Seven students from Mr. Kravitz’s Journalism class visited Adelphi University for Press Day, where we had the opportunity to learn about our rights as student journalists as well as attend the Quill Awards ceremony. 

The day began with a panel discussion/Q&A which included four people who take part in the journalism community. Adam Goldstein, has worked for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Paul Thaler, an Adelphi University professor in the Communications Department, Mark Grabowski, an associate professor at Adelphi, and lastly, Salvatore J. Fallica, a member of the adjunct faculty at Adelphi. 

These experts furthered our knowledge regarding our rights. They taught us about how the first amendment both applies and doesn´t apply to student writing. Students got the chance to question them in regards to personal inquiries that they were curious about.

Following the panel session/ Q&A, they hosted breakout sessions to continue discussing the topic at a deeper level in smaller groups. 

After a lunch in the gym, we attended the Quill Awards. Three Wantagh seniors captured awards. Wantagh’s Editor in Chief Jenna Miller won honorable mention in the Most Outstanding Reporter category. Editor in Chief Juliet Watstein won 3rd place in Arts Review. And Features Editor Delaney Skelton won 3rd place in Best News Article. 

For Miller it was her second significant award this year. At the statewide Syracuse University contest earlier this year, Miller was the lone Gold recipient taking home best in the state in the Editorial Columnist category in that contest. 

“Jenna has been an incredible reporter, columnist and editor,” said long-time Warrior adviser Peter Kravitz. “She is the most prolific writer I’ve had in my 28 years of teaching Journalism here at Wantagh.” Miller is the seventh Wantagh student to win a Most Outstanding Reporter award in the past 10 years at Adelphi.

Watstein won in the same category at Syracuse, for Review Writing, when she was a sophomore. 

Skelton won in the very challenging category of Best News Story for a powerful and poignant front-page article she wrote this year about how the Wantagh Theatre group honored the late John Michael Martin, a Wantagh grad, by performing Rent, which had been his favorite musical.

“We’ve now won 35 awards in this contest in the 20 years we’ve gone to it,” said Kravitz. “But Delaney is only the fourth student to win in News Article and I’ve entered students in that category every year.” 

Overall, the trip was a great learning experience for each one of us, and the awards were an added bonus.