September 2013 Vol. 30 No. 1 the CLASSICTownsend Harris High School at Queens College Regents grading accuracy questioned All bands meet by Suswana Chowdhury by Stephanie Geier and Sandhya Sewnauth A new Regents grading policy imple- With a new bell schedule now in effect, mented to streamline the grading process teachers, students and administrators spent the and increase accuracy has come under fire early weeks of September adjusting to change. for doing the opposite. Numerous technical The community’s response is decidedly mixed, difficulties marred the city’s new plan for with the issues of time management, homework, computerized, centralized grading, resulting and public transportation drawing the strongest in an expedited grading process that rushed reactions. teachers to finish grading before graduation The current schedule consists of forty minute ceremonies in late June. Following a sig- bands meeting everyday and eliminates enrich- nificant drop in the rate of students achiev- ment as a mandatory component of teacher sched- ing mastery level on the English Regents ules. It became official after a series of meetings, at Townsend Harris, many members of the negotiations, and an official vote late last school school community have questioned the ac- year. The previous schedule included fifty min- curacy of the grades. Save one, all appeals ute bands meeting four times a week (though to the city and state to review grades deemed certain classes met for forty minutes five times “questionable” have been denied. a week) with mandatory after school enrichment The change in grading policy is in re- for teachers. sponse to a state mandate meant to ensure Timing quickly became an issue as the school that individual teachers do not grade the ex- year began, with some teachers finding it difficult ams of students in their classes. Whereas to adjust to shortened bands. most other schools in the state responded English teacher and Assistant Principal of to the mandate by continuing to grade the Humanities Rafal Olechowski said he often ran exams ‘in house’ but requiring teachers out of time during classes and thus has had to ad- to grade the exams of classes they did not just his “internal teaching clock.” teach, the New York City Department of “I’ve been putting the end time of the class Education went a step further and decided on the board to be more mindful,” he said. “My that teachers at city schools could not grade lesson plans have to be recalibrated and even re- an exam taken by students enrolled in their written. Things that initially inspired lessons now schools, whether or not they taught them. demand more time.” In mid-June, teachers from high schools Music and Japanese teacher Mariko Sato also across the city had to report to grading cen- prefers longer bands in terms of her music class- ters to jointly grade the exams of the entire es. She finds it difficult to teach them with shorter city’s student body. bands because a considerable amount of class After conducting a series of small-scale time is already used attending to equipment. pilot programs over the past two years, the “It’s also hard with my AP Music Theory Department of Education declared an elec- The English Regents has generated the most controversy. class because they’re very pressed for time,” she tronic scanning system to be more efficient Though Mastery levels remained consistent on other exams, adds. than the traditional pencil and paper grad- the English Regents Mastery dropped significantly. The Eng- Students and teachers have expressed that the ing system. lish Regents requires more writing (and thus more individual new schedule is somewhat monotonous. “We found that it saved time since grading) than other exams. Given the issues raised during “There’s a simplistic regularity about the teachers didn’t have to unpack the exam scoring, many are wondering if the grades are accurate. new schedule, which can be boring,” continued and then repack it, and they didn’t all have Infographic by Yash Sharma. Mr. Olechowski. “I spend less energy teaching, continued on page 5 continued on page 2 Lisa Mars departs, becomes principal at LaGuardia HS by Vickie Savvides Students and faculty were shocked to learn that Lisa “When I came to this country I was lucky to be inter- Mars, former Assistant Principal of Language, Art, and Mu- viewed by her,” she said. sic has left Townsend Harris to become principal of Fiorello Ms. Ezquerra, who recently began advising Festival of H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Nations (FON), also emphasized Ms. Mars’s determination Arts in Manhattan. Principal Anthony Barbetta has taken to protect her staff during hard times. over Ms. Mars’s responsibilities, with no definite plans to “She has fought for her staff in times of budget cuts and find a replacement formed as of yet. defended the Classical Languages, which I think is very im- Members of the administration found out about Ms. portant to a humanities school like THHS,” she said. Mars’s departure at the very end of August, just days before Senior Amanda Ramsaroop, last year’s FON Coordina- teachers reported back from summer vacation. tor, grew close to Ms. Mars during the time they worked Spanish teacher Christian Castillo commented, “It was together. sudden and very shocking. No one knew about it. It must “Her office became a safe place for me; when friends have been a last minute decision.” looked for me the first place they went was the LOTE office,”

photo courtesy of the Yearbook Ms. Mars worked at THHS for over ten years. She she recalled. “Through late nights spent working on—and founded the Festival of Nations, coordinated school perfor- stressing over—FON, as well as those wonderful lunch band mances, and (on occasion) taught French and Spanish. She dates, and the inspirational conversations, Ms. Mars has been forged many relationships with both students and teachers wonderful.” throughout the years. Assistant Principal of Organization, Health, and Physical Ms. Mars is now principal of LaGuardia Spanish teacher Beatriz Ezquerra recalls how welcome Education Ellen Fee said that Ms. Mars “had a calming pres- HS. Ms. Mars made her feel when she first applied for a job at ence during all the chaotic moments at THHS.” THHS. Ms. Mars was unavailable for comment. INSIDE: New Advice for the NSA Spying Broadway’s First Teachers new year debate Date reviewed page 4 pages 10-11 page 12 page 17 news/features The2 Classic September 2013 Custodial staff offers more than cleanliness to THHS By Rachel Chabin and Asmaaul Chowdhury With Harrisites usually drowning in work, it’s no surprise some forget their Another custodial staff member, Luis Perez, is the school’s handyman. He school is home to more than just students and faculty. The maintenance staff–a is mainly responsible for routine repairs throughout the building. He’s been at crew made up of an engineer, foreman, handyman, and a few janitors–is the be- the school for nearly twenty years and is the second-in-command under Hector. hind the scenes team in charge of keeping the school up and running. He works from eight in the morning to five in the evening and is usually on the Hector Benitez, the school’s foreman and one of the heads of the mainte- third floor. nance staff at Townsend Harris, has responsibilities unknown to most of the stu- This silver-haired, spectacled man has the same easiness and laid-back at- dent body. Hector arrives at school around 4:30 each morning to oversee his co- titude as his co-workers. He recalls some of the senior pranks as the highlights workers, and get the school ready for the of his career. upcoming day. As part of his daily morn- “Ten years ago, the seniors let chickens ing routine, he opens the gates and shuts out as a senior prank and we had to chase down the alarms, turns on the lights, per- them. We finally caught them and brought forms a series of tests to make sure fire them to the American Society for the Pre- alarms are working, examines equipment vention of Cruelty to Animals,” Luis de- to see if everything is running smoothly, scribed. and paces the halls to make sure that “Another good one happened in 1998, nothing is amiss. when the principal said, ‘When life gives The maintenance component is only you lemons, make lemonade.’ So the se- part of the job that Hector loves. In ad- niors threw a box of lemons in the lobby, dition to fixing, checking, and tinkering and we had to clean it up: we made lemon- with different objects around the build- ade that day. If we had kept the chickens, ing, he enjoys having the opportunity to we would have eaten them too,” he added. interact with the Townsend Harris com- Mario Vasquez makes up yet another munity. He says that he always tries to member of the staff. If you have ever heard lighten the mood and make people smile rock music praising the virtues of Jesus on photo by David Heifitz at any given situation. the fifth floor, that would be nothing other Staff members and students have a The crew poses together on the first floor. than Mario’s affinity for Christian rock. He shared affection for Hector, though they occasionally participate in friendly teas- has been a custodian at Townsend Harris for the last twelve years, and works ing. from two in the afternoon to eleven at night, cleaning and preparing the school During an interview in the lobby, one of the security guards lightly mocked for evening functions, events, and after school programs. It’s a demanding job, Hector from behind. Upon seeing her, Hector laughed and explained, “One part but he enjoys it. of my job is handling people like her.” “I love how pleasant the teachers and students at this school are. There’s only Hector said, “This school has such a serious atmosphere and I like to liven been one serious incident in the last 10 years, whereas cops are always present at things up. I also feel the need to help people when they need it. I remember when other schools,” Mario explained. a student had convulsions and I stayed with her and I prayed for her.” His most memorable moments on the job, however, involved Townsend Har- Many students have fond recollections of Hector joking around in the hall- ris students at their most unruly and mischievous. ways, and even bursting into song during lunch. “I remember he got up last year Like Luis, Mario described the senior pranks as a great source of anticipation during my seventh band lunch to sing ‘Feliz Navidad.’ It was funny, and [every- and, for the custodians, subtle apprehension. body in] the cafeteria began to sing,” recalled junior Raina Salvatore. “One year, the seniors put fish in every imaginable place in the school. They From speaking with him about his experiences at Townsend Harris, it’s clear put fish in the lockers, down the stairs, and behind the heating vents, which made that he has a lot to smile about. “I have a wonderful boss, and the employees the school stink for days,” recounted Mario. “Another year, someone cemented behave themselves,” he said. “What is there to complain about?” the school gates shut. One of the best parts of the job for Hector is seeing former students return to These three men keep the school a safe and clean place for students to spend the school to chat, reminisce, and catch up with what’s going on in their lives. He a majority of their day in. Senior Maham Ghani said, “We’re lucky to have such said, “when students come back, you can tell that they’ve reached the light at the a good staff to take care of everything and make this school such a nice place to end of the tunnel, and it’s great seeing them feel gratified and successful.” walk into everyday.” Community reacts as bell schedule changes take effect continued from page 1 but it’s more consistent. [The schedule] requires a vious system of missing each class once per week has more traffic at these times. different type of energy. I have to pace myself now.” also sparked mixed reviews from students, although “It really interferes with the MTA schedule, and Freshman Eileen Jimenez, who said her middle teachers are largely indifferent to it. The policy re- I end up getting home much later,” said junior Mer- school had different classes on different days, also quires teachers to give homework only four times aldina Ziljkic. finds the new schedule to be tedious. a week with each assignment taking no more than Students on athletic teams find that the later dis- “The schedule is so repetitive. I have gym every- thirty minutes to complete. missal interferes with team practices and competi- day on the first floor and then I have to go to the sixth Mr. Hagerty commented, “The homework policy tions, with members often getting home much later floor. It’s exhausting, and I’m always scared I’ll be is fair. In the end it’s for students and doesn’t af- than before. “I have to rush to Brooklyn everyday for late. There’s no variety.” fect me as a teacher, but standing up and saying ‘no practice, and we end up getting only an hour in the However, others see advantages in shortened homework today’ makes me popular for a second, pool because it’s so late,” said junior and swim team bands. which is nice.” member Ariana Stergiou. Although Social Studies teacher Charlene Levi Junior Nijah Phills feels that the mandatory AP Junior Paula Fraczek, a member of the soccer prefers fifty minute bands, she admits that seeing her U.S. History outlines defy the new policy, with each team, said that the team often doesn’t have time to classes everyday facilitates scheduling homework taking well over thirty minutes. warm up before games after school and noticed that and tests so that her classes move at the same pace. “Teachers get around the policy by assigning practices tend to last shorter. Classical Languages teacher Andrew Hagerty more homework, but making it due in two days,” she Generally, however, seniors have been unaffected enjoyed certain aspects of both schedules. said. by the new schedule because of their extensive free “I thought the old schedule was unnecessarily Mr. Olechowski predicts that some subjects will bands. Senior Annie Medina feels like the schedule complicated but it made the school unique. I do see end up taking more time to finish homework for than “affects underclassmen more.” advantages of a less complicated schedule—it does others. Overall, Mr. Barbetta finds that the schedule has away with certain problems like scheduling tests and Students have also expressed concern that they been successful so far: “I don’t have any strong feel- homework.” won’t be able to attend tutoring now that enrichment ings about it. But from what I’ve observed and what Still others are unaffected by the new schedule. is no longer required for teachers. I’ve asked students and teachers, it’s been a smooth Junior Woo Jung Yi doesn’t mind the new schedule Junior Lina Rob said, “What if teachers are busy transition. I have not received any problems, but it’s because the homework level is the same and short- when we have lunch? It doesn’t work out.” early.” ened bands make the days seem faster. Students have also complained that the earlier ar- Although Spanish teacher Beatriz Ezquerra finds “I honestly don’t see a change,” she said. rival and later dismissal disrupt their daily commute shortened bands difficult for her AP classes, she A new policy designed to compensate for the pre- because public transportation is fuller and there is thinks that “it’s all a question of getting used to it.” news/features The Classic3 Septetmber 2013 Clubs, activities weather changes New Standards by Stephanie Geier by Magdalena Grabos

Public schools across America are experiencing an era of change. Since 2010, 46 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of educa- tional guidelines designed to ensure that students at each grade level learn similar material and acquire the same classroom skills. Common Core changes have been af- fecting schools all around New York, beginning when the New York State Board of Regents opted to use the standards in January 2011. Though Townsend Harris has been incorporating the CCSS for the past two years, this year will see an increased focus on the implementation of the new standards. Humanities Assistant Principal Rafal Olechowski said that THHS is ahead of most other schools, since it started early. Two years ago students completed a proj- photo by Suswana Chowdhury ect under the Common Core, and last year’s teachers Karen Su working on the JSA board for the club fair. aligned at least one unit to the standards. This year, the plan is to have all lessons in all subjects following the Due to the new schedule eliminating tenth stress free atmosphere of tenth band jazz. CCSS. band and mandatory after school enrichment for “It was honestly more exciting after school “It is difficult not to use Common Core, since most teachers, some after school activities have been because people would stick around and just hang teacher lesson plans include the principles. Also, any altered, but many have found creative ways to out, but now everyone is hustling to get back to content can be adjusted to fit the Common Core,” com- continue on into the new school year. class and it’s kind of exhausting,” she said. “Jazz mented Mr. Olechowski. Jazz band class has been moved from tenth was definitely a nice release after a long day of Some teachers will have to adjust their lesson plans, to zero band, creating both positive and negative school, but many people never used to show up but others are not experiencing any changes so far. changes in how the class is run. and it really affected our grades. It might just take English teacher Joseph Canzoneri said, “Most of Jazz band instructor Peter Lustig said he’d time, but jazz isn’t the same zero band.” what we do in AP English is higher level, so we meet the been nervous about the time change but admits During the first week of school, there had also criteria. Now, there is a greater emphasis on non-fiction that the class has been running smoothly. Howev- been confusion over which clubs would be run- writing, but I’ve always done that with my students so at er, he believes that there are cons to the change. ning this year. least for now changes have been minimal.” “My impulse was that it was going to be ter- Prior to the schedule change teachers had to He believes that it will take a year or two before any rible, but it’s fine,” he said. “I miss how after tenth either tutor or advise a club after school. Now af- major changes become noticeable. band students would stay, hang out and jam, but ter school activities are voluntary. Other teachers are seeing the changes and think that now they can’t because they have to get to class. The change left certain clubs without ad- they are beneficial to students. However, now they’ve been coming earlier to visors, so a memo was sent to teachers asking Biology teacher Sarah Oberlander is now planning practice, as early as 7am.” which clubs, if any, they would advise. to include weekly science articles into her curriculum. He’s disappointed that the jazz band can no On September 17, Coordinator of Student Ac- “The goal is to have students become more science longer make recordings for concerts in the audito- tivities Aleeza Widman and Club Liaison, junior literate and be critical thinkers. This starts with students rium, which is full of students during zero band. Karen Su, emailed an official list of clubs that practicing reading, analyzing, and forming their own Junior and jazz band member Sarriyah Hanif would be running. opinions,” she said. also has mixed feelings on the change. She likes One big change was the merging of Amnesty Ms. Oberlander hopes that this will force students how there is more opportunity to do other leisure International and Free the Children into one club, to not just memorize facts, but analyze the readings and activities after school and that more students are International Love, due to the advisor of Free the actually learn from them. showing up to practice during zero band than they Children being unable to stay for enrichment. Both Principal Anthony Barbetta explained that Townsend did during tenth band. However, she misses the have the common goals of helping others on Harris is not seeing many changes yet because the school continued on page 8 meets most of the requirements. “We are now just waiting to see what the exams will look like. That is where we might need to make some Ms. Wallace selected for major trip changes later, because teachers will need to adjust to By Poonam Dass and Simrankaur Wahan the tests and standards. Our curriculum will remain the same, we might just slightly need to adjust,” explained by the National Endowment for the Mr. Barbetta. Humanities (NEH). States around the country will release new tests that The NEH is a national agency meet the criteria of CCSS within the next few years. As dedicated to supporting educa- of now, it appears that they will not replace the Regents tion and services in the Humani- in New York State, and students will take both tests. ties through grants of money to However, there is nothing that is decided yet, and the relevant institutions and indi- only thing that students and teachers can do is wait. viduals. Ms. Wallace was one of Most states approved the standards because they are sixteen Humanities teachers in supposed to eliminate the possibility of students on the America chosen to participate in West Coast learning something different from students the program, receiving a $3,900 in the Midwest or the East Coast. The Obama Admin- stipend for a trip to Italy aimed at istration also tied adoption of the standards to funding, exploring Dante’s epic, The Divine which served as an incentive for most states to adopt the Comedy. standards fully. Photo courtesy of Ms. Wallace “It was inspiring to associate Since teachers all over the country will have the with so many fine colleagues from same guidelines to follow, hypothetically, no student all over the country,” Ms. Wallace should feel unprepared or at a disadvantage once they Ms. Wallace in Orvieto, Italy. said. get to college or into their selected careers. Whether it’s through her “Culture Vulture” The trip focused on a series of seminars Something new that the standards will apply is a projects or her annual coordination of student on The Divine Comedy, which is a philosophi- less-is-more approach, where students will cover fewer trips to Europe, English teacher Georgette Wal- cal tale about a pilgrim who travels through the topics in the year, but will learn them more in depth. lace is renowned among Harrisites for her love afterlife from hell to paradise. This new method will apply to all subjects – not just of culture and international experience. This The sixteen honorees worked with Professor English – because the idea is that students should be past summer, Ms. Wallace once again immersed Ron Herzman of SUNY Geneseo and Professor able to take information from one class and understand herself in global travel after being selected for Bill Stephany, a retired scholar from the Univer- it enough to use it in another. a prestigious five-week program in Italy offered sity of Vermont. continued on page 12 4 news/features The Classic September 2013 A new addition to math A legacy of teaching by Rachel Chabin by Maham Ghani Students are welcom- Ms. Christine Duffy is as new to ing a new face to the sixth Townsend Harris as the freshman she will floor classrooms this year, be teaching in her English and Writing as Ms. Maggie Christod- Process classes this year. olou joins the Townsend She joins us from her previous school, Harris staff. As the succes- the Academy of American Studies, and al- sor to Ms. Reilly, who left ready believes that this will be a different last year, she is teaching experience because of Townsend’s “repu- five classes of Geometry tation for academic excellence.” and Algebra II / Trigonom- Ms. Duffy comes from a family of etry. teachers who have inspired her to pursue Ms. Christodolou for- this career. “I’m passionate about literature merly taught Mathemat- and writing, and I hope to instill a love of Photo by Kseniya Davydova Photo by Kseniya Davydova ics Research and ESL English in my students. I believe that the (English as a Second Lan- skills students develop in an English class guage) math at Oceanside are essential to success.” Middle School in Nassau She admits that there will probably County, Long Island. She be a lot of note-taking happening in her has returned to her roots, class, but hopes the information will come as she graduated from the from student-generated discussions. She Artwork by Nadia Ali. Artwork by Nadia Macaulay Honors College explains, “There is a lot of collaborative Ali. Artwork by Nadia right at Queens College. She added that despite learning in my class because students and at my previous school I was able to in- She is currently still in school, pur- Townsend’s reputable focus on aca- learn from each other, and an English class corporate this into my classes. I would love suing a Master’s degree at New demics, she wants to go to some of requires the exchange of ideas.” to someday teach a class on novel into film York Institute of Technology. Her the school’s extracurricular events She is also trying to keep the work in- adaptations or a film analysis class.” favorite part of teaching math is in addition to her teaching respon- teresting, although she believes that some Additionally, she is interested in sci- showing students how to use the sibilities, so that she could get to old fashioned assignments are just as effec- ence fiction and horror, so she would love subject in their everyday lives. know her new students in a differ- tive. “Assigning creative projects is impor- to teach a class “looking at dystopias or an- More than anything, Ms. ent light. tant, but it’s vital that students write essays alyzing the relationship between monsters Christodolou said that she is inter- She is looking forward to this in English because they need to learn how and society.” Teaching a class on feminism ested in integrating with the school upcoming school year, and con- to clearly communicate their ideas.” also makes it on the top of her list. community at large. “I am most cluded, “I am also excited to attend Ms. Duffy is hoping that in the future For now though, she said that she is looking forward to getting to know sporting events and musical con- she will also be able to teach a creative writ- looking forward to challenging her stu- my students and colleagues, while certs. It is so wonderful to see my ing or short-story writing workshop. She dents and becoming a part of the Townsend becoming a part of Townsend Har- students shine in other areas.” described, “I come from a film background Harris community. ris,” she said. Bienvenida Ms. Gonzalez Student teacher goes pro by Kseniya Davydova by Roxanne Lewis The Modern Languages Physics teacher Joel Heitman has re- department has just inducted cently joined the Townsend Harris High its newest member: Señora School community as the newest faculty Heidi Gonzalez. member of the Science department. The Peruvian native This year, Mr. Heitman is teaching graduated from Queens Col- Physics, Robotics, and is assisting Chem- lege with a Masters in Span- istry teacher Philip Porzio with Junior ish Language and has had Science Research. He is not entirely new the chance to be a student to Townsend Harris, as he has been both teacher in this school along- a student teacher and observer for the past side Mr. Castillo, her mentor four years. and guide. “It is a privilege and honor to be in- Initially, Ms. Gonzalez vited to teach at Townsend Harris High Photo by Kseniya Davydova worked with students at the School,” he said. “The teaching philoso- Photo by Kseniya Davydova neighboring John Bowne phy at Townsend Harris is a good fit with High School. There, she said my personal one.” that she dealt with noisy, un- Mr. Heitman has been fascinated with motivated students who made the sciences from an early age. As a child teaching slightly more diffi- he gained an interest in applied science cult. She described her transi- and math.

tion to Townsend Harris: “[It He found his passion for teaching Ali. Artwork by Nadia Artwork by Nadia Ali. Artwork by Nadia is a] huge difference. There while working in the airline industry, Her goals as a Spanish teacher fields and aspects of science. “I took the is better classroom management and where he mentored new employees. He remain intact. Her prime objective is seventh and eighth graders to the Hayden the students are more prepared and recalled, “Several of my trainees would for her students to be able to converse Show at Queens College. I also intro- respectful.” come to my office and tell me how much with one another outside of a school duced audience response technology into She feels privileged to have this they appreciated the time and effort I in- setting and to be able to maintain a the classroom. In collaboration with other opportunity, and hopes to gain expe- vested in them. As time went on, I realized conversation with native speakers. middle school teachers, the school’s very rience at one of the best schools in that teaching others was something that Along with most other foreign first Science Olympiad team participat- the city. “The students here are more came naturally to me and I wanted a fu- language teachers, she is also a firm ed in a competition and won “Best New eager to learn,” she remarked, ex- ture career centered on helping others gain believer in teaching Spanish culture School.’” plaining that she is very enthusiastic knowledge and acquiring the tools for suc- because it “brings people of different With all of Mr. Heitman’s science and about her job. cess.” backgrounds together.” teaching experiences, he feels well pre- Ms. Gonzalez is also grateful His love for both teaching and sci- With her friendly personality and pared to officially join the Townsend Har- towards Mr. Castillo for making her ence led him to his previous career at I.S. professional demeanor, Ms. Gonzalez ris staff. feel more at home. He introduced her 61 Leonardo DaVinci school in Corona, is likely to lead her students straight “I am expecting a great year full of to the present seniors and made her Queens, where he taught general science to a perfect score on the Spanish Re- the usual successes achieved by Townsend feel more comfortable in our educa- and a Gifted & Talented class. There, he gents. Harris and its talented students, and then tional community. tried to expose his students to different some!” news/features 5 The Classic September 2013 E-grading raises more questions than it corrects (continued from page 1) to be at the same site to grade them,” said Shael points. faster to grade them on the computer,” said Ms. Yan. Suransky, chief accountability officer of the New Since the English Regents requires students to “Normally I wouldn’t be able to grade 20 exams an York City Department of Education. reference texts they’ve read, students often refer to hour. This was much easier; you just click and go on To facilitate this system, schools shipped student texts taught in their schools. In the past, this made to the next one.” exams to Connecticut, where McGraw Hill scanned it easier for teachers at their school to grade the ex- Ms. Levi added that while the graders “still had the exams for grading. Teachers at grading sites then ams as they would be more likely to be familiar with to read kids’ handwriting, it was cool to have it come received the scanned version of the exam (without the texts the students analyzed. At Ms. Yan’s grad- up on the computer.” the student’s name or the school’s name) over the In- ing site, supervisors reprimanded teachers for ask- ternet using software developed by McGraw Hill. ing each other questions about tests, so if “someone “I think the system doesn’t trust us to be When implemented, the system experienced a behind you didn’t know anything about Lord of the professional and I’m disappointed in that.” lag due to the high volume of exams processed. This Flies, they couldn’t ask any questions. Students are resulted in teachers staring at blank screens for hours writing about all different texts and they can’t ask on end. about it, so it might be hard to accurately grade some- Despite the positives, the participating teachers “There were times when nothing was coming body else’s student.” did not approve of the new policy. up because we had to wait for scanning,” said So- Social Studies teacher Alex Wood served as “It feels like we can’t be trusted, like we’re going cial Studies teacher Charlene Levi, who graded the a content supervisor at Brooklyn Technical High to compromise our integrity over Regents Exams,” Global History and Geography Regents at Martin School. Mr. Wood said that, though he didn’t dis- said Ms. Yan. Van Buren High School. courage people from talking to each other, the com- Mr. Barbetta agreed: “I think the system doesn’t Ms. Levi said that, had she been grading the ex- puters made “teachers feel like they’re grading ma- trust us to be professional and I’m disappointed in ams in-house, she would have graded 350 exams and chines and it hindered them from asking advice to that.” would have been done grading in two days. With give accurate scores.” The Department of Education did an audit two the computers, after two days of work only 42% was Senior Jonathan Chung did very well on both the years ago and found that there were some schools completely graded. AP English exam and the SAT subject test for Eng- where teachers were inflating grades. The new grading system had little effect on the lish, yet he received below the mastery level on the “The way we know that is when we re-graded majority of the tests taken at Townsend Harris, with English Regents. He said the Regents was “more them, some of the exams that were at the passing one notable exception: the English Regents. This like a test to see how well you can spell things out for mark weren’t in fact passing,” said Mr. Suransky. “It past June was the first time in several years that the people, and not so much of insight and comprehen- doesn’t benefit the student to pass them if they’re not, passing rate for the English Regents was below 100 sion.” so the question came up of how can we create an ef- percent. More surprising was that the mastery level With parents, students, teachers, and administra- ficient system where teachers grade Regents that are (students receiving a grade of 85 or higher) decreased tors skeptical of the results, the option for appealing not their own and we came up with a possible number 15 percent from 2012. the test grades became more and more desirable. of options, one of them being electronic scoring.” The principal must send appeals to the super- After the delay in getting all exams graded, which “The results on the AP exam shows intendent. If there are a small number of appeals, resulted in many students going to graduation with- that something went very wrong with the the superintendent makes the call on whether they out knowing if they did indeed pass the necessary ex- scoring of the regents.” are valid, but if there is a larger number, the appeals ams, Mr. Suransky determined that “the technology might get sent to the state. of [McGraw Hill] was not good enough.” The disparity between some students’ grades on Principal Anthony Barbetta appealed all “ques- On September 13, the Department of Education the Regents and their grades on the AP English Exam tionable exams, meaning students who failed or who cancelled the remainder of the $9.6 million, three- has members of the Townsend Harris community just missed mastery by a point or two.” year contract with McGraw Hill, opting for the cus- questioning the reliability of the results. Only one appeal went through; all others were tomary paper and pencil grading this upcoming year. On the AP English Exam, which is widely ac- denied. Teachers, however, will continue to be sent to scor- cepted as the more challenging test, the class of 2014 “They basically wanted us to find clear cut an- ing sites to grade the work of students from schools had the highest passing percentage and received the swers that were marked wrong but we couldn’t find other than their own. most 4s and 5s in the history of the building. it,” said Mr. Barbetta. “Teachers will be sent to different sites to grade “The results on the AP exam show that something Since the essay grading depended upon live the Regents…[and] they won’t be scoring their own went very wrong with the scoring of the Regents,” scorers, it was the focal point of the appeals, but the kids but they won’t be doing them on the computer,” said English teacher Joseph Canzoneri in an email school did not receive the actual grades scorers gave said Mr. Suransky. “I hope we can get the technology he sent to his AP English students after the release of to students’ essays; they only received the scans of to work in the future, but we are not comfortable with the AP scores. In a later interview he said, “It doesn’t the essays back. This made it difficuly to prove that this company and its technology,” he added. make sense how kids could increase greatly with the a student who received a grade below the Mastery According to Niket B. Mull, Executive Director AP scores and tank the Regents. It’s a statistical im- level was graded improperly. of Assessment, the city has “a number of practices to possibility.” One of Ms. Levi’s students appealed after receiv- ensure a fair grading process” when teachers grade English teacher Katherine Yan, who graded the ing a grade below mastery on the Global Regents. the Regents next year with non-electronic methods. English Regents at Thomas Edison High School, ex- “Because it was a passing grade the department didn’t “I don’t think the problem was the scanning,” plained that there “may have been several factors” even want to deal with it,” Ms. Levi said. said Ms. Yan in response to news of the city letting that affected the drop in the mastery level rate. During the process of shipping the exams to McGraw Hill go. “It’s hard to read those essays when Ms. Yan said, “If the training is different and [the Connecticut, the DOE lost the exams of numerous you don’t have knowledge of the text and then be graders] are from different schools, and they have students from other schools; these students had to re- able to accurately grade them. Maybe if the money different standards, it’s hard to get everyone on the turn in August for retakes. For Townsend Harris, one was put into school funding then students would be same page. The rubric is there to keep us objective exam was not scanned. “Originally it was put in as a able to perform better and then there would be no but it’s still hard to do that with so many teachers failing grade, and it turned out to be in the high 90s,” issue of cheating on Regents exams because there from different schools.” She said that the difference said Mr. Barbetta. would be no need.” between one grade and another on the scoring ru- However, not all feedback was negative. The city will receive a refund from McGraw Hill bric can affect the final Regents grade by “a lot” of Once the scans were available “it was much for the June portion of the contract. Watch Classic TV at thhsclassic.com NEW EPSIODES OF OUR WEB SERIES PREMIERE EVERY FRIDAY!

“From the Block” “DIY” “Hangry and Chungry” Andrew Mitchel explores the different neighborhoods of Stephanie Yeh offers you monthly tips on how to make Stephanie Han and Jonathan Chung cook for you. THHS students. Each episode, a student takes Andrew and produce things inexpensively and creatively. Epi- Each month they find recipes from a different interna- to his or her neighborhood, shows him what makes the sode One teaches you how to create your own tote bag tional cuisine and offer you tips for how best to cook it. area unique, and finds the best slice of pizza available. using simple supplies. Episode One focuses on food from Korea. 6 news/features The Classic September 2013

SU PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT What’s the job? What’s the job? What’s the job? She’s in charge of His responsibilities She takes notes dur working to improve include representing ing SU meetings. after school func- the student body, She also looks over tions, planning introducing more the finances of the trips, and being school spirit, and SU store and responsible for the trying to keep the ages the school initiatives within the school a safe and suggestion box. school. happy place. What’d she do? What’s her plan? What’d he do? “I want to increase “For the first time, He is president of underclassmen re- the Society for the get people excited ceived apparel...I Preservation of the also started the Earth club, and is school. My involv trend of going ice a teacher’s assis- ment in this school skating sophomore tant on Sunday. He makes me want to year and planned works alongside the the junior banquet.” SU president.

JUDY KWON JOSHUA MERAI ANGEL SONG

CLUB LIAISON TREASURER JUNIOR QSAC What’s the job? What’s the job? What’s the job? She’s responsible Generally, the ma- The junior and for managing club jor requirement of senior QSAC have aendance, ad- school treasurer to aend many dressing the needs is to manage the meetings from high of each club, and budget, specifically schools all over the helping them find for club and team borough and apply advisors or funding. the advice received classrooms. towards their own What’s his plan? school. What’s her plan? He hopes to take She’s preparing part in improving What’s her plan? a Student Union communication “I’m glad to be a website with within the student part of the SU. I Yash Sharma, body by utiliz- like the cleaning townsendsu.com, ing popular social and organizing which will help websites such as we did with the people learn about Facebook, and as- SU store. It’s these clubs and see sisting in develop- baby steps that what’s available to ments regarding teach future mem- fit their interests. school conven- bers they need tions. commitment.”

KAREN SU HARRY PETSIOS HANNAH JANG Layout by Christina Wang. Photographs (Except for Dillon Mahabir) taken by Yash Sharma. Information gathered by Rachel Chabin, Asmaaul Chowdhury, Suswana Chowdhury, Yelena Dzhanova, Magdelena Grabos, Roxanne Lewis, Katherine Maradiaga, and Erin Robinson. Note: Senior SLT Brianna Cassidy and Senior QSAC Karan Chachlani were unavailable for pictures; see their profiles online. news/features 7 The Classic September 2013

SECRETARY PUBLIC JUNIOR SLT RELATIONS What’s the job? What’s the job? What’s the job? She takes notes dur- Along with the se- He uses graphic de- ing SU meetings. nior SLT, she shares sign to create flyers She also looks over updates on the stu- and announcements the finances of the dents’ daily lives, to publicize events, SU store and man- interesting events, and collaborates ages the school and debatable issues with Ms. Fee, Ms. within the school suggestion box. Widman, and Karen community. What’s her plan? Su regularly. What’s her plan? “I want to increase What’d he do? “I’d like the SU school spirit and Even before the Board to be more get people excited school year began, involved so stu- about coming to he was working on dents are able to school. My involv- P.R. projects, the approach any of the ment in this school most notable be- SU members and makes me want to ing an independent let us know what’s give back to the website for the Stu- on their mind.” community.” dent Union. ANGEL SONG YASH SHARMA AMANDA LEE

SENIOR CLASS JUNIOR CLASS SOPHMEN CLASS JUNIOR QSAC PRESIDENT PRESIDENT PRESIDENT What’s the job? What’s the job? What’s the job? Typically, the Se- Nina assists the Sherin follows the nior Class President junior grade lead- junior class presi- is responsible for ers, helps plan the dent’s example planning the yearly Junior Prom, listens and tries to come hall decorating, the to her fellow class- up with new and senior mixer, the mates, and express- innovative events senior trip, and the es their concerns at for her fellow senior prom. meetings. sophmen. What’d he do? What’s her plan? What’s her plan? He’s been a sena- She is focusing Sherin Shibu tor for the last two a lot of her time plans on holding years and is also on Junior Prom, another scaven- president of the wanting to have an ger hunt for the Trivia Knowledge aractive venue for freshmen, geing Club. He’s wanted an affordable price. grade apparel for this position since She’s also preoc- both sophomores he’s been involved cupied by THHS’s and freshman, in the SU board as Hall Decorating and changing the a freshman. event. freshman grade trip. DILLON MAHABIR NINA LEEDS SHERIN SHIBU Layout by Christina Wang. Photographs (Except for Dillon Mahabir) taken by Yash Sharma. Information gathered by Rachel Chabin, Asmaaul Chowdhury, Suswana Chowdhury, Yelena Dzhanova, Magdelena T Brianna Cassidy and Senior QSAC Karan Chachlani were unavailable for pictures; see their profiles online. 8 news/features The Classic September 2013 Seniors test iPads in QC seminar Clubs cope by Sarah Iqbal (continued from page 3) an international level, so the merging is It’s apparent that technology has been increasingly compatible. International Love will be ad- making its way into education, with many teachers in- vised by Robert Babstock. tegrating it into their everyday lessons. Chris Lore and “Although it will be a challenge, our Brian Sweeney, instructors of the Humanities Seminar clubs will coexist and merge in both events at Queens College, have similarly integrated the use of and fundraising,” said International Love iPads into their courses in lieu of traditional textbooks. co-president, senior Leanna Narain. “We

Robin Hizme, the Director of the College Prepara- photo by Fran Horowitz will also have more members that will tory Program (CPP) at Queens College, worked with contribute to our club and help us in our Principal Anthony Barbetta and Assistant Principal Rafal fight to essentially reform the society we Olechowski to launch this program in the Fall of 2013, live in. Both club leaders plan on using our using grant money earmarked for the CPP. time efficiently and using the advantage of Professor Hizme said “the idea was definitely a more members to get things done.” group effort and we were eager to implement it, even Although the student body has been though funds had never been allocated towards technol- under the impression that clubs were dy- ogy in our program. Principal Barbetta was pivotal in the ing out because teachers no longer wanted initiation and support of the idea.” to stay to advise them, Ms. Widman notes Both Professor Lore and Mr. Sweeney have used Students in the seminar can use their iPads at THHS. that this is a misconception. She says that club activities are “in good shape” and technology frequently in a classroom setting. Professor “It takes up so much of class time to set everyone up feels that they were largely unaffected by Lore set up an online discussion board for his classes last and half the time [the iPads] don’t work with the Wi-Fi,” the schedule change. year. Although it was successful, he noticed that students said senior Katherine Kulesza. As a result of the prob- “To be honest, I don’t think there “had limited access to technology within the classroom it- lems, Katherine feels the iPads haven’t been worth it. “It are any clubs that won’t run,” she said. self, so comments on the discussion board did not surface is nice reading on them but other than that there is nothing “Around forty clubs for a school with during time in the classroom.” too special about them to continue the funding.” 1100 kids is pretty good. We have a good Mr. Sweeney discussed the role of the iPads in the Others felt the Wi-Fi issue to be less impactful. mix of things.” class thus far. “Despite the technical difficulties we had in the be- While certain clubs had trouble finding “The iPads don’t replace in-class discussions,” he ginning, I find it very beneficial,” said senior Laura Caba. advisors she adds that teachers have been said. “The best thing they do is facilitate discussions dur- “Reading books on Subtext is incredibly helpful. Every- gracious about staying for enrichment. ing the reading process by allowing students to share one comments and participates in discussions. And when- “Teachers are advising clubs because comments while reading each e-text. Students can come ever I have a question [while reading] people answer so they want to. Everybody’s doing it on a to class ready to continue and improve a conversation that I’m rarely confused. I’m glad the iPads have been intro- voluntary basis,” she said. has already started.” duced.” Karen feels that the situation was han- The app that does this is called “Subtext.” With it, “We want to emphasize that this really is meant to be dled in the best possible way, expressing students have constant access to digital libraries. Use of a test,” said Mr. Sweeney in response to questions about thanks to the teachers for their coopera- Google Drive for student e-notebooks has also increased the Wi-Fi. “Even after the Wi-Fi is fixed, if students don’t tion. student collaboration. find this useful and we don’t see results, we won’t con- “I highly suggest that we move away “We think that this collaboration will break down the tinue it. Our hope is that the iPad enhances the experi- from the negative light shed upon this barrier between time in and out of class, and result in a ence.” situation,” she said. “Instead we should more well-rounded and comprehensive learning process,” Professor Lore added, “The acquisition of knowledge focus on the positive aspects such as more said Professor Lore. and the honing of skills, in my opinion, is not a one-way quality in clubs, and a bright future for A real concern that arose and remains troublesome in- street from teacher to students, but multifaceted and di- student involvement and school spirit here volves Queens College’s Wi-Fi, which hasn’t been able to verse, and the more ways we can provide to allow stu- at Townsend Harris.” handle the amount of students logging in all at once. dents to make their opinions heard the more successful the The Hawk’s Nest opens for student sales by Poonam Dass With its enhanced school colors, vibrant murals, SU logo was designed by Public Relations Officer, and upcoming promotions for student involvement, junior Yash Sharma, to “show the change of admin- the Student Union store, which was refurbished over istration.” the summer and renamed the “Hawk’s Nest,” is up “We ended up using a lot of our creativity by re- and running. cycling old wooden boards, brushes, or any material The 2013-2014 SU board members decided to we could find. Price-wise, I felt that we tried as hard revamp the store last June because they felt it lacked to renovate without major costs so we volunteered student appeal, choosing a name that gave it a great- a lot of our time to make the changes,” commented er sense of school spirit. Club Liaison, junior Karen Su, on the renovation’s “We weren’t really utilizing the SU store to the allocated $200 budget. best of our abilities,” said junior class president In addition, students will have the opportunity to Nina Leeds. “We noticed that there was a lot more apply for a managerial position that oversees earn- we could be doing with it.” ings and activities of the Hawk’s Nest during each The SU Board also wanted to increase student lunch band. awareness of the actual items sold in the store. “The addition of a student manager will make “The products in the store always stayed the this less of a “school store” and more of a “student same: books and uniforms,” said junior Harry Pet- union store,” said Harry. sios, SU Treasurer. “During the cleanup, SAT and Although it is already functioning, the Hawk’s United States History books resurfaced that hadn’t Nest is still developing. The SU Board plans to

been opened since 2005.” have the two remaining murals painted and will try photo by David Heifetz Various SU Board members began renovating to create a “Rewards Card” for students. Although during Regents week last June and finished during the store’s merchandise will stay the same for now, the first week of September. In addition, a mural con- the SU Board wants to soon sell new items that ap- One of the new murals in the Hawk’s Nest. test was held over vacation with the winning design- peal to students. However, SU President Judy Kwon ers, sophomore Cindy Xu, senior Selina Feng, and noted that it’s “not very easy to bring items that are Although SU members admitted that coordinat- junior Jessica Mgbeojirikwe, receiving gift cards to approved by the Department of Education and items ing and brainstorming for the renovation were dif- Michael’s Arts and Crafts store. During the revamp- that the students can enjoy.” ficult, they enjoyed the experience. ing, SU members repainted much of the store crim- The SU Board sees success for the Hawk’s “Not only was it a thrilling experience in the son and gold, and Cindy painted her mural. They Nest.“I definitely think students will come into the sense that we were making near-permanent changes also added an LED light-board conveying messages store much more,” said Yash. “With all the new stuff to the school,” said Harry, “but it also offered some to students in the cafeteria and a suggestion box to we’re adding, it’s really a great and convenient place assurance that the Executive Board performs “hands- encourage input on the store. Furthermore, a new to get certain jobs done.” on” jobs, and doesn’t simply deliberate school pol- icy.” news/features 9 The Classic September 2013 Clubs cope Harrisites too young to cast ballots volunteer instead by Harry Quinn

In Townsend Harris, Government as a tenth-grader in my Constitutional Question: Why/How did you get Q: Tell me about how that trans- and Participatory Democracy classes Law class develop organizational skills involved with the campaign? Why de lated on primary day. How did you feel require all seniors to contribute ten and become the friendly, sweet leader I Blasio over other candidates? during the day? How did you feel when hours of service to a candidate or local knew she could be,” teacher of Social Answer: Initially, I was working you found out you won? politician in New York City. The goal Studies Linda Steinmann remembers. for Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder of A: There was a huge countdown is for students to better understand the “She then came back and recruited District 23. There a team leader from probably three weeks before primary legislative and democratic processes Townsend students for the Shafran the de Blasio campaign recruited me. day. behind local leadership and current Campaign. She developed skills she This was during petition season. On primary day, straight after events. Additionally, underclassmen never knew she had because of the For me, petitioning was the test run. school I went home and took my par- participate in summer campaigns to experience. The most important skill Ethically before joining, I researched ents to vote. [Later] I went to headquar- bolster their academic resumés and students learn in the ideal internship is Bill and was drawn in by his willing- ters in downtown Brooklyn and phone gain work experience and leadership organization, which allows them to be ness to tax the wealthy and invest in banked, making sure all the contacts we skills. With local elections dominating better leaders and better deal with high early childhood education. I like his made went out and cast their ballot. the 2013 election, numerous students school.” idea of using this money to establish a There was a huge party for the spent their summers on the campaign Spinner raved about the involve- universal Pre-K system which would campaign that very night. We never trail. ment of Townsend Harris students: “[It] further snowball into fewer struggling fully acknowledged the fact that Bill Many campaigns were ecstatic was an absolute pleasure working with schools. But overall, I met Bill several had won until Thompson conceded, about having Harrisites volunteer. my fellow Harrisites. This summer I times and have come to know him as a but the feeling of a job well done, that Rebecca Pineiro, Field Organizer wound up having around 150 people earnest family man. His campaign was is–campaigning with a victory–is still from the Peter Vallone Jr. Campaign for from Townsend Harris as interns and stellar. He didn’t discriminate because quite surreal. Queensborough President, said, “Be- volunteers. These interns were the in- of our age but rather listened and re- fore working on the campaign, I didn’t frastructure of our organization [and] spected our ideas. Q: How has working with de Blasio know much about Townsend Harris or they were a great team to work with. changed your outlook on local politics, the people who went there. However, I will really miss working alongside Q: How did you contribute to the your community and New York City? the quality of interns from Townsend them.” campaign? Tell me a little more about A: At first, I really wasn’t inter- was always amazing, and convinced With an inside perspective on the some of the work you did. ested in politics at all. The interest was me that on my next campaign, recruit- intense fights for positions for New A: I was a Queens Intern early on sparked by my first internship with Mr. ing at Townsend Harris will be a prior- York City Mayor, Queensborough in the campaign and eventually became Goldfeder doing constituent affairs. I ity.” President, and City Council District a Queens leader training other volun- think the most important thing I learned Sometimes this volunteer work 19, Townsend Harris students shared teers. I attended press conferences. I from the de Blasio campaign is that we has led to graduates of THHS return- their experiences in multiple inter- went to a rally in Rockaway that was the people actually do have a say and ing as official members of campaign views. All of the interviews are col- against the closure of St. Johns. I went can contribute change. Concerning staffs. Alumna Sydney Spinner served lected at thhsclassic.com. Below is an to do visibility at the Colombian Day NYC, de Blasio opened my eyes to the as Volunteer Coordinator for the Aus- excerpt from an interview with senior parade at the Jamaican Jerk Festival, crisis of inequality, what he termed “a tin Shafran Campaign for City Council Lilly Rada who worked on Bill de Bla- and I also accompanied Bill on streets tale of two cities,” that is going on in District 19. sio’s successful campaign to become and subways of Queens to greet people the city and the urgency with which we “I got to watch one student I had the Democratic nominee for Mayor. and hand out literature. must act to change it. Mayoral candidates’ views on NYC education by Yelena Dzhanova Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota, the candidates in amount in the city during his tenure. the 2013 Mayoral Race, have differing views when it On the issue of standardized testing, both appeared negative on comes to education. the subject. Aspiring to put more funding into the New York De Blasio commented that, “[They’re] poisoning our system.” City public school system in general, de Blasio plans Lhota said, “We really need to work with our faculty and our teachers to raise taxes from 3.86% to 4.3%, which will only im- to have them not train for tests. Train for the core competency of math pact those who receive an annual income of $500,000 and arts, as well as English and language.” or more. Lhota also wants to fund public schools, but Regarding class size and teacher jobs, de Blasio said that he wants through other means aside from taxation. to hire more experienced teachers. Lhota wants to institute a merit With these new funds, de Blasio plans to make pay system that would reward teachers with bonuses for proven suc- pre-K programs universally available to city children. cess in the classroom. Claiming that high salary should be earned, Lhota claims that he can offer the same type of pro- he believes that it is the teacher’s responsibility to verify a child’s gram without raising taxes, since “we’re the highest education. De Blasio has not yet expressed his formal opinions on taxed city in the United States.” this topic. On the issue of charter schools, de Blasio believes On at least one issue both appear to fully agree: students should be charter schools that share space with regular public permitted to bring cell phones to school. Art by Maya Grodzka schools should have to pay rent. Lhota is a larger proponent of charter schools, hoping to increase the Candidate Joe Lhota. theCLASSIC Trivia Contest: Win an iPad! Every month, the print edition of The Classic will provide you with four clues. Can you guess the identity of the staff member who matches these clues? If you can, buy a ‘guess ticket’ during your lunch band from the Classic staff. We’ll add your guess to our treasure chest, and at the end of each month, we’ll pick a ‘guess ticket’ at random. If we pick your guess, and it is a correct answer for any month’s clues, you’ll win a prize. Buy as many guesses as you want. We will leave your guesses in the chest for the whole year. In December the prize will be an iPad mini. Note: the iPad may be a refurbished product. Here are the clues for September’s mystery teacher! If you decide to research the mystery, do so in an appropriate manner and at an ap- propriate time. WHO AM I? I have spent more I’ve eaten dog meat I am the current than two weeks of many times and I used to own and president of a my life in complete have found it not ride a motorcycle. 14,000 watt radio silence. unappealing. station.