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...]
The Column
Archived here is every article written for WHSAD's student run newspaper, The Column.
CTA Architect Project
What is CTA Architects? One of the best things about WHSAD is their commitment to give students early opportunities to chase their dreams. Recently, about 15 students from all grades were offered a great chance to work with a New York architecture firm, CTA Architects. Thanks to Mr. Codio and Ms. Cumberbatch, we get the chance to see how the architecture and design field operates. Now, you may be wondering what company is CTA Architects. It's an architecture firm based in New York. The sole purpose is strictly centered around architects, as their firm is composed of all architects. They work on a lot of restoration and renovation projects, helping to bring back the culture and the feel of New York to what its architecture originally … [Read more...]
WHSAD Helping Ferry Hawk Fans Find their Way
The year of 2020 set a course for a lot of changes worldwide, affecting all forms of living things for better or worse. The lack of human activity throughout the year led to empty parks, soulless streets, and barren stadiums. These places are homes of human activity and create bonds between the people. Such was the case for the Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, which prior to the pandemic was Richmond County Bank Ballpark and housed the Staten Island Yankees from 2001-2020. Once the pandemic hit, the establishment remained empty for two years, and over that time period, a lot would need to be updated, such as signage, seating, branding, and ensuring that health codes were up to date. The sudden gear of motion began to … [Read more...]
WHSAD 2021 Alum, Ryan Singh, Shares His Experience in the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at CCNY
My first semester in the Bernard and Anne Spitzer school of architecture program was challenging because it was in the midst of Covid. Due to the transition from virtual learning to in-person learning, I felt as though I had missed out on the typical college experiences and the hands-on learning that came with the architecture program. However, since the transition to fully in person, I have deeply enjoyed these last two semesters. I have had the opportunity to work on new projects as well as explore and learn about different aspects of the city. Through this process I was able to learn new programs such as Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and additional mapping programs such as NYC Open Data and ArcGIS Pro. What I enjoy most about … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s Fall 2022 Park Avenue Armory Youth Corps
Running from October 17th, 2022 to December 22nd, 2022, Park Avenue Armory’s Youth Corps fall semester was a way for high school students such as myself to further connect to and explore jobs in the arts. Those who participated had the opportunity to view and discuss the featured installation at Park Armory at the time, Julian Roosevelt’s “Euphoria”. Our discussions primarily revolved around the work’s themes, setup, and how we may want to let factors from this installation influence our final capstone project. But outside of the installation viewing and our capstone project which occurred in late November through December, our experience consisted of the following things, all of which occurred on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays following … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s Second Annual Ornament Design Competition
This year students of WHSAD celebrated the holidays through a school ornament design competition. Students were challenged to create a unique design through the design platform AutoCAD as it would allow the designs to be 3D printed and painted. Students had a limit of around a week to come up with a draft for an ornament design and experiment with the design. Although this was a competition for holiday fun, it also proved to be a challenge for students as working freely with AutoCAD in 3D can be challenging at times. However, the students overcame any challenges presented and created several detailed designs in time for the holiday! Some of the participating students shared their experiences which you may read below: Kyanna … [Read more...]
CTE ISP Opportunities for Spring 2023 — SENIORS!!!
Seniors -- read below for paid WBL opportunities in the Spring semester. See Ms. Wilson if you have questions. Spring Industry Scholars Internship Program (Paid, $15/hour for 80 hours) Applications Due January 27, 2023 Information sessions will be held each Wednesday in January at 4pm. Interested students can register using the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RmfzfN3JQ-WoYimmKRf6NA How to Apply:1. Complete the Internship Application Link in your CTS Profile (participants.careerpathways.nyc) 2. Verify your working eligibility status (INSTRUCTIONS HERE) by signing up for a 5 minute virtual appointment. You MUST do your verification before your interview! (I.e. Do it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)Make sure you have … [Read more...]
WHSAD Work, Learn, Grow Students Visit their Staten Island Sites
On Saturday 3rd, 2022, WHSAD Work-Learn-Grow participants went on a site visit trip all over Staten Island to view the sites they’d be working on throughout the school year. The sites are: Throughout the rainy day, students analyzed, took photos, and explored the site. Architecture firm Gensler, which has been one of WHSAD's longest partners will provide mentoring for students on these various projects. Students enjoyed this trip and learned more about their sites. Some students met their stakeholders who will provide objectives and visions the students must consider in their work. Below are experiences from students as well as some statements from some of the stakeholders or other key people participating in … [Read more...]
WHSAD Students Return to LaTourette Park in the Staten Island Greenbelt
On December 7, 2022, students make their last trip to LaTourette Park in the Staten Island Greenbelt before they separate into groups to create a proposal to make the park more accessible. Today, the entire group worked together to close a trail that had been reopened by hikers. Sometimes trails need to be closed because they are dangerous to use due to steepness and other factors. The park was muddy today due to rain and continued to get muddier as the rain started again during lunch. To close the trail, we had to collect thorn bushes to prevent people from getting access to the trail and branches and logs to make the trail look a part of the park. I look forward to the next semester of this trip as we work on our proposals to make the … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s Little Free Library Event with H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths
This past weekend kicked off another installment of the WHSAD and H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths Little Free Library project. WHSAD students and staff, H.E.A.L.T.H. for Youths Co-founder and Executive Director, Ms. Heather Butts, and local representatives gathered to construct the libraries which will find homes in various communities throughout our city. The goal for each library is to inspire heightened levels of literacy and community solidarity as the “take a book, leave a book” grassroots philosophy rests on local residents’ involvement. The builds had everyone working together with the library kits, assembling the wooden pieces with glue, screws, and power tools. After construction, decorating commenced, allowing each group to illustrate … [Read more...]