Winners (l to r) Jayko Gaton, accepting the 1st Place PSA award on behalf of senior Abubakar Diallo, Junior Isabel Barletta (1st place School News Feature), Juniors Christ Villalona and Joseph Santos (1st Place Best Anchor Team) along with media teacher Mr. David Roush
Hempstead, NY – The Harry S Truman High School media program made a spectacular debut at the annual Broadcast Awards for Senior High (BASH) event, hosted at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University on Long Island. Sponsored by WABC Channel 7 and Newsday, BASH is considered the premier celebration of student broadcast journalism in the New York metropolitan area, bringing together roughly 1,000 students and educators from over 50 regional high schools. Truman competed in the Showcase Division, a highly competitive tier designated specifically for first-time participating schools, while returning programs competed in the veteran Spotlight Division.
BASH operates as both an elite awards ceremony—often called the “Academy Awards” of high school broadcasting—and a hands-on learning conference. In addition to vying for top honors, Truman students participated in over 20 professional media workshops led by industry experts. Attendees were encouraged to don formal attire, bring their own cameras and microphones, and capture live stand-up reports directly from the event floor, offering students an immersive look into real-world media production environments.
The Truman delegation entered submissions across four major categories: Best Live Show Under 5 Minutes, Best Anchor Team, Best PSA, and Best High School News Package. Proving their creative and technical excellence, Truman students swept three of those fields. Senior Abubakar Diallo secured the trophy for Best PSA, junior Isabel Barletta won Best School News Package, and the duo of juniors Joseph Santos and Christ Villalona took home the award for Best Anchor Team.
The trip provided valuable career preparation and lasting inspiration for the entire department. “It is incredibly important for our students to step outside the classroom, network, and see the broadcast packages that other schools are producing,” said media teacher Mr. David Roush. “Being recognized with these awards serves as a powerful motivator for everyone in the program to continue pushing their creative boundaries and aiming higher.”
For the young broadcasters involved, the intensive hours spent editing and filming culminated in a profound sense of accomplishment. “Going to Hofstra and seeing our media program recognized on such a large stage was an incredible experience,” shared junior Daniel Arana. “It really taught me a foundational lesson that I’ll take with me everywhere: hard work always pays off.” Following this year’s sweeping success in the Showcase Division, the Truman media program has established a firm foundation and looks forward to elevating its work further when it joins the Spotlight Division next year.
