The Column

Our team of student journalists just published the print edition of Volume 4, Issue 2 of The Column. You can read The Column here or download it as a PDF. If the document takes too long to load on your device, please select “open in new tab” at the bottom of the loading document. … [Read more...]

Congratulations to all of the students that made the honor roll for the 1st marking period of the Fall, 2021 term! Keep up the good work! To see if you’ve made the honor roll, look for your grade in the report below. Remember, while your average may have been high enough, you can only make the honor roll if you’ve passed all of your classes. … [Read more...]

On November 10th, 2021 WHSAD students attended their third meeting with the staff at High Rock, a team that focuses on the Greenbelt Park in Staten Island. Over the course of the meeting, speaker Josh Otero explained what the Natural Areas Conservatory (NAC) is and how the organization benefits the park. He explained NAC started in 2017 and has been a non-profit working on park trails and their restoration. They have helped restore 300 miles in 75 official and unofficial parks as well as 19 park trails, covering over 40 miles.  Mr. Otero also went over trail sustainability and trail formalization and the impact these factors have on a park. Trail sustainability focuses on durable yet discreet and fitting trails. This helps trails to … [Read more...]

On Tuesday, October 26, a group of WHSAD students, who are part of My Brother's and My Sister's Keeper groups, had the opportunity to go on a virtual trip and work on a hands-on project in collaboration with the Greenbelt in Staten Island. During the session, each of the four groups constructed a model based on real-life designs. Group 1 had to construct a "Rock Waterbar," group 2 worked on the "Log or Treated Timber Waterbar and Anchors," group 3 worked on "Step Construction Design”, and group 4 worked on a model of a water bar that shows two sets of rocks stopping and redirecting a downstream flow of water. In parks and trails like High Rock, these structures assist in managing water flow that is due to precipitation. These various … [Read more...]

A partially overlooked part of New York City is the magnificent parks that reside right under our noses. The intricate system of parks that has existed for decades has been taken for granted by the people who live and use it on a daily basis, and the parks have lost their wealth as providers to every community that they exist in. But during the pandemic, something changed. The quarantine provided much reflection upon people and lent them more time than was previously available. During the pandemic, people became tired of sitting home and seeing the same walls and items everyday on a daily basis. This pushed them to go outside and connect more with nature. As a result, people started appreciating the city’s parks and realizing parks' … [Read more...]

Below is an interview done with new Freshmen architecture teacher and WHSAD alumna, Ms. Cumberbatch. Who are you? "My name is Ms. Cumberbatch. I'm a former student here that graduated in 2014. I'm currently a teacher, and I spent four years at Arcadia University studying interior design. I got to study abroad for a semester and then worked for an architecture firm for two years in the city." Tell me about your prior architecture experience. "For two years after I gradated from college I spent my time learning about the design process, not just what to do but the legal aspect-the politics. Understanding that different companies use different laws, and learning that it's not just creating homes, and there's a lot more to it. I … [Read more...]

We all have lived in a place and seen that place change. New buildings are quite common in New York City, and for us a common question is "What are they building this time?" We may think that it will be something that will look good in our community, but we never ask ourselves "How do they decide to build it or not?" In the meeting they talked about the new revision to building codes and new mandates. In my perspective, I am so happy that I joined the meeting because I received some information that I never though that I need to understand why some construction sites takes long. In the presentation it was about how people who design or create a building have to go through many procedures. They don’t just see if the new building will … [Read more...]