Warsaw Community High School Students Earn National Recognition in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
WARSAW, IN - Three students from the Warsaw Community High School (WCHS) Visual Arts Department have earned national recognition through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, one of the nation’s most respected programs for creative teens.
Junior Armando Arizmendi was awarded a Silver Key at the national level for his photograph titled “Hikikomori.” The award-winning piece was created in collaboration with junior Nolan Bleile and senior Max McGuire in Mr. Morrow’s Photography II class. While the competition recognizes one student per submission, the work reflects a shared creative effort among all three artists.
The photograph was developed during a light painting unit, a technique that begins in complete darkness and uses controlled light sources to build an image layer by layer. Those layers are then combined using digital editing tools to create the final composition.
The title “Hikikomori” references a Japanese term describing extreme social isolation. The piece explores themes of withdrawal and disconnection, bringing attention to a complex and often overlooked social issue.
Congrats to Armando, Nolan and Max for this accomplishment and for representing WCHS on a national stage through their artistry and collaboration!
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Photo Provided: Students Armando Arizmendi (11), Nolan Bleile (11), and Max McGuire (12) display their award-winning photograph “Hikikomori” along with national recognition from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Photo Provided: “Hikikomori,” a light painting photograph created by Armando Arizmendi, Nolan Bleile, and Max McGuire, explores the theme of social isolation through layered light techniques developed in Photography II at Warsaw Community High School.