Walt Whitman High School, South Huntington
Encyclopedia
Walt Whitman High School is a four-year public secondary school
located at 301 West Hills Road, in Huntington Station, New York
. It is South Huntington Union Free School District's only high school, serving students in Huntington Station, South Huntington
, Melville
, and West Hills
. Ranging from year to year, the school typically has around 2,000 students in grades 9–12.
, whose birthplace is within walking distance. It has been graduating students since 1957. Central High School was no longer large enough and so the current school building was constructed in 1955. A north wing was added a few years later. The school has continually improved upon the facilities by adding a cardio room, turf field, updating the gymnasiums, and renovating the library.
, with curriculum mandated by the College Board
. The Class of 2009 contains 475 students, two of whom were named National Merit Scholarship Finalists, with an additional four receiving Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Foundation.
The Fine Arts Department includes NYSSMA Gold and Gold with Distinction award winning ensembles in Chorus, Band and Orchestra, a competitive marching band, top 5 in the New York State Field Band Conference, a vibrant theater program and numerous awards in the visual arts and dance. Walt Whitman High School is among the "Best Communities in Music Education" and is a Grammy Signature Finalist.
Notable athletes from WWHS include:
, association football, badminton
, baseball
, basketball
, bowling
, cheerleading
, cross country
, fencing
, field hockey
, kickline, lacrosse
, softball
, tennis
, track and field
, volleyball
and wrestling
.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located at 301 West Hills Road, in Huntington Station, New York
Huntington Station, New York
Huntington Station is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 29,910 at the 2000 census....
. It is South Huntington Union Free School District's only high school, serving students in Huntington Station, South Huntington
South Huntington, New York
South Huntington is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 9,465 at the 2000 census....
, Melville
Melville, New York
Melville is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Huntington in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, 14,533 people resided there.-Location:...
, and West Hills
West Hills, New York
West Hills is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,607 at the 2000 census...
. Ranging from year to year, the school typically has around 2,000 students in grades 9–12.
History
The high school is named after the famous poet Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, whose birthplace is within walking distance. It has been graduating students since 1957. Central High School was no longer large enough and so the current school building was constructed in 1955. A north wing was added a few years later. The school has continually improved upon the facilities by adding a cardio room, turf field, updating the gymnasiums, and renovating the library.
Academics
The school offers studies in English, mathematics, science, social studies, health, art, music, drama, dance, physical education, business, foreign language, and industrial arts. Students are also given the option to take Advanced Placement CoursesAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
, with curriculum mandated by the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
. The Class of 2009 contains 475 students, two of whom were named National Merit Scholarship Finalists, with an additional four receiving Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Foundation.
The Fine Arts Department includes NYSSMA Gold and Gold with Distinction award winning ensembles in Chorus, Band and Orchestra, a competitive marching band, top 5 in the New York State Field Band Conference, a vibrant theater program and numerous awards in the visual arts and dance. Walt Whitman High School is among the "Best Communities in Music Education" and is a Grammy Signature Finalist.
Alumni
WWHS has several famous alumni.- Jimmy HaslipJimmy HaslipJimmy Haslip is an American electric bass player and record producer best known as a founding and current member of the pioneering fusion group Yellowjackets...
, founder and bass player of the jazz fusion group "The YellowjacketsYellowjacketsYellowjackets is an American jazz fusion/smooth jazz quartet.-History:The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of Robben Ford, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Ricky Lawson, all top-notch L.A. session musicians...
" graduated in 1970. - Laura Carino, advertising executive and author of An Invisible Thread, graduated in 1970.
- Bruce KaplerBruce KaplerBruce Kapler is a member of the CBS Orchestra on Late Show with David Letterman. He sings and plays several instruments including soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophone, flute, clarinet, recorder, keyboards and percussion....
, sax player on The Late Show with David Letterman graduated in 1971. - Members of the punk rockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band LattermanLattermanLatterman was a four-piece punk rock band from Huntington, New York. They played a style of melodic punk rock with shouted dual-vocals by Phil Douglas and Matt Canino, and their songs often contain political and/or socially conscious lyrics...
graduated from WWHS. - Comedian Adam FerraraAdam FerraraAdam Ferrara is an American actor and comedian who is currently playing the role of Chief "Needles" Nelson on the critically acclaimed FX series Rescue Me and is also a co-host on the U.S. version of Top Gear...
. - Noah DeLone, member of inaugral class at South Florida's first public medical school FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
- American Idol Season 4 contestant Jason Stephens graduated in 2001.
- World renowned jazz drummer and percussionist Ronald Stockwell graduated 2007.
- Michael Vincent Cetta playwrite, graduated in 1982.
Notable athletes from WWHS include:
- Former NBA player Tom GugliottaTom GugliottaThomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
- Boxing heavyweight champion contender Gerry CooneyGerry CooneyGerry Cooney is a retired Irish-American professional boxer from Huntington, New York best known for his loss to Larry Holmes and defeat of aging ex-champion/contender Ken Norton.-Life before boxing:...
.
Sports
American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, association football, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, kickline, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
.
Clubs
- African-American Heritage Club
- American Sign Language Honor Society
- Autism Awareness Club
- Art Honor Society
- Chamber Orchestra
- DECADECA (organization)DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
- Forensic Speech & Debate Club
- French Honor Society
- G.S.O.
- Gay-Straight Alliance
- Girls Leaders Club
- Italian Honor Society
- Jazz Band
- Lamplighters
- Latino Heritage Club
- Literary Magazine (Xanadu)
- Marching Band
- Mathletes
- National Honor Society
- Newspaper (The Paw Print)
- Orchestra
- Physics Club (Rog-Schnider Experiment)
- Pre-Medical Club
- Robotics Club (Robocats)
- South Asia Fundraiser
- Spanish Honor Society
- Stage Band
- Step Team
- Student Council
- Theater Honor Society
- Tri-MTri-MTri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher...
Music Honor Society - Whitman Chorale
- Whitman Yearbook
- Women's Choir
- Video Yearbook
Athletic Championships
- Football 1974 Suffolk County Conference AAA Champions defeating Huntington 32-30 in final, Rutger's Cup Champions (awarded)
- Football 1984 Suffolk County Division 1 Champions defeating Sachem 17-24 in final (This was as far as the team could have gone in those two seasons. The Long Island HS Football championships were not instituted until several years later.)
- Baseball 1975, 1976 Long Island Champions
- Cross Country 1975 New York State Champion
- Cross Country 2008 Section XI Suffolk County Champions (Class AA)
- Wrestling 1983 League 1A Champions
- WWHS Boys Varsity Soccer Team won Suffolk County CLASS A Soccer Champion
- Women's Soccer 1985,1986 and 1992 New York State Champions