Spotlight – The Black and White

In the media center, don’t just look, take a book!

December 9, 2019

I’m genuinely surprised when I see someone check out a book from the media center. I’ve only checked out two books in my time at Whitman, and I’ve never had to wait in line. In fact, the books seem like a sideshow to the library’s main attraction: the computers. Ironically, in a place designed...

Sparkling water isn’t worth the hype

By Sam Mulford

December 8, 2019

It has to be said: sparkling water isn’t worth the hype. Over the last few years, sparkling water has blown up. Americans spent about $2 billion on sparkling water at restaurants in 2018, a proportionate amount compared with the $15 billion spent on all soft drinks combined. America is obsessively enamored with the fizzy bev...

Call me old fashioned, but I love the radio

By Eva Levy

December 7, 2019

A few years ago, my mom planted a mini-radio in the corner of our kitchen so that she could listen to National Public Radio while she cooked. I couldn’t stand it. I was never allowed to switch it off or turn down the volume, so the news was constantly on. And I mean constantly — I’d come do...

Whitman students advocate against AP exams on Muslim holiday

By Jack McGuire

December 6, 2019

The College Board will now administer all Advanced Placement exams planned for May 13, 2021 again on May 18, 2021 to accommodate Muslim students celebrating the holiday Eid al-Fitr, which falls on May 13. The new testing dates will allow Muslim students to celebrate the holiday and have clarity regard...

All I want for Christmas is predictable media center closing times

By Jocie Mintz

December 6, 2019

We’ve all been there. It’s your period lunch, your Lang essay is next period, and all you have on the page is a flimsy work cited page. It’s time to grind. You run to the library, looking for a safe refuge — a critical computer on which to craft your paper — only to find that horrible sign...

The NFL has little respect for women; increasing female leadership could change that

By Meera Dahiya

December 5, 2019

When I first opened the Bleacher Report app to read a headline of the Antonio Brown allegations, my stomach dropped. A former New England Patriots wide receiver had been accused of sexual assault, but he continued to play without consequence until the Patriots organization released him. When I found out ...

“2KForbes Filmed It”

By Gabe Schaner

December 4, 2019

When he first found out in February that Lamelo Ball, the rising basketball star of the Ball Family, was playing in a high school game for Spire Academy at Towson University, Montgomery County, local Remi Ali felt a drive within himself — he had to videotape the game. Ali, with just under a year of ...

Kansas isn’t just buffalo and rolling hills

By Zara Ali

December 4, 2019

When I tell people I lived in a small rural town in Kansas for most of my childhood, I get a lot of different reactions. Some people repeat my statement in the form of a question; some wonder if I’m joking. They ask if I lived on a farm, if there were any other Asians and if everyone there was the s...

In defense of student government: an elected perspective

By Taylor Haber

December 3, 2019

I may not wear a pin of a miniature American flag, but I still consider myself a politician. For two years, I’ve served as a member of the Whitman SGA, first as sophomore class officer and now as student body secretary. Both positions have taught me what a significant role the organization plays in ...

Into the podcast trend? So is Dr. Dodd

By Meera Shroff

December 2, 2019

Before recording his podcast, Principal Robert Dodd does his homework — something you might not expect from a high school principal. He types up notes, article links and research on a Google Document shared with academy coordinator Casey Siddons at John F. Kennedy High School and White Oak Middle Sch...

Coffee house moves out of the WAUD, but student spirit keeps it alive

By Bella Learn

December 1, 2019

When junior Jane Pampillonia first stepped up onto the stage of the Whittier Woods’ auditorium to perform the song “Young Adult,” in October last year, she was nervous. It was her first time performing at Coffee House and the more experienced upperclassmen that primarily attended Coffee House...

Local comic book store fosters “more of a family than anything else”

By Jesse Rider

November 30, 2019

Walking into Big Planet Comics actively engages almost every sense. The sweet, musky scent of paper and ink hits first. Eyes take in the vibrant colors and never ending supply of comic books. The thin, waxy pages of each book slips through customers’ fingers as they listen to the quiet, but enthusiastic...