Riverhead Central Schools

Five Fortunate Photographers

Five fortunate photographers from the Riverhead Middle School, Jeanna Giustra, Liz Van Vliet, Pat Conlan, Michael Richardson and Jackie Garcia, and their advisor, RMS art teacher Jay Lebowitz, are hoping for a trip to Washington, D.C. Their photo entitled “peekaboo” of now-retired Riverhead Postmaster Charlie Smith was chosen as a regional winner from over 500 entries in a photo contest sponsored by Washington Mutual financial centers entitled “Home of the Free.” Their picture won the school $500 and, of course, the digital camera they were given to use.

The program is designed to simultaneously teach 7th and 8th grade students about photojournalism and their community. Each team from the Denver, Chicago, New York and New Jersey areas were given a complimentary high quality digital camera and were invited to interview and photograph local public servants in action and then submit their photos to regional and national judging committees.

A photo snapped by Jeanna Giustra won. It will be on display in the New York Historical Society in Manhattan from December 2nd through March 28th and will be entered in the National competition. The winners at the national level will travel to Washington, D.C. for a tour of the Capitol with David Hume Kennerly.

The inspiration for the for the “Home of the Free” program came from David Hume Kennerly’s book, Balance of Power: The Government and the Press at the Turn of the Century, which shows the people in government behind the scenes and the headlines. David Hume Kennerly is a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist who captured Richard Nixon’s now famous farewell wave as he departed the White House following his resignation.

“It’s been really fun so far,” stated Pat Conlan. “We went to New York City to a big party with about 700 kids with lots of music and met Eddie Adams, a very famous photographer. He told us about his experiences as a photojournalist during the war in Vietnam. He gave us some advice on how to take our pictures.”

“We also got a lot of gifts and there was a lot of music. It was really fun,” added Jackie Garcia.

“This is our second year in the program,” explains art teacher Jay Lebowitz. “We learned a lot last year and received a digital camera for our efforts and a nice display of our photographs at the Washington Mutual Bank in Riverhead. This year I put together a team that just really clicked and had a great time doing this assignment. Charlie Smith seemed an obvious choice because of his service and commitment to this community as postmaster and because after 37 years at the post office, he was retiring.”

Mr. Smith, who retired on October 31st after 37 years at the post office, shared with the students that his first job was to keep the coal furnace stoked and his last was as postmaster. He talked with the kids as they snapped photographs as he worked. Then they put together a very moving photo essay to submit to Washington Mututal.

“Mr. Smith was terrfic,” said Liz Van Vliet. “He was funny and friendly and really played along.”

There will be a local exhibit of the all the RMS photos at Riverhead's branch of the Washington Mutual Bank in January and all of the pictures submitted by the RMS team can be viewed at http://www.wamuhomeofthefree.com or through a direct link at Home of the Free.