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.
Epic: Four deer near the forest and sidewalk at Stony Brook University. Kayci Guardado/July 26
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.
A gluttonous amount of ice cream that may have gotten me stares. Kayci Guardado/Greene Team, July 26
It was a great first day as a new Greene Team member!
View of Roth Pond next to Hendrix Hall. Christopher Cabrera/Greene Team, July 26
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.
Gregory next to the Wolfie statue. Christopher Cabrera/Greene Team, July 26
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.
How I organized the desk on my side of the room I’m staying in. Gregory Valestin/Greene Team, July 26
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.
The amount of dessert options at the café is crazy. Goodness gracious, you shouldn’t give a teenager this kind of power. Gregory Valestin/Greene Team, July 26Lunch: I’d already eaten on the journey here, so I didn’t get much. The donut was not to my liking. Gregory Valestin/Greene Team, July 26
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!
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!
Pond at Roth Quad, July 26. Photo by Allie Harrison/Greene Team
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!
The famous Wolfie statue. Noah Eichenholtz/Greene Team, July 26
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!
A self-portrait of me blogging. Noah Eichenholtz/Greene Team, July 26
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.
The walkway to our rooms. Parker Silberman/Greene Team
