Month: July 2026

Day two done! Today was a fun intro day where we went over some basics, learned about the importance of local news, and learned all about podcasting.

I started my day at 7 when I woke up and quickly showered. I then moved downstairs at around 8 and convened with the rest of the group in the lounge. Once everybody came downstairs we headed over to the dining hall for breakfast. After a yummy meal we followed our chaperones over to the news room to learn about ledes.

Zach helped explain to us what the content of a lede should be and the length and purpose of a lede. We then spent the next bit of time practicing writing ledes and stories.

At 11:45 we finished ledes and went to break for lunch.

After lunch we got to meet George Giokas, who taught us about the importance of local papers and the current news desert going on. After his presentation we met JD Allen, who taught us all about podcasting and how it is used as a newer medium to tell stories.

Once JD finished we took a quick break to grab a snack and go to the bathroom.

After our break, Frank, another teacher, went up to speak about photography and photo/video journalism. He showed us a very interesting video about the people who help care for the 9/11 memorial. We then got a quick lesson on how to work the cameras before our final teacher for the day, Rick Ricioppo, took over to talk about video recording. I learned a lot about how news stories and packages are put together with B-roll and audio files. He also gave great information on actually shooting videos and on what to do and look for.

We finished out our day with a nice dinner, a quick meeting in the newsroom, and then just hanging out in our dorms. Today was a lot of learning and I am very excited to start reporting tomorrow

Tuesday is Day 3 of being on the Greene Team, and the first day of actual work. Today we had the amazing task of visiting the Zuccaire art gallery on the Stony Brook campus and interviewing the gallery’s main director, Karen Levitov.

We arrived in the newsroom at around 9 after eating breakfast, but we were only there briefly to iron out the specifics of our video assignment. I had the responsibility of filming most of the b-roll footage that would compliment the narration.

It was a really nice experience at the gallery. There’s an exhibition currently going on at it called Noel Anderson:Black Excellence, which is a series of warped images and tapestries detailing themes of Black labor, success, and occasionally the roadblocks to that success.

I filmed a lot of b-roll. I filmed the tapestries, the pictures, the lead director (Karen Levitov) speaking, and my three group-mates listening to her. There was even a video being projected at the back of that back wall you see in the picture, and I filmed that too.

All that b-roll is now going to be cut and spliced together with interview footage and narration to make a short video package on the gallery.

We’ve also made progress on the print assignment relating to Lorraine Woodward, the creator of Becoming rentABLE, an online source that helps disabled people find vacation rentals that accommodate for their disabilities. We’ve started writing questions and are planning to interview her via e-mail.

So yeah, it’s quite a lot of work, but it’s very empowering because in that work, you’re unveiling voices that haven’t been heard before and showing the public a new topic or perspective. It’s really fulfilling!

God bless, Greg.

The Greene Team began on Monday, July 27, with a captivating lecture by a journalist who reported on the 1970s Watergate scandal and witnessed the field of journalism evolve. 

Dini Diskin-Zimmerman, a broadcast journalist who has been in the field for decades, spoke to the group about her wealth of experience in a changing — yet also constant — profession. 

She told about how in the past, news stations used two-inch tape to record, and they manually cut out pieces to edit them. Now, we use computers for the same task. Before, the cameras and lights were enormous, but now, they are small and compact. However, the way news is reported hasn’t changed one bit. Good reporters still strive to remain unbiased, they still state the most important things first, and they still have the constant role of updating the public on the occurrences of the world.

Zimmerman also shared another part of her interesting past with the Greene Team: she was a crucial part of increasing women’s equality in the workplace. When she started out at one of her earliest jobs, she was the only woman there, among a host of white men. They needed to hire women to support DEI, and she not only fit that requirement, but she was exceptionally good at reporting. Throughout her career, more and more women started working with her.

Later on, George Giokas delivered a presentation on the immense importance of local and school newspapers.

Giokas told the group that three quarters of those in New York City don’t have newspapers, which is problematic because students don’t get information about their communities, and young writers aren’t exposed to this vital profession.

Additionally, there has been a large decline in local newspapers throughout the country. In the past 20 years, the nation has lost approximately 3,500 newspapers. Now, over 210 counties have no local news sources at all.

News sources are essential for public information and even participation. In fact, fewer people tend to vote when they lack newspapers. Thankfully, Long Island still has over 150 community newspapers, which serve mainly on the village level.

As Giokas put it, “You lose your identity when you lose your local newspaper.” That is why journalism is essential, and the Greene Team plans to make a contribution to it.

—Allie Harrison, Ward Melville High School

—Jonnae Greene, Baldwin High School

Today, I arrived pretty damn late to the scene. We did see some deer when entering, though, which was nice. My mom and dad accompanied me while unpacking my room. They snapped a few photos of me in the dorm room for memories, and hugged me goodbye.

I was initially very nervous. I had to introduce myself to everyone since I was late. I’m kinda shy; it went fine, though. I reconnected with my profile partner and we hit it off over time. It’s pleasant to have a buddy.

In the Stony Brook newsroom, we learned about different types of blogs and how to write our own! I experimented with images and captions. Afterwards, I was starving, so we went right to the cafeteria! For dinner, I accidentally got way too much ice cream, but it was still tasty nonetheless.

It was a great first day as a new Greene Team member!

—Kayci Guardado, Central Islip High School

Today, July 26, 2026, was the first of my six days at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalist. Even though I hadn’t packed until the very last minute, I managed to get all my clothing, electronics, snacks, water, bedding, hygiene and bathroom products, and camera set up in my duffel bag before I left home. Luckily, where I’m from, Brentwood, isn’t too far from Stony Brook, so I was able to arrive within 40 minutes of leaving home and have my parents wish me a farewell around 3 p.m.

Today we participated in a few activities to kick off what will be a busy set of weekdays filled with workshops, lectures, projects, and trips. We reviewed the schedule for the week, got a short presentation by housing, and did a few icebreakers — including discussing what journalistic work we are most proud of so far — all in the downstairs lounge at Hendrix Hall. From there, we went to the newsroom, where we got an introduction to the Greene Gazette website where we would be posting blogs (like this one!) over the next couple of days. Dinner, which consisted of burgers, beef and rice, mac & cheese, and a dessert of an ice cream cone was definitely solid and marked the end to today’s schedule.

While today the lightest of the next six following days, Stony Brook has already proven to be an incredible experience. The most exciting part of my introduction to Stony Brook, by far, has been the dorm-room experience. Me, Parker, Myles, Noah, and Greg are sharing a suite on the second floor of Hendrix Hall, with myself and Myles sharing room C with our respective beds and desks. Although my setup is on the simpler side, I’ve been able to get myself pretty comfortable in my belongings and prepare myself for the projects we will be doing starting tomorrow!

Many people get homesick when being away for a period of time. However, I’m not that type of person.

Moving-in day at Stony Brook University was exciting for me, as I love experiencing new things.

As a student journalist and the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper, I was intrigued when my paper’s advisor sent me this program. The thing I became most excited for was to gain more experience in journalism as well as socializing with other people who have a common interest with me.

Once I arrived on campus and settled in my room, I was very happy to find out that Angie is in the same suite as me! She and I both connected at the orientation — and that connection didn’t go away.

I am very happy to continue to meet all of these new people and start my journey this week at Stony Brook. I hope the rest of the week will develop my skills and my interests.

—May Bar, Hendrick Hudson High School

So… I packed up a whole ton of stuff and hauled it almost 50 miles east to Stony Brook University to attend the Greene Institute.

Almost immediately after setting up shop in my dorm room and saying goodbye to my mom and siblings, I was shuffled down to a meeting where we all did some icebreakers and learned our schedule. We then headed to the newsroom, where we were introduced to this website where we’ll be posting blogs daily for the rest of our time here.

And after that, we went to the cafeteria and boy were there options. Burgers, rice, mac and cheese. And don’t get me started on the desserts! Cupcakes, crumb cake, and donuts! Man, I’m going to be stoked eating here for five days.

And finally, after we ate, we were given a briefing on how to behave on the campus and were sent back up to our dorms, where I currently am writing this. This is shaping up to be an exciting, educational, and memorable experience, and I’m already hitting it off with my roommates!

See you tomorrow. God bless, Greg.

—Gregory Valestin, Brooklyn Technical High School

Today in the afternoon, I arrived at Stony Brook University. Check-in at Hendrix Hall was smooth and orientation was short and sweet.

I started talking to other people on the walk to the newsroom, including people who I recognized from the orientation in June. By the time we were in the newsroom, everyone was talking to someone.

The schedule for the rest of the days in this program isn’t memorized in my head yet, but I’m looking forward to immersing myself more in the journalism field for this following week!

—Haru Dukanac, Eastchester High School 

Sunday, July 26, was the first day of the 2026 Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalism program. It was also the first time I’ve visited Stony Brook University’s campus, despite living only 15 minutes away. 

My first impression was certainly a positive one. Right next to Hendrix Hall, where the dorms are located, is a scenic pond with ducks and geese. Throughout the campus, green spaces with vibrant trees and plants abound. A stone-paved path between buildings leads to a glistening water fountain. All of these details seem to give Stony Brook a feeling of being surrounded by nature, despite being situated near a busier town. 

Walking around campus was pleasant, but will hardly be the most exciting experience of the program. Writing, learning, and exploring activities are soon to come!

—Allie Harrison, Ward Melville High School