Jamaica High School Students Present Protest Play
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Some Queens high school students took to the stage and used a classic Greek play to call attention to what they feel is a modern-day tragedy.
Students at Jamaica High School wrote a play based on Sophocles' "Antigone."
For the past two years, Jamaica High has been on the city's list of schools it wants to close; while a new school was set up in their building.
Keeping in tune with the original work, the students felt their school was left to die while a new school, Queens Collegiate is allowed to flourish.
"The kids are making a statement to says to the Chancellor, new Chancellor [Cathie Black] and old Chancellor [Joel Klein], 'Hey, it's not us that failed. It's you that failed to provide the school with the adequate resources it needs to succeed,'" United Federation of Teachers chapter leader James Eterno.
"And the saddest thing is that the students recognize the inequality. It's not like it's hidden. They can walk by and see the smart boards and computers and they wonder why I still use chalk in my classroom," said social studies teacher Julie Schlakman.
The script was written by students from both Jamaica High School and the newer Queens Collegiate, after participating in a class at Queensborough Community College.
The principals from both schools originally thought the play was too controversial and had kept the play from being performed.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said, "We always thought that the kids should have been able to perform the play and are pleased it has been rescheduled."