The Column

September 7th marked the partnership between the Department of Buildings (DOB) and WHSAD for CANstruction’s 31st Annual Design Competition. Canstruction is precisely what its name suggests, the construction of designs solely using cans which get donated to food banks at the end of each project. DOB asked that WHSAD students come up with a design which included the text “DOB CARES”, an apple representing New York City, and a city skyline upon student suggestion. This prompt received several student submissions who all brought a level of uniqueness to the table. In the end, the design that was chosen belonged to WHSAD Junior, Alonzo Jones. The next stage of this project will take place on Monday, September 26th where the WHSAD community will … [Read more...]

Park Avenue Armory's Youth Corps summer semester ran from July 10th to August 17th. This semester, as with previous semesters, Youth Corps members like myself experimented with a range of artistic mediums, some of which were unfamiliar. In addition to this experimentation, Youth Corps also attended two residencies led by artists Helga Davis and Larry Jackson, were given multiple tours of the Armory, and attended trips to several sites. We visited Central Park to learn processional movement, the Poster House Museum to experience their Black Power to Black People: Branding the Black Panther Party exhibit, and Brooklyn Bridge Park to view Nicholas Galanin's "In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra" sculpture. … [Read more...]

WHSAD Junior, Amina Clyde, did all work for this article. What is Summer Bridge?  As stated by the WHSAD.org website, “WHSAD’s annual summer bridge program is designed to introduce incoming freshmen to the basic skill sets needed to perform efficiently in their CTE classes and Work-based learning projects. Students will learn through team project collaboration and feedback. This program is also open to middle school students from 6th and 7th grade who are interested in architecture and design.” It consists of two sessions, one in  the morning, the other in the afternoon. The morning session is from 9-10:30 and the afternoon session is from 11:30-1. The students have the option to stay for both or come for either time. … [Read more...]

Before digging into Jack Fairweather’s Zoom meeting and his book A Rebel in Auschwitz,  it's important to first highlight the people who made the meeting between WHSAD students and Mr. Fairweather possible. Thank you to Maja Steczkowska, Deputy Director/Acting Director of the Polish Cultural Institute of New York and Alicja Winnicki, Former Principal and Superintendent in Community School District 14.  With that, on behalf of WHSAD, I’d like to extend a thanks and sincere gratitude to Mr. Jack Fairweather for his knowledge and his efforts to spread those insights regarding Wiltold Pilecki’s heroism. At the beginning of the Zoom meeting, Mr. Fairweather explained the background of Witold Pilecki. Mr. Pilecki was a … [Read more...]

Good afternoon family, staff, honored guests and fellow graduates of WHSAD. Thank you all for attending the graduation of the class of 2023! Our time at WHSAD has definitely been unconventional. With Covid-19 interrupting our freshman year, students were barely able to settle into school  before being whisked away to learn online. However, even with this unanticipated challenge, students and teachers were able to continue on and persevere.  Even with the loss of a year and a half, once back to in person schooling students wasted no time in reconnecting and socializing with each other.  Students jumped headfirst into the different projects, events and clubs the school offered, even staying late nights or coming to the … [Read more...]

Some of the most rewarding moments in high school come during after hours. Students who seek opportunities will be taxed at times, but the payoff in terms of learning experiences cannot be denied. One of WHSAD's most notable extracurricular activities is its partnership programs with some of the most respected architecture firm in New York City. This year committed students attended weekly sessions with architects from CTA, a firm that, according to their mission statement, "strives to conserve our world’s natural resources and implement innovative and environmentally-friendly design strategies." Students gained first-hand knowledge regarding the sustainability movement in architecture, and how firms such as CTA are not only designing … [Read more...]

Hello, I'm Cynthia, a 10th grade student at WHSAD. I am currently in my second year in the ACE mentorship program. Thanks to this program I was able to learn and experience new experiences, from rendering software to improving and developing skills I currently have. Mr. Codio introduced me when he came into my 9th grade architecture class and started explaining ACE as a program with great benefits, a program that isn’t limited to people who want to pursue architecture or design. He explained how ACE is made up of many teams, which focus on sharing knowledge and experiences of their careers that don't necessarily involve architecture or design. Personally, I picked team 6 because it was the team that WHSAD is working hand in hand with and it … [Read more...]

Located in Manhattan, Park Avenue Armory is a non-profit organization, dedicated to teaching students about performance art, and showing original and unique pieces you won't find anywhere else in the city. They aim to create opportunities and learning experiences for students and civilians alike. In March of 2023, 10th grade students attended Alexander Zeldin’s play, “Love,” at the Armory. Unlike a traditional performance, the actors occasionally interacted with the students sitting on the stage, creating a feeling of immersion, realism, and relatability to the show. This is exactly what the organization intends to do: redefine what a performance has to be and share art with as many people as possible. As a partner with Park Avenue Armory, … [Read more...]

Since October of 2022, the Junior Design class led by Ms. Moos and Mr. Crockford, has been working on designing and constructing masks. The process began with having students define what a mask is, along with researching their own masks and going over the history and significance of masks. After grasping the concept of a “mask,” students were then able to take creative liberty and design a mask of their own. This involved sketching several views of their imagined masks so that when the construction process began, they would have a clear idea of what they would be building. When the time to build the masks came, the main materials used were cardboard, tape, and staples. This was followed by papier-mâché and the eventual painting and … [Read more...]

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...]