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

While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has its strong moments, the overall experience is flawed and not the triumphant masterpiece that so many hoped for.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”: A flawed finale

By Rylan Ammerman May 23, 2023

    Following the disappointment that was the past four years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it was high time for director James Gunn to deliver a gem with the third installment...

As a fascinating musical, historical and theatrical movie, “Chevalier” resurrects the memory of an incredible yet forgotten composer.

“Chevalier”: Highlighting historical racism in France

By Aya Chami May 17, 2023

Skilled fingers fly across the neck of a violin as the notes and chords fill the opera house with melodious sounds. Suddenly, the performance is interrupted by a young Marie Antoinette as she orders to...

Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill is not just wrong — it’s dangerous

Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is not just wrong — it’s dangerous

By Rebecca Waldman May 13, 2023

Imagine a student sitting in a first-grade classroom — colorful carpet rests beneath their feet, crayons and glue sticks are littered on the floor beside them. The teacher stands at the front of the...

The opening of Ari Aster’s latest film, “Beau is Afraid” lasts only a couple minutes, but manages to be startling, uncomfortable, funny and inexplicable — indicative of the entire 3-hour experience.

“Beau is Afraid”: A delightful, anxiety-fueled endurance test of epic proportions

By Henry Dupree May 1, 2023

A black void fills the screen. Silence persists until scrambled noises periodically fill the theater. A blinding flash reveals bright lights and blurred images of doctors. As the crying of a newborn intensifies,...

“The Hunt,” a 2020 horror and political satire film, uniquely illustrates the extent of America’s ideological divisions.

Why political satire like “The Hunt” is more relevant now than ever

By Jacob Palo March 29, 2023

Political satires aren’t new. For the past century, they have dominated pop culture and media in the form of classic written works like “Animal Farm” to sketches on “Saturday Night Live.” Modern...

Taylor Swift released four songs at midnight before her debut of The Eras Tour on March 17.

Taylor Swift releases four songs to kick off “The Eras Tour”

By Sadie Goldberg March 17, 2023

The opening night of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” has garnered quite the spectacle. After Glendale’s mayor temporarily renamed the Arizona city to “Swift City, Era-Zona” to honor its selection...

As people cultivate a passion for the adventure of life, this includes adventuring into new cuisines.

Eating outside my comfort zone: How spicing up my palate spiced up my life

By Lucia Gutierrez March 16, 2023

“My favorite food is spicy cow tongue.”  My second-grade lunch table momentarily froze before bursting into a chorus of laughs, and “ew’s.” I knew that my spicy beef tongue leftovers stood...

Spectators and coaches can get into a mindset of invincibility, in which their words don’t have consequences, and referees are objects to boss around.

Calling the shots

By Ian Cooper March 14, 2023

Defenders backpedal as the soccer ball arcs above them, falling to the foot of the striker. He shoots, scores, and his teammates surround him in celebration — until I raise my flag. I signal to the...

“All Quiet on the Western Front” deserves the Oscars’ Best Picture award tonight for its authentic yet engaging portrayal of war.

“All Quiet on the Western Front”: an anti-war movie that deserves an Oscar

By Ian Cooper March 12, 2023

“All Quiet on the Western Front” seemed doomed to fall short of expectations. Yet in Netflix’s quest to win the Best Picture award, tonight's Oscars might just become its first. The task of creating...

Keeping up with current global events doesn’t make us policy nerds or political junkies; it makes us decent humans and educated citizens.

Whitman students: keep up with current events — not just the Kardashians

By Maddie Kaltman March 8, 2023

We’ve all heard it: “Bethesda is a bubble.” For Whitman students, it’s easy to fall victim to ignorance and naïveté — but we can’t forget that we are also part of an ever-changing political...

While 2022 wasn’t perfect, as no year can be, it marked an important transition to a post-pandemic society.

Forget the Grammys. Here are The Black & White’s best albums of 2022.

By Jacob Cowan February 5, 2023

Coming off of the fever dream that was 2020 and 2021, we were all cautiously optimistic, hoping 2022 would be a year of healing, and perhaps even a mark return to an inkling of normalcy. While 2022 wasn’t...

AP teachers should alleviate this issue by adjusting plans responsively and ending all new content two weeks before each exam.

It’s time to stop cramming: Educators, leave more time for AP exam review

By Chloe Walker January 30, 2023

As the first week of May begins, it inevitably marks the daunting first week of AP exams. The energy within each AP classroom intensifies. Complaints of stress — the most prominent one being that an...

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