Another day, another lesson. Today, at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists, the Greene Team took on news anchoring, and the control room! The first job I took on was graphics, and making sure the right animations came on at the right time. Since this was very new to me, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I soon got in the flow of things after doing two run-throughs and loved working in the control room! The funnest part definitely was being an anchor. Prior to this program, I never thought of being in front of a camera. It’s not that it was outside of my comfort zone, but it was never in my designated career path. I was able to record with Haru Dukanac, as we easily flowed through the script with no complications. Beforehand, I was a little nervous but, once I was in front of the camera, it came naturally to me! I loved talking and taking part of a big role like a news anchor, which I might consider in the near future!

-Briana Dworsak, Baldwin High School

Today is the 2026 Greene Team’ last full day. It was bittersweet, but still there was plenty of work that had to be done. We quickly settled into the newsroom and got to it.

My group worked on the Long Island Ducks game news package, Tiny Vinyls profile, and the Greene Team Instagram post. Throughout our projects, we all demonstrated great team work and clear communication, which enabled us to make good progress.

One of the highlights of the day was when our mentor, Jamie came to help our team. His assistance was super beneficial. He helped me with parts of my script, my stand up, and provided input with editing. Then, we heard from guest speakers who gave us information on Stony Brook University admissions, and insights on the SBU college experience.

Afterwards, I spent time with friends and networked at the alumni social. There, I was able to meet students and professionals in the industry of journalism, including professionals from Newsday. I also spoke to students who gave me tips for internships. Overall, it was a productive day that ended on a high note. Looking back on this experience, I am incredibly grateful for everything I learned and even more thankful for the meaningful connections and friendships I made along the way. While I’m sad to see the program come to an end, I’m excited to carry these experiences with me into the future.

-Jonnae Greene, Baldwin High School

Today was a really busy day on campus.The first half of the day was spent doing a live broadcast activity. I got to go up on camera for the reporting and weather section and control the teleprompter with the scroll wheel, which was pretty nice!

After lunch, we got a few lectures. From there, my team went out to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame to interview the museum’s co- founder and board member, get some quotes, shoot some b-roll photos and videos for our writing and video, which we will work on tomorrow. During that, my teammates got to interview the second penguin scientist for our piece. We also set up a Zoom call for Mike Polito tomorrow morning after a call and email communication.

-Christopher Cabrera, Brentwood High School

I can’t believe I only have today and tomorrow left. Today is mostly just gonna be a work day, so I’m not too excited but it should still be fun.

I got up around 7:30 am and met everybody downstairs at about eight. We then headed to get a quick breakfast before Rick Ricioppo gave us a refresher on video editing. After Rick. we got to work, met our leaders and began the final stages of our projects.

We had a fast lunch then hurried back to the newsroom for more work, and a couple of presentations about college admissions and the Press Club of Long Island. I spent my afternoon editing my video and am pretty proud of how it turned out.

After dinner, we got to meet some cool Greene alumni.

Today was mostly work but I’m kind of sad that tomorrow is the last day and I know I’m for sure going to miss it here.

-Noah Eichenholtz, Hendrick Hudson High School

On day 3, I woke up in a hurry with only 40 minutes to get ready. I quickly gathered my stuff and headed to breakfast.

After breakfest we headed to the news room to work with our group. My group and I visited the Zuccaire Gallery. They are featuring the Noel W Anderson: Black Excellence exhibition in representation of black struggle of all kinds, such as labor and male sport exceptionalism.

At around 2 pm we traveled to Newsday. Newsday was an interesting experience. I enjoyed touring the place and meeting professionals.

After Newsday, we headed to the Long Island Ducks game. I’ve never been to a baseball game, like most of my friends here in the Greene Team. We started with a press conference, with Communications Vice President Michael Polak. Soon after that, we found our seats and went in search for food. We also interviewed people and gathered together to watch the game.

We left the park at around 8 pm, and I ended my third night with a nice head-to-toe shower.

That’s a wrap of my 3rd day with the Greene Team.

-Angie Larrea, Hempstead High School

It’s the last full day at the Greene Institute already! Dang, it’s gone so fast!

Today was really crunch time for our projects. For almost the entire day, the whole Greene Team were working on the two assigned projects. Angie and I were both working on writing the article on Becoming rentABLE while Yasmin and May were editing our video project on the Zuccaire Gallery. Our work was only interrupted a few times for pep talks and, in one case, a sort of pitch to attend Stony Brook University once you graduate.

We didn’t really go anywhere outside of the newsroom and the dining hall during work hours; it felt like forever in that room.

It’s been bittersweet thinking about the final day here. While I’m glad that I’m here and I learned all these things and made all these memories, it should have been longer. And I likely won’t talk to the friends I’ve made here again (except for Myles because I have his number).

Still, it’s been amazing, as I’ve already said. And I thank Stony Brook so much for this experience.

God bless, Greg.

-Gregory Valestin, Brooklyn Technical High School

It’s day four and I feel like the unhealthy food is getting to me. I think I’m a bit homesick but, then again. I’m actually pretty happy.

Today, we ate then got right to work. I interviewed Tim McArthur, the founder of Beautiful LI. I spoke to him and genuinely realized that people are trying to do something about the litter problem.

I wonder if they’re doing anything for Hempstead. I wanted to ask, but I was running out of time. He was really nice and seemed to genuinely care about Long Island.

Working on the Keep Long Island Beautiful article has motivated me to go home and go find some volunteer work somewhere. I feel like my friends and I would have a lot of fun cleaning up, since I’ve done a project on Long Beach and how much trash is there.

-Yennifer Soriano, Hempstead High School

The Greene Team spent the majority of Thursday, July 30 writing and editing their two articles and creating their video piece. 

In the morning, we learned how to use iMovie, the program for putting together the video pieces. Additionally, the Greene Team engaged in a presentation on how to write for video and the differences between script writing versus article writing. Afterwards, it was time to get to work.

My team split the work between writing the video script and finishing the two articles we were assigned. I wrote most of the article on Tim Glotch’s press conference, while Izzy and Noah worked on the script for the corresponding video. Yennifer interviewed the final person for our article on the Keep Long Island Beautiful campaign, and together we worked on finishing that article as well. 

By the end of the day, the finish line was in sight. Friday, July 31 is the last day of the program — the last day to complete our assignments. With all of the writing and editing we accomplished today, I am confident we will meet that deadline.

-Allie Harrison, Ward Melville High School

Today I woke up at 8:03 am. We had a late start, but it was only 15 minutes later. I’m not complaining, because if it wasn’t 15 minutes I’d be cooked fish.

The breakfast was honestly decent — you can’t go wrong with tater tots and eggs. Yum.

After eating, we did the news reporter show practice. That was the moment I realized that I hate being on camera. I’d never consider being an anchor or news reporter or reporter in general.

I think I’d enjoy being behind the scenes. But other than that, it was fun to control things behind the scenes. I wish I would’ve been the cameraman at some point.

After lunch, we went to the newsroom and began working on our projects. I interviewed Robyn Silvertri, then postponed an interview with Tim McArthur.

Both of them are very kind, I’m extremely glad they gave me a chance to interview them and hopefully

-Yennifer Soriano, Hempstead High School

Taking pictures of the Long Island Ducks was one of the moments where I truly felt like a real sports photographer. Standing in the stands with my camera, I wasn’t just taking pictures. I was trying to capture the moments that people in the stands would remember.

One of my favorite moments was capturing the Ducks’ first home run. The energy changed instantly, and I was able to catch the excitement as the player rounded the bases and the crowd reacted. I also captured a player sliding into second base, which was one of those fast moments where you only have a second to get the shot.

What made the experience even better was photographing the crowd. Seeing their reactions, celebrations, and excitement reminded me that sports photography is about more than just the game. It’s about capturing the emotion around it. That night, I really felt like I was doing what I want to do in the future.

-Myles Darby, Baldwin High School

By Yasmin Bardales

Today the Greene team tackled broadcasting and all the roles that go into making a successful news broadcast. We were each given the opportunity to try our hand at anchoring, directing, filming, and learning how to use the control room equipment. It was an amazing experience because we learned about what tasks each role performs in order for the show to run smoothly.

Learning how to use the equipment from professionals such as Marcy McGinnis and Connie Conway was a great way to develop a better understanding of broadcasting. McGinnis is a producer who worked her way to the top for over 20 years at CBS News and Conway is an award winning reporter for News 12 Long Island. Meeting veterans of the field was truly an honor for the Greene team.

-Yasmin Bardales, Hempstead High School

At Stony Brook, we visited the news room and control center to practice speaking behind the camera and the effort behind the camera to produce a proper news broadcast.

I was the first person to go up as a weather reporter. Veteran producer Dini Diskin-Zimmerman kept reassuring me and telling me how I was gonna be great on camera. The makeup and hairstylist added powder onto my face to avoid looking oily on camera and brushed the hair out of my face to be able to read the teleprompter efficiently. It was a little difficult to adjust to the movements necessary on the green screen. For example: Learning how to point towards the weather forecast and read from the teleprompter. During the final recording, I was kind of done dirty since there was a delay on the weather display and a blurry camera. But, nonetheless, I’m still grateful for the experience since I had a great time even if the video was rough.

Afterwards, I helped with the graphics in the control room and witnessed the production. I was able to acknowledge the amount of care necessary and even test out some of the functions myself. One member of the crew asked the Greene Team what our favorite part of the experience was: being on camera or behind. In my personal experience, it was beautiful with both sides and educational.

-Kayci Guardado, Central Islip High School

Day 4 started with a slightly late start, as the previous night was the very late Ducks game. We started with the usual pep talks and lectures but soon enough we moved to a separate studio and started our own news recording. I started on the buttons that control what goes live and got the hang of what they do while watching. Then I was on camera, which was my favorite. Then I had to go in front of the camera, which I did not like at all. My team then went on an interview with the co-founder of Tiny Vinyl and got the information we needed to start. For our Ducks project my teammates started on the script and I went through and started to edit our clips. Today went by quickly and the program is almost over. I’m not sure we’ll finish everything but we’ll do our best.

-Parker Silberman, Longwood High School

Today I got to experience being both an anchor and a reporter, and it immediately made me want to do more. For the first time, I got a taste of the hands-on work I’ve been eager to do, and that is a crucial part of my dream career. I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be in front of the camera delivering the news. But I also worried about speaking on camera, reading my lines, and asking people questions.

When I sat at the anchor desk, I stood tall, smiled at the camera, and confidently read from the teleprompter. I focused on speaking clearly and projecting my voice like the reporters I watch on the news.

Later that day, I practiced my reporting skills at the Greene team’s press conference with researcher Tim Glotch. I asked, “What role do universities like Stony Brook play in NASA’s exploration efforts?” He explained that universities apply for grants from NASA to conduct research that supports its missions. I was then encouraged to ask a follow-up question: “Is the current political climate making it harder to fund significant research?” He shared that NASA’s budget cuts have had negative effects on research funding and the agency’s ability to support important scientific work. I was really happy to be able to ask questions that mattered to me and receive honest, thoughtful answers from someone directly involved in the research. Before speaking, I kept rehearsing my questions in my head, but once I started talking, everything flowed naturally.

This experience confirmed my strong interest in journalism and strengthened my desire to pursue it as a career.

-Allie Butuc, Northport High School

Today started a bit later than normal due to the late night last night. I got up around 7:30 and met everybody downstairs at 8:15. From here we headed to breakfast and then to the newsroom for a start to our on air reporting.

Today we all got to take turns being on air either reporting, doing the weather, or anchoring. I was able to be an anchor. However, I was not a huge fan of being in front of the camera. I much preferred taking a few steps back and running the camera.

After being on air we headed over to lunch for a quick break before meeting Journalism Professor Howard Schneider, who talked about how to know to trust a news source and be a good news consumer.

We then took a short moment to review our information on Planetary Scientist Tim Glotch and his work before the press conference.

During the press conference, while the rest of my group was asking questions, I was focused on taking photos from as many different angles as I could think of. This led to lots of interesting shots that will be in our final story.

Post press conference, we all worked more on our final projects. We finally wrapped up the day with dinner and then ended in our dorms.

Today was very interesting, and meeting Tim was for sure a highlight of my week!

-Noah Eichenholtz, Hendrick Hudson High School

On the second to last full day of the Greene Institute, I did a mock TV news anchor segment (that I forgot to take pictures for) with Angie, one of my group-mates. We (the Greene Team) went 2 by 2 with anchoring duties and were able to see how live TV news works behind the scenes.

That was a cool experience. But what we did after that was exceptionally cool. The entire Greene Team did an interview on Tim Glotch, a professor and geologist at Stony Brook who also works for NASA on their Artemis project. That project includes the planned mission to get people back on the moon and to build a whole base there as well.

My group also interviewed Lorraine Woodward, the founder of Becoming rentABLE, a website that lists accessible short term rentals for people with disabilities. We talked with her on how the website works and her own ultra-accessible rental homes.

All in all, it was a unique day here at Stony Brook. This internship’s gone so fast, which is sad because I’m really enjoying it and what it’s giving me.

-Gregory Valestin, Brooklyn Technical High School

Today was filled with writing emails, researching, and things that make me hungry and sleepy. It feels like I’m back in AP Seminar, researching the most random things and then trying to make them sound like they sense.

I think journalism is something I’d pursue as a career; I don’t like being on camera, though. I’d most likely be the one recording. I’m a big photography fan.

I enjoyed messing with professional cameras. I’m quite excited to buy one myself when I do get a job.

One thing I overly enjoyed was the mac and cheese. It was a life-changing, adrenaline-pumping, divine substance that made me tear up because it was totally just so amazing.

I’m excited for the Ducks game and the news thing going on, but I’m most excited for the photography that could come up.

-Yennifer Soriano, Hempstead High School

Today started with a later start then I would have liked. I had planned to be up at 6. But, due to the bed and the environment, I couldn’t fall asleep well enough to stay asleep. Today consisted of lectures filled with useful information, but it was mostly uneventful. Going out and taking photos and videos was a highlight for me. Heading back, it seemed to be a short day when I thought back on it.

I was actually on time to breakfast this morning. The food was delicious!!! They were playing upbeat music in the cafeteria, and I slept like a baby last night – all signs this eventful day is gonna be great!

My group, Asher, Myles, and I, visited Stony Brook University Hospital to interview the pediatric nurses about the construction for the extended pediatric emergency unit. I was in charge of asking questions. It was a great experience to learn a proper interview process with a camera and team. I have curated various interview articles and one video in the past for my school paper. But now I learned improved ways to execute it. For example, ask questions near the camera so they have somewhere to look, make sure the interviewee answers in complete sentences so that when it’s edited (so the audience understands what they are talking about), and asking the interviewee if there’s anything I haven’t asked yet or discussed. The staff at the hospital was very kind and accommodating to our footage requests.

Eventually, we took a trip to Newsday where we got speeches and tours from very important figures in the news media. I appreciated the first speaker, Joye Brown, who discussed her experience of how she was originally pre-med in college, but then switched over to journalism. Throughout youth, I believe that many are pushed into the world of STEM as the only way to be successful. However, as I viewed the countless computers and advanced tech in the rooms, I realized this path is achievable and you can make a career out of journalism with grit.

After our interesting trip, we went into the Seawolves bus to Ducks Stadium in Central Islip. I felt kind of proud since we passed by my hometown and high school, Central Islip on our way. Ducks Stadium was an amazing experience. One of the Greene Team’s reporting teams interviewed and recorded footage of the Ducks Communications Vice President Michael Polak. He elaborated on how he ensures that they try to make baseball as accessible to the community as possible and bring families together. Behind this organization, there is a wide range of funding from large corporations to small, local businesses.

And I was able to feel their togetherness efforts when I was there. The workers gave us a cool Ducks-themed hat as we entered. I hung out with my friend, Yennifer Soriano, the entire time, figuring out how baseball works, having great food, and rooting for the Long Island Ducks!

Today was the best day so far of the Greene Summer Institute. But I still have high hopes for the thrilling adventures ahead!

-Kayci Guardado, Central Islip High School

Day 3 started at around 7 am where I struggled to get up due to how tired I was from Day 1. After finally getting out of bed around 7:30 I quickly showered, dressed myself, packed my bag, and then met everybody downstairs.

After a quick breakfast of yogurt and potatoes we headed over to the newsroom for work time with my group. My project is about the effort to clean up Long Island and make it beautiful. We started by meeting our group leader, Able News Reporter Emily Sauchelli. She helped us find the people we need to talk to and come up with questions to ask. After a bit of emailing, we got a few interviews set up for the next couple of days.

At around 12, we quickly headed to lunch for a yummy break. After eating we had a short stop at the newsroom before boarding our bus and heading to Newsday in Melville.

At Newsday, we got to meet a lot of reporters and journalists and editors. It was a really cool look into the inner working and actual people in the industry.

Heading back on the bus, we quickly got to the Ducks baseball game where we met LI Ducks Communications Vice President Michael Polak. He gave us some awesome information on reporting for sports and we had a very productive press conference. After that we ate dinner, watched the rest of the game, and headed back to the dorms for the night.

Today was a bit busy but lots of fun and worth the car rides. Tomorrow is shaping up to be just as good with our trip to the news station.

Until then!

-Noah Eichenholtz, Hendrick Hudson High School

Day 3 started with another inspiring pep talk from a seasoned journalist, News12 Reporter and Press Club of Long Island President Cecelia Dowd. We wasted no time in going right into group work. We were given our assignments by our mentor and started research. We headed off to Newsday’s building in Melville and got a tour as well as an inside look at how they do things. We ended the day going to the Ducks game in Central Islip. We attended a press conference with LI Ducks Communications Vice President Michael Polak. Then my team interviewed families for our assignments.

-Parker Silberman, Longwood High School

Today was Day 3 of the Greene Team, another productive and exciting day. Early morning, we heard from past Greene Team members and listened to their experiences in the workplace. Along with this, my group and I planned and organized our essay. We had Zoom meetings and brainstormed any questions we had for our subject tomorrow.

In the afternoon, we traveled to Melville, where Newsday’s headquarters is located. The building was so nice and spacious, and it was amazing seeing all the different journalists. From finance to sports, there is always someone covering a topic. The highlight of the trip was heading to the newsroom, where we saw behind the scenes of news broadcasts and met the news anchor himself, Ken Buffa.

After Newsday, we headed to the Ducks game, which was such a fun way to end the busy day. I enjoyed a great game, had fun with my friends, and ate a delicious hotdog! I look forward to what tomorrow has in store!

-Isabella Davis, Sacred Heart Academy

This morning my team got two assignments for the program – a profile for Neil Kohler about Tiny Vinyls, and a news package for the Ducks game. When we arrived to the newsroom we had a motivational pep talk over Zoom from WCSC-TV Multimedia Journalist Maya Brown. Next, our group met with our mentor and team leader, Jamie Stuart. We received excellent points from him which helped our team prepare for the game.

At the game I was able to be a reporter. I also interviewed fans. Further, I got to sit in on a press conference with Michael Polak, which helped us form a strong story for our news package. I’ve never watched baseball before, so it was a new experience, and it was great to learn the plays and new terms associated with the sport. Today was a lot of fun and it was great to see the Ducks mascot, Quacker Jack!

-Jonnae Greene, Baldwin High School

Today marked the official half-way point of our time at the Robert W. Greene institute — and by far the most eventful day for us.

We only ate food on campus for breakfast and lunch for today. I got myself some French toast and scrambled eggs alongside some orange juice for breakfast. Lunch consisted of a chicken sandwich, some pork and yellow rice, and some mozzarella sticks with a side of a coke. These meals were alright, but the french toast in the morning was chewy (?) and the chicken sandwich for lunch was underwhelming (more breading and air than actual chicken in that sandwich!!)

After lunch, we had two field trips over to Newsday and a Long Island Ducks game at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip. At Newsday, we explored the building, got to meet the main anchor and podcast host for TikTawk, and see what things look like behind the camera. From there, we traveled to see a Ducks vs FerryHawks game, where we got Duck Bills to spend on food and enjoy the first few innings. For both trips, we got the chance to practice with our cameras as well. Because of these adventures, it took us until 9:15 to get back to campus, which gave us the opportunity for a late curfew!

-Christopher Cabrera, Brentwood High School

On the third day of my week in Stony Brook, we were given the opportunity to go out into the field and explore journalistic endeavors. In the morning, my teammates and I interviewed Karen Levitov, the director and curator of the Paul W. Zuccaire Art Gallery on Stony Brook University’s campus. The current exhibition held in the gallery is called Noah W. Andersomn: Black Excellence. Anderson created artwork that captured the success and the grievances of African Americans through the use of digital editing and woven tapestries.

In the afternoon, we visited the Newsday studio and were able to ask professionals about their careers and how they got there. After that, we ended day with the Atlantic League Battle of the Belt between the Long Island Ducks and Staten Island Ferryhawks at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip.

-Yasmin Bardales, Hempstead High School

The past two days, days 3 and 4 at this program, have been filled with significantly more work than the first two. Teams are officially working on their stories, contacting researchers and interview subjects as well as conducting research on the topics themselves. That includes our Greene Team as a whole going on trips to places in Long Island, and holding small press conferences with professionals.

Yesterday, the team took a trip to Newsday, where we saw what the workplace looked like as well as receiving advice and hearing about personal experiences from workers in the newspaper. Then, we headed to the Ducks game, where one of the teams focused on interviews, a press conference with Ducks Communications Vice President Michael Polak, and photos for their own report.

This morning, everyone on the Greene team dressed up to practice broadcasting, whether it be a news anchor, reporter, or a producer/manager working on the more technical aspects. I worked as a news anchor, which I really enjoyed. Sitting in front of the camera in that position was something I hadn’t done before, nor got the opportunity for, but I would eagerly do it again.

-Haru Dukanac, Eastchester High School

For journalism reasons. Obviously. Myles, Kayci and I all went to the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital to do a video package on the expansion of its emergency room.

It was very fun! The lady, who I am blanking on the name of, was very nice. The whole area was very nice (It was also very hot out). The hospital rooms had mock stained-glass lights on the ceiling that looked like animals, such as a dragon fly or a butterfly.

Myles is a very good photographer. As I’m writing this. he is sitting next to me (I am scared he will see me typing this) and editing a photo he took of me last night. Kayci and I let him do most of the video stuff. We both asked questions to the nurse and helped figure out locations for shots. And Frank Posillico (teacher) helped Myles with locations and shot setups.

They said the new pediatric wing is going to be fish-themed, which, if you know me, you know I think that’s awesome. I’m a huge fish lover. Not that I eat them — you may remember that I’m vegetarian. I’m the only one in my family that doesn’t eat fish sushi (I get avocado).

Anyway, the hospital was fun. Stony Brook is sort of known for its medical stuff. I have a friend who’s planning on going here to become a pediatric doctor. Very on theme for my day.

-Asher Squires, Miller Place High School

Today at the end of his speech on local news, guest speaker George Giokas presented a question: “Why journalism?” And for me that is an easy question. I chose journalism because I believe everyone deserves to be heard.

Long before I became a student journalist and joined the newspaper club at my high school, I was drawn to the idea of giving a voice to people whose stories might otherwise go untold. That belief has shaped everything I have done, from explaining complex political issues in my school newspaper to reporting on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Journalism allows me to combine my passion for storytelling with my interest in politics and public service.

I was inspired by watching reporters such as CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins ask difficult questions of public officials and seeing how ethical reporting can hold those in power accountable while simultaneously helping people better understand the world around them.

Ultimately, journalism is the way I can make a meaningful impact. I want my work to inform, foster understanding, and ensure that more people are seen and heard. And I hope to gain life long skills during my time at the Robert W. Greene Institute that I can use in my future career in the journalism field.

-Allie Butuc, Northport High School

Photo by Jonnae Greene

It’s the second day at the Robert W. Greene Institute, and today was full of new opportunities, and learning lessons. From the pep talks and early morning brainstorming, it was all worth taking in. Getting assigned my team with Parker and Jonnae was thrilling as I knew we would be able to work well together, and strategize ideas for our upcoming group work! Once we got to work with the cameras hands-on, we instantly took the chance to capture pictures and videos near the water fountain. Getting to explore some parts of the campus through the camera lens was exhilarating!

Photo by Parker Silberman

As the day came to a close after dinner, me and the other students in the Greene program spent the rest of the night hanging out in the basement! We took the chance to play Uno, ping-pong, and pool. Getting to connect with everyone is exciting as we all got close fairly quick. Today was another day full of teaching moments, and ways to build on friendships!

-Briana Dworsak, Baldwin High School

At every meal my friends and I have had so far, there is always food left on our plates. Even when we aren’t that hungry, somehow we end up with at least one overflowing plate of food and a salad. This poses the question: Is having lots of options for meals a good thing?

For many, the answer is yes. This is because no one likes the same foods and many have food restrictions whether its a chosen one (like vegetarian or vegan), or an allergy. But having too many options can make students feel obligated to get more food than they can eat and end up either wasting more food than they actually consumed or overeating which can turn into a bad habit.

Hopefully, in the next few days, my judgement of food portions in the Stony Brook cafeteria will improve so I don’t waste more food than I have already.

-May Bar, Hendrick Hudson High School

My first day at the Stony Brook Greene journalism program was odd. When I first entered my room, I was taken by surprise to feel a great sense of relief and comfort. I came expecting to feel extremely homesick and overwhelmed. But as soon as my father left, I felt free and excited. I quickly made my bed and unpacked my items. It gave me a grasp of getting dropped off to college on a real note. Soon upon arrival I met my roommate. We chatted a ton when we first met during reception, so it was lovely seeing a familiar face. We quickly kicked it off again! We then went to go meet the others in the lounge room, everyone was quiet and seatings were awkward but the excitement didn’t fade. We traveled to the newsroom and soon after we went to dinner. Dinner was fine. That was when we all began to chat and get to know each other better. The girls were so sweet and open to conversation, which was lovely because i came in eager to socialize and meet new people. The day ended quickly. After dinner we came back to the dorms and socialized more in the main lounge. I played Uno with May and Yasmine, my roommates. I ended my social night with ping pong with some of the guys and around 10 o’clock, I returned back to my dorm to wind down.

Overall, my day was adventurous and new. I’m excited to wake up tomorrow morning and began new adventures with the kind people whom are joining me along this program.

– Angie Larrea, Hempstead High School

Today marks my first day at the Greene Institute journalism camp! The first thing I noticed when I arrived was an overwhelming feeling of independence. Being in a new environment and having the opportunity to learn and work on my own made the experience feel different, but in a good way.

On our first day, we got an overview of what we will be doing throughout the camp and what we can expect during the week. I was especially excited to learn that we will have photo and video classes because those are two things I genuinely enjoy.

One thing I learned today is that journalism can take many different forms. It is not just writing articles or reporting the news. It can also be photography, video, interviews, and storytelling.

Even though I did not do anything too crazy on my first day, I still left feeling accomplished and hopeful about the week ahead. I am excited to see what I will learn and create throughout this experience.

-Myles Darby, Baldwin High School

During my first day at the Robert W. Greene Institute for High School Journalists, I was able to experience my first day of living in Stony Brook’s Hendrix Hall. I saw familiar faces, and met new ones. I was also granted the opportunity to learn history about blogging and how to start doing so on my own.

I have had an interest in blogging for a while now, so this lesson helped me develop a deeper interest in sharing my thoughts and experiences. I look forward to chronicling my experience here at Stony Brook’s campus throughout this week.

– Yasmin Bardales, Hempstead High School

To say that I was nervous to attend The Robert W. Greene Summer Insititute would be an understatement. I remember just a few hours ago, in my mom’s Honda car, heading to Stony Brook; I felt like my heart was going to beat its way out of my chest. I had barely thought about it for months, that I was going to be focusing on my future career for a whole week, and continue writing articles or making blogs. And now, I’m comfortable in my bed at my dorm, feeling more confident than ever. On the first day of this Institute, after we got ourselves situated in our dorms, we headed off to attend a meeting about housing; and what should be expected of all of us during this week. I listened closely to what the teachers were saying, and throughout the entire week of exciting work I’m going to do. I’m mostly excited about the Ducks game on Tuesday evening! I have never been to a Ducks game before, but I had always heard about it. The thought of attending my first ever baseball game, even if it’s going to be pouring that day, excites me. After the meeting, we headed off to the campus library, where we entered a room with many computers. It was easy to navigate through the process of learning how to write a blog on a platform like this, especially since the teachers were showing us step by step how to. After the short lesson on how to do our assignment, the Stony Brook campus’ bell struck — it was already 5 pm. After the bell rang, we headed off to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was huge, with many food options. After waiting in a line for just a few minutes, I finally got to the many options of food. After I picked the food I wanted, I sat down near my dorm mate, and I ate pulled pork, half of a cheeseburger, and broccoli; and I drank it all down with a cup of Coca-Cola with ice. The meal was good, better than I expected. But what I really enjoyed about our time in the cafeteria, was getting to know the other girls, and my dorm mate, who all shared where they were from. And now, I’m lying in my comfortable bed, writing this blog after taking a relaxing shower. I couldn’t have asked for a more calming day, and hopefully tomorrow will be as calming, or exciting, as today was.

• Heily Sandoval, Northport High School

On July 26, 2026, I moved into to Stonybrook for the Robert W. Greene journalism program. The drive was smooth and calming, as I looked out the window admiring the leaves falling off the tree, the cars that drove by, and the music playing in my ears. I arrived to my room and settled in quickly, and I headed down to the lounge and got to meet the other students that I would be spending a week with and have an understanding of the activities we would be partaking in. After the meeting, we met in the computer room and got familiar with the technology around us. Later the afternoon, we headed to the cafeteria and enjoyed various fruits, vegetables, and other delicious foods. For dinner, I had a fresh ham and cheese sandwich and hummus. Afterwards, I headed to the lounge, where I got to meet and get to know the other members of the Greene Team! I am so excited for this week ahead!

• Isabella Davis, Sacred Heart Academy

Today was my second day at the Greene Gazette journalism camp, and it was definitely one of my favorite days so far. We got the chance to use the Canon R7, which is my dream camera and the one I’m currently saving up for to use on projects throughout the upcoming school year.

We spent the day taking photos and shooting B-roll, and it was an awesome hands-on experience. Using the camera in a real setting taught me a lot and helped me grow as both a photographer and videographer. It also made me even more motivated to keep saving for it.

I’m also really excited for tomorrow because we’re going to a Long Island Ducks game. I can’t wait to take sports photos and hopefully shoot some videos too. I’m looking forward to another day of learning and improving my skills behind the camera.

— Myles Darby, Baldwin High School

My second day at this institute was a lot more thrilling than my first, since the only hard part about my day was waking up at around 6:30 a.m., to go get breakfast at 8 a.m. Other than that, we stayed in the Stony Brook newsroom, where we had many guest speakers who were eager to share their history and experience with us.

I’ve learned many interesting things throughout these lessons, like how to operate a high functioning camera, how to make a good lede, listening to other’s stories, and some podcast/interview ideas to do during this week. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner were also pretty good; I ate up scrambled eggs with hash browns in the morning, mashed potatoes with fries and chicken, and finally some fries with a turkey sandwich. My second day at this institute was pretty interesting, since I got to see what the rest of my week would look like, or be similar to; and I got to learn a lot of valuable things I’ll need to use for my journalism career in the future.

— Heily Sandoval, Northport High School

Today, our group sat in the newsroom for a few hours to listen to experienced journalists of many media genres talk to us about themselves and the basics of their own field.

Dini Diskin-Zimmerman described her personal experiences with journalism and reporting in the late 20th to early 21st century, having been through the Watergate scandal and other national events. Other professionals such as George Giokas, JD Allen, and others spoke on podcasts, audio journalism, interviewing tactics, and photo/videography.

We also got sorted into our teams for our report projects that we’ll be working on for the duration of the program. Tomorrow’s going to be a lot of more hands-on work, such as interviewing, reporting, and researching.

— Haru Dukanac, Eastchester High School

The Greene Team received a pep talk from walking history! Dini Diskin-Zimmerman was one of the first women to work in the media. She was the most notable speaker, and discussed her life as a journalist over the past few decades, and how technology has developed. I even got to ask her about what it was like during the Watergate incident and what it was like reporting on a major historical event. Also, it was beautiful hearing a woman discuss her success story.

We were split into teams and taught about news deserts, podcasting, how to use a camera, how to utilize b-roll — all multimedia topics by various experienced instructors. Eventually, we went outside on the pretty campus and took photos with our groups. I get along pretty easily with them. We were all very joyous to have this experience.

The Greene Team learned a lot today through true experience and admirable figures in the field. I’m excited for the next few days with more activities!

— Kayci Guardado, Central Islip High School

From broadcasting to podcasting, today was an exciting experience where I had to chance to learn and understand different perspectives. The day started early, we headed down to the cafeteria at 8:15, where I had waffles and fruit for breakfast. We headed to the newsroom, where we met with brodcaster Dini Diskin-Zimmerman, who told us her experiences as being among the first women anchors, which was such a motivating story to hear. After, we met with J.D. Allen, who worked in podcasting, and ran the Higher Ground podcast. He explained environmental journalism, and how important podcasts are when sharing stories.

Along with podcasting, Frank Posillico and Rick Ricioppo taught us how to use the cameras and how to film. I never used a camera, so learning how to film was such a cool thing to learn. I learned how to use the camera quickly, and it was definitely my favorite part of the day.

— Isabella Davis, Sacred Heart Academy

Photo taken by Isabella Davis

My second day in the program gave me a new outlook on the possibilities and perspectives within media and journalism. The pep talk and lede writing lesson in the morning, and our many guest speakers in the afternoon, such as George Giokas, J.D. Allen, Frank Posillico, and Rick Ricioppo, opened a world of new insights into this dynamic industry.

One particular session that I enjoyed was the podcast with J.D. Allen. J.D. Allen is a podcaster for Higher Ground, and has worked with SBU helping aspiring journalists like me find the connections between journalism and multimedia, and how they work together to create a podcast. I also learned the factors that create an engaging podcast including characters, interviews, and background audio. This allows the audience to imagine the scenes and stories, truly highlighting the power and importance of audio.

Today was packed with valuable information, and I’m eager to put everything I learned today into practice tomorrow!

By Jonnae Greene, Baldwin High School

My first day at the Greene Institute was very confusing, but definitely the most interesting event of this summer. Moving into a dorm that I’ve never seen before is anxiety-inducing and nerve-wracking, but it was really fun in a way.

Finding the dorm was the hardest part. My aunt took at least 10 loops before my friend, Angie, sent me her location. Other than that, everything has been nice. Learning how to type in the Greene Gazette website was nice; the small tutorial Frank gave was easy, and he made a reference to Superman/Clark Kent. That lowkey made my day.

These Apple computers they’re letting us use are really nice and seem very fancy.

Other then that, the food we ate wasn’t the best, but the ice cream was overly good. I accidentally put too much, and my friend Kayci did the same, which ended with us throwing out the ice cream we didn’t get to finish.

When I got to my dorm, I realized I had no roommate. Well, at least in my own room. There’s these two sweet girls who are in the room next to me; my first conversation with them was extremely awkward.

I had to ask if they knew how to turn on the shower. Which to me, was honestly embarrassing in a way. I asked them, then they tried and realized it didn’t work for them either. I asked these three sweet girls and noticed they were also looking for an adult, so right after that I went back and asked my friend Angie.

She tried to turn her own bathrooms shower on and ended up getting herself wet, falling onto the floor along with turning the shower on which was really funny.

Besides that small dilemma, I’m glad I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone to meet new people. Hopefully it’ll get better as the week goes by.

By Yennifer Soriano, Hempstead High School

I woke up at five in the morning with the need to go back to bed, but instead, I decided to stay up for an hour and read what was happening in my community.

I lied. I’d never do that, but today I realized how much journalism is the glue in a community. Newspapers aren’t something you see very often, but inside of Hempstead High School, there is a newspaper club. One of the speakers who came today told us about how newspaper outlets were dying and how some communities don’t have news outlets.

That reminded me of News 12, which tells us literally everything going on inside Hempstead. It reminded me of how lucky I am; having an opportunity like that is necessary to feel some weird connection with your community.

All of that to say the speakers that came in today have actually affected my perspective on journalism.

The first speaker had told us about her life and how she was practically born into the media literacy side of the world. She told us that she had went through several historical moments that needed a journalist, which opened my mind alot.

Imagine if there were no journalists during 9/11, or during wars ongoing today, or so many other historical events. People wouldn’t know ANYTHING.

But either way, my second day was nice. The food was rather average, nothing life-changing. Its nice to have a selection. I don’t have any thoughts besides that, the food wasn’t really something to note.

The fries were really good, but then again you can’t really mess up fries. Same with the pasta.

Other then the food, I’m forever grateful I get to be here and have this opportunity as its extremely fun to meet these new people and meet these journalists.

— Yennifer Soriano, Hempstead High School

During my second day at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists, the coordinators of the program had a seemingly endless amount of activities planned for us to do. From learning the structure of an article and how to start a podcast to how to use a professional camera, this day was packed with what I love most about journalism: the range of creativity. Journalism comes in many different forms, such as videography, photography, broadcasting and of course, writing.

We were also given the chance to go outside and snap a few shots of Stony Brook’s campus with our teammates. Sometimes words are not enough to describe nature’s beauty.

— Yasmin Bardales, Hempstead High School

Please. Listen to me. I would be such a good stage manager. I did it today, and it was so awesome, and Marcy McGinnis herself told me I would do good. I know my high school stage manager program doesn’t exactly work like that but it’s FINE. I could do it, let me.

I didn’t actually go on TV. I didn’t really want to. I don’t have a desire to be on TV. I wanted to stage manage because I’m already on Miller Place’s backstage crew. I’m so good at it. Tell them to let me stage manage. Literally everyone that was in the room said I was doing good! Please. New career path just dropped in my life.

I like it! It’s the perfect mix of bossing people around and dealing with technology. I’m good at both of those things! Everyone get in the comments and tell them to let me stage manage.

Also. The cafe had vegetarian pasta today. Alfredo. So, so good. It was beautiful. Pasta is one of my favorite foods. Ask any vegetarian. We’re all constantly eating pasta.

It’s been a good day so far! I’m having fun. Movie night was canceled because of rain. That made me sad, but it’s okay. I’m okay about it now. I got over it.

Also while I have you check out this awesome photo of me Myles took like two days ago.

— Asher Squires, Miller Place High School

Macaroni salad, mac ‘n cheese, and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette were the three non-dessert items I could eat at the buffet-style dinner tonight. Not to say they were bad at all, they were not.

This is just how it tends to be as a vegetarian, not to mention how I’m a super picky eater. Dinner and lunch tend to be harder. Breakfast is easy, since most buffet styles have some type of pancake/waffle maker, or cereal.

Mostly, I can’t complain about food. Mac n’ Cheese is in fact, one of my favorite foods. Salad is always good, obviously. The balsamic vinaigrette I make is obviously better than theirs, but you know. They had a good amount of options at the salad bar, actually. Including red onion, which is a option I don’t see a lot.

I am quite excited for breakfast tomorrow. I did see a waffle maker and cereal bar! Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day during the summer. During school years I eat two half frozen Uncrustables for breakfast every single day. It’s bad. But during summer, I wake up late and get to make my own breakfast, or I wake up late enough that it’s already lunch time, so breakfast becomes lunch, which means I can eat microwave ramen for breakfast. It’s really healthy and all that jazz.

(Pictures by Briana Dworsak and Haru Dukanac)

Today was an interesting first day at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute! New atmosphere, different people, and a week full of activities! The drive to Stony Brook University was easygoing, and meeting my roommate was even better. Getting settled in moved along quickly. The newsroom was a sight to behold, I felt like I was in the right place. The array of computers, and the occasional sound of the air conditioning weirdly excited me for the next few days I would be spending there. Later in the evening, my new friends and I walked to the dining hall for dinner. Soon after, we spent the rest of this exciting night dedicated to making bonds with the other students in the program. This first day definitely made me ecstatic for the next five days ahead!

– Briana Dworsak, Baldwin High School

Monday, Day 2, was the first real day of the Greene Institute.

After waking up and getting treated with some glorious breakfast, the rest of the Greene Team and I were shuffled to the newsroom again.

There, we got introduced to and briefed on a whole bunch of different concepts: podcasting, how to write a good lede, how to shoot b-roll for TV news, etc. It gave us a great primer on how to write, record, and film in the best possible way to keep and attract an audience.

I got grouped up with three girls: Angie, May, and Yasmin. We got a camera and for a couple minutes, we strolled outside the building where the newsroom is and took some photos of the trees and a fountain, learning from what we were taught.

After eating dinner and spending some more time in the newsroom, my group mates and I went to the lounge in our dorm building, and were introduced to our two assignments by our group leader, whose name is Joie Tyrrell.

They’re pretty cool. The first one is for Able News, a news source for disabled people in the NYC area, and it’s a Q&A for a sort of AirBNB service for disabled people. And the second is a video package about an exhibit at the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, an art gallery on the Stony Brook campus.

Can’t wait to get started with making a proper journalistic piece of work! See you tomorrow, God Bless, Greg.

— Gregory Valestin, Brooklyn Technical High School

Tuesday, July 28th — the third day of the Greene Institute. I can confidently say that this has been my favorite day so far. We started off the lesson with a special guest, Maya Brown. Maya Brown is a new journalist who dedicated 10 years of her life to get to her goals, sharing her stories. And afterwards, even if we were focusing on our stressful, and hard to organize work in the beginning — the same work due this Friday — we ended the stressful work just by getting on the Stony Brook bus.

On the bus, we headed to the Newsday headquarters in Melville, New York. The ride was about forty minutes. And it was like a whole other world when we stepped inside. There were many televisions, broadcasting the different work that the journalists working at Newsday accomplish. I learned that Newsday is the most successful, local news in Long Island. And after hearing advice, thoughts, and opinions of each different workers there, we headed to different places inside Newsday. There was a podcast room, generated by Chat GPT; and the room even had the infamous Joe Mele, a TikTok star. Afterwards, we headed to where reporters, and weather forecasters, sit or stand. It felt like a lucid dream just standing in the room. After the Newsday headquarters, we packed up our stuff after taking a group photo, and headed off to Central Islip for the Ducks game.

After making it to the stadium, my other teammates and I walked around inside the stadium for a little while. We we grabbed our delicious food, and watched the game. I ate a hotdog, popcorn, and an iced Coca Cola. The best thing wasn’t that the Ducks were winning this game, but it was that I spent it with my teammates.

— Heily Sandoval, Northport High School

Today, the Greene Team toured the Newsday headquarters in Melville. To be honest, I wouldn’t consider Newsday one of my main sources of news since I usually rely on outlets like CNN, The New York Times, AP News, and NPR. However, this visit made me realize how important local journalism really is.

While national news covers major events that affect the country, local news focuses on the issues that directly impact our own communities. Seeing how much work goes into reporting, editing, and publishing stories gave me a greater appreciation for the role local journalists play in keeping people informed.

The tour showed me that local news is an essential part of helping communities stay connected and aware of what is happening around them.

—Allie Butuc, Northport High School

Throughout the morning of Tuesday, July 28, my group and I conducted our research and planned our interview questions for our article about the Keep Long Island Beautiful campaign. We met with our team leader, Emily Sauchelli, on a Google Meet and emailed each of the four people we plan to interview — and we even scheduled two interviews, both for tomorrow, July 29.

In the afternoon, the Greene Team went on a field trip to visit Newsday. Clad in our Greene Team t-shirts, we listened to three journalists talk about their work, toured the building, and even went into the filming room where meteorologists report the weather in front of a green screen. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and it made me even more excited to pursue journalism as a career in the future.

—Allie Harrison, Ward Melville High School

Today was our third day at the Robert W. Greene Institute, and it was full of great experiences. I never thought I would be standing in the building of Newsday. It was a phenomenal opportunity being able to meet with people with such high expertise in their field. Something I learned today was that Newsday offers internships and is looking for a features writer. This excited me because I dream of working at The New York Times as a features writer for social media in the near future. After a fact-filled tour at Newsday, we boarded the bus to head to the Ducks’ stadium, also known as Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Once we arrived at the stadium, Parker, Jonnae, and I instantly started to work on our project. The project was to capture B-roll shots and to interview the fans there. We attended a press conference in the press box along with the rest of the Greene Team, questioning Michael Polak, who is the vice president of communications for the Long Island Ducks. He easily and happily answered our questions, and he gave a different answer to each of us.

It was refreshing to be able to relate to him about sports journalism. “I knew I wasn’t going to play baseball professionally after high school, so I wanted to incorporate my knowledge of baseball into my work,” Polak said. As someone who used to have an interest in sports journalism, I was able to understand him, because I had the same thinking, except I wanted to report on women’s softball.

I am so grateful to be a part of these wonderful opportunities, to insert my perspective into other people’s stories, and to know how to put myself in their shoes.

As the night slowed down, some of my teammates and I hung out in the basement to listen to music, eat snacks, and play ping-pong!

—Briana Dworsak, Baldwin High School

Today was move-in day at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute For High School Journalists and here was my experience. Once my family and I found the right building, I checked in and went to my dorm.

At first I was nervous about sharing a room with someone I didn’t know, but luckily my roommate is very nice. The dorming experience is new to me so I’m excited, but I have to say I am hesitant about communal showers. After I got all unpacked and settled in, the Greene Team had a meeting in the common area where we all introduced ourselves. But before I had to say goodbye to my family, of course my mom had to take many pictures. It was bittersweet, but I was eager to start this journey.

After the meeting we all headed towards the newsroom where we will be doing most of our work. It was very exciting being in there and it made me feel like a professional journalist! In the newsroom we had our first lesson, which was very insightful.

Afterwards it was time for dinner, and I have to say I was a little nervous about what the food would be like. Thankfully I was surprised by the amount of options available in the dining hall and the food was actually pretty good! The dining hall even has an ice cream machine, so you know I had to get some.

After dinner we all went back to the dorms and as I sat to write my first blog for the Greene Gazette, I realized my nerves about this new experience were actually just excitement in disguise. I was nervous because this opportunity matters to me, and when you’re nervous about something, it usually means you care. And I can’t wait for all the knowledge I will gain, all the friends I will make, and the memories that will be created at the Greene summer institute.

—Alexandra Butuc, Northport High School

On Wednesday, July 29, the Greene Team had the chance to experience what it’s like to be live on television.

I started out as the control room director. That role involved cuing the anchors and reporters, as well as letting the video controller know when to cut to a different camera. Although that was fun, I enjoyed being a reporter even more.

I was a reporter in the next show, and this was the most exciting part for me. The camera had a teleprompter built in, so I could read my lines about the Greene Team’s activities yesterday and later today while also looking at the camera. Although I aspire to be a writer in my career, I know I would enjoy television reporting as well.

I may be somewhat of a quiet person in general, but talking to a camera or an audience feels comfortable for me nonetheless. I hope to get a similar experience in the future, and I am grateful to have had this one. 

—Allie Harrison, Ward Melville High School

Today, for the second of six days here at Stony Brook, we all participated in a full, long day mostly within the newsroom. We had presentations by about topics including ledes, podcasting, shooting video, and using a DSLR camera (which we got to mess around with hands-on outside)

Food today was solid. I had some bagels, pancakes, eggs and bacon, and a cinnamon roll for breakfast followed by some chicken for lunch, and finally some fries, mac & cheese, and butter chicken for dinner.

Additionally, my group, Group 1, were set up to work on a feature on the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame and another on researchers tracking penguin colonies with our team coach, Arielle Martinez. We also had our Instagram “takeover” day today and we uploaded a few posts and stories about the campus experience thus far (and got a nice 17 likes)!

Tomorrow will be the start of the real “meat” of the program, when we have a trip to Newsday and a Long Island Ducks game, and will be working ’til really late into the night.

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

The first day here at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists was full of information and fun!

I started off the day at around 2:30 p.m. by checking into my room in the A dorm. I was lucky enough to get the only single in my suite, so that was a great start to my experience. At 3, we then moved down to the lounge area for a fun card game, some get-to-know-you questions, and finally a presentation from the housing department on living in the dorms.

After this, we moved into the newsroom, where we got acquainted with the computers and the Greene Gazette website. Following this we had dinner, a quick chat with our chaperones to meet them better and hear some more rules, and then we headed back to our dorms to finish off the night.

This first day has made me super excited for the rest of the week and eager to wake up tomorrow to start the learning!

—Noah Eichenholtz, Hendrick Hudson High School

Our first day started with a quick unpacking followed by a longer-than-expected wait. The team took no time to get right into learning. The opening presentations were informative and we learned how to log into the website we’d be using for the next week. The walks back and forth from the buildings were relaxing, and once settled in the day was over before I knew it.

—Parker Silberman, Longwood High School