Every year, Adelphi University holds Press Day, an event for high school journalists to take workshops with professionals, hear a panel of professionals and students discuss relevant topics in the industry, and attend the Quill Awards ceremony. The Quill Awards are awards for excellence in journalism for which students are nominated by their teachers. Award categories include Most Outstanding Newspaper, Most Outstanding Reporter, Best News Article, Best Feature Article, Best Sports Story or Column, Best Opinion Piece (Column or Editorial), Best Visual (Photograph or Artwork), Best Arts Review, and Best Layout. 

At the 25th annual Quill Awards this year, The Warrior and its staff were nominated in six categories and for the first time in four years, the publication brought home an award. In the category for Best Sports Story or Column, former sports editor and current editor-in-chief Michelle Smith won an honorable mention for her article “Wantagh Warriors’ Varsity Football Season.” Smith was one of three recipients of an award in the category out of more than 100 entries from high schools all over New York. Smith’s article was a recap of the season and featured an insightful Q&A with the team’s senior captains. Smith said, “I’m really proud of all of the work the staff of The Warrior has done this year, but I can’t lie, after losing out on every category at least year’s awards, it feels really good to be recognized for my hard work on a larger scale, especially in senior year,” she continues, “I was really proud of that article and the Q&A. It was an emotional one to write since I’ve been watching the seniors play since middle school, but the football article was one of the first I wrote for my first fall publication so to start my last fall publication with the same article felt like a full circle moment.” She later adds “It meant a lot to have my sister on the trip with us. It felt a lot more special to win with her watching. It’s an honor either way, but my sister is my biggest supporter so it was really cool. It also means a lot to have her writing this article for me. Another full circle moment in my senior year.”

Editors Michelle Smith and Madeline Rose as well as Mr. Rafferty and the rest of the graduating Warrior staff have high hopes for the awards in the years to come and see even bigger and better awards in The Warriors future.