The Paw Print

An Artsy Expansion At Whitman — The Vicki L. Dollin Art Gallery

An Artsy Expansion At Whitman — The Vicki L. Dollin Art Gallery

Judy Reilly March 1, 2024

On November 18th, 2023, Walt Whitman High School celebrated the grand opening of the Vicki L. Dollin Art Gallery. The gallery was the idea of now retired Whitman art teacher Vicki Dollin, who came up with...

Junior Year: What We’ve Done and What’s Coming

Sameera Chaudhry and Alexa Costello March 1, 2024

Listen, we’ve all heard that Junior Year is hard, but none of us knew what to expect.  In September, we didn’t expect this year to be such a drastic change from sophomore year.  I mean, we would...

Winter Concerts

Katie Glatzle and Alex Gillet March 1, 2024

The 2023 Winter Concerts have never been better! With performances from many bands, orchestras and choral groups, the winter concerts had the audience in awe. The band groups started the winter concert...

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland

Sienna Leaver March 1, 2024

As December begins, the holiday season takes off. No matter what you celebrate, the close of the year is jam packed with activity! Each year, Stimson Middle School hosts Winter Wonderland the week...

Senior Perspective: The Last First Day

Maryam Malik December 16, 2023

The last first day, a statement I do not like because of its contradictory diction. The last first day literally means this is the last day I do something for the first time, which is not true. Personally...

Yearbook’s Advisor: Mr. Paquette!

Image taken from South Huntington School District’s Instagram

Yearbook—Behind the Scenes

Gabriel Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief March 13, 2022

The school year is filled with numerous events and activities—far too many to recount them all in detail. Luckily, there’s a way to not only remember them but to actively relive the experiences: the...

Mr. Costa—Walt Whitman’s New Principal!

Image taken from South Huntington School District’s Instagram

The First Six: Principal Costa’s Welcome to Life At Whitman

Vlad Gaberman, Writer March 13, 2022

Six months into the principalship, many administrators are still looking to find their niche in schools that they have never been to before. Mr. Costa, although always learning about the bustling environment...

Image taken from Owlcation

Walt Whitman Club Spotlight: Psychology Club

Abigail Tavera, Editor June 15, 2021

I recall earlier this year the announcement of Whitman’s latest club: the Psychology Club. Me, being the psychology nerd I am, raced to the meeting the following week, not quite knowing what to expect,...

Picture this: you’re watching an incredible movie, and when there’s only 20 minutes left, it just randomly ends. The only way of finding out what happens to the characters is by reading the Wikipedia plot summary. Unfortunately, this abrupt ending to what should have been one of the best years of our lives is the Class of 2020’s new reality due to the far-reaching effects of COVID-19. Many of my fellow seniors and I can vividly remember that fateful Friday the 13th. It was a sunny, uneventful day when we received the call from Dr. Bernardo declaring that schools would be closed for one week. Soon after, the closure was extended several times by both our state and local governments until Governor Cuomo ultimately made the executive decision to close all New York schools for the rest of the academic year. A closure that was once welcomed as a break from the dreaded third quarter slump morphed into a crisis for not just our district, but for the entire globe. Uncertainty and a sense of overall anxiety paralyzed us all. Essentially everyone has been impacted by the Coronavirus, ranging from healthcare providers who put their own lives at risk each day to help others in need, to parents who must now become educators in addition to caretakers and breadwinners, to teachers who must completely adapt to an unprecedented system of online learning, to small children who now wonder why they cannot go to school or have playdates with their friends. For some Americans, COVID-19 has brought about immense feelings of loss due to the effects of illness and even death. For others, their grief may not be as profound, but the social losses felt by many have seriously impacted our mental health and well-being. This is especially true for the members of the senior class, forced to move onto the next chapter of our lives without the closure we yearn for and deserve. Second semester of senior year is often regarded as the best time in high school. At that point, students are finalizing their college decisions after years of putting in the hard work, picking out their prom dresses, receiving their yearbooks and having their closest friends and teachers sign them, watching VY with a twinkle of appreciation and nostalgia in their eyes, decorating their graduation caps, and simply enjoying the last few weeks of making memories before everyone goes their separate ways. COVID-19 has stripped these opportunities away from us. I’d like to be totally honest and convey how hard it is to find the motivation to continue with schoolwork when you have nothing to look forward to anymore. I miss my friends, my teachers, and just my normal life. I took the simplest pleasures such as getting coffee with my friends or going for a drive to the beach after the school day is over for granted. I really loved the freedom that came with being a senior; we all did. I think the adjustment to life in quarantine has been made more difficult because of the fact that Whitman feels like a second home to so many seniors. Our classmates and teachers have assumed the role of our second families. Our administrators and teachers care so much about us and worked tirelessly to give us the best Whitman experience we could ever ask for. Of course it’s customary to have your senior year end by taking pictures with your friends on commitment day, dancing the night away at prom and celebrating your achievements at graduation, but the circumstances just won’t allow us to. It is my hope that we will be able to reunite again soon and reminisce about all the amazing memories we had the privilege of making together. It’s safe to say that quarantine has made me realize that I should never take the people and places I love for granted again.

Tips to Stay On Top of Your Work During Quarantine

Gabriel Gonzalez, Editor June 5, 2020

With people stuck inside due to quarantine, many students may find it difficult to stay motivated to complete their school assignments, stay active, or even to do things they normally find pleasurable....

Decking the Halls at Whitman

By Faith Tyburksi January 27, 2020

It’s time for the holidays, and Walt Whitman High School’s hallways are gleaming with color and cheer! Every wing throughout the building is taking the initiative to get everyone into the holiday spirit...

Senioritis: The Silent Killer of Grades and Motivation

By Kayla Sakayan, Editor in Chief January 27, 2020

Do you find yourself suffering from a severe lack of motivation, perpetual narcolepsy, or the desire to roam around the halls instead of sitting in class? Have baggy sweatshirts and caffeine become your...

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