Hewlett High’s Spectrum paper named best in N.Y.

Two editors of the Hewlett Spectrum, the student newspaper of Hewlett High School, came home from the New York Press Association 2013 Spring Convention and Trade Show in upstate Saratoga Springs last weekend with a stack of awards for their newspaper, including one for “Best High School Newspaper.”

New York Press Association (NYPA) is a professional organization made up of 727 weekly community newspapers, 58 daily newspapers and 147 culturally-specific newspapers from across New York. The association’s annual convention at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs featured its “Better Newspaper Contest,” which presents awards for newspaper excellence to its member newspapers who submit entries in dozens of different categories.

Kasey Wien, 17, a Hewlett senior and news editor of the Hewlett Spectrum, and Lauren Altus, an 18-year-old Hewlett senior and after-hours editor of the Hewlett Spectrum, represented the Spectrum at the convention, along with their faculty advisors, Angela Galtieri and Kristen Hamilton, who are both English teachers at Hewlett High School.

During the convention’s luncheon award ceremony on Saturday, Wien and Altus accepted a number of awards on behalf of their newspaper, including

— Best High School Newspaper

— First Place, General Excellence

— First Place, Column for a column Corey Stern wrote

— First Place, Design

— Second Place, Feature Story for a story Jesse Dix wrote

— Second Place, Best Sports Story for a story Jordan Davis wrote

— Third Place, Photography for a photograph Morgan Marc took

The awards recognized 2012 issues of the Hewlett Spectrum that the newspaper submitted in advance of the NYPA convention.

Cliff Richner, publisher of Richner Communications, the company that owns the Nassau Herald, presented Wien and Altus with their awards in front of a hotel ballroom filled with hundreds of applauding professional journalists.

“To come out number one in the entire state is no small feat, “ Richner said. “These two young women along with the entire Spectrum staff turned in some great work. The entire community should be proud of their accomplishment.”

Wien said she was “amazed” that NYPA recognized the Spectrum for highest overall honors among high school newspapers statewide.

Altus said she was glad that her and her colleagues’ hard work had paid off.

“We put a lot of time into the paper, so to see it get recognized feels great,” Altus said.

Galtieri and Hamilton echoed Waltus.

“We’re really proud of our students,” Hamilton said.