THHS Classic

This weekend, English teacher Brian Sweeney was honored alongside three other educators from around the country with the Schapiro Award at Northwestern University’s graduation ceremonies. The award recognizes teachers “who have had a transforming impact on the lives of students.”

At yesterday’s ceremony, which was held in Chicago’s United Center, Mr. Sweeney was seated onstage fellow Schapiro award winners James Kennedy, Alessandra King, and Jim Walker. The teachers were honored alongside 2026 honorary degree recipients Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Graetzel, Heather Headley, and David Skorton.

Mr. Sweeney was nominated by Micah Sandy, a former Classic editor who just graduated from Medill’s School of Journalism. Micah helped present the award at an event held on campus Saturday morning. He will be pursuing a career in journalism

Former Classic Editor Izegbuwa Adun also graduated from Northwestern University this weekend. Congratulations to them all.

Northwestern Medill School

OPINION: Math grading system should reconsider public participation charts

At Townsend Harris, academic performance can sometimes feel publicly visible, but is especially so through math participation charts....

OPINION: Math grading system should reconsider public participation charts At Townsend Harris, academic performance can sometimes feel publicly visible, but is especially so through math participation charts. The math participation chart system at THHS encourages competit…

Classic Crossword: Summertime

As the 2026 school year starts to come to a close, celebrate this school year with this week's Classic games. Play below. Made using the online crossword generator from Amuse Labs Built by Simon using PuzzleMe's free blossom generator

Classic Crossword: Summertime As the 2026 school year starts to come to a close, celebrate this school year with this week’s Classic games. Play below.   Made using the online crossword generator from Amuse Labs Buil…

The evolution of Student IDs over two decades

Townsend Harris High School’s student identification system has evolved over the past two decades from paper program cards and Queens College IDs to color-coded cards, barcode scans, and digital entry records....

The evolution of Student IDs over two decades Townsend Harris High School’s student identification system has evolved over the past two decades from paper program cards and Queens College IDs to color-coded cards, barcode scans, and digital en…

Spring Concert splits into two-day performance

The Music Department showcased its annual Spring Concert using a new two-day format. In an effort to reduce stress for student musicians, one night was dedicated to band and wind ensembles, while the other featured chorus and strings....

Spring Concert splits into two-day performance The Music Department showcased its annual Spring Concert using a new two-day format. In an effort to reduce stress for student musicians, one night was dedicated to band and wind ensembles, while t…

Catch up on recent articles:
1. Photos of the Week: Class of 2027 celebrates the end of the school year at Junior Banquet
2. Watch live: 2026 spring concert day 2
3. Sports highlights: boys baseball and girls badminton as the season comes to a close
4. Sports highlights: girls badminton, flag fooball, and boys volleyball as their seasons come to a close
5. OPINION: Return of international trip options provides welcome opportunities for Harrisites
6. Classic Nexus II: a connections style game with a school theme
7. SU requires clubs hold elections to determine club leaders for 2026-2027 school year
8. Steel Hawks compete at 2026 FIRST Championships
9. Classic Crossword: ‘spell out’ this week’s puzzle

Read the full articles on thhsclassic.com

EDITORIAL: The greatest lesson Mr. Seidel left us with was how to live life meaningfully

After learning of the sudden passing of social studies teacher Joseph Seidel, many students and staff have spoken at length about what made Mr. Seidel such a unique educator. Last Wednesday, members of The Classic who were Mr. Seidel’s students met to discuss just what made him so special. As our readers know, these words of praise are not just polite things people are saying after a tragedy. ...

EDITORIAL: The greatest lesson Mr. Seidel left us with was how to live life meaningfully After learning of the sudden passing of social studies teacher Joseph Seidel, many students and staff have spoken at length about what made Mr. Seidel such a unique educator. Last Wednesday, member…

Hawkappella looks toward revival through recruitment

Hawkappella, Townsend Harris High School’s a ca****la group, started as a small group of students who were interested in singing as part of a choir. In the a ca****la genre, singers don’t use musical instruments. Instead, they use their mouths to create a beat to sing to. David Stern, physics teacher and advisor of Hawkappella, said he worked with former students to start the club because he wanted to provide members with a “lighthearted and low stakes” opportunity to experience music and perform. ...

Hawkappella looks toward revival through recruitment Hawkappella, Townsend Harris High School’s a ca****la group, started as a small group of students who were interested in singing as part of a choir. In the a ca****la genre, singers don’t use music…