“Helping others, righting the wrongs”

By Jocie Mintz

January 3, 2020

Mike Manatos (‘86) goes to work every day wearing the same pin on his lapel. Every morning, he fastens it on his suit jacket or sports coat in the hopes that people will ask about what that little gold wishbone with a ribbon tied around it means. “It’s the logo for the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” he’ll re...

‘Bird boy’: Cameron Darnell amasses Instagram following from bird photography

November 25, 2019

The flies were swarming, biting and buzzing, and the sun was beating down as midday struck. The swath of marsh that Cameron Darnell had called his home for the past two days smelled putrid. I have to get this picture, he told himself. Cameron waited patiently for any sign of life. Yet all he got in retu...

LGBTQ chorus belts out message of love and equality

By Holly Adams

November 21, 2019

The spotlight glowed on a group of teenagers wearing all black — black slacks, black button-down shirts, black shoes. The only color came from their matching vibrant, rainbow neckties, perfectly coordinated with the colors of the LGBTQ pride flag. Family, friends and community members locked their ...

On the outside looking in

By Reuben Stoll

November 21, 2019

March 1, I sat in my government class anxiously waiting for the end of the day. When the clock struck 2:30 p.m., I was bouncing with excitement like every other Whitman lacrosse player. It was the first day of the season. I walked to the locker room, then to the field, visualizing the games to come, ...

Alex Chappell (’06) watches from the sidelines — and enjoys it

By Ella Adams

November 20, 2019

Alex Chappell (‘06) was the voice of the morning announcements Monday through Thursday and host of Friday’s televised news at Whitman during her junior and senior year. Thirteen years later, Chappell has moved from broadcasting Whitman news to reporting on some of the biggest stars in baseball, ...

The American identity crisis

By Celina Fratzscher

November 18, 2019

I’ve never shopped at a Walmart. I’ve never been to an amusement park or ridden a roller coaster. I had my first milkshake and snow cone last summer. I’ve only watched one Super Bowl, and the first football game I went to was the homecoming game my freshman year. Instead, my family shops at H Mart and Rotmu...

In a pickle? The Bethesda Central Farmers Market has the produce you need

By Emily London

November 17, 2019

Every Sunday morning, junior Julia Walsh leaves her house and drives to Bethesda Elementary School, armed with a reusable tote bag and enough cash to buy all the fresh produce and baked goods she could dream of at the Bethesda Central Farm Market. A morning mix of productivity and relaxation is exactly what ...

You’re not alone

By Anonymous

November 5, 2019

Content warning: This story contains language that pertains to rape. The questions are always how, why, when, what were you wearing and who. Most of the time, they’re for the benefit of the listener, trying to satiate their curiosity. The questions should be, Are you okay? What can I do to make things b...

Choral director Jeff Davidson retires after 37 years of inspiring students

By Jack Gonzalez

June 13, 2019

Choral director Jeff Davidson has a simple philosophy when it comes to teaching: the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates and the great teacher inspires. Students consider Davidson one of the greats. Davidson is retiring at the end of this school year after 37 yea...

Art teacher Nancy Mornini to retire after 20 years at Whitman

By Sara Azimi

June 7, 2019

If someone were to walk into room D-212, they would think art teacher Nancy Mornini has a family of 50. Numerous college stickers like "Arizona State University mom" and "Tufts University mom" completely cover the blackboard next to her desk. Confused parents at back to school night always ask her how...

I’m a banana—and proud of it.

By Anna Yuan

June 5, 2019

Words such as “banana” and “Twinkie” are often used as ethnic slurs toward Asian Americans who are considered to have lost touch with their heritage. The views in this blog are all my own and do not necessarily reflect opinions of the Asian American community. Since freshman year, I’ve been casually called a ...

Roundtable discussion about race

By Maddy Frank and Max London

June 5, 2019

Over the past two years, Whitman students have been involved in several serious incidents of racism. Last year, students attended a schoolwide assembly when multiple students experienced racism, and last month, two students were suspended after a photo of them wearing splotches of a black facial mask c...