I would love to specifically name all of the excellent teachers I had while at Townsend Harris; each instilled many values and contributed to a wealth of interests that have remained with me to this day; it is hard to narrow down which teacher in particular I'd like to thank the most!
If I had to pick just one, my greatest debt would be to Mr. Thaddeus Julius Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson not only taught us Latin for the regular two year Latin program many of us enrolled in at TH (we were given the option of studying Latin, Classical Greek, or Hebrew); he voluntarily taught a third year Latin course, of his own volition, for no pay, after hours.
Studying such classics as Vergil's Aenid, Cicero's orations, and the poetry of Horace and Catullus--along with all you could wish to learn about dactyllic hexameter, iambic pentameter, and Sapphic strophes--opened a love for languages and formed the foundation for work in literature that I would go on to study in my undergraduate and graduate studies. (How much more enjoyable was Dante and Milton because of this foundation!) I often look back with great fondness on those days with Mr. Ferguson and our small band of third year Latin students. His dedication and his enthusiasm in the classroom has continued to be an example to me whether I am leading a small group of eighth graders or teaching courses at the graduate level.
Thank you, Mr. Ferguson!
-Christopher Born
Townsend Harris High School, Class of 1994