It brings The Green and Gray Newspaper great joy and pride to congratulate Zoe Zhang ‘28 and Trevor Weinstein ‘25 (who is currently attending Northwestern University) for their exceptional journalistic talent. Both their articles were selected as Honorable Mention pieces by the 2025 NESPA awards, which they entered in the spring of 2024. The NESPA–New England Scholastic Press Association–is a renowned organization headquartered at Boston University that promotes excellence in high school journalism through a myriad of opportunities and events, such as conferences, contests, and workshops. Out of thousands of submissions across all six New England states, Zoe and Trevor rode out intense competition to receive their impressive honors.
As you may be wondering what each of these students wrote about in their honorable mention articles, we wanted to share a summary of Trevor’s “What a Second Trump Administration Means,” and Zoe’s “An Educational Hero.” Trevor’s article, published in our 2024 Spring Issue, highlights the significant changes introduced by the Trump Administration during President Trump’s second term and what these changes could bring for America, its citizens, and the global future. The main points he addresses include, but are not limited to, the rapidly evolving freedom of the press, the influence of billionaires, DOGE and its economic impact, the consequences of executive overreach, and the impending constitutional crisis.
Next up, Zoe’s article, published in the same issue, recounts an in-depth interview with Courtney McAnuff, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at Rutgers University. Through Zoe’s non-profit Heroes Around Me, she had the pleasure of learning about Mr. McAnuff’s unique journey from Jamaica to the United States and his inspiring work in American higher education. Her article portrays Mr.McAnuff as more than an ordinary educator, but a “man on a mission” who dedicates extensive time and energy to strengthening the core pillars of the American education system in every way he can.
This April, we will be uploading several articles for the 2026-2027 NESPA contest. Hopefully, at this same time next year, The Green and Gray will publish another weekly article highlighting a different group of incredible student journalists from our club. As you consider which activities and leadership roles to participate in for the upcoming academic year, we encourage you to consider joining The Green and Gray. Not only does it give rich opportunities to advance your journalistic skills through contests like these, but being a part of such a dynamic, inclusive student-led organization (the oldest one on campus!) offers you plentiful chances to meet new friends, discover your voice, and feel more connected with the rest of the Berkshire community.
We want to send another big round of applause to Zoe Zhang and Trevor Weinstein for their recognition by NESPA, and to all our writers and editors who have uniquely contributed to the success of The Green and Gray throughout this year!
