Horizon advisor Jessica Sanders and Editors-in-Chief Cassandra Levinson, Katy Gottlieb, and Miranda Mangru attended the Press Club of Long Island (PCLI) Media Awards Dinner on the evening of Thursday, June 5. The PCLI devoted a portion of its ceremony to “Honoring the best in Long Island Journalism.” The event took place at The Fox Hollow in Woodbury where numerous local television stations and professional print publications, along with college and high school publications, gathered to celebrate the to-be-announced award recipients.
The event commenced with a cocktail hour where attendees socialized and gathered with friends and colleagues. Guests were then directed to a dining room where dinner would be served and the award ceremony was held. There were several divisions for awards presented that evening: Digital, Narrative, Radio/Podcast, Student Journalism, Video, and Visual. Amidst each division, were many awards including “Best Use of Streaming,” “Best Headline,” and “Best College Newspaper.” Horizon was nominated for and placed in several categories. First place in the “Best Editorial/Commentary” division went to Cassandra Levinson for her article “The Big Bad College Board.” Sanders noted, “I am so very proud of Cassandra. She is such a talented writer. In fact, the second- and third-place winners in this category were college students from Adelphi and Hofstra!” Levinson is thankful for the recognition of this article: “I’m grateful to have received wonderful support for my article and connect with many students and faculty who too have been dissatisfied with the College Board and want to raise awareness and work for change.” She added, “I’ve taken several AP courses throughout my high school career, and I have always been extremely dissatisfied with the College Board. Their egregious fees for exams and the amount their CEO is paid each year are the very hypocritical facets of the ‘nonprofit’ that go against the most fundamental elements of what it means for education to be public.” Additionally, first place went to the entire Horizon staff in two of the biggest categories of the night: “Best High School Newspaper” and “Best High School News Website.” In regard to winning these awards, Sanders said, “Horizon has never participated in the PCLI Media Awards in the past. As such, I really had no idea what to expect. I was beyond excited for and proud of the entire Horizon staff for taking home such impressive awards.”
Notably, Gottlieb was one of two recipients of the Hank Logeman High School Journalism Award and Scholarships. According to the PCLI, “This award was created to honor journalist Hank Logeman, a reporter for United Press International who influenced many of Long Island’s successful journalists.” Gottlieb recalled, “When I first found out I was awarded this scholarship, I was totally shocked. I remember us begging Mrs. Sanders to tell us who the recipient was at an after-school Horizon meeting, and when she said my name, I couldn’t believe it!” Sanders expressed, “I could not be more proud of Katy for winning [this scholarship]. She has been a dedicated member of Horizon for four years. Throughout those years, she has always been willing to cover articles that needed a writer. She has also brought such positivity and great energy to the club as one of the staff’s editors-in-chief. I am very thankful for Katy and glad to have gotten to work with and know her. She’s got a bright future ahead!”
Gottlieb shared, “The event was a super cool experience. The Fox Hollow staff was wonderful, and the location is beautiful. It was great to enjoy a nice meal alongside Cassandra, Miranda, Mrs. Sanders, and my mom and hear about all the journalism throughout Long Island.” Sanders explained, “Last night, I enjoyed seeing individual students and the entire Horizon staff acknowledged by the PCLI for all of their hard work, dedication, and talent. The Fox Hollow in Woodbury is always such a nice venue. It was a lovely event filled with so many talented professional and student journalists from across Long Island.”
Sanders discussed her appreciation for the PCLI in acknowledging student writers. “I am very grateful that the PCLI has a division within its professional awards ceremony to recognize high school and college journalists. Unless one is part of the Horizon staff, he/she has no idea how much work goes into writing articles and producing a student newspaper and website. This is why I am so appreciative of any organization that makes an effort to acknowledge these students in such a way. Horizon students deserve to be recognized for all of their contributions and incredible talent. Events such as this also continue to encourage students to continue to strive for excellence.”
