The Student-Run Newspaper of Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

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Attendees of the graduation ceremony doing a “Fist to Five,” in memory of Mr. Seidel.
Photo gallery: Class of 2026 walks across the stage at Colden, officially becoming ‘graduates’
July 2, 2026
The memorial board in room 415 on which students left messages and artwork in rememberance of Mr. Seidel.
Throughout a month of mourning, community members find various ways to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Seidel
June 29, 2026
Incoming Student Union President junior Aki Bejamin and other SU candidates sitting on stage while waiting to give their speeches during the May 18 SU Debate. Aki said he plans to “burn [the SU] all down and start anew.”
After campaigning on claims of a ‘broken’ Student Union, incoming president Aki Benjamin details his plans to ‘burn it all down and start anew’
June 25, 2026
Watch live: class of 2026 graduation ceremony at Colden Auditorium
Watch live: class of 2026 graduation ceremony at Colden Auditorium
June 22, 2026
2026 Graduation Keynote Speaker Jillissa Drayton Vinegra will speak at Colden Auditorium tomorrow afternoon. Photo Courtesy of Ms. Vinegra
Class of 2017 alumna Jillissa Drayton Vinegra to deliver keynote speech at tomorrow’s graduation ceremony
June 21, 2026
With Spring underway, there are environmental volunteer opportunities outdoors in which NYC teens can participate.
Outdoor volunteer opportunities allow NYC teens to make an environmental impact
May 18, 2026
The Carter Burden Gallery in Manhattan opened an exhibition titled “Women Leading the Way: A National Student Art & Women’s History Exhibition.
After pandemic-induced delay, Manhattan gallery features class of 2020 projects honoring 19th amendment centennial
May 12, 2026
The crowd outside Queens Borough Hall during the No Kings protest on March 28.
In Trump’s home borough, Queens residents say ‘No Kings’
March 31, 2026
The Queens College campus where THHS students can choose to take CUNY College Now courses.
College Now program remains a path to dual-enrollment QC courses for Harrisites
March 16, 2026
Marchers carrying a traditional dragon prop at the Flushing Lunar New Year Parade on February 21.
Students volunteer at 30th annual Flushing Lunar New Year Parade
March 9, 2026
Class of 2026 Salutatorian Kaitlyn Lee.
Q&A with Class of 2026 Salutatorian Kaitlyn Lee
June 24, 2026
Class of 2026 valedictorian Samira Orva.
Q&A with Class of 2026 Valedictorian Samia Orva
June 23, 2026
Steve Heimler of "Heimler's History" has a large following of THHS students who rely on his resources, and his humor, to get them through AP season.
“Heimler’s History” offers a life raft, and a sense of community, to Townsend Harris students preparing for AP exams
June 20, 2026
The gymnasium set up for standardized testing.
How testing coordinators manage the demands of weeks of AP testing
June 16, 2026
The THHS Hawkapella ensemble poses for a photo before their performance at the spring concert in 2019.
Hawkappella looks toward revival through recruitment
June 9, 2026
Sophomore Afarah Cruz-Tillery states that public participation charts are harmful to the self-esteem of students and that participation should instead be evaluated through "private feedback, written reflections, group work, or self-assessments."
OPINION: Math grading system should reconsider public participation charts
June 14, 2026
Mr. Seidel with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts
EDITORIAL: The greatest lesson Mr. Seidel left us with was how to live life meaningfully
June 10, 2026
Students participating in the club fair last September. The SU recently announced there would be a new system to select board members for clubs. Sebastian Koniarz, Aryan Sheikh, and Aarav Singh believe this new change has introduced more fairness when selecting board members.
OPINION: New club election process is more fair and effective
June 3, 2026
After a pause from international trips during covid Townsend Harris recently offered students an opportunity to travel to Greece and Italy. Jordana Sestak believes that international travel opportunities like the Greece and Italy trip offer a host of benefits to students. Therefore, she says, Townsend Harris should continue the annual tradition of offering these trips.
OPINION: Return of international trip options provides welcome opportunities for Harrisites
May 27, 2026
Information from run groups is often primarily posted on social media. Olivia Eng and Avery Hai raise the concern that relying on social media to relay information may adversely impact the student body.
OPINION: Social media should not be the primary platform for relaying crucial information
May 13, 2026
Video: Nightingale Theater Company hosts One Act Festival
Video: Nightingale Theater Company hosts One Act Festival
July 1, 2026
The MSA’s annual Henna Fest was held in the library where students participated in various activities including applying henna, playing games, and eating homemade foods
MSA holds annual Henna Fest as spring classes come to a close
June 18, 2026
Music Teacher Christopher Lee leads strings during the second day of the Spring Concert.
Spring Concert splits into two-day performance
June 11, 2026
Junior Albert Khyan and some members of the Wonderers set up “The Wonderers Magic Shop” after school next to the auditorium entrance.
Townsend Harris “Magic Man” creates international magic club: The Wonderers
June 4, 2026
On April 22, Daniel Aleman discussed his book Indivisible with Ms. Lipinski and Ms. Frank’s band 9 AP English Literature class.
Author Daniel Aleman visits AP Literature class to discuss immigration and identity in “Indivisible”
May 7, 2026
Students connect through gaming while playing Super Smash Bros at the Witching Hour overnight Reading Initiative event.
Gamers on both sides of the classroom: how Harrisites connect through video games
July 3, 2026
A new web-based student entry system, CAASS, was introduced on December 5, 2025. The purpose of the system is to enhance school safety and organization. After 3 months of CAASS implementation, students and staff were asked about their experiences with CAASS and its impact on daily entry procedures.
The evolution of Student IDs over two decades
June 12, 2026
Due to the new cafeteria system at THHS, more plastic containers are being thrown out everyday
The new cafeteria’s grab-and-go lunch style increases plastic waste
June 5, 2026
The THHS Robotics team, the Steel Hawks, competed at Worlds after winning the Engineering Inspiration Award
Steel Hawks compete at 2026 FIRST Championships
May 29, 2026
New science elective offers a project based, in depth, alternative to AP Biology
Human Pathology course attracts those interested in the medical field
May 22, 2026
The Student-Run Newspaper of Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

The Classic
The Student-Run Newspaper of Townsend Harris High School at Queens College

The Classic
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Sports highlights: girls table tennis and girls varsity basketball

Aryan Sheikh, Sydney Xu, Kiley Esteban, and Ryan Chen • February 13, 2026
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Aryan Sheikh
Senior captain Yam Yik Zheng and her opponent from Eleanor Rosevelt High School playing a singles match on February 3. When asked about his thoughts going into playoffs, coach Kevin Lau said, “We do not have an issue with talent. We have a lot of great players with great attitudes that are super committed, despite everything they have to balance, being in this group. Being in the toughest divisions, sometimes I look at it as an advantage because it's a forever motivating factor.”
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Your donation will support the student journalists of The Classic. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment, support our extracurricular events, celebrate our staff, print the paper periodically, and cover our annual website hosting costs.

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Classic Nexus III: a connections style game with a summer theme
Classic Nexus III: a connections style game with a summer theme
Attendees of the graduation ceremony doing a “Fist to Five,” in memory of Mr. Seidel.
Photo gallery: Class of 2026 walks across the stage at Colden, officially becoming ‘graduates’
Video: Nightingale Theater Company hosts One Act Festival
Video: Nightingale Theater Company hosts One Act Festival
Students from the Jazz ensemble perform on stage at the May 19 night spring concert.
Photo Gallery: annual spring concert splits into two performances to accommodate all ensembles
Flashback: Mr. Seidel talks "Jaws" with Mr. McCaughey on "The 27"
Flashback: Mr. Seidel talks "Jaws" with Mr. McCaughey on "The 27"
Classic Art Department
Classic Crossword: coffee time is crossword time
More in Sports
Student-athletes pose for a photo on the patio at the Athletic Awards Dinner on June 16. Sophomore Amelia Legaspi said, “I really enjoyed the event overall…and I can’t wait to come back next year.”
Standout Hawks honored at 39th Annual Athletic Awards dinner
Junior Aidan Alleyne attempting a layup during the student basketball tournament and showcase
Photos of the Week: boys varsity basketball team hosts first annual basketball tournament & showcase
Coach Curiale in his office. Coach Curiale coaches boys varsity soccer, boys varsity wrestling, and girls varsity flag football.
Coach Matthew Curiale leads three varsity sports teams
Junior Yousef Razzao and sophomore Jack Hill jump up to block the opposing hitter from August Martin during the boys varsity volleyball game on April 28.
As spring sports come to a close, members of boys varsity teams look back on playoff runs
Second singles player and junior Morgan Ma preparing to serve the birdie during the quarterfinal match against Brooklyn Technical High School on May 11, winning her match 2-1.
Multiple girls varsity spring sports teams compete in the playoffs
The Townsend Harris girls varsity badminton team huddling up before their game against James Madison on May 4.
Sports highlights: girls badminton, flag fooball, and boys volleyball as their seasons come to a close
About the Contributors
Aryan Sheikh
Aryan Sheikh, Opinion Staff
Aryan is a freshman, and he would like to pursue a career in the medical field, but doesn’t know specifically what kind of doctor he wants to be. When he’s not working, Aryan likes to play the piano or badminton. His favorite Classic piece he has worked on is the opinion roundup on why students from the class of 2029 and new staff chose to come to THHS. His favorite Classic piece that was made by others was an episode of ADMITTED: “Alum Ramon Rodriguez shares his journey to being accepted into Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.”
Ryan Chen
Ryan Chen, Editor-in-Chief
Ryan is a junior at Townsend Harris High School, and he plans to pursue a career in business/finance. He enjoys taking photos but wants to improve at “making” photos. His favorite Classic project he worked on is the 2025 FON Saturday night live stream. He will forever remember the moment the song “Dynamite” started playing during the intro segment. After technical difficulties on Friday night, hearing that intro song and knowing that things were working came as a huge relief. His favorite Classic piece created by others is the video “High School Teachers Define Gen Z Slang.” He genuinely didn’t know half of the terms going into the video, and it helped him understand conversations during high school.
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