December 2015, Vol. 32, No. 3

THE CLASSIC

SING 2015

FOUNDERS’ DAY DEBATE

STAR WARS MANIA

See highlights from this year’s student-run and Pixar-themed SING! competition, which featured a win by the Freshior team for the first time in a number of years.

Two members of the school community, a teacher and a student, offer their opinions on the potentially controversial use of Civil War imagery and references in this year’s Founders’ Day presentation.

Well on its way to becoming one of the biggest movies of all time, the latest Star Wars film 1 the December has the whole world talking.

Here2015 is what Townsend Harris community has to say about the return of the nearly 40 year old series.

> FEATURES PAGE 7

> OPINION PAGE 10

> A& E Page 12

December 2015 - Volume 32 No. 3

The Classic

THE CLASSIC

www.thhsclassic.com

LONG DISTANCE ANXIETIES

BY OLIVIA CHAN & JASON LALLJEE

IN NOVEMBER 2015, the attacks on Paris provided yet another reminder of the dangerous world that we live in. For many Harrisites, violence overseas may seem like a distant problem, but a large number of students and community members have family that live in areas that have experienced violence and danger in recent years, be it manmade or the result of a natural disaster.

This special feature focuses on the stories of students who have these long distance connections and who come to school burdened by the worries that they hold for their loved ones overseas. > SPECIAL FEATURE PAGE 3

2 December 2015

THE CLASSIC

News

PhotoS by ADAM SOSNICKI

Class of 2015 alumnus Eli Betts’s art piece incorporated a commentary related to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Common app rival coming soon

pecially in public schools, that you should be wary of offending people.”

Mr. Barbetta stated, “I just don’t think there are certain things that are worth upsetting people over. It’s not everyday a bulletin board is taken down. If it looks old or outdated, I’m going to ask for it to be changed.”

Ms. Wischerth responded, “I just don’t understand why someone might find it offensive because [the artwork] incorporated real headlines from newspapers. It’s very ironic. If it wasn’t considered offensive in print, why are people provoked by it when they see it visually?”

“In my opinion, people tend to get offended faster from the visualization because it’s easier to understand and very clear.

You don’t have to connect any dots in a visual work like you do for written words,” she added.

Beginning in April 2016, a new college application system, The Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success will be available to all high school students. The Coalition, an alternative to the Common Application, represents over 80 higher education institutions. It aims to engage many students earlier with their college plans.

The new system will allow high school students to start using Coalition in their freshman year, whereas students can only use the Common App in senior year.

The initiative to create a new system derived from several colleges who noticed the high frequency of glitches and problems in the Common App system.

C o l l eg e c o u n s e lo r s describe the Coalition as “virtual college lockers” that store academic and non-academic work such as photos, art or anything that represents the experiences of the students over their four years.

Guid a nce coun selor Jeremy Wang said, “For this Coalition, I’m not sure how successful it will be, but I do see some really good points about the system.”

A s s i s t a n t P r i nc i p a l Veronica York said, “I think both [systems] will be up and running and competitive like the SATs and ACTs.”

Jane Storck, class of 2000, remembered

Arifa Baksh Staff writer

LAST MONTH, the Townsend Harris community suffered the loss of alumna Jane Margaret Storck, valedictorian of the Class of 2000.

She passed away on November 19.

Her mother described her as “sweet, brilliant, and witty with an infectious laugh. Jane loved life, shopping with her sister, her bulldogs Maggie and Beatrice, and all other living things.”

On the Townsend Harris Alumni Association Facebook page, members reached out to share their sympathies with Jane’s family.

Former teacher Myron

Moskowitz described Jane as “well-loved by her peers and the faculty for her positive yet unassuming demeanor.”

He added, “She was a modest scholar and popular role model in a school of exceptional young people. She was a delight to know.”

“Jane, you were such a good friend to me and so kind to me,” said classmate Rose Regal.

“Words cannot express how much I am saddened by the loss of you...your kind and compassionate, beautiful and unique soul lives on.”

Former teacher Joan Walsh recalled, “Jane embodied the definition of a de-

lightful and wonderful young lady. I will always remember what a sweetheart she was in my classes. I am so saddened by her loss. She enriched the THHS family more than words can express.”

During her time at THHS, she played second trumpet in the Jazz Band. She was in both the Arista and Archon honor societies.

Jane’s interests were varied, and her family remembered her love for tap dancing, music, and travelling.

She went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program in the School of Engineering.

3

Carolina Vargas STAFF WRITER

By Joey Lin and Halima Tokhi, Staff Writers

purpose of the piece was Eli responded to the to “convey the innocence removal, characterizing of childhood while show- it as censorship, and stating the transition from ing, “Some people speak EARLIER THIS year, playing pretend to the through science, while a Townsend Harris High problems we actually have others speak through muSchool administrator re- to face as we grow up.” sic and art. I don’t think quested the removal of a Principal and Arts De- the administration should student’s artwork from a partment Supervisor An- be censoring the arts beBarbetta cause having a creafifth floor bulletin board, thony tive outlet is vital to and those involved with says that he the development the artwork are ques- did not reClass of 2015 tioning the reasoning move the of students.” alumnus Eli Betts behind the descision. artwork beArt Club created the piece Art teacher Margher- cause it was P r e s i d ent and the bulletin ita Wischerth reluctantly o f f e n s i v e .

Akash Singh board was put up took the game-of-life-­He instead also commented early this fall. themed artwork down. explains, “I on the piece, remarking that he The visual, titled [just] didn’t did not “see why it “Knowledge is Power,” understand the would be taken down.” depicted two children in bulletin board. I didn’t He added that “the a tree house surrounded think there was any qualby water guns and books ity there. I’m not really use of the headlines were and incorporated head- a micromanager. We’ve social commentary, and lines and photographs changed boards [before]. the best kind of art says related to the Black We had changed the something that may even Lives Matter movement. Honor Roll board and be critical about the staClass of 2015 alumnus the Arista board because tus quo, but this school Eli Betts created the piece they didn’t look good.” is very much driven toand the bulletin board Some still question the wards maintaining order.”

He continued, “I think was put up early this fall. administration’s request to Eli explained that the remove an artistic display. there’s always this fear, es-

December 2015

Select bus service launches on the Q44

Student art removed from bulletin board

Joey Lin, Halima Tokhi, Carolina Vargas Staff writerS

THE CLASSIC

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE STORCK FAMILY

Class of 2000 valedictorian Jane Storck

Last Sunday, the Q44 Select Bus Service launched in Queens and the Bronx, providing quicker travel times for over 40,000 daily users.

However, there is an unsettled debate as to how convenient and effective this new travel method is.

With the launch of this ser vice, the Department of Transportation states travel t i me wi l l be cut by 2 3% .

Passengers will no longer wait to swipe their metrocards, but rather pay before they board.

New m ach i nes have been installed in front of SBS stops.

Commuters will now have to insert their Metrocards, and receive a ticket that serves as their proof of payment. This allows users to enter the bus through any door.

Sophomore Aliana Brkanovic praises the new ser vice, saying, “Now, you can get on the back of the bus without having to shove your way through everyone.”

A lthough passengers no lon ger have to wa it unt i l

ever yone has swiped their metrocards, many still prefer the old service. Many find it difficult because the lines for metrocards are too long now.

Junior Alyssa De Guzman states, “The buses are much more overcrowded now and it takes double the time to get out of the station because the doors simply won’t close.”

Most students at THHS rely on the Q44 for daily transportation. From a survey conducted among 100 Townsend Harris students, 12% stated they liked the ser vice, 58% stated they disliked it, and 30% of students felt neutral about it.

F r o m t h i s s u r ve y, t h e majority said the reason why they dislike the service was that it is too much of a hassle.

Overall, 70% of students stated the service will not help stop delays.

A d d it ion a l l y, the Department of Transportation created isolated lanes for the bus throughout Flushing and Jamaica. This serves to fulfill their promise of cutting travel

PHOTO BY PATRICK MENCHACA

Students prepare for the new select service process at the Q44.

time throughout the city. The new features cost the city $2.7 million per lane mile, raising the possibility of an increased transit fare.

Freshman Pheonix Wallace said, “Fare rises [occur] almost every year and if it is to fund services like these that makes

it unnecessary and wasteful.”

With the ser vice being rel at ively new, a nd t here being only eight other select buses in the city, many users are skeptical. Senior Jaskirat Singh Multani questions “the reliability of the machines” and whether or not “the bus driver

will put a limit to how many people can be on the bus.”

Others question what to do if the Q20 A/B comes first, the local version of the Q44.

Sophomore Sandeep Kaur said, “We all have to get used to it first in order to see the true results.”

Queens College grant up for renewal

Kristine Guillaume Staff writer

This year, Townsend Harris is seeking to renew the Queens College five year grant, which is the foundation for the collaborative partnership between THHS and QC. The grant provides for all the services that Queens College provides to THHS students, including the ability to take Queens College classes, the humanities seminar, and access to campus amenities.

Principal Anthony Barbetta has worked on renewing the grant with Queens College’s Director of College Preparatory Programs Robin Hizme, and the Queens College’s Dean Craig Michaels.

Once they finished the grant, which amounts to “roughly $40,000 a year” according to Mr. Barbetta, they sent it to the Department of Education and are awaiting final approval.

The partnership between QC and THHS has existed since the school’s re-opening in 1984. It is a feature that sets THHS apart from other schools, as it provides an opportunity to take college courses in an actual college setting.

It also subsidized numerous aspects of the THHS experience, including, in part, The Classic.

“I wish I had it when I was in high school,” said Mr. Barbetta.

“You get to experience college courses. You get to be taught by a college professor and their

style is probably very different than the high school experience.

Also, the classes for the most part are transferrable to most schools if not all schools as long as you receive that B.” The grant also provides seniors with the opportunity to take a Freshman Humanities Colloquium, a humanities seminar that immerses them into a college reading course setting.

Assistant Principal of Humanities Rafal Olechowsk i s a id , “You are really getting a solid taste of what you are going to exper ience in almost every college that you guys go to which is a seminarlike class where you encounter typical texts you don’t necessarily know and you’re asked to read them quickly and be able to formulate opinions about them.

“If you can practice doing that now instead of when you’re paying $50,000 a year to do so, it is to your benefit to make the mistake of writing the first college paper with the teacher that you’ve known for four years as opposed to some college professor you don’t know in a new place.”

Over the course of time, t he pa r t ner s h ip b et we en Queens College and THHS has expanded greatly to become

what it is today. Even so, Mr. Barbetta and Mr. Olechowski think there is more room to expand.

“We’ve been able to expand the program because of the generosity of the DOE and QC. T h e y

college classes before twelfth grade, but even to get them in the library more, get them in the facilities more, get more visiting professors here.”

He also expressed an interest in adding another Queens College elective course to the THHS curriculum, but said, “I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen because QC really waives a million dollars a year in tuition, so that’s a lot right there.

So to ask them to waive another $500,000 is a lot to ask for, but for st udents to spend more time in the college… I think it would be beneficial.”

Mr. Olechowski focused his ideas for expansion on the humanities program, saying, “I would like to see more of the iPad sections exist.

“I would like the spring semester to become more of an independent semester where students develop their own research and ideas and they pursue their own research process based on something they’ve read in class.”

The partnership between Queens College and THHS is, in many ways, a symbiotic one.

“We have articulation agreements now with QC with our

“The partnership between Queens College and THHS is, in many ways, a symbiotic one” help us out with publications, as I said it’s instrumental. The school play is instrumental, the visiting professors, and professional development that we seek and receive at times. That’s important,” said Mr. Barbetta.

“I would like to expand it [the program] to the lower grades as well. Not necessarily [that they] take college classes, although some schools in the city do have that now where the kids take

robotics program, with our law program, with our biomedical technology program, and even our new media,” said Mr. Barbetta.

“They review our curriculum to make sure that we’re at a high level.”

This works in both ways, as Dean Robin Figelman works as part of the teaching program at Queens College in the physical education department. There, she educates college students on instruction in physical education.

They observe and teach lessons in her THHS Physical Conditioning class, in which seniors exercise at Fitzgerald Gym. She explained, “I know that as the physical education department having the use of the QC facilities and being able to use their gym, they [students] get to see what they do. I’m part of their program as well as a teacher so I get to see what they do and we collaborate, we combine everything, and we work toward making the physical education program over there stronger with the use of our students.”

The partnership allows for both schools to, according to Ms. Figelman, “better each other.”

The two work in conjunction as one academic community.

Mr. Barbetta concluded, “We’re part of their community in many respects.”

HARRISITES share long distance family anxieties

SPECIAL FEATURE, CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

4 December 2015

Given that “stress” is a word most often associated with homework and examinations in academic environments, we tend to overlook its presence in students rooted in situations bearing more gravity. It’s not unusual for teachers and guidance counselors to intervene whenever students are undergoing problems at home, but what if “home” is thousands of miles away? Many of the students at Townsend Harris are the children of immigrants, meaning that much of their family resides overseas, along with whatever international conflicts and tragedies those regions may undergo. As a result, students and their families have to cope with fear and anxiety for their families’ safety and well-being.

Natural disasters may occur oceans away, but their impacts reverberate throughout the student body, especially in students who have families in the affected areas. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Hurricane Yolanda, hit especially hard and devastated parts of Southeast Asia. One of the deadliest hurricanes in Philippine history and of all time, THHS students have felt the personal effects of the event.

“Those living in my grandfather’s house (my grandfather, grandmother, older cousin, and my uncle) had to shelter at the second floor of the house because the whole first floor was flooded, almost reaching the second floor,” senior Julian De La Rosa remembered.

“My grandfather was soon traumatized by that experience and my relatives had to relocate. [A] bunch of family relics and valuables such as pictures were lost as well.”

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which resulted in over 100,000 deaths and caused major damages to landmark buildings and infrastructure vital to

daily life, struck at the hearts of many in the United States. “My family was fine, but they are traumatically scarred for life,” senior Florebencia Fils-Aime said. “When New York experienced an aftershock, my cousin was in tears because she thought that she was going to deal with another earthquake again.”

The Nepal earthquake this past year also devastated thousands.

Political instability and tensions also pose strains of immense proportions, incomparable to presidential campaign shenanigans or the congressional deadlock we have in the United States.

alumna of the Class of 2015, related that “My uncle missed the birth of his grandson and a related religious ceremony here because he felt he couldn’t leave his wife and children alone when the fighting was particularly intense. Their ability to come and visit is always subject to the political climate they find themselves in at the time.”

“Having family in Israel means we can hardly go a dinner without talking about the latest incident, one of President Obama’s policies, or some comment made by Prime Minister Binyamin [Benjamin] Netanyahu,” Rachel continued.

“When we hear of an attack in Jerusalem, I think we all listen a little more closely, until we know for sure our family wasn’t involved.”

The recent RussianUkrainian conflict that began with the March 2014 invasion of the Crimean peninsula overturned post-Cold War norms and revived military operations in eastern Ukraine. As senior Yuriy Markovetskiy describes, it is difficult to have politically active family members in a region sensitive to political insurgency.

“My uncle and his friends were among the [Peace Protesters] that went to the capital a little while ago,” he said, referring to the protest camps set up in Kiev since last November. “My uncle went there and we couldn’t stop him, being on a completely different continent… thank God he left before the violence really started.” Earlier this year, reports emerged of police storming the protest camps, leading to dozens of deaths in each. “My family’s fine, and I’m grateful, but we still worry.”

The biggest impact of such circumstances on students and their families in the U.S. is the fear and concern for their families’ lives and well-being.

Sophomore Niyati Neupane,

“I think we all listen a little more closely, until we know for sure our family wasn’t involved.”

While the largest Christian church in Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox community remains a minority in the country and has been targeted and attacked.

“Churches have been bombed and burned down. People have been killed for absolutely no reason at all,” junior Marina Aweeda commented. “It’s much safer now in Egypt than it was during the years of the revolution, but it is still a dangerous place for my family.”

While tensions in the Middle East seem distant and nothing more than stories in newspapers, many students have personal connections to these circumstances. Rachel Chabin,

who had family living in Nepal during the earthquake, recalled, “The day of the earthquake, my mom was so shaken up that she called my relatives a good number of times. They weren’t picking up though.

Even after she learned everyone was okay, she kept calling to make sure. This makes my entire family here appreciate the relatives we left behind Nepal.” Senior Max Lacoma, who had family in Paris during the Bataclan attacks in November, commented that, “When the attacks hit a couple weeks ago we were all very scared until we were finally able to call them and hear that they were okay.”

The Internet has eased communication with those far away, with daily use of social media, video chatting, instant messaging, and email, in addition to long-distance calls. Many students who already keep in contact with relatives overseas, do not find a difference in their communication habits, but only find their need to speak with their family more precious. “[The hurricane] definitely caused relatives living in America to stay in close contact, but it didn’t make a difference because we always communicate and keep the family close knit with

THE CLASSIC

or without disaster,” Julian said. “[My uncle and I] communicate on Skype about three or four times a week,” said Yuriy.

While not much directly changes in the dynamics of students’ everyday lives, tragedies overseas strengthen students’ appreciation of their loved ones, as well as of their own circumstances. Junior Alyssa De Guzman, whose family has been affected by hurricanes in the Philippines, expressed, “My parents emphasized how thankful we should be for not being in the face of these disasters and to thank God for His guidance to those who were.” Rachel agreed, adding, “the situation makes keeping in touch with my family more of a priority, especially when reports of violence filter in through the news and I know they live relatively close to where it happened.”

“Nepal has always been a poverty-stricken country,” Niyati reflected. “Due to the earthquake, the situation has gotten so much worse. I have a deeper desire to do whatever I can to help Nepal. I want to raise money and just donate to all the needy. I know that when I get older, I will do all that I can to reform my nation.”

RECENT INTERNATIONAL TURMOIL BRINGS FACEBOOK TENSION TO A HEAD In the age of Google searches, Twitter Moments, breakingnews notifications, and “trending stories” tickers, the Internet has become a vast database for news, replacing the pervasiveness of traditional paper and televised sources. People are especially turning to social media, which fulfills the need for speed and conglomerates a multiplicity of voices, conveniently located on a single platform.

While major news networks use social media to disperse their content, ordinary citizens enter the reporting process by sharing articles, their first-hand accounts, and their own opinions. This invites all—including students—to participate in a forum for exchange on various topics.

Last year, The Classic covered the complications of online debates, focusing on questions about the level of respect and the role of the administration in such arguments. The issue of freedom of speech remains a key player in our consideration of social media use, as Facebook continues to be a platform for students’ political beliefs-but can lead to arguments that

devolve into bullying. Freshman Matilde Cardoso commented that “Discussions may start out very calm but it doesn’t take long for them to erupt and become heated arguments very quickly.” Some feel that the line between respect and personal attacks is blurred as decorum is forgotten amidst passions.

Recently, tensions flared over discussion of media and bias for Paris, in light of the terrorist attacks in November at the Bataclan theatre. When a student posted her belief that a double standard existed with regards to the lack of attention to bombings in Middle Eastern countries, compared with the solidarity with Paris demonstrated after the Bataclan attacks, another student shared her post—calling her a “fool.”

Many saw this as rallying opposition to not only the ideas stated in the post, but to the original poster. Such situations have raised questions about the efficacy of Facebook as a platform for political beliefs and discussions.

“These debates usually have a bunch of people ganging up on each other saying hurtful

things that stray away from the topic,” senior Michael D’Arcy reflected. “As a bystander, you see a lot of personal attacks and people who have no idea what they are saying.”

Many students believe it is important to have an outlet for political beliefs. “I think it’s important that people hear the views and opinions of other people,” commented junior Sabrina Cheng. While current affairs occasionally find their way into classrooms, instructional time for most classes usually does not include discussions of students’ political beliefs. Social media becomes the alternative, allowing for many perspectives to be spoken and the practice of freedom of speech without fear of retribution from school authorities.

Junior Casey Ramos agreed, adding, “I think the beliefs are safe when posted on Facebook, with the exception of radical views because they tend to garner a lot of unpopular attention.”

Dina continued, “People will always disagree about things and you will always have to form an opinion, so it’s good

THE CLASSIC

December 2015

College resource room coming

As eSchoolData becomes the norm, the community reacts Kimberly Deodat Staff writer

AFTER DAEDALUS shut down for good, eSchoolData made its entrance into the lives of Townsend Harris students, faculty, and parents. Members of the community shared their thoughts about the new system, with opinions varied on its qualities.

Assistant Principal of Math, Science, and Technology Susan Brustein said, “I think there has been some resistance to eSchoolData both amongst the faculty and the students. It’s always hard to adapt to something unfamiliar and not being able to find things in the places that you want it.”

Daedalus, in its time of use, served as a one stop shop for all things THHS. Designed by Mrs. Brustein’s former colleague, Steve Kramer, the site met the needs of students and faculty by letting students view grades, track demerits, and have access to school voting polls.

The more positive responses to eSchoolData described the website’s overall design as compared to Daedalus.

Sophomore Lydia Jang stated, “The website has a nice design but it is hard to use and there are still kinks that need to be fixed.”

“It’s a lot more extensive than Daedalus,” stated sophomore Fardhen Hossain, who did not think that was automatically a

good thing.

Most students preferred the organization of Daedalus to that of eSchoolData.

More specifically, many noticed that eSchoolData does not display their overall average, a feature they highly valued on Daedalus.

In addition, eSchoolData brought about a few new changes that seem to make life a little easier when it comes to tedious bookkeeping.

“It’s simpler in some ways,” said Mrs. Brustein of the gradebook’s manner of setting up courses, “because its got a template where you can, for all like classes, import an exam, a quiz, [or] an activity once and it populates all your classes.”

Another key feature that might be more noticeable to students is the idea of an online attendance taker, which replaced Delaney cards and bubble-in attendance sheets.

Mrs. Brustein remarked, “I think that at this point most people are pretty happy with the online attendance piece.”

“Having pictures alongside student’s names really helped match names to faces more quickly,” said science teacher Shi Bing Shen.

The attendance tracker on eSchoolData also has a feature that records a time that a late

Zana Mrkulic Staff writer

st udent h a s w a l ke d in.

ART BY Qin Huang

The difficulties extend not only to students, but also to teachers in the eSchoolData recording system. “ Per son a l ly, I t hought Daedalus was very easy,” said Dean Robin Figelman. “[It] used to have notifications to me right on the page when demerits came in. Now, I have to go look through my email to find that teachers submitted

5

demerits and then I have to open up eSchoolData to submit the demerits.”

However, both students and teachers believe the new system is not impossible to use and they will eventually adjust.

Ms. Figelman added, “I thought I had much more of a grasp on [Daedalus]. But I guess, in time, I’ll learn how to do this as well.”

Now that hall decorating is over with, the third floor, also referred to as the “senior floor,” is being redecorated once again. However, this time the changes are less temporary with the Guidance team planning on creating a room dedicated just to helping students research colleges.

Though more renovations are coming, as of now, new furniture has been added to the college readiness room in the guidance office.

Guidance Counselor Sara Skoda discussed the motive behind the freshly renovated room, “We had never really had a resource center for college related materials. It was an idea that came about when we would go to workshops at other schools because we’d see areas designated for college necessities. We realized Townsend lacked such an environment.”

The dedicated area will allow students to research college options in a professional atmosphere. The new furniture is only the first step, according to Ms. Skoda, who stated, “It’s not 100% ready. There are a couple more things to do, like possibly paint the room and [add more resources].”

Badminton to join freshman gym

Katarina Grancaric Staff writer Photo COURTESY OF YURIY MARKOVETSKIY

Senior Yuriy Markovetskiy and his family video chat with his uncle living in the Ukraine three to four times a week.

that people at least express en- ally-sound arguments. thusiasm about important topCasey added that, “responsics.” es to political posts often start However, Facebook as a bas- small, but stances and people tion of free speech is often pile on until the focus is held to examination stretched from its when arguments original direcbecome based tion. Things in malicious tend to get comments. personal; “People pile until Michael [an] imexpressed, migrant the focus is stretched d e f e n d “I don’t think Faing immifrom its original direc- grants are cebook is a good called out platform for it, the tion.” for political privi leged beliefs bespeaking on cause you can privilege are not know for sure called out for it, if these people posting too.” on Facebook are being truthful or are just saying crazy stuff for laughs.” It is difficult to expect everyone on the Internet to have polite debate, with factu-

THIS YEAR, physical education teachers plan to add badminton to the freshman gym curriculum. The addition changes the regular cycle of common sports which focus upon basketball, volleyball, soccer, and European handball.

“I think it’s a unique way for Townsend Harris to show itself off as a school that provides variety,” said senior Jenny Shi. “Badminton is a unique sport, and we should be exposed to sports that aren’t the regular ones that we usually know like basketball and whatnot.”

Unlike soccer and basketball, badminton is not a commonly played sport in NYC high schools.

Badminton will not only be a part of freshman gym, but also select upperclassmen classes.

Physical education teacher Ms. Caiaccia hopes to incorporate it into all gym classes.

She said she plans to work it in “for those special days when

we mix up the offerings for current courses. For example, like the full body fitness class, they’re doing fitness every day, every day, every day, so it’s nice to mix it up and do badminton one day.”

Like many things in education, this new plan is easier said than done, as adding something new involves a great deal of planning and funding.

So, despite these aspirations, badminton requires special equipment, including racquets, birdies, and nets, which would be needed in large quantities. The school currently has a limited supply of badminton equipment.

“We don’t have enough equipment to do that right now so we’re trying to raise funds to buy the stuff that we need to be able to do it for a full unit,” explained Ms. Caiaccia.

She teamed up with other physical education teachers, Mr. Adamkiewicz and Ms. Figelman,

to organize the Badminton Bash in an effort to raise money for equipment, a tournament fundraiser with 24 doubles teams playing for a tournament.

The fundraiser occur red on December 9 after school in the g y m and featured a large aud ience a nd numerous groups of participants.

ART BY CINDY WU

6 December 2015

THE CLASSIC

THE CLASSIC

December 2015

Transferring from abroad Ilyssa Delos Reyes STAFF WRITER

MOVING TO a new school district can be stressful for a student, but moving to a district in a new country can be even worse. Many students started school at NYC after first spending a few years in schools abroad. They shared their experiences.

Upon beginning in NYC, some were most worried about the language barrier. Sophomore Niyati Neupane explains, “I didn’t know how to speak English, so I couldn’t communicate with anyone.”

Others felt different because of the lack of uniform. Sophomore Vince Plasencia recalls his Filipino school’s uniform of “a white polo and black pants.”

Some were shocked by American traditions. Junior Amanda Lin said, “Coming here, I didn’t know what the National Anthem was.”

Niyati observed that “Asian schools drill and make you memorize” by “hitting students in class.”

Having attended British-style schools, Amanda

and freshman Razita Irawan had unique experiences.

Amanda atteneded Egypt’s Maadi British International School. She describes, “We were required to learn French and Arabic. Instead of learning the Oregon Trail on the computer, we played educational games on [BBC bites].”

Razita’s first school in Indonesia was a Britishsystem school. “After transferring from a British to Indonesian school, I moved up a grade,” she mentions.

Social Studies teacher Chris Hackney went to school outside of the US, but he did not have a typical South African school experience. He says, “When I was in South Africa, your average schools were segregated by race. My school, because it was private school run by the African Methodist church, was mixed.”

Vince feels attending a Filipino school helped shape him. “Being chosen for [school] competitions and being the top in the class established the standards I have for myself,” he concludes.

AFTER THE

Freshiors became the winners of SING! for the first time in years, there was a great deal of elation, shock, and grief. SING! 2015 proved to be just as big of a success as previous years, despite the difficult scheduling that caused a major overlap in school events. Premiering on November 20 and ending on November 21, the performances from both Freshiors and Semores astounded the audience members.

Junior Amanda Lin went to an International school in Egypt before attending schools in NYC

FRESHMAN DEBORAH

Kong “[initially] assumed it would be a random play, but [realized] the dancing and singing were actually really good.”

S ng SC Por IENC tion zio’s E T the ” pe “Alm EAC thi Fou rform a M HER day s year nders ance ater R Phil Co , No , taki ’ Day was endi lip esp llege vemb ng p hig one stu ecial . The er 20 lace o hligh of con dents ly me piec at Q n Fr ts ligh secu in th mora e wa ueen iair, ts on tively e aud ble ws mad s “It illum thei wav ienc hen e am was u inat r pho ed th e eve azing nexp ing t nes i e flas bro n mo ; it m ecte he da n the hsay ugh re m ade d an rkne s ju t th ag th d tr ss. nio e s ical e m uly r Ji cho an om n L ol t d re ent i. oge ally the r”

PHOTO BY FAHEEMA SYHBAL ARTICLE BY ISHA MALIK AND SAHAR KHAN

Jillissa Drayton, one of the Freshior directors, explained the motivation behind the Freshior triumph, stating, “It’s a lot more hours and dedication, and that’s what I really stressed to everyone

in Freshior SING!. I told them that we need to make everyone in the audience believe that we are so much more than just a one hour performance.”

On the Semores’ performance, sopho-

more Yazmeen Razaq commented, “I felt like it was fun. Even though Semores lost, I think we did great.”

This year’s SING! prompt centered around Pixar characters who

secretly rule the world while helping a friend deal with amnesia.

Freshior and Semore plot lines were similar in several aspects, with both groups choosing The Incredibles and Mon-

sters Inc. as their Pixar groups, making Boo (from Monsters Inc.) the friend with amnesia, and developing a relationship between Boo and Dash (from The Incredibles) .

BY ASHLEY ZHAO AND RODELA AHMED

7

8 December 2015

THE CLASSIC

THE CLASSIC

December 2015

Prom this year has been moved from it’s traditional staple of Water’s Edge to Russo’s on the Bay.

9

PHOTO COURTESY OF RUSSO’S ON THE BAY

Prom 2016 to take place in new location Branco Gamarra Montero & Tamara Takhalov staff writers

Q: What do you retouch when editing photos?

I guess we look for apparent blemishes on the face and anything, and I guess the biggest thing we look for is trying to determine whatever we see on someone’s face is temporary or permanent. So if it’s a birthmark or a scar, we will not necessarily remove them unless requested too. Which is difficult, but if it’s a pimple or a blemish type of thing, of course we will remove that.

Q: How much of it differs from the original picture?

We use a few different software applications that do different things to the picture...What students order, all regular facial retouching, pimple blemish removal stuff like that some smoothing is all including in the price no extra charge.

Q: What do you think the limit on photoshopping and retouching should be?

Of course there’s limits; its hard to put into words because it’s a very visual thing...We try to do the minimum amount of retouching because if too much is done, it tends to have the look like a mannequin. So we avoid that plastic, waxy mannequin like look.

Because no one looks perfect, so we try to maintain what the face really looks like.

A TOUCHY SUBJECT FOR STUDENTS

BY KATERINA JOU

RETOUCHING A photograph , also known as the repair and improvement of a photograph based on making alterations to the subject, has been controversial since social media has taken the the art of editing too far to meet realistic standards. Retouching can be as slight as removing a stray hair off the face to completely changing the way the subject appears and looks. Photographers feel that this type of editing is mainly useful to enhance the features of the subject.

These days, photographs are retouched in such a way that many magazines and popular blogs are defying the natural boundaries of the human anatomy which may be viewed as an extreme photo manipulation. These standards of ‘beauty’ may affect the way that students see themselves in their yearbook photos as well as how the company editors retouch the senior portraits that students receive at the end of their high school career.

Continental Studios, the yearbook

ART BY BAILEY CHAN

Photoshopped yearbook photographs are becoming increasingly scrutinized as of late.

company that the school uses to take the senior portraits has been noted to give out free retouching services. Steven Fink, one of the editors that retouches the senior photos states, “What students order, all regular facial retouching, pimple blemish removal stuff...some smoothing is all including in the price, no extra charge. We do offer optional, extra, higher end retouching services for other prices. That would be teeth

whitening, braces removal, hair fixing, even teeth straightening, that kind of special retouching,” Due to social media and the art of photoshopping and retouching to a great extent, young people are more conscious of the way they look and appear to others.

Most of the time, celebrities are retouched to the way they have perfect, tanned and even faces, which can all be done and altered by retouching the photo.

Fink continued by stating that the stress of social media doesn’t affect his work, instead they strive to look more realistic, “... a lot of the celebrities in the magazines and such are what we all feel is over photoshopped or over retouched. You know, because they do go for that “perfection” look. We go for more of a “reality” look, but with imperfections removed.”

INTERVIEW: CONTINENTAL STUDIOS PHOTOSHOP ARTIST STEVEN FINK BY MELISSA WONG

AS THE end of the year approaches, excitement fills the air on the third floor as the class of 2016 gets pumped for prom. Typically, seniors of Townsend Harris stress about looking presentable, having enough money to pay for prom expenses, having a date, and events after prom.

This year, they have one more thing to worry about: the location. Water’s Edge, located in Long Island City, used to be the ideal location for the party. But due to incidents with this location, the Class of 2016 prom has been

changed to Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach.

Teachers found out that the owner of Water’s Edge, Harendra Singh, did not pay his workers, did not pay the rent for multiple years, bribed officials due to his failed inspections and was arrested for taking one million dollars from federal disaster aid after falsely stating that his restaurant was damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Needless to say, these business practices made it necessary for the school to look elsewhere for a reliable venue.

Though students have enjoyed the view from Water’s Edge in the past, the concern

amongst the faculty involved in the decision is that Water’s Edge could close and the school wouldn’t have a prom venue if it did.

After a long search, Russo’s on the Bay seemed to be the best choice for this year’s prom.

Principal Anthony Barbetta stated, “We decided to go somewhere else for prom to ensure that we do have a prom.”

However, finding the perfect prom location in such short notice is not as easy as it seems. Ms. Assante, the Senior Advisor stated, “I spoke with many different catering halls and took a variety of

things under consideration, such as location, price, ambiance, food quality, reputation, accessibility and of course, available dates.”

Many students have their own opinion on the location change.

Senior Gerra Gamaro said, “I think this new location is definitely a downgrade from Water’s Edge. Water’s Edge had really nice scenery and gives off that New York City feeling. I’m still attending prom because prom is prom.

It’s supposed to be the best night in high school.”

Assistant Principal Ellen Fee said, “Prom will be great in either of the two places;

the students are what make the prom great, not necessarily the location.”

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors might have the option of reevaluating the location of their own prom in upcoming years.

Sophomore Leslie Huang said, “Ms. Assante told us that when they found out about Water’s Edge it was really sudden, so they had to scramble to find a new place besides Russo’s on the Bay, but not many were available. We might get a different location when it comes to our prom because they have more time to look and this one won’t be permanent.”

10 December 2015

THE CLASSIC

THE CLASSIC

December 2015

opinion

Sports

Founders’ Day performance ignores lessons of history at our peril Alex Wood hISTORY Teacher

The presence of the Confederate Flag in this year’s Founders’ Day skit raised eyebrows.

Photo by FAHEEM SYAHBAL

THE STUDY of history is as much about how the past is portrayed as it is about what actually happened. This, unfortunately, is not always apparent in a typical high school history class, where teachers ask students to wade through thick history textbooks that, upon first glance, may well have been written by an all-knowing god.

Of course, learning about the past is never as simple as reading a textbook. Teachers of history must be aware of the narratives they promote; this thought came to me as I watched the annual Founders’ Day performance on the life of Townsend Harris. This year’s performance was different from those of the past. Rather than ending with Townsend Harris’s visit to Japan, this production had Townsend Harris returning to a United States ripped apart by civil war, whereupon the narrator provided the following piece of context for the audience: “Harris was a very active War Democrat and supported Lincoln’s efforts to preserve the Union...the Union initially thought the war would be a relatively easy victory. However, the South had a moral advantage they believed they were fighting for their way of life. And what they lacked in arms, they made up for in spirit.”

After some images of soldiers

waving the Confederate flag were projected, students donned the formal dress and mannerisms of the antebellum South and danced while film clips from Gone with the Wind played in the background.

These words and imagery are stark examples of how various parties attempt to define and color the past. While I understand that nobody who wrote or produced this performance meant any harm, the above words and imagery are deeply offensive. There was nothing romantic or “moral” about the pre-Civil War South, whose wealth was wrung from the sweat of enslaved bodies and whose livelihood depended upon the terrorization, rape, and subjugation of an entire race.

Although the South ultimately lost on the Civil War battlefields, they continued to fight a cultural war for the right to define their past on their own terms, and for many years, they won. Southern secession over the issue of slavery was recast as an issue of “state’s rights.” Reconstruction was recast as a failure due to the greed of Northern “carpetbaggers” and the ineptitude and ignorance of the black population. From the end of Reconstruction through the commencement of the Civil Rights era roughly 70 years later, America’s race relations reached a nadir, with the rise of Jim Crow segregation, the emergence of the KKK, and lynchings.

The novel Gone With the

Wind (1936) and its film adaptation (1939) were both created in this era of racism and historical revisionism. Gone With the Wind romanticizes the Southern way of life, casts Northerners as villains, and ignores the brutality of slavery. Although it was once the highest grossing movie of all time and won eight Academy Awards, critics today call it “an ugly symbol of racism” akin to the Confederate flag.

Even though A mer ica’s racial situation has improved immensely in the past 50 years, we as a nation are still dealing with our legacy of slavery.

In November, student activists at my alma mater, Princeton Un iver sit y, prote sted t he prominence Princeton affords to United States President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, who had also been the President of Princeton University, has both a dormitory and Princeton’s prestigious school for international affairs named after him. Despite his accomplishments, Wilson was an unabashed racist who worked hard to resegregate the Federal government.

The lesson we can draw from this year’s Founders’ Day performance is that America’s racial history and our retelling of it must constantly be examined.

Even state-approved textbooks, Oscar-winning movies, and Ivy League colleges are not immune from bias or blindness to this shameful part of our nation’s fabric.

Founders’ Day performances need not be politically correct Daniel Khaldarov STAFF WRITER SOME CONTROVERSEY arose after this year’s Founders’ Day skit, which was put together

by Dr. Mariko Sato Berger with the help of some students. The purpose of the skit is to tell the story of Townsend Harris, especially of his adventures as the first Consul General to the Empire of Japan and how he founded our school.

This year, the plan for Founders’ Day was to include a scene from the Civil War, which was about to break out when Townsend Harris was returning from his stay in Japan.

The objective was to put Townsend Harris’ journey in context so that students would have a better idea of the time period in which Townsend Harris lived.

The source of the controversy was a reenactment of a scene from the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind. Despite being hugely popular, winning ten academy awards and becoming the highest-earning film up to that point, the movie faces criticism for being racist and glorifying the South. This created

some concern over whether it was a good idea to put a scene from the movie into the skit. The scene that was reenacted, however, did not have the slightest bit of racism in it, nor did it glorify the South in any way.

In fact, the whole scene was meant to portray the Civil War negatively. The character Ashley Wilkes, played by senior Yuriy Markovetskiy, says in this scene, “Most of the miseries of the world were caused by wars.

And, when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about.”

Rhett Butler, played by junior Isaac So, says in response to a nationalistic Confederate soldier, “All we’ve got is cotton and slaves, and arrogance.” The scene that was chosen was very pro-Union.

The C on feder ate f l a g , another point of controversy, was used only to make the setting more obvious to the audience. Moreover, because the flag that was used was the official flag of the Confederacy, and not the more controversial and notorious Confederate Navy Jack, it was not meant to be purposefully offensive.

11

Francis Lewis dives into controversy

Picture Courtesy of Damion Reid

The Francis Lewis Swimming and Diving Team poses for a picture

Benjamin Chang and Evan Noblesala Staff Writer and sports editor At the conclusion of the 2015 PSAL girls swimming and diving season, Francis Lewis High School, the long time rival of Townsend Harris, ended their year triumphantly, winning the PSAL City Championship in early November. However, the accomplishment is now mired in controversy after Stuyvesant High School and later THHS filed complaints about Francis Lewis for allegedly breaking the rules.

According to rule 23.3 of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Swimming Rules and Regulations, a student athlete must participate in at least five regular season dual meets in order to participate in all post-season events. Despite not fulfilling these requirements, two divers from Francis Lewis competed in all postseason meets in which their team participated.

The governing PSAL organization permitted these actions

due to “medical exemptions” for the two divers in question.

However, Francis Lewis coach Natalia Cardona Posada did not present the medical notes to excuse the ineligible athletes until after the regular season ended, and did not show the physical notes to PSAL referees nor to Robert Konolowski, the girls’ swimming commissioner.

Peter Bologna and Jim Jordan, the respective coaches of Stuyvesant’s and Townsend Harris’s swim teams, filed complaints following the championship meet. Although PSAL’s appeal process affords for an official response within 48 hours from the commissioner of the sport, both coaches received a belated response from Donald Douglas, the executive director of PSAL rather than Konolowski.

According to Mr. Douglas, despite handing in their medical exemptions days after the conclusion of the regular season, the two questioned divers still had valid excuses to compete.

Upon hearing these allegations, the Townsend Turtles were shocked, and feel this amounts to cheating. Captain Belinda Wo n g said,

way Franny Lew teams handle themselves. I lost respect for them as a team.”

Junior Alexis Sarabia was equally as disappointed as the other girls but still held her opinion in moderation.

Although she does believe these allegations to be true, Alexis still acknowledges “that Townsend would not have beaten them [in the playoffs] if the rules were followed.”

In the first round of the postseason, the Turtles lost to Francis Lewis by a score of 67 to 38, resulting in the points scored by the allegedly illegal divers to be arbitrary.

On the other hand, the supposed cheating deeply affected Stuyvesant.

In the semi-final meet, Francis Lewis edged out Stuyvesant, 53 points to 49, a difference of a mere two events.

According to Belinda, without the use of Lewis’s one diver, the outcome of this meet would’ve changed. “If the divers from Franny were disqualified,

In the semifinal meet, Francis Lewis edged out Stuyvesant, 53 points to 49, a difference of a mere two events. “ I feel like the Franny team really ruined their reputation as respectable swimmers. The whole city knows they’re great swimmers and they train just like the rest of us so I found it unnecessary that they had to cheat for their meet.”

Sophomore Alexandra Ge added, “Sneaky tactics have no merit. I’m not fond of the

then Stuy would have won based on the final score on PSAL,” she said.The PSAL’s limited actions in settling these allegations intensified these feelings of disgust.

“I was more surprised at how the PSAL officials let this slide and allowed Franny to face zero consequences,” said Belinda.

Adding on, Alexis believes that the “PSAL should be held just as accountable as the Francis Lewis team. PSAL has rules for a reason and if the PSAL Commissioners are not following the rules themselves then what’s the point?”

The representatives of PSAL and the Francis Lewis Swim Team have not yet provided comments on this story. We will update our online version if they do.

Although the girls varsity swimming season did not come to an end on a light note, the Turtles look to use this altercation as inspiration for next year.

Jane concluded, “If Stuy deserves the victory, give it to them. If not, I’m not worried.

Lewis will definitely be defeated by the Turtles next year.”

Hawks compete at Exceptional Senior Game Agastya Vaidya staff writer

Photo by faheema syahbal

The Founders’ Day skit this year featured the controversial presence of a Confederate flag onstage.

Political correctness can often harm expression and education because it keeps our minds from being open to the message that other people are trying to convey. It forces us to jump to rash conclusions without hearing the actual content that is being expressed.

In many cases, the anti-war

theme of the scene was missed because people were too focused on the controversy surrounding the film and the flag without thinking about what they were being used for.

Reducing the hypersensitivity surrounding issues of political correctness would allow for greater freedom in education

regarding things like the history of the South during the Civil War. It might be hard, but by avoiding an immediate emotional response to something we disagree with and having a civil discussion instead, we can form more thoughtful and rational opinions on the latest issues.

Though Townsend Harris High School’s varsity soccer teams saw an end to their season in late October, seniors Tiarnan Mathers and Dina Goodger had the opportunity to participate in the annual PSAL Girls and Boys Soccer Exceptional Senior Game at Francis Lewis High School.

Held on November 22, this match between the five boroughs was nothing short of the ultimate All-Star Game. To

even be considered for this game is a major privilege.

A panel of committee members and coaches who meet and hand-pick a number of players from each borough made the selection. They look at the play of players from the past four years, as well as attitudes on and off the field. The actual soccer game is played between conjoined teams from the Bronx and Manhattan and from Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. This year, Tiarnan and Dina were both among 17 players selected from Queens.

Reflecting on this accom-

plishment, Tiarnan said, “I feel honored to be picked as one of the top players in the city, and I’m very excited to go out on the field and give everything I got, but at the same time, I’m nervous, because not only am I playing in a very important game, I’m playing against the rest of the top players.”

Similarly, Dina acknowledged, “It really is a huge honor to even be considered to play in this game.

“Being picked out of all the amazing talent amongst PSAL is exciting and humbling. I enjoyed playing in this game be-

cause I’ve always liked the fastpaced tempo of soccer. Going up against some of the top players in the city was a great opportunity and it reminded me of club-style playing.”

After the game, Dina felt that “the competition level was refreshing and a good challenge.”

“Even though we lost, it was really fun and I enjoyed meeting and playing with the girls on my team. Going into the game was nerve wracking because no one wants to make a mistake that leads to a goal.

“I was really nervous too,

but like any game once you start playing the nerves go away and you focus on the game,” she added.

The Hawk pride seen in this year’s Exceptional Senior Game is certainly something to commend our representatives on.

Despite the girls match resulting in a loss, the team Tiarnan partook in was able to come through with a hard-earned win.

No matter what the result, the participation of Tiarnan and Dina concluded their high school soccer careers in the most upstanding way possible.

12 December 2015

THE CLASSIC

With Star Wars mania taking over the world, A&E Editors Hailey Lam and Julliette Paul take you into the Star Wars phenomenon as it exists at THHS.

T

he strongest weapon in Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn’t a lightsaber. It’s not even the force. It’s nostalgia.

Disney knows this: the barrage of familiar visual and commercial cues in the marketing campaign for the film, which opened in theaters December 18, make viewers reminisce about childhoods spent in a “galaxy far, far away.”

The commercials made for The Force Awakens rely heavily on iconic scenes and music found in the original trilogy, meant to recall the emotional attachment many viewers have to the classic series. However, there are also many younger fans—born after the franchise’s initial theatrical run—who are equally excited to see it. After watching the long-awaited trailer, Sophomore Mikayla Nelson reminisces, “I see myself in the theatres with my grandmother when she took me to see episode three of the new trilogy when I was 5. It’s just familiar.”

Freshmen Arbid Yusuf is also reminded of his earlier years, spent re-enacting Star Wars battles with plastic lightsabers, “Star Wars represents a lot of things. It means action and adventure, as well as comedy. It has always appealed to me since I was very young and has been with me as I grew up.” Senior Daniel Corona agrees, “I grew up with these movies. And not just the movies but the games and books and lore,” for them, Star Wars is an omnipresent part of their childhood.

But Star Wars isn’t just a

cultural phenomenon, it’s a force that transcends generations and unites them in a love for a fantastical galaxy filled with characters on a journey toward self-discovery. English teacher Brian Sweeney, known for his,“unhealthy obsession for Star Wars,” believes that Star Wars is about bridging generational gaps.“What makes it powerful with families is that it’s about your generational relationships,” he explains, “that’s why parents want to share it with kids and why kids get a lot out of it.”

However, due to heavy advertising, many of the younger generation are exposed to the Star Wars culture before watching the original movies. This generation “kind of grows up knowing the characters before you’ve seen the movies, and before you’re ready to see the movies in an actually entertaining way.” Which is why Mr. Sweeney was hesitant to introduce his son to the movies at such a young age, “My son was given a Star Wars alphabet book, and he learned the alphabet through Star Wars. There’s something unsettling about the fact that you use Star Wars to teach the basic building blocks of language, that’s how pervasive it is.”

Yet Star Wars’s ubiquitousness also has the ability to bridge nations together. Assistant Principal Rafal Olechowski was first introduced to Star Wars when he was a young boy in Poland. It shaped his perspective on America, “The film was subtitled in Poland so I only really understood it visually, and later on in my life that visual impact was very

important.” The ability of Star standard quest, and the ‘good grew up watching Star Wars.

Wars to appeal to such a wide versus evil’ arc that many stoIt’s part of my DNA,” he adds, audience through the powerful ries feature, some think there’s describing it as an intrinsic part visual cinematography is what more to it than just what’s of his childhood. In particular, makes it a timeless classic that come before. he is excited to see the charis able to cross borders and Mr. Sweeney explains, “[Star acters he grew up with, grow be adored by people from all Wars] does something very up: “it would be around the world. “This is what smart in terms interesting America can do, which really of contemto see made made me think so posiporary myth “I associate [it] with Amerhow tively about America. You get making. time ica. If the film can make lost in that film and that’s what Starting has I associate with America. If the the afyou feel that way then, just film can make you feel that way stofected imagine what America can then, just imagine what Ameriry the ca can make you feel like.” rebelmake you feel like.”

Star Wars takes archetypes lion in the found in ancient Greek mytholcharacters, how ogy, making it a perfect way they’ve mato introduce the framework tured.” of quests to students. That is For many, why English teacher Katherthere’s someine Yan uses some of the Star with ‘a galaxy far, far away,’ thing inherently powerful to Wars films in correlation with makes it sound like a sci-fi seeing actors like Harrison the ninth grade curriculum. It myth for the future, but this is Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark serves as a well known modern a futuristic vision that doesn’t Hamill reprise roles they haven’t myth in order to connect with look like the future since it also done in 30 years. scholar Joseph Campbell’s work takes place ‘a long time ago.’

Perhaps the most exciting on the “Hero’s Journey.”

So, it looks beat down and old thing about the new Star Wars “Through Luke, Leia, and and lived in. That blend of very movie coming out is that it alHan Solo, you can see the jour- old feeling and very futuristic lows this generation to experineys that [Campbell] talks about feeling makes it a perfect kind ence the wonder their parents such as the serendipitous hero, of mythological landscape for experienced when watching it the summoned hero, and the America at this point in time.” for the very first time. They fidifferent father quests.” By tak- It is this, he says that makes it nally get their chance to experiing these two forms of media, resonate with such a large audi- ence something first. To be part Ms. Yan can show the paralence, “they are not just trying of an audience that isn’t just lels between the mythological to recapture a dead mythology passed down some secondhand heroes and the ones showcased but make a new one, and that’s experience, but to be in the in the Star Wars franchise. “See- why I think it struck a chord.” movie theatres seeing history ing Telemachus and Odysseus The legacy that Star Wars being made “a long time ago in and their father quest, it really has left behind is why people a galaxy far, far away.” relates to how this archetype of are so excited to watch The a hero’s journey is in different Force Awakens. cultures and throughout “It’s nice to be the world in differpart of a larger ent times.” continuum,” But while says Classical the plotline Latin Teacher “I grew up of Star Wars Jonathan with these features a Owens. “I

movies. And not just the movies but the games and books and lore.”

Left, teachers dress as Star Wars characters this past October.