Post Convention Thoughts: Let Me Know If I Can Help
Diana Hadley
The flurry of October activities leading up to the 2011 convention have evolved into memory links on the IHSPA website. You can visit the photos, multimedia projects and contest results by clicking here. But remember that IHSPA services and activities continue throughout the year.
I continue to help advisers and their staffs plan local/regional activities on a variety of topics. Sometimes I help staffs mediate conflicts with administrators, and sometimes I just share some time with advisers and/or students to discuss common issues in the world of high school journalism.
A true story I shared at the convention advisers meeting:
After a recent on-site workshop that was scheduled at the school for the entire day, the adviser asked the yearbook students if they thought the day was worthwhile.
They said they thought it was. Whew!
Then one of the students asked how much I charged, and the adviser replied, “Nothing.”
To which the student said, “She was really worth nothing.”
I can be worth nothing to others too. Just let me know how I can help.
Haven’t Registered For The Convention Yet? No Problem
Diana Hadley
Hello Everyone:
Full Convention Program Ready. Now It’s Your Turn
Diana Hadley
I hope you won’t be able to resist looking at this link to the program for the IHSPA convention. You’ll find the program among the “Quick Downloads” links or you may click on the program cover page located elsewhere on the convention page. Please note that the convention program links you to a Zip file with multiple pages.
Based on the positive feedback from last year’s program, those who attend the convention will receive a reporter’s notebook that includes information about all the sessions and other IHSPA details on the opening pages. Downloading this information now may help you and your students plan for specific sessions to attend before you arrive.
Convention chairpersons Rachel McCarver, Nicole Wilson and Melissa Deavers-Lowie have convinced an impressive group of speakers to share their expertise in a variety of areas to inspire students and take their skills and their schools’ publications to the next level.
A registration form, on-site and maestro project information, and directions for nominating a principal of the year, Sengenberger or Ingelhart recipient are also available on the IHSPA’s special fall convention website and IHSPA Facebook page.
However, I am willing to provide personal assistance with information you need as you plan. I enjoy seeing your email addresses pop into my computer’s inbox. Continue to communicate your challenges and successes as we work toward the fall convention.
Previewing The 2011 Fall Convention
Diana Hadley
Once Labor Day weekend is history, it’s time to look forward to our next holiday—the IHSPA fall convention scheduled for Oct. 20-21 at Franklin College.
Even though it is more than six weeks away, there are things to do as you plan to attend this annual celebration. To help you in your planning, we’ve created a special convention page with all essential registration materials.
• Remember that the Thursday evening portion of the convention is a bonus for schools that want to participate in specialized contests and/or get travel completed before Friday morning. On-site contests will continue to offer challenges in writing, design, and photography and the new multimedia maestro opportunity. (Information and registration for on-sites and lodging options in the Franklin area are posted on the IHSPA website.
• Consider running for a student or adviser office. The Executive Board meets on Saturdays four to six times per year and plans the First Amendment Symposium at the Indiana Statehouse in March and the fall convention at Franklin College in October. Board members may also plan and/or participate in outreach programs throughout the year.
• Consider nominating an adviser for the Ella Sengenberger Award, an administrator who supports the student press for the administrator award, or a person who has contributed to scholastic journalism in general for the Louie Ingelhart Award. Letters of recommendation should be collected and sent to the IHSPA office for each of these nominations. (Again, CHECK HERE for more information about each of the awards.)
• Send 2011 yearbook entries for Harvey Awards by Sept. 15, 2011. Description of categories and forms are available on the IHSPA website or IHSPA Facebook page.
• Look over the timeline of events below to plan the best convention options for your students and schedule that field trip. New advisers need to know that field trips generally have to be planned at least a month ahead.
Registration Form
Thursday evening, October 20, 2011
5:00-7:00 p.m. — Registration at Spurlock Center Lobby
7:00 p.m. — Onsite writing, design, and photography contests (preregistration required)
Multimedia maestro project (preregistration required)
Wii games and karaoke activities.
Friday, October 21, 2011
7:30-8:30 a.m. — Registration at Spurlock Center lobby
8:30-9:30 a.m. — Opening session
Keynote speech by Scott Swan, Indianapolis Channel 13 anchor, in Spurlock Center gymnasium
9:45-1:30 p.m. — Four 45-minute rounds of sessions led by journalism professionals who will share a variety of information about newspaper, yearbook, broadcast, business, management, leadership, design, photography, journalism careers, and media law/ethics
11:30-12:30.m. — Lunch (included in registration fee) options, student elections and tours of Franklin College Napolitan Student Center
11:45-12:30 p.m. — IHSPA adviser business meeting and luncheon in Branigin Room/Napolitan Student Center
1:45-2:30 p.m. — Closing session
Presentation of publication awards in Spurlock Center gymnasium
Anyone who has questions about the convention or any of the contests is welcome contact Diana Hadley. As a final reminder, all registration forms and general information about the convention are available HERE.
Office Phone: 317.738.8199
Cell: 317.341.4360
A Little Bragging As The School Year Ends
Diana Hadley
I’m probably about to make a big mistake on purpose—but I have a good reason.
I’m going to brag about some of our advisers who have been recognized for excellence by their schools this spring with the hunch that I will omit some who haven’t been reported. I hope this blog will encourage others to let me know of other adviser honors so that I can brag about even more of our people. (It’s hard to cover a state full of talented, hard-working but humble people adequately.) Here is what I know from websites and friends of the award-winners:
Jim Streisel, Carmel High School, was named Carmel Clay Schools Teacher of the Year May 9. Jim has taught at Carmel 16 years, and he has been adviser of the HiLite since 2004.
Streisel is a valued instructor for workshops and conferences throughout the country. The HiLite has received the IHPSA Hoosier Star five times under his leadership.
Casey Tedrow was named Teacher of the Year for Center Grove High School.
She teaches English, Journalism, and Etymology and is a co-chair of the English department and co-chair of the professional development team. She has advised the Trojan yearbook for 11 years, and this year she co-advises CGTV.
Jim Lang, Floyd Central High School, received similar recognition with the Principal’s Tribute to Excellence award presented to one Floyd Central faculty member each year. In addition to advising publications at Floyd Central, Jim has been an IHSPA board member since 1998 and an Adviser of the Year. He has also been a member of task teams to develop the First Amendment Symposium and journalism/mass media standards for Indiana.
Three other advisers made the elite list of Lilly Teacher Creativity Award recipients for this year: Tom Gayda, publications adviser at North Central High School; Kathy McKinney, publications adviser at Kankakee Valley High School, and Kathleen Mills, newspaper adviser at Bloomington High School South.
When one considers the fact that some of our advisers have already received this kind of distinction in past years and that each school only has one or two publications advisers, the number who are recognized for excellence each year is noteworthy. Congratulations to all. IHSPA has a great team!
Editor’s Note: Although make-up days are going to delay the end of the year for many schools, others are drawing to a close within a few days. Due to the changes in publication dates for a significant number of newspapers, the new postmark deadline for newspaper Harvey entries is Friday, June 10. Information and entry forms can be downloaded from the IHPSA website. Anyone who has a student newspaper published after June 10 should contact me if they still want to enter the contest.
Everyone Benefits When Our Students Benefit
Diana Hadley
Although many educational institutions are eliminating programs and special projects, some Indiana groups have continued traditional journalism events with great success; and others have even initiated new ones. HSPA members and I have enjoyed being included in some of these special events this spring.
Something Old
Ball State University Journalism Department hosted its 56th annual J-Day in its traditional large format. As other conferences across the country report drops in attendance at frightening percentages, J-Day still drew a crowd of 1342 students and 78 advisers representing 68 schools.
J-Day occurs at a time when advisers and students can reflect on the past year and evaluate positives and negatives as they plan for the next year. Brian Hayes and his staff pack the day with a variety of sessions and contests that reward staff and individual success as they educate and inspire.
Something New
The NCAA offered a junior journalism workshop for middle school girls during the Women’s Basketball Final Four weekend at Conseco. The agenda included a lesson about news writing, the opportunity to participate in a national press conference and one-on-one collaboration with media professionals. It was a wonderful chance for young girls to meet successful young women, ask questions that interest middle school students and then tell those stories.
Both Old and New
Old charters were reinstated when Teresa White, Director of Indiana University’s High School Journalism Institute, hosted a Quill and Scroll induction ceremony for Indianapolis Public Schools on April 29. The evening reception followed a workshop sponsored earlier in the day by the I.U. and IUPUI collegiate chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Vanessa Shelton, Executive Director of the International Quill and Scroll Society, led the induction of new members that recognized the scholastic and journalistic accomplishments of six yearbook or newspaper students from Arsenal Technical High School and six yearbook, newspaper or broadcast students from Broad Ripple Media Magnet High School.
All Good
The effort of many professional individuals and groups help organizations committed to scholastic journalism succeed. Members of The Hoosier State Press Association, The Indianapolis Star, WfYI and WTHR provided sponsorships and additional financial support for the SPJ workshop and Quill and Scroll event. They are part of a larger group that supports student activities and projects throughout the year.
Everyone benefits when our students benefit. Thanks to everyone who contributes.
Another Victory For One Of ‘Our Kids’
Diana Hadley
Rachel McCarver, IHSPA adviser board member from Columbus North High School, shed a few tears when Victoria Ison was named Indiana Student Journalist of the Year at the annual IHSPA First Amendment Symposium in March.
It’s not unusual for teachers to become emotional when “their kids” win awards. However, Victoria isn’t from Columbus North. She represents Bloomington High School North where she has been Ryan Gunterman’s kid for the past four years.
Seven other outstanding student journalists were recognized as finalists in a tough competition the night Victoria was honored. How tough? Tough enough that Victoria has also been named Journalism Education Association’s national student journalist of the year.
There is no question that placing such an announcement in the third paragraph is an example of a “buried lead”—except that part of the message is that it’s an exciting day for all of Victoria’s families— biological, Bloomington North—and her IHSPA family. When our students succeed we all celebrate
Speaking of buried leads…Victoria’s adviser started the celebration at the end of last week when he and Liz welcomed Vivian Hazel, their new little Gunterman.
Our IHSPA family is happy about that event too.
After all, they are all “our kids.”
More Resources:
•Click Here to see the full story about Ison written by Wayna Polk of JEA.
•The following essay was written by Victoria Ison as a requirement for her “Student Journalist of the Year” portfolio.
Victoria and Ryan
By Victoria Ison
The notebook was white with little angels on it and had the prettiest paper I’d ever seen. I picked it up carefully, grabbed my mom’s hand, and towed her to the K-mart checkout counter where, for $4.99, a gum-smacking teenager rang up my future.
Geneil Ison purchased that journal for her five-year-old daughter expecting to see no more than 20 pages of it used, and that much only if she took the book and some crayons to Sunday church and let me draw.
She didn’t know that the angel journal would be the first of eleven notebooks her daughter would fill before graduating high school, or that my love of journal writing would translate to a love of journalism, a high school obsession and, ultimately, a career.
It started small, of course. Like when I was nine and bored: after interviewing every relative in my grandparents’ house, I retreated to the computer in my aunt’s bedroom and emerged two hours later with eight copies of my first publication. “The Carter Times” was published off and on for more than two years and received great critical acclaim, though it never left the house.
Then, the summer I was ten, an uncle called me over to his picnic table and handed off his new digital camera. I point-and-shoot puttered around past the borders of my family reunion and all over the state park that day. Every backyard barbeque and family get-together since, somebody’s camera finds its way into my hands.
At 13, after a lot of urging from the extended family, I signed up for journalism when I started high school. That’s when I learned that there were names for all the hobbies I had at home and that, no, I hadn’t invented the rule of thirds. I went whirling in a world of anecdotal leads, nutgrafs, subheads and picas. I was learning interviewing, ethics, AP style, etc. It was paradise.
Then came newspaper, which is a class, but also an extracurricular activity, a part-time job, and a husband. I have hated it with the passion that belongs only to someone working hard and struggling with something she loves. I have stayed up until 3 a.m. finalizing spreads and preparing presentations to share with would-be staff members. I have shamelessly donned my Fused t-shirt and press pass and purchased two dozen donuts at 6 a.m. for the staff breakfast. I have chased story after story, interviewed kids and adults from all walks of life, typed my fingers raw and remained at Starbucks until they threw me out.
I have done all this, and I have never really intended to be a journalist.
That is, until something happened a few months ago.
It’s free period and I’m in the newsroom again. Sprawled out on a rug, I sort through a big brown box of magazines, searching for emulate-able design examples to show the staff. Except I’m not getting much work done, because every story lead, even the ones in Wired, catches my attention. I feel this prickle of jealousy, wishing I could write like that about even toilet engineers and obscure tech gadgets.
And then I cock my head and scrunch up my eyes in what I am told is my characteristic thinking pose and stop reading. Because I realize that probably one day I could write as compellingly as that, and what’s more I want to. Right then I decide—or perhaps, admit—that what I want is to be a journalist.
This revelation was a long time in coming, I think because I always held this idea that journalism was about packed press conferences, flashing camera bulbs, a thousand outstretched microphones straining to pick up a sentence or two from a source. And in a way, it is.
Journalism is very much Woodward and Bernstein, CNN, the New York Times. It’s big, bad cinematic glamour—but it’s also storytelling, sweet and simple. It’s writing about the kid whose friends host a charity soccer tournament to pay for his cancer treatments, or the teacher who drives 50 minutes to work every day for 20 years and still can’t stand to retire. Journalism is that kid at the park taking pictures of her family. It’s that girl in K-mart, the pages of an angel notebook precious already in her hands.
I do not know everything that journalism is, or everything that I am. But I know that the two have always been intertwined. And I’ve figured out that if I want any peace in this life, I’d better be a journalist.
My View