The Column

Thank you to Two Trees Managing Director of External Affairs, Mr. David Lombino, for the historical and design insights and the inside look at The Refinery. Amina Clyde, Class of 2025 What was once known as a prominent sugar factory housing many workers during the 1900s, Domino Sugar Factory debuted in 1856 and was operated by Fredrick C. Havemayer Jr. After a fire and several industrial failures, the factory was rebuilt in 1882 by Theodore A. Havemeyer, Thomas Winslow, and J. E. Its revival was short lived as the factory inevitably closed, leaving many without work. The shut down of the factory also left a good portion of the area closed off from the public, leaving a large unused space. For many years, the building remained … [Read more...]

The ACE Mentorship Program of NY has been paired with WHSAD for over 7 years. Within the ACE program itself there are multiple teams from which WHSAD students can select. One of the most innovative and renowned teams is team 6. Although team 6  incorporates fields like engineering, acoustics, mechanical engineering, plumbing, construction management, its main focus is architecture.  Each year a group of WHSAD students end up selecting team 6 and learn to sharpen their skills in drafting and rendering while also gaining new knowledge and connections. In ACE, students get to interact with professionals from various fields. Students like me go to ACE because we get to learn about the intricate and useful parts of architecture that you … [Read more...]

See WHSAD students' Newtown Creek StoryMap and student reflections below: -Derek Ramos Matos, 2024 WHSAD Valedictorian Participating in the Newtown Creek Alliance “Living Dock” project has been a transformative journey, blending art, science, and community activism. This initiative, aimed at revitalizing and sustaining the ecological health of Newtown Creek, has not only been working on reshaping the local environment but also deeply influencing the personal and academic growth of students like myself. The Living Dock, a remarkable synthesis of art and ecology, serves as a floating ecosystem designed to foster marine biodiversity. This initiative stands as a testament to how innovative environmental solutions can rejuvenate … [Read more...]

Thank you to The Freshkills Park Alliance staff for supporting our students in realizing multiple objectives this year. Thank you to Mark Murphy, President of the Freshkills Park Alliance; Christopher Ricker, Freshkills Park Program Coordinator; and Shannon Erickson, Director of Education for the Freshkills Park Alliance. Check out the Fresh Kills project story map here: -Jada Quijano, Sophomore This experiential learning program exemplifies how academic institutions and organizations can work together. The success of this collaboration paves the way for continued partnerships in the future. Students can gain valuable workplace skills while contributing to the park's development, and the Alliance gets valuable data to guide … [Read more...]

Thursday, May 16th, WHSAD had the honor of hearing from Holocaust survivor, Mrs. Toby Levy. The talk has become an annual event thanks to Project Witness, an organization dedicated to educating the world on the stories of survivors and victims alike. Growing up Jewish in Nazi occupied Poland, Mrs. Levy's struggles were immense, and unfortunately not uncommon. She was one of millions who suffered the effects of the Holocaust, including 8 of her friends and family she went into hiding with. But despite all she’s been through, she still works to spread love. It is incredibly brave and inspiring how she looks back on her life with only gratitude to those who were there for her, instead of hate for those who were not. Mrs. Levy had been kind … [Read more...]

This is WHSAD's second year working with CTA architects. According to its website, "CTA's work is rooted in the belief that the careful, appropriate restoration of existing buildings is among the most sustainable activities of any Architecture practice." Students in the mentorship engage in projects that dovetail with this portion of CTA's mission statement and learn both hard and soft skills. Oftentimes students have commented that the CTA mentorship is rigorous and puts students on the spot not only to present ideas to the professionals, but also to accept constructive feedback that lacks sugarcoating. During the mentorship students apply the design process, collaborate with peers and mentors, and gain a greater grasp on software programs … [Read more...]

Lake Como has been an ongoing project for I believe more than 5 years. I began working on Lake Como my freshman year in 2020 remotely and made significant progress since then. This year makes it my fourth year working on Lake Como. The primary goal of this project is to take advantage of Lake Como’s natural features and create an enhanced asset for the town, making it unique from the towns around it.  The goals of this project are environmental conservation to protect the natural beauty and biodiversity of Lake Como, community engagement to engage local communities involved in decision making processes and ensuring their interest and concerns are addressed to each part of the project, and tourism promotion to enhance Lake Como’s … [Read more...]

Thank you to Ms. Heather Butts of H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths and all the partners who offered support to our students on their projects. Jennifer Segundo Ramirez and Mariah Nieves, WHSAD Seniors What has been your project? I worked on the Corporal Thompson Park Playground Renovation Project on Staten Island.  This project aimed to transform the playground into a fun and inclusive space that involves children of all ages.  A key priority was ensuring the safety of all children using the playground and addressing the primary concern of parents in the community. Additionally, the community involvement was important as the playground serves the local residents and is intended for their enjoyment.  What other students … [Read more...]

Each year a group of WHSAD students visits The Jewish Heritage Museum-A Living Memorial to The Holocaust to bear witness not only to the atrocities that took place in Europe but also to the strength of the human spirit. Such trips provide perspective and information that can only be gleaned from textbooks; therefore, those students in attendance deepened their understanding of these times through exhibits, artifacts, personal narratives, etc. Below, a few students have provided their thoughts about the trip and how such knowledge will impact them for the rest of their lives. The Jewish Heritage Museum was a fascinating experience, providing me with new facts about the lifestyle and the horrific changes that arrived. People back then … [Read more...]

Every year WHSAD students have the unique privilege of working with teaching artists from Park Avenue Armory. This experience provides students with opportunities to explore art connected to a current production taking place at the Armory. Starting in late February, sophomores began working with Armory theater and visual art teaching artist, Leigh Apoulos, and WHSAD alum and visual artist, Shar Galarza, on a stop motion project based on the production of "Illinoise", which is inspired by Sufjan Stevens' award-winning album of the same name. Stayed tuned for another story about the students' project. For now, what follows are some of the attending students' reflections on "Illinoise". The show “Illinoise”, ahh what an experience, … [Read more...]