The Whit

The first day of school unites all students in anxiety and terror. Is it possible to detach the first day of classes from its daunting reputation? Ben Saks and Adil Khan share their personal experiences with this notoriously worrisome day and shed light on tips to improve the day and avoid common mistakes.

Hear the podcast that earned The Whit a prestigious honorable mention in the NPR National Scholastic Podcast Competition.

Immigrating can be an isolating and grueling feat as millions each year depart from their homelands and venture into the unknown. Coming from all corners of the world, these optimists gravitate towards America in the pursuit of a brighter future. The children of these dreamers are often confronted with unique traditions that seem incompatible with American social standards. Whitman students Alina Naseer, Umema Siddiqui, and Efrain Citle-Palestino explore this dilemma: it possible to strike a balance between competing ideologies, or should one strive to strip themselves of cultural distinctiveness and integrate completely into American culture?

Whitman seniors Andrew Borges and Ashar Farooq discuss their frustrations with a college application system that seems to increasingly favor profit and automation over the students it is meant to support.

The presence of immigrants has created a vibrant mosaic of American society comprised of diverse pieces like rich languages, vivacious music and distinct religious beliefs. The US has always prized its “melting pot” ethos of blending diverse peoples into one through assimilation, integration, and intermarriage. However, to what degree should one seek to assimilate and how much of hereditary culture should be preserved? Moderator Alina Naseer, along with panelists Gurinder Cheema, Umema Sadiq, Jasmine Thai and Leslie Hidalgo, seek to answer this question.

Nate McNally interviews philosophy and government teacher Mr. Pennino on his teaching style and views on modern issues.

Whitman students Efrain Citle Palestino, Ashar Farooq, and Julio Taku share the heartfelt stories of their immigration to America.

For the very first episode of The Whit, Nate McNally, Aidan Hoskey, Andrew Borges, Brian Trifon and Josh Joseph discuss the troubling epidemic of violence in America, what its causes are, and how we can solve it.