On Thursday, February 27th—Student Press Freedom Day—a group of 15 Piscataway High School students from the Chieftain student newspaper, Sentenia literary magazine, and the PHS yearbook attended the 2025 Hunterdon County Student Media Convention. Held at Delaware Valley Regional High School. The convention provided an opportunity for PHS students to learn from successful journalists, mentors, and over 70 other student journalists from across the county.
Founded two years ago by Delaware Valley English teacher and journalism advisor Brian Smith, the convention began as an effort to give back to his community after becoming the 2022-23 Hunterdon County Teacher of the Year.
After “weeks and months of talking and planning and getting speakers,” Smith was eager to kick off the third annual conference.
One of the Chieftain’s Editors-in-Chief, Nyasa Bryson, reflected on the experience— recalling the trip as “very insightful in a bit of a melancholic way.” She explained how, “On one hand, talking to other editors inspired me to take the reins and really make a lasting impact during my time, and on the other, reminded me, unfortunately, of how little time I have…”
Despite having to move on from the newspaper next year, Bryson said that she is use the information she gathered at the convention “to set my writers on a good base for next year.”
The convention also featured a keynote address by Mr. Tom McHale, head of the Garden State Scholastic Press Association, as well as guest speakers from NBC Sports and Fox Sports Radio.
In his keynote, Mr. McHale spoke about the free speech protections given to student journalists and their supporters with the passage of the New Voices of New Jersey Act, a law that was passed in 2021.
Beyond structured presentations, the event fostered important conversations about the role of journalism and curiosity in everyday life. “The only way that you learn things is by asking questions,” Smith told PHS photographer David Smith. “Life’s very boring, right—if we don’t question things.”
As the day concluded, PHS students left with fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a renewed appreciation for student journalism’s role in their school and beyond.
In the modern age where protecting free speech is as important as ever, it is essential that our reporters not only have voices, but know how to use them effectively.
