On October 27th, 20 student journalists from Piscataway High School attended Garden State Scholastic Press Association’s (GSSPA) Annual Fall Conference, held at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus in Piscataway. The GSSPA, a nonprofit organization that supports high school publications and student journalism across New Jersey, hosts this event every fall to celebrate and strengthen the voices of young reporters.
The conference featured a wide range of workshops, contests, and guest speakers, offering students the chance to learn from professional journalists and professors while connecting with peers from other schools. Attendees from Piscataway High School included members of The Chieftain, the yearbook club, The Sentenia literary magazine, and students from the journalism class eager to refine their writing, interviewing, and storytelling skills.
The main workshop was the keynote on courageous student journalism. The event opened with a keynote panel featuring student journalists Natalie Lahr, Alesandra “Dre” Gonzales, and Shea Vance from Dartmouth and Columbia University, who spoke about their experiences covering campus protests and navigating the legal and ethical challenges of reporting sensitive issues, especially during the Israel-Palestine genocide.
“I really enjoyed the field trip to GSSPA,” 10th grader Tanisha Bhattacharya explained. “I got to learn how courageous student journalists like Dre and Shea converted campus protests and the kinds of legal support they needed while reporting”. Their discussion emphasized having integrity and courage when handling complex stories, which was an important lesson that resonated with many attendees.
Following the keynote, Piscataway students attended a variety of other smaller workshops which focused on topics such as leadership, photography, and opinion writing. One specific workshop was the Patrick Tuohey Write-Off Competition. Piscataway student David Smith participated in the Write-Off, a timed writing contest that challenged students to craft an essay on the keynote panel. Participants were judged on creativity, clarity, and journalistic accuracy. The contest gave students a glimpse into the fast paced world of the real newsroom deadlines.
Another popular workshop was Sports: The ultimate in deadline writing, where students had the opportunity to interact directly with professional journalists and peers through Q&A sessions. When asked what advice he’d give aspiring journalists, guest speaker Wayne Woolley replied “Don’t take yourself too seriously. A lot of journalists get so wrapped in I’m important I have to interview all these celebrities. Just remember, it’s about telling the story. Just be humble and tell the story”.
In between sessions, students networked with peers from other schools by sharing their work and ideas over the many food options that were there.
“The food court. That’s the best thing I’ve learned. The food they prepare and everything is perfect,” said Andy Sanchez, a senior from West Milford. “There’s a lot of good picture places,” added T.J. Nolan, also a senior from West Milford. Meanwhile, Justin Graves from Wayne said, “I learned how to talk to people—you know, go around, just talking and meeting new people”. Sanchez also offered encouragement for other young writers: “Keep writing. I’d say just do as much as possible. The more you do it, the better you get at it”.
Overall, the GSSPA Fall Conference gave Piscataway students a firsthand look into the professional worlds of journalism and the importance of staying honest, ethical, and brave in their reporting. From the inspiring keynote to the workshops and write-offs, the event reminded all attendees that every story, no matter how small, has the power to make an impact.
