The Student vs. Teacher basketball game took place on May 13 after school in the gymnasium to raise money for the Girls Track team. The game resulted in teachers beating students  53-49.

The event, coordinated by Social Studies teacher and assistant Girls Track coach Adam Stonehill, featured about 25 members on the students’ team and eight teachers on the opposing team. Each quarter of the game was respectively played by freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and an advanced team of Townsend Harris basketball players. After half-time, the line-up restarted in the same order. The teachers remained ahead for all eight five-minute periods.

Sophomore and track team member Natalia Ramirez was impressed by the teachers’ skills.

“The game goes to show you that teachers are capable of so much beyond the classroom,” she said.

Freshman Julian Delarosa agreed, and was glad that the “staff could take a break from the serious matters and just have fun.”  He was sincerely impressed with “Mr. Babstock’s killer jump shot” and teacher Mr. Mark’s “nothing but net three-pointers.”

Acting as referees, Physical Education teacher Keith Hanson and Math teacher Timothy Connor, who is also the girls’ track coach, could not help but smile when calling fouls and travels throughout the game.

“It’s just all really great,” said Mr. Hanson. “Throw a ball in front of a bunch of kids—they’ll have a good time. Same for the teachers.”

Mr. Connor agreed, saying, “It’s all about having a good time and supporting Townsend in any way possible.”

While others wished the game would never end, some preferred the traditional Student vs. Teacher dodgeball games.

Spectator and junior Anita Suvasia felt that “dodgeball was more popular and drew more attention.”

Mr. Stonehill agreed this was an issue when planning the event, and also wished he had publicized it more.

“The game was close so people enjoyed it,” he said. “Since this is the first time we did basketball instead of dodgeball, we expect next year it’ll be full capacity since people saw how fun it was.”

Some were also disappointed by the fact that certain faculty who had promised to participate did not.

Although the teachers won, freshman Eriselda Cuni is still hopeful. “The students are going to come back next year better than ever and so the teachers better watch out. It isn’t over!”

The games will continue with an inter-grade basketball tournament on June 3 after school.