The spotlight has shined on Marcus Whitman lately, particularly in the art department. Three students – Olivia Kunes, Jamie Perrin and Karen Luong – had their art work entered in a prestigious competition by Mrs. Cherniss. Each of these students won Honorable Mentions. According to Mrs. Cherniss, Karen had submitted a collage self-portrait while Olivia and Jamie submitted still life paintings of cupcakes. Mrs. Cherniss said that she felt the pieces were "very strong" and had "great potential" to win.

The National Scholastic Art & Writing Competition receives work from all across the country and the protectorates. 200,000 pieces were submitted this year – 2,500 pieces from the northeast region alone; out of the 200,000 pieces only 978 entries were awarded recognition. This makes the Honorable Mentions an even greater achievement for the three Whitman winners.

"It’s such a nice honor for them," Mrs. Cherniss said, "and it’ll look great in their portfolios to say that they won the Honorable Mentions. They’re only freshman, so I suspect that in the next three years they’ll enter more pieces that could possibly win Golden Keys."