December 2002• Asstc Townsend Harris High School at Queens College 149-11 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, NY 11 367 Art Show Focuses on Portraiture, Winter Scenes
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Vol. 19,• No. 2. December 2002• asstc Townsend Harris High School at Queens College 149-11 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, NY 11 367 Art show focuses on portraiture, winter scenes by Angela Hom from ceramics and paintings to com pressed in the show's title. amazing to visually see the various tal "Faces in the Snow," the first of two puter graphics, and relate to themes ex- "Carla and I wanted to combine por ents of the Townsend Harris students. art exhibitions planned traits and winter, so T hi s is never more evident than when for this year, opened creating thi s title was we hang the art show," said photogra after school on Mon very appro priate," phy teacher Marg heri ta Wischerth. day, December 16. Stu explained Bryan. A nthony M orales, a rt teac her, dents strol led around ''I'm very excited "commend[s] the students fo r the cre the lobby, taking in the about thi s art show," ative energy that they have exercised in art that was mounted on said Carla. "In previ the design and construction of the many black display boards, as ous years, we have vi sual compositions they have pro well as the free refresh had only a large duced." ments and live piano spring art show, but Invitations to the opening were mUSIC . thi s year, we' re hav mailed to Art Club alumni and various The show, set up by ing two large art museums. Lisa Mars, Assistant Princi the Art Club, features openings." pal of Foreign Languages and Fine Arts, "many exciting and new Fre s hman hopes the show will promote "respect :>, ideas," according to se .0 Christy Tomecek ex for creativity." 0 nior Bryan Kirschen, 0 pressed similar en She believes that this is a great op co-director along with a: thusiasm. "This portunity for the members of the Art junior Carla Gunther. event rocks," she Club who wish to pursue careers in art Still life: This untitled photograph by Kristin Angelopoulos, junior, can be seen in the The student-created "Faces in the Snow" art exhibition, which will be on display until Friday, December 20. said. to gain experience and eventually intern pieces on display range "It is always ships and college scholarships. First Amendment award Academic Team to show its Smarts by Tina Wu of Education, features teams of students clinched for third time Can you name all the countries in the from different schools competing for the by Daniel Bloch The Phoenix, the annual literary maga United Nations that begin with the let bragging rights to being the "smartest" For the third year in a row, this school zine, and Managing Editor of The Clas ter G? If you were part of the Townsend public high school in New York and a has been nationally recognized for its sic, both for two years. "It was a bit $35,000 schol commitment to ideals of the First shocking because it was for the third arship for the Amendment. time." entire team Townsend Harris and six other high Advisors and student editors of The from St. John's schools were honored last month with Classic; The Phoenix, the literary maga University by the Let Freedom Rin_g award and zine; and Crimson and Gold, the year answering deemed "First Amendment Schools" by book; as well as Mr. Cunningham, filled . questions about the Columbia Scholastic Press Associa out comprehensive questionnaires in New York City. tion (CSPA), Journalism Education As October regarding the role that First Each school sociation (JEA), National Scholastic Amendment principles play in the ~ was allowed Press Association (NSPA), the Intenia school community, mainly as reflected tg f 1ve" team tional Quill & Scroll Society and the in the student publications. u members and Freedom Forum, a foundation dedicated "One of the unique things about this two alternates. to free speech. school is that even though you're high The Harris "It 's a feather in our cap," said Prin school students, you have bestowed team made it to On the set: Seniors Daniel Bloch, Susan Cheng, Sophia Huttner, Senior t h e cipal Thomas Cunningham of the award, upon you adult responsibilities," said Advisor Franco Scardino, senior Bernadette Cruz, junior Matthew Hallex and "and it reflects well upon the school and Margherita Wischerth, advisor of Crim seniors Sharon Chin, Blazej Kesy and Carlos Gonzales celebrate the Academic quarterfinals the students." son and Gold. These responsibilities, Team's first victory at the City Smarts competition. before being Townsend and two other schools, she added, include the student's right to eliminated. Johnsburg High School in McHenry, Il state his or her opinion, "but tactfully." Harris academic team, you would have Townsend's first game will air on linois, and Lakewood High School in A letter announcing Townsend's se had to, at least if you wanted to go onto Monday, December 30 at 8 PM, and will Lakewood, Ohio, are the only schools lection was received November 20 stat the next round. re-air on Tuesday, December 31 at I PM to have received the award every year ing that a panel of judges from the spon Townsend Harris was one of 32 pub and Monday, January 6.at the same time. since its inception in 20!)0. soring scholastic journalism organiza lic high schools in New York participat The team's two other games will air af "I was happy that [we] won for the tions and the Freedom Forum "deter ing in a game show called City Smarts. ter March 3. third year in a row," said senior Angela mined [that] Townsend Harris High The show, produced by WNY_E, chan The team representing Townsend Hom, who has been Editor-in-Chief of School unequivocally met the criteria nel 25, the network of the Department Harris included seniors Daniel Bloch, Continued on p. 14 Continued on p. 6 /! New Schedule Teen Drinking Reviews Sports p.3 p.9 pp. 10-12 pp. 15-16 \ The Classic 2 December2002 ------- - Keeping our sacred traditions alive The Founder's Day tradition has spanned 18 years and has been was the creator and main organizer of the Challenge, retired last June. ( highly anticipated by students in the past as a chance to relax and Although last year marked a tremendous turnover of faculty, it is im have fun while light-heartedly poking fun at our very quirky school. portant to keep the Townsend Harris traditions alive. Just because This comedic relief used to come in the form of the Founder's Day several of the people who began the traditions that have been trea Challenge, for which students from all grades submitted a variety of sured for many years have left doesn't mean that the legacy with which things ranging from top-ten lists, to song parodies, to skits that high they left us should die. If anything,' it is even more important to hold light the humorous nature of the school's traditions, faculty and stu on to our rituals and carry them into this new era to ensure the con dents. tinuance of our founders' legacy. This year, however, these submissions were not a part of the Ms. Greenfield was very dedicated to the Challenge and put a great Founder's Day celebration, and it seems unlikely that they will return deal of time and effort into it, so if it is to be revived, it is legitimate to in the years to come. Although the administration gave several rea worry about who will assume the responsibilities. If no other teachers sons for the withdrawal of the Challenge and inserted SING! perfor are willing to put the Challenge together, then the option should be mances to provide entertainment, many students were still left disap given to those students who feel strongly enough about preserving it pointed. to organize it. One reason for the change was that some people felt that the same The addition of SING! dance performances in Founder's Day was ' jokes were being told every year and that they were no longer funny. very effective in raising school spirit and displaying talent, but it does Although the jokes may be familiar to the faculty and upperclassmen, not need to replace the other forrris of entertainment. The Challenge Founder's Day is a celebration to welcome incoming students to the should remain a part of the Founder's Day celebration, and if a newer Townsend Harris family, and the jokes would have been new and and more original twist is what is desired, then the topics on the as entertaining to them. signment sheets could be altered to elicit creative and different re Another reason given for the change in the program this year was sponses. Any moderation of the Challenge would be better than dis that former Assistant Principal of Humanities Lynne Greenfield, who missing it altogether, because it would be truly unfortunate to let one of the most beloved and oldest traditions of Townsend Harris die. Simulation is a lesson in teamwork, realism by Jessica Wang . and during my other years here to criticize the simulation as unrealistic. The use of During my first three years at Townsend Harris, I sa·w the election simulation such a statement to d~scribe the simulation may not be entirely false, but neither and the participating seniors as big nuisances. The tables turned this year, does it fully describe the two-month event, nor can it be said that real political however, as I found myself in the position towards which I had once felt so campaigns are innocent of such a charge.