“From forgetting how to act in public while at Chick-Fil-A to learning from a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, there was never a dull moment,” said Madi Brown, yearbook manager, 12.
On Nov. 11, seven members of SPUB went to Nashville for the National High School Journalism Convention. The staff spent the first day of the trip touring their new surroundings and visiting different museums and historic landmarks.
“I learned a lot about the history of Nashville…especially about the history of country music in the city,” said Dylan Estes, online manager, 12. “We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, the Gulch (a shopping district), and the Parthenon.”
While a majority of the group found these experiences exciting, the main learning experiences came from the convention itself.
“Although so much information was thrown at me in the span of three days, I absorbed everything I could,” said Kayley Tran, EiC, 12. “A convention gives you the opportunity to learn so many new things, such as leadership skills, writing techniques, and staff management. I learned a lot about how I can be a better editor-in-chief for my staff. I learned that I should not only be a leader, but a builder.”
There were many seminars for the writing side of journalism, but the convention also offered seminar opportunities for the broadcast side of things.
“I went to a lot of breakout rooms about broadcasting, but I also went to ones to help come up with ideas for our content in the future,” said Olivia Schultze, broadcast and podcast EiC, 11. “I learned how we can better our content from learning about other platforms and staff and how to engage our viewers so more people can read and see what we have to offer to our school.”
Overall, there were an abundance of valuable opportunities for both print and broadcast at the convention, and it served as a valuable learning experience for both sides. Not only did the convention provide information and tips regarding journalism, but it also gave the staff an outlet to connect and become closer.
