There were no space for mistakes, except, we did get a few chances.
The idea of being on camera was scary, but it all worked out at the end. Everyone had the chance to experience background work including working the cameras, operating the teleprompter, directing everyone, and manage the buttons for graphics. It was a very eye opening experience to actually live through a mock recording for television. Mannerisms, eye contact, posture, and facial expressions all played a big part. But it was a super cool adventure.
We also traveled to News12 and it was an impressive operation. Everything from computers to the building looked like we were living more than in the present. It was modern but high-tech. I learned a lot about the broad and all-encompassing field of journalism.
Monday was the first day of the Robert W. Greene summer institute where the aspiring group of journalists has been rapidly learning the basics in terminology, ethics, and even practicing shooting shots as they further their understanding and apply what they do know into their work. As of now, our group is set to have workshops, lectures, and crash courses on the mantra of shooting, the basics of lede, and speeding through ethics of journalism.
In, my personal opinion this whole day was long but really exciting!! I learned a lot of terminology that I know I’m taking with me through next year and really just submitting my articles to more places beyond this program. I loved the discussion of journalism ethics because what journalists are constantly told is that they have no morals. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The reality is many people don’t check their sources, and the definition of journalism is nothing like the real deal. This first day jsut showed me that the misconception doesn’t ruin a field and there’s still so much enforcement toward the skills we’ll learn here.
Today was the big bulk of the week where the Greene Team was locked into the newsroom on a mission to get our work done. I was on the mark to finish, but I kept finding myself being so frustrated to start and keep going. Writing articles usually leaves me a bit overwhelmed compared to when I usually just help others get a story out. The lede of my article on the nurse simulation center had me in a bunch. This story had so much to it, and overall, the interview gave me everything to work with, but I just didn’t have the last bits of my puzzle. No way to tie it together. Or at least that was the case until someone important walked over to my desk.
I had the pleasure of talking to and getting help with my article from Jeffrey Bessen who owns several papers throughout Long Island and was honestly so fun to talk to. He gave me pointers on how to emphasize the great material I got, and it got me to write more than I expected, even if we got a little sidetracked because he had a lot of wisdom to share, nevertheless he was super cool and definitely someone to turn to if I need that sort of help again (kind of inevitable).
Later throughout the day we were spoken to by THE Bill Blyer. Now, personally, I know people were a bit frustrated with the editing and I’m not going to say I wasn’t but I also won’t say I’m unfamiliar with getting your ego bruised especially in writing, Bill’s edits honestly still brought me to a positive place because I always feel like no matter what an editor doesn’t take the time to truly see and be able to explain what I messed up on. Every edit to a piece is just a new thing to apply to my future work, and even if it bruises your ego (which honestly everyone needs to have bruised anyway) editing is what will make you good, better, and the best you can.
Being the last full day at the Greene Institute was sort of bittersweet. Emily Soriano was the girl I interviewed, and it was pretty sad to see her go so early, especially when she’d been so nice and fun to talk to. All my roommates have a place in my heart for the conversations we had and honestly everyone else as well. I know I mainly gravitated toward Zeydi, and she’s honestly one of the sweetest people ever. She’s given me band stickers and honestly gives me confidence to talk to people just based on vibes, and this created a nice close to the day of work. We got a pleasant talk of wisdom from Jeff and Bill telling us about college, the Press Club of Long Island, and internships to apply to if we’re still interested in journalism, and honestly I think that’s definitely going to be the plan. We talked to Bill about his journey as an author and his history books, which I kinda want to check out now.
After dinner, we also went to the Stony Brook Film Festival to watch “Hearts of Stone,” which was honestly such a beautiful short film about a statue impersonator and her infatuation with her muse, the unappreciated statue Agatha. The park this statue resided in was getting new statues and, in turn, the two share a goodbye kiss before Agatha comes to life. It was very cliche overall, but I think that was the beauty of it. The cliches reflected the strange relationships artists have to their muses, which are controversial but still so intimate, even if it’s based purely on infatuation with the idea of a muse stirs. The woman is a statue impersonator, but that’s the only way she feels seen in the world and truly lovable. This contrasts the way Agatha sees the world. Agatha only sees the world in fragments, but she holds the guilt that she can never embody the love she was supposed to be modeled after since she’s based on an unrequited love between her creator and his courtesan.
The film was a beautiful end to the night and to the work-filled day. The nap after the fact was even better.
Words can be delivered through print, voice, music, and more.
Today I had the pleasure to speak with Isobel Breheny-Schafer, the assistant director of student media and general manager at the WUSB radio station. Through radio, words and information can travel through real time with planned programs and hosts.
Radio can bring a community together with a common language, and music is the main focus of the WUSB station.
Throughout the day, we also learned the importance of choosing the right thoughts in a concise manner. We wrote stories that will soon be posted!
All week breakfast has been the best meal. It’s hard to mess up eggs and pancakes. And that’s what I had today, along with potatoes. It was good, but I’m looking forward to cooking my own meals again and choosing what I make.
One of the best parts of this program was getting to know the other people here. I made lots of friends and learned so many things about them, their life, beliefs, and goals. I had so much fun talking to everybody and working together.
I’m also looking forward to applying my new skills. I learned a lot about writing and research. I wrote my article in one day, and I’m really proud of that because it usually takes me a few days to write something I’m actually happy with. I also learned a lot about shooting videos, and those skills will definitely be helpful.
The 2nd day of the Greene program has been exciting!!
The most exciting thing I’ve done today was going to the veterans home in Stony Brook to interview two veterans who are now residents in the home.
Chuck Kurtzke and Mark Sheridan.
The two people in my group are Zeydi and Adrie. My job is to film and edit the videos we take inside the veterans home, which is very exciting to me because anything media-related catches my interest, and it’s something I am thinking about pursuing in my future.
Talking and getting to know more about both of the veterans really opened my eye because they are true examples of not letting bad experiences make you into a negative person. They both were just happy to express themselves and talk about what they went through during war like how they both ended up getting shot at.
They seemed very grateful to just be there talking to us about their home and their life journeys, like how they’re getting a huge $4 million renovation that the residents are eager to look forward too. New features would be added like movie room, sodas and snacks, and a family center for the residents’ families.
After we were done at the veterans home we headed back to campus and finished our day as planned.
The food that day was an 8/10 — it’s progressively getting better.
I’ve always wanted to do something on camera. Hearing the 3..2..1 go gives me the biggest thrill ever. It doesn’t matter what it’s for, if I’m getting ready to do a song, an interview, or even a school announcement, those words are the words that I want to hear for the rest of my life.
The day started off like the rest, The breakfast, was THE BEST MEAL OF THE DAY. I will forever continue to talk about How much I love the eggs because they remind me so much of an Ihop breakfast.
This breakfast is one of the best that we’ve had all week. I would have to say this one was probably my favorite one. I loved the French toast sticks plus the potato things were delectable. and obviously THE EGGS. I LOVE THE EGGS!!
My favorite part of the day was getting one step closer to one of my biggest dreams of all time. When I was younger, I would always point out the influential people in my life, ones that I would see on tv screens, and say “I want to be them one day.” One of these people was a woman named María Celeste Arrarás. She was an anchor on Telemundo, and little me enjoyed it so much. I loved seeing her face, I loved hearing her voice if anything, I knew I wanted to be sitting in the big anchor chair.
The second I sat down in that chair, I knew I felt as if I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life. In a sense, I basically was. I love broadcasting. Throughout the entire experience, I remembered those who have told me that I have a voice for TV, and I’ve always remembered the little girl who has dreamed of being in the room where the camera is pointing at you, giving you your script. I truly felt as if I had healed a part of my childhood, one that I can never replicate. With this, I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do. This is my career. That was my entire purpose anyways, to find out if I truly wanted to do this for my career. And the Greene program definitively made me realize that it IS. This is MY scene.
Afterwards, it was off to News 12! I was so excited because its a map I’ve only ever seen on my screens and now I would be where the magic happens!! It was one of the best places I’ve ever been. Plus, I got to spend it with the people I love the most (THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!! (ft. Gavin, I’d say he’s probably mojo jojo or something..)
Did you know I love the strokes? As I headed into the second day of the Stony Brook program, I had such an awesome breakfast!! LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS IS. The eggs were shockingly better than I expected them be. I enjoyed the pancakes swell, overall I give it an 8/10 rating!! And of course, It wouldn’t be a real morning if we weren’t talking about politics. (Talk about a classic meal!)
And afterwards immediately got to listening to my favorite band ever. The Strokes, in my opinion, are the best band ever. I did my college essay on this band, and I can definitely say that this band saved me. Everything in my life is a The Strokes reference. I mean? You Only Live Once, right? (I really hope someone gets this). On a serious note, I cannot live without the Strokes. They make my entire day and honestly is keeping going throughout this entire program. I could talk about the Strokes all day, once someone gets me started, I will NOT stop…It’s one of my favorite things to talk about. When I went to my first baseball game, which was a Mets game, I kept making refs to the Strokes because of how much I love the band. I become so annoying when the strokes are mentioned or when I can make a ref to the band. I feel like this band and I have a stronger connection than I have with actual people. I am actually listening to the Strokes as I write this…
Continuing, we took a nice field trip to the veterans home here on LI! It was such a cool place to be, especially because we are writing a story on the home! It was pretty cool. I was the one doing the interviews, and those people were the best people to talk to. Mark and Chuck’s pov’s and their stories were so interesting to listen to, they’re both war veterans and have both been shot. I got to hold a real Purple Heart (thanks Chuck!) and afterwards came home and talked about it!! Best believe an experience that cool has to be talked about to its fullest extent. Afterwards we went to MOVIE NIIIIGHT!!! We watched Moana 2, and me and my cutie, Sorbs, did some networking and got A LOT of free stuff! Then it was back to the dorms and sleeping time!
My first day here at Stony Brook I settled in as soon as I got my key to my dorm which was around 10 in the morning. I finally got to see who I was sharing a room with and it is with Hennie, Gabrielle, Emily and, lastly, my roommate Lisseth. I felt less nervous after seeing them again and started to get excited.
After we all got settled in and had our 11 am meeting the parents left and we finally headed to our first activity which was going to the newsroom.
While being in the newsroom many professors came in to speak to the Greene Team. But before any of them spoke, Mr Dowdy was going over the Greene Team Workbook and the basics of journalism. One thing that stuck to me about what he was talking about was the inverted pyramid, which means that you start with the most important information first, then you narrow down to the least important facts. The other professor showed two videos to try and figure out the difference between what’s fake and what’s real journalism using the acronym V.I.A , which stands for verification, independence, and accountability. Lastly, the last professor gave a rundown on how we should and shouldn’t do while shooting a video.
The food throughout the day wasn’t as good as I expected. I don’t know why I even expected a 5-star cuisine but, hopefully, it improves throughout the week. Food today 5/10.
We all just tried getting familiar with each other, conversing about our interests, which was refreshing because I got to see what kind of people they are
Day Two was fun! Not only did we get our assignments and get to have some amazing lectures; we were able to go out onto campus and exercise the lessons we’ve been learning about and putting them all together to formulate a package. Also…we were able to go to the TV room for the first time and hear ourselves on the mics in the podcast room, which was so much fun!
My group’s assignments consist of:
A video and text package on the “Weaving Words, Weaving Worlds: The Power of Indigenous Language in Contemporary Art” exhibit at the Zuccaire gallery. One of the most interesting things about it was that it was not open to the public yet, so we got a sneak peak into what’s to come soon. Weaving Words, Weaving Worlds isn’t just an art show; it’s a powerful reminder of how language holds culture, memory, and identity. Centered on Indigenous artists working with Algonquian languages spoken across Long Island and the Northeast, the exhibition explores how creative expression can help keep these languages alive.
Our second assignment was to go Stony Brook’s hospital and do a text story on the new announcement about how the Stony Brook University School of Nursing has been selected as a State University of New York (SUNY) Regional Nursing Simulation Center, one of only three in New York State. We spoke with the nurse practitioners, professors, the dean and even students. Through that, we learned that Stony Brook will receive a total of $20.5 million that will be used to create a new simulation center at Stony Brook that includes the latest simulation technologies to help train more nursing students and enhance the overall experience of nursing education.
Our final assignment which is being done tomorrow is a text piece about the Ditch Weekly. The Ditch Weekly is Montauk’s first-ever youth‑run, weekly print newspaper; created and published entirely by middle and high school students from the East End. Launched in summer 2024 by East Hampton High School students Billy Stern, Ellis and Teddy Rattray, and Harry Karoussos, it’s written, edited, produced, and distributed by teens aged 13–17. In an era where digital journalism is so popular, The Ditch Weekly stands out as a rare and enjoyable return to print journalism, powered by the next generation.
After all of the hard work, we went to the TV studio and learned alot of cool things about podcasting, and we got to spend some time in the booth.
Lastly we had a relaxing end to our night as we headed to the LaValle stadium and enjoyed Moana 2 at Stony Brook’s movie night.
Weaving Words, Weaving WorldsPodcast StudioNursing Simulation RoomNurse teaching Students at SBU HospitalWeaving Words, Weaving WorldsPodcast StudioMovie Night
