Science Evermore?

The Bronx Science I knew from 1999 to May, 2003 to the Bronx Science that awaited me on Homecoming, October 2003 were nothing alike. I'm afraid to go back and see what happened to the place. Reading this today justifies that fear.

Entering Science in 1999, I was upset because I didn't want to go to a specialized science high school, emphasis on the "science." Being a humanities-driven person like myself, I envisioned myself attending Townsend Harris, but being stuck on the waiting list stopped me. And I really didn't want to go to my zoned high school.

At the time, Stanley Blumenstein was principal and all was well. Bronx Science was the picture of New York City high school life—students took more required classes than your average NYC high school student, kids would lounge and play in the campus out front or the handball courts in the back or on Harris Field where more than not, illicit indulging occured, students could even leave school and take the 4 or the D train, if time permitted it. I was excited about high school and managed to carve my own path, focusing on yearbook and creative writing.

Then Blumenstein retired and that's where this story starts. Then, William Stark became Acting Principal as the NYC Board of Education looked for a new principal, though Stark was good enough. But the Chancellor was set on getting a big name as principal, preferably a Nobel Prize winner, but failed to do so. Stark, by the end of this, already moved into a more secure position. Because of the need for a new principal, then-Biology professor Valerie Reidy got the position. It was with then that Bronx Science began its transformation for the worse.

Under Blumenstein's and Stark's watch, Bronx Science had a relaxed atmosphere. The students were smart, they knew how to take care of themselves. The school had an open campus, so students were free to roam the wild and tame streets of Bedford, Bronx. Sure, kids cut classes all the time (myself included), but everyone still managed to do well in school.

There was nothing wrong with the system.

Then, along came Reidy during my senior year at Science. I don't rememeber the exact chronology, but there were mandatory ID checks at the cafeteria before entering the school. Those students who arrived late were had to wait inside the cafeteria instead of going to their classes. During Halloween and St. Patrick's Day, we were confined to the building. If we were let loose, we'd wreak havoc outside, or something like that. Shoulder-baring tops were highly disapproved of. During my senior year, as co-layout editor of the Observatory, Science's yearbook, I had to deal with the Letter from the Principal. Reidy poured over the letter throughout the year. We went through pages and pages of proofs. Finally, when the entire book went to bed, Reidy found a grammatical error and insisted on printing exact replicas of our design for that page with the correction as stickers. She handed them out during graduation rehearsal and asked us to replace our previous letter. No one did this. I think I still have that sticker somewhere here.

After graduating and being a college student for three months, my friends and I visited Bronx Science on Homecoming, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and oh my, how it changed. In the lobby of the building, underneath the giant science mural, were television screens. To be more accurate, they were security screens. In less than a year, Reidy set up security cameras all through campus and you could watch the entire show in the lobby. Yep. What she wanted was control of the students, of New York City's brightest, and that's exactly what she received.

In defiance to Reidy, students and teachers called her Dr. Quack. The moniker stems from the honorary PhD Reidy received from her alma mater, which gave her cause to add the suffix Dr. to her name. Instead, students and teachers alike opted to call her "Dr. Quack." Because he helped spread the word, Dr. Bob Drake, a chemistry teacher at Science (I never had him) was fired. I believe Dr. Mel Maskin (I was a horrible student in his class, but I appreciate his teaching methods) also left Science because of Reidy. How will the administration, or rather Reidy, respond to this? How will the Board of Education respond to it? Hopefully, the Chancellor will see that Reidy is too much of a polarizing figure for Bronx Science. Once teachers are being fired and resigning over your presence, it's pretty much time for you to move on, isn't it? Maybe the Chancellor should take up his search for a Nobel laureate as principal—there is no doubt he or she would be a better choice.

Just to note, famous Science alumni: for Jon: William Safire graduated in 1947. For Josh, Jon Favreau in 1984 and Scott Ian in 1982. And yeah, there were many Nobel Prize-winning graduates, editors and reporters (there's hope for me), Daniel Libeskind, the architect of the Freedom Tower (don't get me started on that) and many, many more.

[Title stems from the Bronx Science alma mater song.]