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Issue 6: Summer
., Vol. 23, No. 6 Summer 2007 • aS SIC Townsend Harris High School at Queens College 149-11 Melbourne Avenue, Flushing, NY 11367 Gio·rdan·o forges path to medical school at UPenn/ "ri ~ I • '· by Madeleine Wright ence for me at such a young to have a good time. I'm very Valedictorian Morgane age," she said. "It was then that fun to be around, and I'm very Giordano danced her way to the I decided that this was what I dedicated and loyal to whatever top and doesn't intend on stop- wanted to do with my life." aspect of my life and activities ping there. Morgane has her When not in the laboratory, I choose to be involved in." heart set on saving the world · Morgane spenrthe past 15 years Her Regents test av_e rages·, one patien.t at a time by study- of her life on the dance tloor all being at least over 97, garing science at the University of doing jazz and ballet. ".I'm not nered her· a New York State RePennsylvania in order to fulfill the kind of person who comes gents Scholarship worth herlifelongdreamofbecoming home and starts $1,500. "Unt'ortunat~ly," she ,r.,..' a doctor. doing ... homework immedi- said, "the scholarship is only ~ . >( "I've always wanted to be a ately," she said. "I take dance for students who are going to a doctor because I've always classes four times a week, and college in New York State, and loved the field of science," she each class constitutes about an since I'm going to Pennsylvasaid. "It. fascinates me because hour of my time. I had to steal nia, it doesn't apply." I want to make a difference in an hour here and there while I Morgane is optimistic that the world by saving lives." was dancing to do some home- she can keep in close contact Morgane's dream ofbecom- work and study." with her friends, "even though ing a doctor began with visits Every year since ninth ·-we are all going to different to the doctor for checkups in grade, ·Morgane shared her places." She explained, ''I'm her early childhood. ·:when I kridwledge of dance as a dance sure we'll all be able to stay in ~as younger, I always liked the director and choreographer in · contact with each otl)er, fact that my doctor's office was SING!. Her other.extracurricu- whether just by talking on the painted with rainbow colors, so Jar activities include working phone or finding any spare a; ~ I said 1 always wanted tq' be a with Free tht< Children, of minute to catch up." doctor;" She said .' ·,:..,. ~ which she has been 'a member Although Morgane is grate- VJE "' The love of science that pro- for the past four years, and l:ie- ful that Harris "molded her into pelled her towards the medical ing a ment-or, senator, and grade a person that's ready to excel field, however, developed when leader. in life," she eagerly anticipates . she was 13 a'nd Stljdied cancer Morgane attributes her aca- her going away to college. "I Valedictorian MorganeGiordano hopes to study medicine at the in a study p.rpgram ar'~tony demic success to her "hafd can't wait to go to college," she University of Pennsylvania. Br0ok: .Unive~s<ity. ''Lear:nilig · W()r~" mentality. "Hard.work is said, "just because it's just a beginning somewhere else, and people. It's so exciting. Anyabciut: sc.ienc·es in a college ·set-' · just something :that I do," she time for a change after having to pursue my dream in a new where you go to college you'll ting when l was only. 13-.yea~s- said. "I work hard at everything been in Townsend Harris for atmosphere where I can take the get that experience, and I just old ~as .a:.ver~ mov;ing e~peri- that I do-, but I also know how four years. It's time for a new classes I want and meet new can't wait for that." S·al:utatorian Sukach.·seeks career in law at Harvard • _? by Jocelyn Wright pon't argue with .senior Marsha Sukach. This year's salutatorian, veteran debater, and potential lawyer is headed for Harvard, where she is contemplating a major in either government or economics. ''I'm very excited about going to Harvard," said Marsha. "There are going to be a lot of new experiences. I think I'm going to be well-prepared by my time at Townsend but it's still definitely going to be an adjustment.'' . As she leaves Harris, Marsha will miss her peers the most. "I definitely enjoyed the people at Towns·e nd," she said. "Despite complaints. about the · school, I think everyone's been § very friendly and helped me ::: VJ ,., open up. I've felt very satisfied ~ with my peers at Townsend." 0 . . :, -g_ She added that the teachers '''truly care about students and . h Salutatorian Marsha Sukach appropriately stands near the "lu.cky charm" for Harvard, where sh.e will be attending college. help us embrace new ways of thinking." One of the most eye-opening experiences.for Marsh~ was joining the Debate Team in her freshman year. "I learned a lot from debate. It helped me with public speaking and gave me · more confidence in class," she said. Working on the Debate Team aditionally inspired Marsha to try her hand at government and economics. "Debate madi! me look into the causes belii-nd many political and social issues, and I realized that politics and economics are some of the driving forces," she _ explained. Marsha added that experience in these fields would be especially helpful since s·he is considering law schooL "I like· arguing and. I like supporting my ideas with facts. I enjoy English and history, and perhaps law school would allow me to use these skills in a career," she said. Marsha advises other Harrisites to join more clubs in their freshman and sophomore years. "I had a lot of good experiences with the clubs I did join, but I would have had more if I had done more than one club freshman year," she said. As a junior and senior, Marsha took on Science Olympiad, The Phoenix, SING!, and a position on the SU executive board. "I kind of piled on the clubs as I went atong, which might' not have been the best idea because by senior year I was a bit overloaded," she said . During the free time she does have, Marsha enjoys dancing and cooking. She plans to spend two weeks in B.a rcelona wi-th her parents this summer, and to work at her mother's marketing company when she returns. The Classic 2 Summer 2007 Where to Now? Clas.s of 2oo- ----- - ~ LAST NAME ABRAMOWITZ SCHOOL ATTENDING _ ASHA GEORGE BRANDEIS SONIA GERA ROSALIA ABREU TRINITY COLLEGE' MORGAN~ SIKIRU VIDISHA ADESINA SUNY STONY BROOK NYU- STERN · JESSICA GRAF MARISSA GREEN EMERSON JOSHUA •JILLIAN GREENFIELD SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY FIRST ELLEN AJMERA ALADIN MEAGAN All ROXANNE ARDEN CUNY HUNTER CUNY MEDGAR EVERS UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DIONISIA All ALIVIZATOS · MICHAEL MICHAEL · ANDRONICO ARBOLEDA SUNY PURCHASE CUNY HUNTER AUBEL AVGOUSTIDIS BADER CUNY BARUCH FORDHAM UNIVERSITY NYU- STEINHARDT JACLYN MICHAEL MITCHELL AMANDA IJAVI !HANNIBAL !CRISTINA TRACEY MATTHEW ROOKMINIE MOHINI JENNIFER ILYA DAVID CALVIN . BAKER BALROOP BANKS · BARAN BARRETTO BECCE BEHAR I BHATT BODNER BORUKHOV BOURNAS NEY FORDHAM UNIVERSITY NYU-A&S POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY CUNY BROOKLYN CUNY YORK UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT BOSTON UNIVERSITY CUNY BARUCH SUNY BINGHAMTON CUNY HUNTER UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOWEN BUNYAVADHANA CUNY CITY AN CHANA ANDRI;A MICHAEL BURCIU BYC HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY AMERICAN UNIVERSITY MIRUNA CARNARU NYU-A&S CHRISTOPHER HELEN JESSICA CERBONE CHA CHAN MAN~TTAN KATHERINE CHANCER STEVEN CHANG NASHID EDWARD ITHACA . COLL~GE GRUBER SUNY BINGHAMTON YAHQNG GABRIELE TEN L1 GU GUELLY BABSON YASHAN (Mary Gui) GUI NAZIAT .SHERLIN HABIB - EMORY UNIVERSITY i CUNY HUNTER ; NYU-A&S HARPER SPELMAN COLLEGE . I ~HARRISON ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY i KRYSTAL HARTLEY FORDHAM UNIVERSITY BRITTANY HEIMANN CORNELL (JLR) MARIEL SHAKA HERRERA HINDS CUNY HUNTER CUNY QUEENS 7 MICHAEL HIRSCH NYU - A&S JANICE DUSTIN HSIEH HSU NYU-STERN SUNY BUFFALO SHAMSUL RICHARD DANABELLE HUSSAIN VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY' HUYNH IGNES NYU- T!SCH ., PRATT INSTITUTE ALEXANDRA ILl EVA NYU- GENERAL STUDIES TOOBA JONATHAN ERICKA IMTIAZ JANOS FORDHAM UNIVERSiTY SUNY ALBANY CUNY HUNTER MACAULAY HONORS NYU-GENERALSTU~ES CHAUDHURY BARNARD KIM KIM BOSTON UNIVERSITY CHEN NICOLE HANNAH CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA JUSTIN KIMMELBLATT SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE MARISSA KINSEY KOSAKOWSKI ERIC VALERIA KITTY CHERNOW SUNY BINGHAMTON CHI CHU CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS JEREMY CLASS CLAVIJO __ __ DAVID BARNARD ST. 'JOHN'S UNIVERSITY BOSTON UNIVERSITY KRIKORIAN KUVEKE LAGOS CORNELL (ILR) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/DAVIS TINA LAI PENN STATE UNIVERSITY MARLENE CHRISTINA LAM LAM NYU- GENERAL STUDIES RACHEL LARRAIN UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE LAW CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS LEE CUNY BARUCH LEE NYU -A&S KAS HIF COPPIN ANNA MAR IA MARNI CYMERMAN CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS 1- MEGAN JOANN DANGELLIA NYU- STEINHARDT ; ' NANCY' OLIVIA DCUNHA LIU BROOKLYN NOELl A DELACRUZ DELJANIN SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY CUNY HUNTER ! I DELUNA SUNY FARMINGDALE DEWIDAR Dl BENEDETTO EUGENE LANG NEW SCHOOL HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY . JASON 'jLEAH ]AMY LEE SUNY BUFFALO LEONARDO Ll CUNY CITY BOSTON UNIVERSITY ' i -UNA KEVIN Ll LIANG NYU-STERN NYU - STERN ! !NANCY LIN HARVARD UNIVERSITY i I LIN NYU- A&S. CU NY CITY MACAULAY HONORS DIMAS CUNY QUEENS i JOSEPH DITRAPANI DOERFLER CUNY QUEENS AMHERST COLLEGE CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS NYU- GENERAL STUDIES I jLISA iHEATHER LIU LONKS jALEXANDER iKRYSTAL -- LORD LUM TUFTS UNIVERSITY !KRI,STIN LUNA LYNCH BOSTON UNIVERSITY EARL EAST EDELE RICHARD NATALIE ELISHA UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG SUNY BINGHAMTON ROWENA JIM BRIAN ENG· ESTIL SUNY STONY BROOK CUNY BROOKLYN MACAULAY HONORS JULIAN FELDER AMY juSTIN FENG FINKELMAN KAHKASHAN FIRDAUS SABRINA KIMBERLY FONG FONTAINE CUNY HUNTER MACAULAY HONORS LILLIAN FOSTERIS CAROLINE FRENCH GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN cMADISON DANIEL GARCES CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS NAGMA GARGI ST. JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY ISAREENA GEORGE CUNY GITY SOPHIE DAVIS ! . CUNY CITY SOPHIE DAVIS (j ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY. SUNY BINGHAMTON ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY ---~~~ - ' UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE CHRISTINE SEBASTIAN HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY r - NYIT MARKRETE CONCEPCION > NYU- GENERAL STUDIES ST. JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY SUNY STONY BROOK NYU-A&S CUNY BARUCH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ·· CLAUDIA JUSTIW\ : I HAGHNAZARI ANGELICA IMAN KILPATRICK SUNY STONY BROOK (H) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SAN DIEGO SEAN JAMES MONIQUE PENN STATE UNIVERSITY COOPER UNION (ARCHITECHTURE) . GUH CAIT CHEN CHEN ANTHONY MARIA DAVID - - - - - -- CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS CUNY QUEENS KEVIN YVONNE NEAL SAM IRA I CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS COLLEGE WILLIAMS COLLEGE CHEN CHEN ADMIR UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · CUNY BROOKLYN MACAULAY HONORS JARAMILLO JINKER JOHN KALAR KARIM KHAN COREY ---- GIORQANO MINA ATHIRA JENNIFER YASMIN AHSAN COLUMBIA'UNIVERSITY ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY ST. JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY __ 1?0NNA .. SUNY STONY BROOK BARNARD . LIU/CW POST . CU NY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS FORDHAM UNIVERSITY MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE !SARA iMICHAEL MALHAME :iYlARYAM MEAGHAN SARAH MANSOUR SUNY FARMINGDALE MAPES MARTIN ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY SUNY ALBANY STACEY MARTINEZ CUNY BARUCH ARTEM MAUREEN MASLYUK MCCLUSKEY SUNY STONY BROOK FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL . ROBERT KATELYN MCCULLAGH ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY MCFADDEN MCMILLAN IONA COLLEGE CUNY CITY SOPHIE DAVIS MATTHEW MEDINA CUNY HUNTER MICHAEL JOANNA --- MELGAR MENILLO NYU- GENERAL STUDIES - 1NATASHA ... NYU-A&S The Classic - 3 Summer2007 ~ ,Embarks .on-·College Journey LOUIS MERGLER DEVOTIA MOORE CUNY HUNTER MACAULAY HONORS DUKE UNIVERSITY GEORGE MORALES HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY NICHOLAS MORGENSTERN SUNY ALBANY MICHAEL MORRISSEY MANHATTAN COLLEGE COOPI;:R UNION (ENGINEERING) GEORGE MOUZAKITIS ALICE MOY CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS VIS HAL MUKHERJEE CUNY JOHN JAY VICTORIA MUNOZ SUNY STONY BROOK LAUREN NECHAMKIN NYU- STEINHARDT MARCUS NG CUNY HUNTER MACAULAY HONORS KIM YAU NG SUNY STONY BROOK LAUREN NOBLE KOMA OGAYE SUNY ALBANY - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SAMUEL OK ALINA ONEFATER STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SUNY STONY BROOK lOAN A ONICEAG CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS 'GONG PAIK $HARON PAK MARY GRACE PAPA THEODOROU NYU-A&S CORNELL (A&LS) ~ SUNY BINGHAMTON ROSE ANN PARBHUDIAL CUNY BARUCH REBECCA PARISI ADELPHI SORAH PARK UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAVINIA PASCAL FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SUM IT PATEL SUNY BINGHAMTON PETRA PENDROFF (KBEIR) ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PHYLICIA PEOPLES CUNY BARL,JCH KELVIN PERALTA ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY CHANDRA PERSAUD ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE STEPHANIE PIMENTEL CUNY BARUCH ALEXANDRA II.DELLE PLATON ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSII Y II.LEXANDER JENNIFER PODOLSKY CARNEGIE MELON NATHLIE lUANA POLISH "*~ ' • CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS MARSHA STARK STEPHENS. SKIDMORE' SUAREZ WAGNER COLLEGE SUKACH HARVARD UNIVERSITY FRANKLIN W OLIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING PACE UNIVERSITY " ~ I SHANN POWELL CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORS KATHRYN . SULLIVAN eLIZABETH PRYOR VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY• GLORIA TAM FORDHAM UNIVERSITY 3AIRA PUNJWANI SUNY STONY BROOK JEREMY TEPERMAN VASSAR COLLEGE tv\ RON QUIAH SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY CUNY HUNTER · NYU- NURS!NG LI.NDA GREGORY THAI RAHMAN THOMA ~OY RAMKHALLAWAN PACE UNIVERSITY ANISHA THOMAS CUNY QUEENS NYIT · ~OUREEN RAM ZAN CUNY BARUCH MACAULAY HONORs• \BADI N )ARCY RANI HO.FSTRA UNIVERSITY LANCE PRISCILLA TOMAS TRAN HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY NYU- STEINHARDT RENDON SMITH COLLEGE MELISSA TSANG BROWN UNIVERSITY WLAN REYNOLD'S CUNY CITY SAM IA ULLAH ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY lOA NNE RONG ROSENGARD ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY VASSIL . URUMOV BROWN UNIVERSITY CHRISTINE 0 ARAH >ARAH ;ARYN ROTHBORT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ~O NIK SAHA GEORGE l EWAN DE SAL AU ST. JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY• JONATHAN VAZCONES lAY ANA SANCHEZ NYU- GENERAL STUDIES LUIS VEGA ' ' UNIVERSITY OF SOFIA (BULGARIA) VALENTIN : JERRIN o« CUNY BARUCH VARGHESE CUNY CITY SOPHIE DAVIS VATOUGIOS NY IT . CUNY QUEENS CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS ENNIFER SANCHEZ · SUNY NEW PALTZ EVANGELOS VEKIOS FORDHAM UNIVERSITY IONAM [OSTAS SAN I CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS ANA VERAS SUNY STONY BROOK SANIDAS CUNY CITY MACAULAY HONORS SUNY STONY BROOK SANTIAGO TEMPLE . UNIVERSITY ALBERT Ill SARAH. VETERE :AROLYN VIOLA CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS OHN SANTUCCI HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY KYROLLOS WANEES DARTMOUTH IERIAM SASSI FORDHAM UNIVERSITY IGARY WANG SUNY STONY BROOK NTHONY SCAR lA CUNY BARUCH TOWNES WANG- CUNY CITY MACAULAY HONORS ACOB SCHNEE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN jSUSAN WASSERMAN AMHERST COLLEGE ;,..~ AURA SCHUBERT CUNY HUNTER BUSHRA WAZED CUNY BROOKLYN MACAULAY HONORS :LET US SCHUYLER SUNY BUFFALO CHRISTINE WHANG BOSTON COLLEGE lANlEL SCHWARTZ SUNY STONY BROOK LILY WONG BOSTON UNIVERSITY AADIA SEEMANGAL isT. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY LAUREN WONG HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY HRISTOPHER SERNA WILLIAMS COLLEGE MADELEINE WRIGHT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.,. DWARD SHALOM ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY JOCELYN WRIGHT RICE UNIVERSITY JIUXING XIE USSELL SHAPIRO SUNY BINGHAMTON RAN SHARGAL . SUNY STONY BROOK YAMAGUCHI USA ·;vEE SHYEN (Michelle) YEOW SWARTHMORE SUNY STONY BROOK SUNY BUFFALO ARIYA SHEGDA BARNARD O:NNIFER EONJEEN (Grace) SHIM CUNY JOHN JAY GINlE SHIM TASFINA. ERRIZA SIDDIQUI S 1 . JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY ST. JOHN;S UNIVERSITY KAREN YU SUNY ALBANY ARLENE SIM WESLEY AN UNIVERSITY DA.VID YUEH RENSSELAER POLyTECHNIC ALDER SINGER OBERLIN COLLEGE ZUNAYED IZ/l.KER ST: JOHNS UNIVERSITY PHARMACY ARMINDER SINGH SUNY BINGHAMTON LONNY jZARETSKY COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY NITA SONAWANE CUNY QUEENS MACAULAY HONORS NATASHA ZARINSKY DARTMOUTH f\SWANNA SPRUILL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IFAN jZHANG DARTMOUTH POSTOLOS (Paul) STAG lAS jCOLLEGE OF WILLIAM . AND MARY MENG (Alan) ZHAO CORNELL (A&S) I YING · . YOUSUF ' NYU-A&S · ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY (HONORS) . ' --·- - )I )I ':< . 4 ... - The Classic Summer 2007 -~--~-- -~~~~-- Boul-anger bids·farewell, leavi.ng le·gacy behind· by Alexander Lord school was locked due to an as- quired to teach "anything and After 23 years in the bestos scare, and how he even everything within our subject Townsend Harris community, played stand-up comedian area." In Mr. Boulanger's case, English teacher Arthur when plans for an organized this included teaching all levBoulanger has decided to retire. .c ultural event fell through . els of English and fufilling his "I've had enough," he declared. "Being a teacher, especially at duties as the 'Enrichment CoNow that he will no longer be a new school," Mr. Boulanger ordinator.' In this position, tie teaching, Mr. Boulanger plans said, "you see Murphy's law in was responsible for the placeto travel, read his own selection · action . Everything you do, ment of students in their indiof books, and "sleep later than you're doing for the first time." vidual clubs arid teams, which five o'clock in the morning." After serving in the army at a time were held in the Mr. Boulanger is one of the for seven years, during which middle of the school day. 13 pioneer teachers who taught For the next 18 years, in adtime he was stationed in South at Harris when tile school reKorea, Vietnam, and Germany, dition to teaching specialized opened in 1984. After his de- . Mr. Boulanger began teaching . English courses, including the parture, the only original facAfter spending eight years freshmen Linguistics class, Mr. ulty member remaining will b~ teaching before arriving-at our Boulanger was the 'Program Dean of Students Wanda Nix. doorstep, he recalled, "Coming Coordinator.' This past year, "We had no reputation,'' Mr. here was like dying aqd going however, English teacher Boulanger reminsced of his to teacher heaven." He was Raquel Chung has assumed this first days. "We didn't know if amazed by the committed and responsibility and will continue the school would still be there ambitious student body, and in this position next year. next year." Mr. Boulanger exadded, "the ability to actually "I will miss the students plained it was "sort of like bebe a teacher rather than a cross incredibly ... because you are ing a frontier teacher, we didn't between a prison guard and a the guys that make us want to have any books." · corrections officer was every- come in every morning and In his two decades teaching thing [I'd] ever imagined keep us on our toes," Mr. here, Mr. Boulanger amassed Boulanger said, adding, "I will teaching to be." numerous stories which he Throughout his time here, miss the rush that I got every gladly recounts. He described Mr. Boulanger has worn many September from meeting a new how the chairs in the classdifferent hats . When the school freshman class." rooms would sometimes break first reopened, with only 13 When asked what he felt the upon being sat on, how the teachers, everyone was re- . legacy is that he will soon leave .., ~ '§ "' Vl » .0 0 _g 0. behind, Mr. Boulanger sim- ."reading for the sake of readply described the Ephebic Oath ing." Nextyear, he plans to vasaying: "'I hope that I have left cation in Ala,ska, of which he the school better than I found it joked, "a-s far as the continental U.S. goes, that's as far away 22 years ago." from Townsend Harris as Lean By the end of July, Mr. Boulanger plans to be settled _ get, so you won't see me subinto his new home around Long . bing." He does, however, plan Island Wine Country, wHere he · to "stay involved" in the intends to spend some fim(-, Tow:_nsend Harris community. Rio races to retire as teacher, but remains as..coach -.,.· . ' by Madeleine Wright After 35 years of teaching health and physical education, George Rio is ready to step down from the plate for his retirement on July I. "But I'm not. going to be completely retired," he says, because although his teaching career is drawing to a close, he still plans to remain at Townsend Harris to coach the Boys' Indoor/Outdoor Track and Cross Country teams. ''I want to retire while I'm still young and relatively healthy and can enjoy my golden years," he said. After he retires, he looks forward to "working on my golf game, spending more time with my wife, and spending more time as a coach." Mr. Rio spent almost half of his career at Brooklyn's Sarah J. Hale High.School, where he taught for 19 years. But when the high school closed and turned into a school of performing arts, he realized that he wouldn't be able to remain as a teacher because "all of the gym requirements involved dancing, which I can't-do." At the time of the school's closing, track coach Joe Horn suggested that Mr. Rio try to coach at Townsend Harris . "Luckily, a year later, a teaching position opened up, and I " ·- • ~ .. . ' .:.· Li~ 1] .. J. Snap! Mr. Rio ex_plains osteoporosis to his health class while he rounds the final lap of his teaching career. Polk in Louisiana and Ft. Sam took it .. :'he said..· Mr. Rio's first teaching job Houston in Texas. Afterwards ; was at Roosevelt High School · he spent four years in the Rein the Bronx, where he lives. serves as a combat medic. He His second job was at Creston , received formal training in perJunior High .School, and after forming medical procedures, being laid off for a year, he but said, "I was glad I never had spent some time driving a cab, to do it for real." He said if he and working at a liquor store for hadn't become a te.a cher or a . a living. "Every day the secu- track star, he would have been rity guards [at Creston] stopped an emergency medical technime because they _thought I was cian, since he had already a kid," he feminisced . "The gained experience in that area. Mr. Rio, who professed to only difference was that I was having been ''the fastest kid in wearing a tie." After Mr. Rio graduated the neighborhood back in the from Cardinal Hayes High day," said t-hat he had had · School, he entered Hunter Col- dreams of becoming a profeslege as a pre-law student, fol- sional. track athlete,. but that he lowing the advice of his mother. "wasn't fast enough." He deIn his sophomore year of col- cided that coaching and teachlege, however, his track coach . ing health and physical educasuggested that he· become .a tion was "a way to keep being physical education teacher. Mr. involved with the sport." Rio toc:>k the advice, explaining He adds, "I'm glad I was , that "I knew I wasn ' t going to able to spend my last eight or be . a lawyer. They mostly do nine years at Townsend Harris. · research all day, which is really The goal of all the teachers, adboring. I also wouid have hated ministrators, and students is a to have to wear a suit -in an of- proper education, and it's ·a fice al.l day. It's too constrict- pleasure to see that everyone 's ing."He graduated from Hunter on the same page ." He says College with .a major in physi- optimistically about the future cal education and health and a of the school, " I think minor in biology. Townsend ·Harris was "a great Prior to hi.s teaching career, school before I was here . I'm Mr. Rio _served active duty ·in sure it will survive my retirethe military for one year at Ft. ·rnent. " •L •. r t: ll' , ...~
