The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

From my first year away from Albania until today, the surge of pride I feel at the mention of Albania, or the sense of comfort in meeting another Albanian, has yet to subside.

Far from Tirana: My experience as an Albanian immigrant

By Dea Rucaj February 14, 2024

As my family and I browse the grocery store shelves, we hear someone behind us speaking the familiar flowing sentences of the Albanian language. Instinctively, we all look at each other and knowingly smile,...

I’m glad I burned out of my sport

I’m glad I burned out of my sport

By Sonia Weliwitigoda February 5, 2024

When the summer sun beats down on a hot June afternoon, one thing always comes to mind: the pool. I started swimming nine years ago, hoping to expand my horizons and stray from more popular sports like...

 My doctor tried to explain to me what the diagnosis meant, but all my 10-year-old self could focus on was the word disorder. “Disorder” meant something was wrong with me.

How taking the label out of ADHD helped me find myself

By Annie DeLuca January 31, 2024

Staring at a screen, I sit and wait for the letter X to pop up. My doctor instructed me to hit the spacebar every time I saw an X in a sequence of flashing letters. It seemed so simple — all I had to...

My earnest reports of “special events” and day-to-day life reflect the innocence and purity of my childhood and allow me to relive these memories.

A journey into journaling: How writing helps me stay motivated for the future

By Yaela Teplinsky December 20, 2023

At the bottom of my nightstand sits a small orange and purple diary resting on a pile of books. I grab it from the stack, snatch a pen from my desk, prop myself on my elbows in bed, and begin writing....

Old timers and their stories: My experience volunteering at an assisted living facility

By Drake Poe December 8, 2023

Names have been changed for anonymity.  After the bell rings, most students rush out of school to participate in sports, complete homework or hang out with friends, but I make my way to Bartholomew...

I was outgoing and flamboyant with my friends, but when I was with family, I reined in my energy and presented a dull shell of myself.

How embracing my sexuality saved my relationship with my family

By Charlie Martin November 15, 2023

As I make the final adjustments to my makeup and put my eyeliner down, I look up at my reflection in the mirror. Feelings of pride rush through my body as I admire the rose-pink blush that seamlessly blends...

As someone who’s been through it, I can confidently say that things can and will get better.

“It is worth taking the winding path to recovery”: My journey on antidepressants

By Anonymous November 14, 2023

Content warning: This story contains language that pertains to mental health and suicide.   I couldn’t breathe. My lungs spasmed, desperate for air as my eyes darted across the room. The knot...

When I make my own clothes, I know exactly what I’m putting onto my body, and the pieces of clothing I’ve made are better quality and less expensive than fast fashion.

Crocheting for the environment (and my wallet)

By Deirdre Pryal October 19, 2023

On a typical Saturday night, most teenagers are hanging out with friends — but for me this isn’t always the case. On the weekends, I can often be found in bed, binging the latest reality TV shows with...

“Art History is more than just another credit

“Art History” is more than just another credit

By Kate Rodriguez September 12, 2023

Nearly every family trip I’ve ever been on has included a visit to an art museum. Or two. Or ten. For years, my parents would drag my brother and I from one piece of modern art to the next, praising...

Another Mans Cloth, by artist El Anatsui

How the Rubell Museum changed my view of contemporary art

By Grace Roddy September 7, 2023

Thousands of liquor bottle labels and shards piled up, each intricately woven and sculptured within a textile. Crumpled and folded metal pieces sourced a recycling station from sculptor El Anatsui’s...

I’m proud of my fishing hobby — here’s why

I’m proud of my fishing hobby — here’s why

By Ben Lammers September 5, 2023

It’s a hot mid-afternoon summer day. I sit on my dock in Cambridge, Maryland, the overwhelming heat of the sun reflecting off the river and beaming onto my skin. I carefully dart a grub lure across the...

He often has an iced coffee or donut waiting for me, and we chat for a few minutes, catching each other up on our plans for the day. As I leave my dad’s classroom, I notice a few stares and whispers from my peers, targeted at my appearance in his room. 

My experience as the child of a Whitman teacher

By Nicole Kenah August 30, 2023

At 7:30 a.m., I make my way into Whitman, waving goodbye to my mom as she pulls out of the carpool lane. My routine every day is the same. I greet my friends, go over last-minute preparations for whatever...

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