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For the school in South Huntington, New York, see Walt Whitman High School, South Huntington.
Walt Whitman High School is a public secondary institution serving roughly the western part of Bethesda--an unincorporated suburban area of Washington, DC, in Montgomery County, Maryland. The school is named in honor of the American poet. It is fed into by Thomas W. Pyle Middle School.
[edit] History The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students. It was built on 17 levels, with a center courtyard and a geodesic dome for its gymnasium until renovation in 1992. A Ford Foundation grant underwrote the design and construction of the dome. During the first school year, Broadway composer and lyricist Meredith Willson visited the school to assist teacher Monica McMindes with her production of The Music Man, which was his creation. In 1981, a 1,200-seat auditorium was added to the school. Dr. Jerome Marco was Principal from 1975 until his retirement in 2004. Currently, the Principal is Dr. Alan Goodwin, who was Assistant Principal for several years before taking his current post. Six elementary schools feed Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, which in turn feeds to Walt Whitman. The elementary schools are Wood Acres, Bannockburn, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, Bradley Hills, and Bethesda. It is one of the highest esteemed high schools in the country, and was rated in the top fifty high schools in the nation as one of the few public schools included. [edit] The Black & WhiteThe Black & White is a national, regional and state award-winning newspaper that is student-financed and student-run. In addition to informing students, teachers, parents and community members of relevant issues and events, it also provides an open forum for an exchange of student ideas. It was established in 1961 and produces 12 issues each academic year. The newspaper was inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame in 1991, during the tenure of longtime adviser Mr. Atwood. In 2001, the staff of the Black & White collaborated to launch the Spectator, a supplementary paper covering sports features and recreation. The newspaper has gathered numerous national awards for its print edition as well as its website, Black & White Online, established (at a different URL) in 2001 and remade in 2008, and again in 2009. The Black & White has over 80 staff members (print and online positions included) and the Spectator has more than 30 members. Some staff positions, like photographers, graphic artists, business and advertising managers, are shared by both papers. Louise Reynolds is currently the adviser to the Black & White, succeeding Dr. Jan Bowman, who retired in 2007. [edit] Whitman ShortsWhitman Shorts is a student run television show that airs once a month and features local news and its effect on Whitman students. One notable segment 'shortscenter' covers school sports with highlights and in depth features. Whitman Shorts has covered notable stories like the Westboro Baptist Church protest, with segments featured on local news stations. It is also features skits ranging from Saturday Night Live remakes to original creations. [edit] Performing ArtsThe Choral Music department contains 5 regular ensembles and smaller chamber groups and is directed by Jeff Davidson. The Chamber Choir has been regularly recognized as one of the top groups on the East Coast for many years. Like the Instrumental Music department, the Choral Music department regularly wins straight 1's ("Superior"--highest rating) for Level VI (most advanced) choral arrangements in county, state, and national competitions. Combined, the Choral and Instrumental Music programs regularly place graduating students in top U.S. music schools and conservatories. The Walt Whitman Music department performs two annual concerts, a winter concert, and a spring concert held at Whitman's "Festival of the Arts." This winter, the Chamber Choir will be singing at Strathmore Performing Arts Center and at the Kennedy Center. The Instrumental department was directed by Chris Allen for 19 years until his departure in 2009. Throughout his tenure, Whitman ensembles were recognized for their excellence, regularly receiving Superiors at county- and state-level festivals. He was succeeded in his position by Terry Alvey. Also staffing the instrumental music department are Vincent LoRusso, Associate Music Director, and Wayne Chadwick, Music Theory and Electronic Music teacher. Students regularly represent Whitman in honor ensembles and area youth orchestras including Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras (MCYO) and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYP). The Whitman Jazz Ensemble also provides community outreach, presenting extra biannual concerts and performing at community events. The Music Department takes its large performing ensembles on an annual spring trip to a music festival in the United States or in Canada, past destinations including Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Orlando. Every year, they travel to the Montgomery County Festival and the Maryland State Festival. In 2009, the Symphonic Orchestra and Wind Ensemble earned straight ones in both festivals. The Instrumental Department also fields a pep band, marching band, and drum-line. In April 2010, the Walt Whitman Music Department will perform at Carnegie Hall. Participating groups include Treble Chorale, Advanced Women's Ensemble, Men's Chorus, Chamber Choir, Advanced Strings, Symphonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band. Whitman Drama is an award winning theater department directed by theater professional Christopher Gerken and produces a fall musical (with a student Pit orchestra), a winter play, and a student-directed talent show in the spring. The home of the theatre program, the Daryl Shaw Auditorium, holds 1,200 seated audience members. The school is a member of the Critics and Awards Program for High School Students (Cappies) National Capital Area and has been nominated for and won several awards at the annual Gala. In June 2008, Whitman was awarded the Cappie award "Best Musical" for its production of Aida and graduating senior Andrea Carroll won the competitive Lead Actress in a Musical award for her performance in the title role. In 2007 Whitman Drama was recognized as one of the top 50 American high school drama programs by the American High School Theater festival and invited to perform at the International Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Scotland in August 2008. 17 Whitman students traveled to Scotland to perform their production of Jason Robert Brown's "Songs For a New World". [edit] Speech and Debate TeamThe Walt Whitman Speech and Debate Team was recognized as one of the top 5 in the nation by both the Catholic Forensics League and the National Forensics League in the spring of 2009. The nationally acclaimed team is composed of over 100 members and is coached by Anjan Choudhury. As the largest National Forensics League speech and debate chapter in the state of Maryland, the team strives to set a local and national precedent of top quality in performance, establishing a legacy of merit and distinction. The team attends around 3 local tournaments a month, coupled with around 30 travel tournaments spread all across the country throughout the year. This past year at the Catholic Forensics League National Championship, a Walt Whitman student(Marquis C. Morris)/team was the runner-up in three different forensics categories. [edit] Shakespeare ClubShakespeare Festival Every other year, Whitman holds a schoolwide "Shakespeare Festival" one day in April honoring Shakespeare's life and his work. The festival is organized by both students and the school's English department. Productions The Shakespeare Club began producing full, student run productions in the 2007-2008 school year. The first was The Taming of the Shrew, in March 2008, followed by Macbeth in October 2008. [edit] International ClubThe Club The International Club is one of Walt Whitman’s oldest. Their logo is: “One World, One Club”. The club have several events throughout the year, including ice skating, picnics, Secret Santa, and the most important one: The international Night. International Night The annual International Night is one of Walt Whitman’s biggest events. It takes place in March in the school’s auditorium. The event has basically three parts. First is the International lunch, with dishes from all around the world. The second is the Fashion Show, where the students display their national clothes. The third, and the best part, is the show, where Whitman students performs and mesmerize the audience. The most common performances are: The Karma dancers, International rock bands, break dances, Latin dances and amazing singers. [edit] Role in popular culture Walt Whitman High School was the subject of the 2006 best-selling book, The Overachievers. The non-fiction book concerns itself with several students who were members of Whitman's class of 2004, 2005 or 2006. From July 20, 2004 - December 9, 2004, the author, Alexandra Robbins, followed eight Whitman juniors and seniors through their daily lives. It uses the lives of the Whitman students to show pressure in academia and the negative effect in today's society. Robbins is a Whitman alum of the class of 1994. In 2005, in wake of Hurricane Katrina, a Whitman student and her two younger sisters started Project Backpack, an organization which donated backpacks filled with toys to displaced children. The project exceeded all expectations and received thousands of backpacks which were delivered to the New Orleans victims. To honor their deed, President Bush invited them to light the National Christmas Tree. The December 15-22, 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report, in which the nation's top 100 public high schools were unveiled, featured three Whitman students on the cover. In December 2008, River Road, a street the school is located just off of in Bethesda Maryland, had a burst water main gain national attention. The burst cut off water to the school and community for the entire day, and flooded the road to such an extent that not only was traffic cut off for several blocks, but rescue teams were needed to help those stuck in their cars. In May 2009, the school was the site for a protest by the Westboro Baptist Church. Seven members of the church traveled to the school in order to protest the sexual orientation of Walt Whitman, for whom the school was named. The students organized a counter protest, in which over 500 Whitman students participated. The protest was covered by national media. [edit] StatisticsIn 2008, Newsweek ranked Whitman at #69 on its "Best High Schools in America" list.[1] [edit] AthleticsWhitman boasts a strong athletic program, in which more than 70% of the student body will participate in at some point. Students can choose from 16 different varsity sports and several other club sports, such as ice hockey, rowing, cricket, and ultimate frisbee. Athletic Championships
[edit] Notable alumni
[edit] References[edit] External links
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