What have been some of your most memorable moments over the last four years at WHSAD? I still remember my first day of freshman year, not knowing where my first-period class was and having to ask a few people, “Where’s the freshman algebra room?” When I saw Ms. Tan, I didn’t know what to expect. I kept wondering if she would be strict or kind, and honestly, I felt that way about all my teachers that year. Making new friends turned out to be easier than I thought. Looking back, I’m still close with most of them, and the rest have simply become part of the past. I don’t regret my journey at WHSAD at all. If anything, I wish I could experience it all over again. I never expected four years to go by so quickly it feels like it was just … [Read more...]
Keaden Belle-Class of 2026
What have been some of your most memorable moments over the last four years at WHSAD? My most memorable moments at WHSAD have come from being part of a strong and supportive community. I have enjoyed helping both students and teachers, which made me feel like I truly belonged. I dedicated a lot of my time to after-school activities, where I was able to grow my skills and build meaningful connections. One of my proudest experiences was going from building a furniture piece during my sophomore and junior years to later using those same skills to create moving props for a school play. I also enjoyed working with Mr. Crockford, participating in partnership trips, and joining MBK, all of which helped shape my high school experience. What … [Read more...]
WHSAD Participates in Its First Model U.N.
Each year, WHSAD expands on its extracurricular offerings for its students. These new opportunities allow more students to participate in passion projects and, in turn, learn more about themselves. While many of the projects fall within the realm of the school's bread and butter of architecture and design, we also maintain a strong interest in developing programs in our humanities department. This year, our students delved into global investigations through their participation in Model U.N. and gained a greater understanding of diplomacy and debate. As per its website, "Model UN simulations engage hundreds of thousands of students each year, helping them to learn more about the principles of the UN and how it functions. Many of today’s … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s University/College Visits
Junior, Miguel Hernandez, wrote this story. Thank you to guidance counselor, Ms. Erneste, for the photos and taking time to speak with Miguel. College trips. You've probably heard of them around WSHAD. The trips show you around the college, and give you a feel of how college life might be with that school. The colleges show you around their campus, while giving you information about wherever you are. The main goal for them is to entice you into wanting to apply to their college. What do these trips look like? The Juniors of WHSAD went on a couple of trips recently. One of them being to Kean University, and on the same day, NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology), both of which are located in New Jersey. Both colleges had … [Read more...]
Sophomores Enjoy “Romeo and Juliet Suite” at Park Avenue Armory
In this narrative, Sophomore, Jose Tavares, muses about the performance and his impressions of Park Avenue Armory. WHSAD is proud to call Park Avenue Armory a community partner for many years, and we thank everyone who has continued to strengthen this essential resource for our students. It all begins with what the actor of Mercutio calls the “naive start”, subtle glances at each other as we sit in our chairs waiting to what will happen. There is so much excitement because there is so much unknown for many, and the simple fact that friends are there adds to the pile of emotions. There is relaxation when sitting, constant giggles and out of pocket conversations emerging. Suddenly however these conversations are interrupted by the … [Read more...]
Alonzo Jones on His Questbridge Journey
Junior, Miguel Hernandez, interviewed Alonzo and wrote this story. Alonzo Jones, a senior here at WHSAD, got into Dartmouth College, a four year private Ivy League university. Dartmouth is extremely difficult to get into, with an acceptance rate of around 6%. So how did he get in? WHSAD interviewed Alonzo and asked him about the steps he took to reach his position. Something that really helped Alonzo was the fact that he knew what he wanted every step of the way. He knew after his years here at WHSAD that architecture wasn’t what he wanted. Instead, during a virtual financial valuation course offered by Dartmouth, he came across something he felt matched what he wanted. Alonzo said, “The program introduced me to the world of finance … [Read more...]
WHSAD Students and Staff Attend “999: The Forgotten Girls” Screening
Junior, Alison Sanchez, wrote this story. Specials thanks to producer, Jay Heit, for inviting WHSAD staff and students to the screening and speaking with students at the school the next day. On January 27, 2025, students of WHSAD were given the opportunity to view 999: The Forgotten Girls at the Striker Center. The screening took place on Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the day when the Red Army liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, freeing thousands of remaining prisoners and revealing the full extent of the Nazi extermination system to the world. 999: The Forgotten Girls tells the true story of 999 teenage Jewish girls who were betrayed by their government after being misled and deceived. The film chronicles the experiences of … [Read more...]
Matthew Wintje, 2025 PSAL Scholar-Athlete
Student reporter, Miguel Hernandez, interviewed Matthew and wrote this story. On December 15th, 2025, Matthew Wintje, a senior at WHSAD, received an award called the MVP Scholar-Athletes award. He is one of the 55 students who receive the award across the 5 boroughs. They received the award and a dinner in their honor at Yankee Stadium. What is the Scholar-Athlete Award? The Scholar-Athlete Award is an award given to students across the 5 boroughs of New York City. 11 students from each borough are selected to receive this award. To receive the award, they have to meet certain criteria. They have to achieve at least an 80% GPA throughout all four years and to have participated in at least two sports. To have either of those is … [Read more...]
CTA Newsletter #1
Thank you to Sophomore, Chris Chen, for sharing thoughts regarding this year's CTA program. For the past three years, CTA Architects has been partnering with WHSAD as an architectural program. What is CTA Architects you may ask? CTA Architects is an architecture firm, established in 1987, and primarily focused on large buildings. CTA offers a chance for students to be able to have that opportunity of how it feels to be an architect. This afterschool program allows students to work with real architects as mentors who give students feedback to work on and grow a presentation of a specific project that allows them to experience the feeling of working and presenting to a client. The students work based on a schedule where students … [Read more...]
Photography Club Explores Downtown Manhattan
Photography club focuses on helping students take charge of their work and learning through hands-on experience. Members get various opportunities to shoot in school events because the club is so involved with the school and its students. At the same time there is a strong emphasis on exploration and self direction, which is encouraged through trips and time outside of school. On Friday, November 21 photography club students took a trip into the city, starting at the One World Trade Center, a historical landmark located on 285 Fulton St near Tribeca. Students began at the Oculus, drawn to the building's exterior, unique and striking when compared to the modern office buildings that surrounded it. The Oculus connects to the subway housing … [Read more...]