Vol. 6, No.1, Novembr :Townsend Harris High School at Queens College • 75-40 Parsons Blvd. Flu3.hlng, NY 11366. New chancellor to reform system Fernandez to assume post in early January :~1I~j.ii~l.i~~~~~11ili~~1r~~i]~~mit.~tfmiitli~~!t11i~i~i ~~i~1 tion in the 32 local school boards. , Joseph A. Fernandez, New 'In fact, during the past year, sever­ York's new Schools' Chancellor, al such board members were in­ intends to rejuvenate the largest dicted on bribery charges. school system in the country with a Fernandez won national acclaim detailed plan for decentralization. as "an innovator and risk taker" He will assume office in earl y (The New York Times, 9/25/89). 1990. In Miami, he not only left deci­ Principal Malcolm Largrnann an­ sion-making to the school level, ticipates that Townsend Harris will but also recruited help for the sys­ ultimately be affected by VIe sys­ tem from the bus iness community temic changes planned by the new and headed a sucessful effort to chancellor. "I assume they will af­ acquire a $980 million bond issue fect every school in the city of to build 49 new school buildings. New York. A good leader makes Educators expect him to imple­ his effects felt for everybody ," said ment similar programs in New Dr. Largrnann. York. "I think he will be involved in ev­ Most Board of Education mem­ erything," Dr. Largmann stated. bers who selected Fern andez for "That's got to be his job.It [the the chancellorship expressed satis­ chancellor's impact on Townsend faction with their choice and confi ­ Harris] may not happen in the first dence in his ability . The adminis­ day or the first month or first six trator is well-aquainted with New months, but little by little, it will York Public Schools, having NGOZI EFOBI and Lauren Calaccla, sophomores, lip synch at the Founder's Day Dance. Page 4 I I happen ." grown up in the city. Dr. Largrnann feels that the new Fernandez was a drop-out from chancellor "will be concerned the High School of Commerce in Mock election pred icts mayoral results about schools of excellence as we Harlem.However, he earned his are because in the midst of all equivalency diploma while serving Dinkins defeats Giuliani by narrow margin those problems that the city has, it in the Air Force. He has studied at must be gratifying for him to know Columbia University, the Universi­ lil_.~~•••il~1ffi David Dinkins and Alexia Cami- Giuliani the winner by a margin of that there are schools in the system ty of Miami, and Florida Atlantic David Dinkins' mayoral victory nos represented Rudy Giuliani. two votes. that are considered excellent." University. He received a doctorate on November 7 mirrored his previ­ After both candidates gave open- Mrs. Horowitz said that the pur- Mr. Fernandez, formerly Super­ from Nova University. ous triumph in the Townsend Har­ ing statements, they were ques - pose of the event was "to inform intendent of Dade County Schools In 1963 . Fernandez entered the ris mock election on November 6. tioned by panelists Christian our students of the issues." She in the Miami area, says he would Dade County school system in He won the school election 54% to Anderson, Ani Fleisig and Filome- commented that the mayoral elec ­ like to pattern New York City's Florida as a math teacher. He was Rudolph Giuliani's 46% -, and simi­ na Pace. Issues discussed included tion was "very important, because schools system after the one he put appointed to the post of Superin­ larly, the municipal election 50% drugs, racial tension and the home- so much is happening in the city, into place in Miami. Under this tendent of Dade County Public to Giuliani's 48%. less . with the homeless situation, system, important administrative Schools in 1987 and is currently The school-wide elec tion held in Each representative was given drugs... and students should be decisions are made by principals, serving in that capacity. social < studies classes landed three minutes to speak. They were aware." Though most students can­ teachers and parents. The attitude of many school offi­ Townsend Harris, which elected then questioned for ten to fifteen not yet vote, she expressed the "The decentralization plan in cials in the country is expressed by Michael Dukakis in last year's minutes by student journalists who hope they would "influence parents New York City that's 20 or 21 Los Angeles School Superinten­ presidential mock election, once volunteered from history classes, . to go out and vote." years old doesn't deal with the kind dent Leonard Britton. When speak­ more in the Democratic camp, with and later by members of the audi- Mrs. Horowitz also emphasized of dec entralization plan I'm talking ing of handling the nation's largest a 236 to 202 Dinki ns victory. ence. the importance of young people about, which is decentralization at school system, he said, "If any­ In addition to the school-wide , Ballots were distributed and tal- having the right to vote at 18. "Up the school level," the educator was body can do it, Joe can .':" mock elec tion, a mock debate was lied up both before and after the until the [26th] amendment was reported as saying in The New Mr. Fernandez will begin his new held in the library on November 2. debate to see how influential the passed, young people were called York Times. post in January, repl acing Acting Students of varied Enrichments "candidates" were in changing the upon to go to war, but we did not The 53-year-old Fernandez feels Chancellor Bernard R. Mecklow­ were invited to the mock debate, voters' minds. Prior to the mock give them the right to vote. They that the city's public schools need itz. Mr. Mecklowitz was appointed which was coordinated by Assis­ debate, Dinkins won by a vote of should have this righ t, and for a an overhaul largely because the de ­ after the sudden death of former tant Princ ipal Bernice Horowitz. 21-20. After the debate, however, . long time, young people were not centralization plan initiated in chancellor Dr. Richard Green last Francesca Momplaisir portrayed the audience elected Rudolph represented," she said. 1969 has been hindered by corrup- May. ii i I ' I I n ""['l New Science AP ~ - ",,,,,, , , Bowling ,', 8 ',.,; ":Io. « '~ w Culture Column ,(o X . < // c ~..? ~ ~, < :. .. .v~ .•. ~~\Y -en ~ . ';,~~, ",,- " . , ~ ~~ ~ . ~l:-lY. ..,~ _ .. C\ z Page 3 Page S ' :~~;':~~~ : :t;~:. ' - Page 9 Page 12 ~ The Classic 2' ditoriaJs November 1989 Keep the ,row spark alive! fj ~~~ V / It has been half a decade since the opening of the "new" . 1) iI<" • ~~ 1\ ....~ J'WAAl Townsend Harris High School. And, for the sixth time, the ..J,tt..., f-.. v ~ Ephebic Oath and Founder's Day has come and gone. ~ ~ . ~a::a: The "new" Townsend Harris is not so new any more. Es-. ....,- tablished as a National Secondary School of Excellence, ~ now recognized as one of the top high schools in the coun­ t, try, unformed youth is no longer its prime characteristic. ?----, Two classes have graduated and have made a mark. No longer will successes come as a surprise. No longer are we the underdog, fighting to the top and no longer are we a 40 ~' \ ~ to 1 longshot. Townsend Harris is now the favored champion trying to keep the necessary balance to stay on top. Expectations . e are high and success is no more surprising than a morning sunrise in the East. l~ ' But don't give up now. We're not a diamond in the ~ rough, but we are far from a completed engagement ring. <, .. Our carats are not yet counted and our value not fully ap­ \1''4 f\.(1l\a£ --.,.' praised. I'«icr Students, teachers, administrators: Keep the spark alive! , Do not allow the flame to flicker and die. At the forefront of American education, the "new" Townsend Harris may not be so new, but it is still one of the most innovative learning institutions in the world. Letters to the Editor Many people at Townsend Harris would like to sit back and enjoy the ride for awhile. Though understandable, this cannot be tolerated. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! BOys' B-ball? Too many times we have asked, ourselves, "What's hap­ To the Editor: everyone else, have been able to To the Editor: pening to Townsend Harris?" I say bravol, bravo! to all of the create a positive image and be­ Sometime during the second or And the answer is simple: Townsend Harris is growing staff and students of Townsend come a role model for other peo­ third week of school, someone and Townsend Harris is changing. Former accomplish­ Harris High School. We have all ple. came around asking about guys ments noted, the students as pioneers should forge ahead. done an excellent job of creating a I think that we have all truly who wanted to join boys' intramu­ And teachers should take renewed heart and continue to school that is known as a school of obeyed the Ephebic Oath. I think ral basketball. When I signed the guide the way. excellence. Despite all of the that we will all leave our school no paper, it was almost totally filled The original sense of "newness" is gone, never to return, obstacles, including too many peo­ less but rather greater than ' we with names, more than enough for but the Townsend Harris adventure has barely begun. ple in too small a place, we, work­ found it. a basketball team. I would like to ing together and cooperating with Keep Up The Good Work! know why there isn't a boys' bas­ Lisa Anne Williams ketball team when so many people signed up for intramurals.