From Nov. 16 to 20, about 40 Communications/Media Arts (CMA) students will attend the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA)/Journalism Education Association (JEA) National High School Journalism Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At the convention, students will be able to participate in many hands-on workshops and contests pertaining to the aspects of the communications field. Such aspects include design, broadcasting, videography, newspaper, online, yearbook, and magazine. Journalism professionals will speak and present at the convention. Other activities involve the NSPA dance, Minneapolis sightseeing, and tours of professional media facilities. There will be college recruiters and representatives present.
“The best thing we can get out of it [the convention] is the energized and inspirational ideas for CMA in general. Without the conventions we would only be listening to the ideas in our own heads instead of seeing what other professional journalists are doing out there,” Ms. Liz Palmer (CMA) said.
“I’m really excited this year because I’ll get to find out how I placed in the Newsmagazine cover contest,” Virginia Johnson (12) said. In September, she was named a finalist by NSPA for her design published in The Crimson Record last year. She wants to go on the Minneapolis trip to learn more, and she hopes it can make her a better Editor-in-Chief as well as a better designer.
Brittany Nelson (10) went on last year’s fall convention in Kansas City. “It was really interesting, being in a new city surrounded by journalists who shared the same passion as I did. I feel like I’m not alone in this business and there will always be people who understand how I feel about journalism,” Nelson said.
The cost of the trip is $475 and the deposit of $100 was due on October 7. A coach bus will take those going on the trip to Minneapolis and they will stay at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.
This convention is one of the top two high school journalism conventions in the country. The other is the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Journalism Convention in the spring. and CMA attends both.
