These letters were written in response to articles from the May 2013 edition of The Classic. Please send all letters to thhsclassic@gmail.com.

In response to “From the Editors: Teachers, you have let us down.”

This article spoke out against the way teachers reacted to the students’ protests concerning the recent changes in the bell schedule. At Townsend, teachers encourage students to think for themselves and to challenge authority if they do not agree with some of the decisions being made. The article makes a polemic, cohesive argument, but I believe the editors could consider the teachers’ perspectives and the teachers’ motives as well. The teachers didn’t want students to get involved because they did not have the full story. Without knowing the full story, the students’ protests and arguments could have been largely based on inaccurate assumptions and would be very distracting towards the decision the teachers were trying to make. A lot of the reasons why the students were unhappy was because they thought extracurriculars were going to be cut. However, this was false. Students shouldn’t argue until they know the full story, and the teachers knew they were misinformed.

–Zion Kim

In response to “From the Editors: Teachers, you have let us down.”

The article, “Teachers, you have let us down” is a relatable and very truthful article. The teachers are hypocrites. If teachers shape the students with such hypocritical minds, Townsend Harris is not the great school it is presumed to be. The Ephebic Oath is recited by everyone, and it is not just our own duty but the teachers’ as well. We students don’t know what to do if teachers keep on changing their minds. Do they want us to stand up for causes or sit back and allow people to perform injustice to us? A school is nothing without its students, so shouldn’t the voice and opinion of the students be valued? The editors are correct when they show their disappointment. I do feel betrayed and I feel that the editors voiced the opinion of the whole student body very accurately. I felt emotion pouring out from the article, and every sentence made me nod my head in agreement. It really is annoying and stupid to receive such belittling attitudes from teachers who act like little children.

–Rebecca Kwon

In response to “New policy for grading Regents exams to go into effect.”

Ideally, the ban on teachers grading their own students’ Regents seems to solve the problem of cheating and leniency when grading. Although in actuality this change could go either way–it could bring cheating allegations down to a lower rate or it could influence the growth of cheating. The former might happen for the reason that there would be no outside connections to influence the teacher grading the exams; it would just be a teacher grading a test. The latter may occur because of the influence of the school’s name and status itself. The result of the ban is based on the indvidiuals who cheated, and we all know that how an individual acts is not always reflective of what others might do. I would not take a side as of now because, as others have mentioned, all teachers are supposed to be grading based on the same rubric, but not everyone is without influence.

–Christina Louie

In response to “Opinion: Is prom itself the money?”

Upon seeing the title of this article, I immediately thought, “Yes! Of course prom is worth the money!” If someone had asked me “Why? What was worth it?” I would have simply stated that prom was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was worth spending a little for. Although the author’s argument is strong, I have to stick with my initial opinion. The writer states, “The money spent would perhaps make more sense if there was something more to it than posing for pictures.” However, I genuinely believe that the majority of people who attend prom do not only go for the sake of a picture with their date. I always thought of prom as one of the last hurdles before a new chapter in one’s life is started. Perhaps my view is a little biased, as I consider myself a “shopaholic,” but to me, buying a fancy pair of shoes is quite significant. Prom is something extravagant and fancy, but at the same time, it is a closing and a beginning to a new interval in one’s life.

–Cindy Jiang