Gallery by Julie Alpaugh and Zoe Peterson.
By DELIA ADAMSON – Print Writing Coach
Editors for the ODYSSEY Media Group attended the National Scholastic Press Association Fall Conference in Indianapolis, IN on Nov. 10-13.
Twenty-one members of the Clarke Central High School ODYSSEY Media Group attended the annual 2016 National Scholastic Press Association Fall Convention, “Journalism 360” from Nov. 10-13. The convention attracted more than 4000 high school journalism delegates from around the globe.
The opening of the convention began with the keynote speakers Steve Rhodes, a field producer at WTHR-TV, and Kevin Rader, a reporter for Channel 13 Eyewitness News in Indiana. Their presentation included several news videos they had jointly produced and highlighted certain aspects of in-depth reporting and forming relationship during interviews.
“I thought (the keynote speakers) were really interesting with what they said about really connecting to your sources,” Johanna Hall, Executive Producer of ODTV, said. “The videos they showed us were really different from any sort of journalism I had seen before. It was not only really dramatized, but it was also very obvious what the sources’ personalities were and you really got a sense of who they were as people not just with the story. So, they showed a new way to tell stories and it was pretty cool.”
Staff members were able to attend a variety of sessions, which were taught by advisers, professional journalists and other high school students. Adviser David Ragsdale facilitated two presentations with the ODYSSEY Media Group’s editors on Saturday. Ragsdale and juniors Aneesa Conine-Nakano and Suncana Pavlic, presented a session on multimedia for digital publications. He also presented with juniors Jordan Rhym and Lucia Bermudez on how to produce and implement a staff manual/stylebook in the news room.
In spite of some initial jitters in presenting at a national conference, Rhym, who serves as the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine’s Lead Copy Editor, felt the session was worthwhile.
“Presenting at my first National Press Association conference was pretty wild,” Rhym said. “In the end, it felt very rewarding just to know that I helped some of (the conference attendees) and also a few of (the conference attendees) came and talked to me after the presentation, so it just showed me that it had weight.”
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group pose after their formal staff dinner in Indianapolis, IN. Editors attended the National Scholastic Press Association fall conference on Nov. 10-13. “I actually think the conference went really well,” Jordan Rhym, Lead Copy Editor of the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, said. “I think there was a very diverse group of people there and I mean publications were coming from all over the country.” Photo by Zoe Peterson
The staffers were also able to attend a publication swap, in which they had the opportunity to review and critique other publications and to connect to other journalists at the convention. In addition, the ODYSSEY Online, ODYSSEY Newsmagazine and ODTV were held in on-site critiques where their work was evaluated.
“Me and Karla, the ODTV Director, went to our critique of our news show and they gave us constructive feedback, like how to be more professional,” Hall said. “So, it was a lot about the transitions and the filming style with direction and the jump-cuts, but then he also gave us advice on what kind of stories we should include.”
In addition to attending sessions and networking, several staffers conducted post-presidential election interviews while on site.
“Kids, even journalists like the ones at NSPA, often don’t get asked for input, asked how they’re feeling about politics, what they think should happen. We wanted to give teenagers of all backgrounds and ideologies an outlet. I personally was interested to see how kids across the country were feeling. Were they elated? Were they freaking out? How were kids of Mexican heritage or Muslim kids feeling? Were reactions different between men and women, white kids and people of color?” ODYSSEY Newsmagazine Viewpoints editor, Katy Mayfield, said. “Clarke County is such a blue bubble that none of us had any idea what the rest of the country was feeling. That was definitely my favorite part because there’s reading different viewpoints online and then there’s going out and actually getting to talk to people who you wouldn’t get to ordinarily and learn why they think what they do.”
ODYSSEY Newsmagazine Junior Copy Editor Andrew Caldwell believes his attendance at the conference has helped him grow as a journalist.
“It’s my first year being an editor and I was really scared coming on to staff for my second year and I really didn’t know how I would do and I was afraid of messing up,” Caldwell said. “So, going to NSPA really showed me my strengths and my weaknesses and I’ve learned to grow from some of my failures and it really taught me what I need to do better and how to improve and how to implement certain ideas to help my staff improve.”
Shortly after the NSPA awards ceremony on Nov. 13, the ODYSSEY Media Group had their traditional group circle. This was a time for members to share their thoughts about the conference and reflect on their experiences. “I remember the circle at the end of the awards ceremony,” Variety Editor Jurnee Louder, a CCHS junior, said. “Just us and our raw emotions and our raw feelings as just we all have so much love for each other and that was really special for me. I think we’re a stronger EdBoard and a stronger publication because of NSPA.” Photo courtesy by Zoe Peterson
Attendees included seniors Julie Alpaugh and Maddie Rose Hall, juniors Delia Adamson, Lucia Bermudez, Aneesa Conine-Nakano, Karla Dougan, Hannah Gale, Johanna Hall, Jurnee Louder, Adrienne Lumpkin, Katy Mayfield, Violet Merritt, Suncana Pavlic, Zoe Peterson, Kaya Pollack, Jordan Rhym, Olivia Ripps and Dalace Thomas and sophomores Ana Aldridge, Valeria Garcia-Pozo and Andrew Caldwell.
In addition to opportunities for growth, ODYSSEY Newsmagazine Variety Editor Junee Louder feels the trip instills unity and is one of the most powerful experiences she has had during her three years on staff.
“First off, being on a bus for like 13 hours, you really get to know more about people. I saw different types of everyone. It was just really cool for us to not be in that stressful work environment, like really have fun and let loose and just talk about what we’re feeling,” Louder, said. “I remember the circle at the end of the awards ceremony, just us and our raw emotions and our raw feelings as just we all have so much love for each other and that was really special for me. I think we’re a stronger EdBoard and a stronger publication because of NSPA.”
Ragsdale, who has lead delegations to NSPA’s fall conference in 2006 in Nashville, TN, 2008 in St. Louis, MO, 2010 in Kansas City MO, 2012 in San Antonio, TX, 2014 in Washington, DC, 2015 in Orlando, FL, and 2016 in Indianapolis, IN, feels retrospective.
“It’s crazy to think that 10 years ago we went on our first trip to NSPA, which was in Nashville, TN, with just a handful of kids, who had no idea where we would take this thing and who had no idea what we were doing,” Ragsdale said. “That was a formative stage in our development, but to look ahead to where we are now, it’s really rewarding to have had to opportunity to work with so many talented kids who are all still very important to the legacy of what we’ve done and to watch these current kids contributing to that legacy is all the more rewarding.”
The ODYSSEY Media Group’s first trip to NSPA in Nashville, TN in Nov. 2006 consisted of 12 students. Since then, the program has grown and expanded to nearly 70 students, two classes and four publications. “That was a formative stage in our development, but to look ahead to where we are now,” adviser David Ragsdale said. “It’s really rewarding to have had to opportunity to work with so many talented kids who are all still very important to the legacy of what we’ve done and to watch these current kids contributing to that legacy is all the more rewarding.” Photo courtesy by David Ragsdale.
The ODYSSEY Media Group members received recognition while in attendance to the conference.
The ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was recognized as a Pacemaker Finalist.
The ODYSSEY Newsmagazine received 8th place for NSPA Best in Show
The ODYSSEY Online placed 10th in Best in Show (small school).
The iliad Literary-Arts Magazine placed seventh Best in Show.
Photography Editor Zoe Peterson and former staff writer Flora Lehtreck received 9th place in the “Sports Multimedia Story of the Year”.
Peterson also individually received 7th place for “Sports Multimedia Story of the Year”.
Former Editor-in-Chief Kevin Mobley was awarded 3rd place for “News Story of the Year”.
