Yik Yak graduates to college

Molly Liebergall, Staff Writer

October 10, 2014

Upon speaking the words “Yik Yak,” current Staples students think of the single chaotic day last year, while Staples alumni think of the app’s casual comical every-day use. Launched in late 2013, the app was created by Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll—fraternity brothers and gradu...

Al Jazeera films Yik Yak piece at Staples

Dylan Donahue and Brandon Rakowski

June 11, 2014

On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 the Al Jazeera America News Network could be seen filming students in Staples for a piece about social media and Yik Yak.  According to Principal John Dodig, the school was contacted after being identified through Staples Senior Will Haskell’s article in The New Yorker, however, S...

Let’s face it

May 30, 2014

When Yik-Yak shoved its way into Staples, students didn’t know where to turn. We needed someone to tell us how to cope. We needed someone to tell us that it would be okay. We needed help. That day, the day Yik Yak first appeared, the administration said there was nothing they could do. Just ignore...

Attitudes towards rape persist in culture

Jessica Gross, A&E Editor

May 30, 2014

There are certain words that carry weight. Words that make us cringe or wince, put knots in our stomachs and lumps in throats, words that make us wish we had eyelids for our ears. Words that are thrown around casually. For example. A Staples student who was raped last year by another student...

Staples alum expresses disappointment regarding Yik Yak

Michelle Esteva

May 30, 2014

Dear Staples Yik Yak Users, You don’t know me (except for you, Will Haskell! Well done, by the way. Your article has inspired much-needed conversation and participation from a Staples alumnus in the midst of writing her master’s thesis), but I only support the use of anonymity in service of sociopolitical...

Sexism exhibited through Yik Yak

Kaila Finn, Web News Editor

May 30, 2014

What started as a harmless app, Yik Yak, the anonymous social media, has challenged Staples students’ spirit, ethics, and environment. One particular part of the Staples culture that is being questioned is sexism, which some would say shined through loud and clear in Yik Yak. Throughout the app’s...

We need to learn not ignore

Talia Hendel, Web Sports Editor

May 4, 2014

On Thursday last week, last period, Principal John Dodig made an announcement over the loudspeaker, “We can talk forever... about why anyone would feel the need to write something anonymously that is anti-gay, anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, anti anything. Why would you say something nasty of them…” U...

New York Magazine publishes Staples student’s article about Yik Yak

Kacey Hertan, Business Manager

May 3, 2014

Very few Staples students can say they have “Good Morning America”, the “Today Show”, “NY Pix11” and “Business Insider” begging for an interview. But Will Haskell ’14 can. Haskell’s article “A Gossip App That Brought My High School to a Halt” about the Yik Yak app that sent Sta...

Students react to New York Magazine Yik Yak story

Deanna Hartog and Jane Levy

April 30, 2014

Student reaction was mixed to a Staples senior’s article published Monday about Yik Yak, the controversial app. The article was run online in New York Magazine and was widely distributed on Yahoo, Boing Boing and other outlets. Will Haskell ’14 wrote “A Gossip App Brought My High School to a Halt”, summarizing the app’s impact and using direct quotes published on the forum anonymo...

Yik Yak explosions

Jimmy Ray Stagg, Web Sports Editor

April 29, 2014

On Thursday, April 24, an explosion occurred in Staples High School. A digital explosion of horrid proportions. Within an hour, Yik Yak had doubled, tripled, quadrupled in size. I was on the later half of the discovery, finding out from a friend’s text after the lunch period had ended. I was conf...

Gaggle gone viral

Bella Gollomp, Staff Writer

April 29, 2014

Just when Staples students thought the harassment had come to an end, they were faced with yet another demoralizing app: Gaggle. Within 24 hours, the administration had blocked the app, but students found they were able to access it outside the school’s network. The app is described on iTunes as, �...

Yik Yak blocked at district schools

Emily Wolfe and Greta Bjornson

April 27, 2014

After Thursday’s destructive flood of Yik Yak comments swept Staples, Westport’s administration moved swiftly to block use of the app at all district schools. “The site was blocked [Thursday] on both the wired (for desktops) and wireless networks. We are also working directly with YikYak to set u...

Students react to the Yik Yak app

Amina Abdul-Kareem, Staff Writer

April 27, 2014

Thursday, throughout Staples, students were huddled around their phones updating their friends on the latest comments from the app that had gone viral within minutes: Yik Yak, the newest anonymous social media trend. Students’ reactions were varied. Many compared the app to a social networking...