The Project Witness program helps students better understand the Holocaust in an effort to eradicate the hatred and ignorance that caused such horrors. Through engaging curriculum, survivor talks, and culminating projects, WHSAD students have become more responsible and empathetic human beings. This year, another facet of the program in which students participated was a design challenge, which focused on Lager Shvesters, or Camp Sisters. Quite a few WHSAD students submitted entries, and freshman, Alonzo Jones, and Sophomore, Cynthia Luna-Marcelino, placed second in the categories of literature and art respectively. Below is their work along with their statements about their pieces. The Power of Friendship by Alonzo Jones The … [Read more...]
Generation Immigration-WHSAD’s 2023 CUNY CAT Residency
Over the course of two months, WHSAD seniors explored the topic of immigration. Supported by CUNY Creative Arts Team (CAT) facilitators, Claro de los Reyes and Jose Duran, students engaged in creative processes of developing dialogue, points of conflict, and engaging narration in order to investigate numerous facets of the immigrant experience. Above, you may watch the full video of the students' culminating presentations and below you may read some of the participating students' takeaways. The collaboration with CUNY CAT Generation Immigration program was funded by the Walentas Family Foundation. Ian Perez Florian Working with Claro and Jose has brought into light some hidden potential that I never knew I had in myself. Through … [Read more...]
WHSAD Work Learn Grow Students Reflect on Their Experiences
Alexander Diaz's Reflection Introduction The internship was a path between what we have learned so far about architecture here at WHSAD and the path ahead of us was with Gensler. Being more professional and attempting to meet deadlines was important throughout the internship. As the internship comes to a close, I'd like to go over what I've learned about myself and my work ethic. Personal Reflection Ever since freshman year, I always believed that these “afterschool” projects would have me working at night, sparing me no sleep and making it difficult to do anything else outside of school. After doing this internship, I can certainly tell you that is not the case. What really matters is your work-life … [Read more...]
Henry Diaz Shares His Mask-making Process
The process of making my mask was kind of complicated and fun because it was my first time doing something like it. The target of doing this is to understand the ways of building that are used in Architecture. The teachers taught the class about masks and different processes of building a mask. After this the class was tasked to design and build a mask. The teachers gave the class some tools to learn more about masks and some websites about the history of making masks and their meanings. This really helped me. Then the class had to make their own research about masks that we were interested in. I researched Mexican masks, how the masks were built, the materials that they were made of and the purpose and meaning. The masks from Mexico … [Read more...]
WHSAD Junior, Kayara Lodge, Discusses Her WHSAD Experiences
Hi, my name is Kayara Lodge. I would rate WHSAD as a good school for students who are interested in architecture or designing, etc. In WHSAD they have fun club programs after school activities for kids. They have sewing club, gaming club, anime club, chess club, dance club, etc. For me I like to go to the sewing club with Ms. Moos after school every Wednesday and Thursday. In the sewing club, Ms. Moos teaches techniques like learning how to sew with a needle or a machine, crocheting, painting, and other things that lead to doing sewing. She always makes sure you're doing the right thing and makes you feel comfortable making clothing. Another activity that I'm involved in is the student senate. The reason why I'm in the student senate is … [Read more...]
WHSAD Student Senate
Timothy Martinez did all writing and interviews for this story. Jared Birks took all photos. It’s a brand new year at WHSAD, and many changes are being made. After the pandemic turned our world upside down, things had to be put on hold, such as the student council. But after a long and exhausting two years, it is finally making a return to our school. Since 2014, the student senate has been capable of many things, such as bringing the students and the administration together by holding meetings with the grades a few times a year so that the administration would hear what the students want the school to improve on. Also, the council helps students organize and plan events and class fundraisers so that students would find something fun … [Read more...]
WHSAD Senior, K-Shima Noble, Reflects on Her Work at Silman Engineering Firm
My name is K-shima Noble, and I am currently a senior at WHSAD. First, I would like to start off by acknowledging the many opportunities present in WHSAD. Not only are these opportunities still present, it is important as students that we take advantage of these opportunities so that we can gain valuable insight that is important in the work force. One of these opportunities for example was my working experience for Silman. Silman is a structural engineering firm that has worked on many projects. These projects range from using sustainable techniques like adaptive re-use to renovate, refurbish, and/or create entire new buildings. Some of their most notable projects include performing an existing conditions assessment of the dome in the … [Read more...]
Gensler Mentor Portfolio Review Session
WHSAD students have enjoyed many opportunities to work with mentors from Gensler architecture firm. Receiving feedback from professionals in the industry provides students with insights about keeping work organized, the process of putting together their collected works, and how to diversify in order to provide future viewers with a wide scope of the students' interests and abilities. Thank you to the professionals from Gensler, Anne-Sophie Hall, Geoffrey Diamond, and Chasen Van Lang, for their knowledge, patience, and dedication. Below, a few students wrote about the experience and shared some of their work. Brandon Rosario-WHSAD Sophomore Today I met with three mentors from Gensler. They met with several WHSAD students from … [Read more...]
Ms. Toby Levy Speaks with the WHSAD Community
The WHSAD community has been privileged over these last three years to work with Project Witness, “a nonprofit Holocaust resource center” whose mission “merges judicious scholarship with cutting-edge media to provide thought-provoking Holocaust educational resources for schools, community centers, and lay readers.” For two years, students listened to the insights from Ms. Ruth Gruener, who despite her experiences during the Holocaust always brought a message of hope and love. For more information about those meetings, you may click on these links: After Ruth’s passing, WHSAD Senior, Deselle Thompson, who authored the aforementioned articles, wrote an obituary which you may find here: … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s Dance Club
This dance program at WHSAD has a positive effect on me since I have such a strong passion for dance. This dance program is fun and whenever I am feeling down or not at my best, dancing motivates me and inspires me to not lose myself. I think everyone should have the opportunity to dance or at least try to dance and give the dance club a try. This dance program doesn’t just do hip-hop dance, but we do afro-beat, up-beat, and the most modernist dance. Overall, I recommend anyone who enjoys dance or participates in dance just for fun to join this dance program because it is extremely fun and entertaining. It would be cool to set up shows or films of the dances we make up and eventually share out the choreography to those entertained or … [Read more...]