follow the line shrimp on top of a flat bed of rice, is of customers waiting to sample the vaanother delicious sushi .

The simple, riety of foods, you'll come upon the clean taste of the shrimp against the rice tables that have colder dishes such as (which is surprisingly not that sticky) salads, vegetables, and sushi . The types makes up for its lack of seasonings. of sushi are endless, and range from For dessert, there is a wide variety salmon to eel to tuna and even shrimp. of choices.

Bite-sized cubes of cakes are While you wait on line, you can ask the set out on platters and some flavors incook who stands behind the counter to clude blueberry, strawberry, green tea, make you a hand-rolled sushi of your banana nut, and mocha.

The cream frostchoice. There is also another cook who ing is whipped so perfectly that it actuprepares fresh udon, Japanese hot andjello ally tastes like ice cream.

Fruits noodles. In a small bowl, you can put tempura (fried shrimp) or green ·onions, are also available for you, but with all and even add some spices. Udon-is very the delicious sushi at Minado, you'll

have to remind yourself to leave room for dessert!

so painfully tragic.

Nobody Knows won acclaim in the 2004 Cannes F ilm Festival. T he Festival also presented the film's young star, Yagira Yayu (Akira) with a well-deserved Best Actor award for his .quiet but powerful )Jerformance .

Know how good this movie is by going to see it fo r yourself.

"""" •••••••••••••••••• The Classic's .

Foreign DVD Must-Sees

• ••• • • • ••• •• • •••• Monsoon Wedding (India) . ; Family members and friends inter" act .within various subplots revolving around the preparations for an arranged marriage in this honest, sympathetic, and spmetltnes quirky portrayal of modernday India.

· Maria Full of Grace (Colombia) A young, pregnant woman searching for ajob hires herself as a drug mule, · smuggling cocaine 'into the United States.

Amelie (France) The.title character is a woman who ' finds a calling in helping strangers find happiness by creating little "miracles."

Her work leads to a personal discovery of the meaning of life and love.

Children of Heav(!li (Iran) Toopooi'tobu/shoes, a brother and sister secretlyshate a single pair bet.,.een themselves in this delightful anti touchin·g portrait ·of childhood and in-

Ostima ·(Afghanistan)

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House flf Flying J)aggers (Qhina) · ..

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A young gid, Pai, finds t he courage and determination to · challenge . her grandfather1s·· prejudices and .restore her Maori hi be back to the glory of its an" cestors.

12

The Classic· May 2005

~11'''""...., ~

Setting an example?

S-t eroid streak.strikes professional bas~ba/1 ing tired and make the athlete more agby Marissa Green "Evidence strongly suggests that ste- gressive. They also increase the amount roid use among teenagers - especially of white blood cells produced, which aspiring athletes - is a large and grow- carry oxygen, and therefore cause more ing problem," declared Chairman Tom power in the athlete. · The two best known steroids are Davis at a House Government Reform Committee hearing on March 17. The made up of testosterone, which is the list of those who testified on steroid use male sex hormone, and estrogen, which within major league baseball included is the female sex hormone. Steroids are Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose taken in a cycle of about six weeks. AfCanseco, Curt Schilling and Rafael ter the six-week cycle, athletes will stop taking them . These althletes often need Palmeiro. _ "To be clear, I have never taken il- to compete in a sport and they don't legal performance-enhancing steroids. I want the steroids to be detected in their have never injected myself or had any- urine samples. The length of time the one inject me with anything," stated drug will remain in the user's body deSammy Sosa at the hearing. Sosa sat pends on several factors, such as the way along with several other major league he has been taking the steroids and for baseball players believed to have taken how long. Usually athletes who inject steroids to enhance their performance in steroids into their bodies will have the baseball. Although no one except Jose remants of steroids within their bodies Conseco admitted to taking steroids, for three to four months. Those taking much of the focus was on Mark them orally will only have the steroids McGwire's position as a_role model for in their body for about one to four - kids, and how these allegations affect weeks.

These drastic physical changes on the children today. athlete's body do not come without seAccording to a December 2004 Daily vere conseNews article que-nces.

Acby Derek cording to EdRose, "It's "They think that ifthey take steroids, ward F. Dolan, reading, writthey will be chosen over another in his book ing, and player."

Drugs in ' r o .ids," Sports, "Taking "More than 300,000 high school students used ste- a large amount of steroids can be very roids last year, jeopardizing their health harmful, and if consumed for a long and sometimes altering their personali- time, it can be lethal. The anabolic steties." Last month, USA Today, cited es- roids cause this harm by upsetting the timates of several national surveys that body's chemistry and hormonal balbetween 4 to 12% of high school boys ance."

The Daily News article by Derek and about 2% of high school girls use steroids. In March, CNN reported that Rose says steroid use by teens is so danat least 500,000 high school students gerous becuse it "can increase choleshave tried steroids and declared that terol levels, and make the athlete more "high school athletes take steroids be- prone to injuries."· Dr. Lukas also wrote in his book that cause they think it will help them excel, and because they think they are just "The toxic or bad effects of steroids emulating the professionals in whose change the blood, liver, kidneys, heart, and immune function and may even infootsteps the:y seek to follow."

In Chairman Tom Davis' opening · crease the chances of getting certain statement, he said, "Too many college types of cancer." When the use of steathletes believe they have to consider roids is discontinued, the effects usually steroids if they're going to make it to go away, but liver problems are usually the. pros; high school athletes, in turn, lifetime concerns. In addition, psychothink steroids might be the key to get- . logical problems, such as mania and ting a scholarship. It's time to break that schizophrenia, often result from intense · cycle, and it needs to happen from the use of steroids While the dangers of teens imitating top down."

Wanda Nix , coach of Girls' Varsity the pros in the use of steroids has been Volleyball, agreed that the use of ste- . getting a lot of attention, most agree that roids by professional players makes this is not a problem here. Keith Hanson, some young people believe that these physical education and health teacher, drugs will give them the "heads up for stressed that steroids are not a serious getting into the pros. They think that if issue in New York City. In this school, they take steroids, they will be chosen most kids are not looking for athletic scholarships or hoping to pursue athletic over another player."

So what effects do steroids have on careers. He added that steroid use was an athlete's body? In his book on ste- more likely to be a problem in suburroids, Scott E. Lukas explains that drugs ban schools than in New York City.

Senor Christine Choe said that she used in sports are anabolic steroids.

They increase the weight gain of the isn't aware of anyone who is taking steplayer and the muscle mass. They send roids and their use is not a concern in messages to the brain to resist becom- our school.

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Spring Sports Roundup (Look for more extensive sports coverage in the next issue of The Classic.)

Girls' Varsity Handball .

by Maureen McCluskey With a 7-0 record, Including winning all their individual matches in each game, the Girls' Handball team is in a good positiol} to contend for the title of Queens Borough Champs. ~ · Senior Christina "C.C." Chai leads the team as a first singles player with an undefeated record. Michelle Kwa also showed great potential, winning the first match she played. Coach Jim Jordan, speaking about the competition in the borough said, "There is no match for Townsend."

In 35 individual matches this season, only one proved to be challenging for the girls. Second singles playe~ senior Ashley de Ia Rosa struggled to defeat Forest Hills High School's second singles player, Maria Christian. De Ia Rosa's performance earned her the 21-17 win, maintaining the sweep of all individual matches. The wins do not come without effort. The team practices every day as well as on Saturdays.

Girls' Soccer

by Lauren Korzeniewski A 2-1 record has the Girls' Soccer team in second place to Jamaica High School in the Queens A division. The team, led by new coach William Sioukas, along with senior captains MariaPaschalidis and Carolina Tirado and sophomore captain Cait Kilpatrick, shut out Francis Lewis 2-l in their most recent game on April4. The team ripped through their oppositions defense and freshman forward Mariella Romano scored; with an assist by Carolina. Brenae Leary, the Hawks junior Goal~ keeper, made six heart-stopping saves, a major contribution .to the team's hardworking defense.

The te(J.m has high hopes that they can keep their performances strong and continue to win throughout the season. "The playoffs are where we would like to be, but just having a good season and playing at our highest ability is our ultimate goal," said senior Stephanie Arredondo. "And ofcoutse to win."

Boys' Varsity Baseball

by Lance Tomas This year's Boys' Baseball team has picke? up where last year's championship team left off, as they currently hold a 5-2 record. The highlight to date was senior Christopher Guillou's no hitter in the first game of the season against Frank Sinatra. With 12 new players from last season's team, and five more players added to the roster, the Hawks are well equipped to defend their title.

Boys' Varsity Handball

by Lance Tomas

~

Following their winless season last year, the Boys' Varsity Handball team has come back with another struggling year. After losing 5-0 to Bayside on April 12, the Hawks' record is now 1-4, with their only win coming from the · forfeit of Martin Van Buren. "I think we will do better than last season," said second year player Daniel Schwartz. "Last year we really struggled, but this year we have more experience and skill." With leadership from junior Daniel _ Kim (two aces, three kills) and senior James Lizzul (one ace, eight kills), the Hawks have improved as a team since last year.

Shari Basis, coach of the Boys' Bowling and Girls' Tennis teams noted that our school does not put pressure on being a certain physical size or shape.

"Kids of all sizes and all shapes are on all teams in our school," she declared .

Mark Duke, who is in charge of the Prevention and Intervention- Drugs and Alcohol program in both Townsend Harris and Hillcrest High School, stated that in 12 years of experience, "I've never in all my years doing this had a student come to me on a team and feel pressure just to be on the team .. .My gut says, [steroids are] not an issue here, but that doesn't mean it's not an issue."

Although not a problem at Townsend Harris, steroid use continues to be pervasive among professional athletes.

However, authorities are working to put an end to this trend of drug use. USA

Today reported that currently the House Government Reform Committee is branching out into other sports and attacking steroid use beyond baseball. On AprilS, thj.s messagewas sent out to such organizations as the NBA, NHL, Major League Soccer and the Association of Tennis Professionals.

Sources: Dolan, Edward F. Drugs in Sports. New York: Franklin Watts, 1992.

Lukas, Scott E. STEROIDS. Hillside, New Jersey: Enslow, 1994.

Rose, Derek. "It's reading, writing, and 'roids.

The Daily News. December 13,2004.

Lucadamo, Kathleen. "Muscle meds no problem here- educrats," The Daily News, March 18,2005.

Lazarus, Edward. "Congress' decision to subpoena former baseball players to testify." Online.

CNN. March 28, 2005. <http://www.cnn.com>.

Michaelis, Vicki. "Congressional committee asks other sports about testing policies." USA Today.

"Restoring Faith in America's Pastime" March 17, 2005. <http://reform.house.gov>.