CG Publications DC Trip

CG Publications DC Trip Media Arts students visit nation's capitol for journalism convention

From November 20-24, 13 students on the CG Publications staff went to Washington D.C. for the annual JEA/NSPA Journalism Convention where they took classes, entered contests, learned about our nation's history and bonded with each other.

Co-advisers Catherine Tedrow and Melissa Warner pose for a photo with Bobby Hawthorne, who wrote the journalism textbook "The Radical Write" in the Exhibition Hall. Students visited booths for colleges and publishing booths. At the Ball State University booth, editors listened to critiques of their work with BSU alumni now working in professional media.

Freshman Matt Kish holds numerous cameras at the Lifetouch booth in the expedition hall. "Getting to go to the convention gave me a great opportunity to meet new people and learn many new things about video journalism," Kish said.

Jostens representatives interview adviser Melissa Warner about the new version of Yearbook Avenue, the platform used to design and publish the yearbook and news magazine.

Junior Sarah McCartney votes on a poll conducted by the Newseum, a museum that showcases the historical significance of news and journalism. The polls asked museum visitors to vote on contemporary media issues such as whether or not actors and athletes should use platforms such as their personal social media accounts to protest social injustice. "The Newseum also inspired my love for photography all the more because the photos at the museum were stunning," McCartney said.

Calista Stafford '20 and Madi Knox '22 take a selfie during a session about headline writing. "Madi and I got up early to go to the 8 o'clock session because we wanted to have enough time to go somewhere fun for lunch," Stafford said. "The session was helpful for writing better headlines and formatting them in a better way."

Madi Knox '22 reads a quote on the wall at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. After the convention classes ended on Saturday, students toured the National Mall. "I learned about how to write headlines, to tell visual stories and to have better interviews," Knox said. "The sightseeing was very informative, and it helped me connect more to the history of America."

Students visited numerous monuments and museums during the trip, learning about American history and journalism's role thorough all of it. "The trip was a really great learning experience for what I could improve on and it really helped to learn what we were doing well," Mario Faiman '21 said. "I had a lot of fun being able to explore Washington, D.C. with my friends while we also learned about journalism."

Graham Kanwit '20, Zach Alexander '22, Mario Faiman '21, Jackson Gardner '20, and Wesley Tedrow '21 take pictures in front of the Newseum TV news desk.

Matt Kish '23 takes video at the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument. Kish participated in the Broadcast and Video Boot Camp on Thursday to learn how to make an effective news broadcast from start to finish taught by nationally-recognized broadcast adviser Michael Hernandez from Mira Costa High School in California. "Through the boot camp, I learned a lot about broadcasting, filmmaking and video editing," Kish said. "It gave me the opportunity to network with other people and have a hands-on learning experience."

Graham Kanwit '20 looks at pictures on the walls at the Korean Memorial after the convention classes finished on Saturday, Nov. 23. "Seeing this memorial was very moving, especially because you can see your own face reflected in the glass," Kanwit said. "It reminded me that despite our differences we are all American."

On Saturday night, students met with CG Alumni Chrissy Ashack, art director for the Washington Post. Ashack talked with students about her career path and answered questions about careers in media. "My favorite part was when we met with Chrissy Ashack," Sarah McCartney '21 said. "It was nice to learn about how journalism can actually be applied. I also enjoyed learning that if I were to pursue journalism, I wouldn't have to live off ramen noodles for my entire life."

Maddie Heineman '20 takes a photo of Calista Stafford '20 and Jackson Gardner '20 in front of president Lincoln's statue in the Lincoln Memorial.

Aside from learning about journalism and visiting monuments, students participated in various Student Media Contests sponsored by the JEA. These contests are meant to give students a taste of real-world journalism and provide constructive criticism and feedback so they can improve.

The following students were recognized for their contest entries:

Meg White '20 won Excellent in Commentary Writing. "I honestly had no clue what to expect going into the competition," White said. "I knew a bit about what the topic was, but overall, I was very new. To win an award for my first entry into a contest like this is a major boost to my confidence as a writer and journalist."

Olivia Oliver '20 won Honorable Mention in News Writing. "Frankly, I did not think I would get any award this year because with about 30 minutes left at the competition, I realized I had completely formatted my writing wrong, so I had to copy down the first two pages of my story all over again," Oliver said. "When I did find out that I got an award, I was really happy honestly because I did not think I would really get anything this year, and it was really nice to improve from last year."

Calista Stafford '20 won Excellent in Copy/Caption Sports. "Being my first convention, I did not know what the Copy/Caption competition was, but I write captions every day so I felt pretty comfortable going in," Stafford said. "It was actually a pretty fun experience, and it's reassuring as an editor knowing that judges think you're 'Excellent' at the basic part of your job."

Jackson Gardner '20 won Excellent in Copy/Caption Clubs. "It was great to finally win an award after going to the journalism convention for the third time," Gardner said. "I had been writing captions and stories all throughout high school, so getting recognized for it at my last convention was a big deal."

Wesley Tedrow '21 won Honorable Mention in Copy/Caption Academics. "Going into this contest, I really didn't expect to do well since I mostly do photo and video, not writing," Tedrow said. "Getting an 'Honorable Mention' honestly surprised me and made me realize that if I really wanted to start writing, I totally could."

Maddie Heineman '20 wins Honorable Mention in Broadcast Sports. "The fact that I won an 'Honorable Mention' means so much to me," Heineman said. "It shows that what I am doing is on track with some of the best, and with a little improvement and some tips, I learned I can get there."

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