ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine editors pose in front of the Rocky statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Nov. 6. The National High School Journalism Convention allowed OMG students to refocus both personally and professionally. “Experiencing the conference and going into it with an open mind to learn and also bond, knowing when to switch on our learning brains, and then also to turn that off, I think we did a good job balancing that,” Managing Editor Janie Ripps said. Photo by Krista Jones
ODYSSEY Media Group editors attended the 2024 National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9.
Thirteen members of the ODYSSEY Media Group Editorial Board attended the National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia from Nov. 7 to 9.
The NHSJC was held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in partnership with the National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association. The convention drew 3,500 attendees from all 50 states and eight countries and provided those in attendance the opportunity to attend sessions led by experienced journalists, advisers and students, as well as a space to form connections amongst each other.
“My senior NSPA was truly awesome. Even though I’ve been to two conferences before, I honestly felt I learned just as much, if not more, from this event,” ODYSSEY Media Group Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer said. “I’m blown away every time by the chances I have to learn more about the field and, frankly, humbled by all the professionals and students alike doing great work on a national stage.”
ODYSSEY Media Group Social Media Coordinator Liya Taylor interviews Journalism I Facilitator Samaya Ellis on Nov. 6. Students had opportunities to engage with hands-on learning throughout the conference. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The convention kicked off Thursday morning with pre-convention courses, all-day in-depth classes focused on specific fields, including leadership, digital photography and reporting.
“I really liked my pre-con because we learned about photography, and that’s something I really know nothing about, I’m really not a good photographer, so we got to practice with that, and then go out into Philadelphia and take some really cool photos,” Managing Editor Janie Ripps said.
The courses were followed by a keynote speech from producer and director Matthew Henderson, who spoke about his experiences documenting people for “Life Stories”, a national nonprofit dedicated to uplifting powerful stories.
After the first day, sessions began, covering a wide variety of topics from ethical Artificial Intelligence usage to print design basics. These 45-minute long presentations applied to various positions within the OMG, including Journalism I Facilitators, student leaders who work alongside OMG adviser David Ragsdale to train freshman students in the fundamentals of journalism.
“I tried my best to go to sessions that work for Journalism I so I can come back and give that to these kids. I wanted to come here to be better for them, I wanted to learn more from these experienced people that have been doing (journalism) for decades,” Journalism I Facilitator Angel Tejada, a junior, said.
Along with attending sessions, some OMG editors presented original sessions alongside Ragsdale. Ripps and Meyer presented a session focused on convergence content, while Meyer also covered journalism representation practices alongside Diversity and Representation Editor Peter Atchley.
ODYSSEY Media Group Managing Editor Janie Ripps (left) and Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer (right) present their session “Convergence Content” at the National High School Journalism Convention on Nov. 8. While both are veteran presenters, this was the first time they had presented together. Photo by David Ragsdale
“Truthfully, I’ve never felt confident in my presenting skills until this year. I delivered a presentation at NSPA last year and never felt comfortable. I don’t know why, but even with larger audiences, I felt much more empowered this time,” Meyer said. “It’s important to me to pay the lessons and ideas our publication practices forward, so I was pleased both presentations went so well.”
The addition of Atchley’s position to the OMG Editorial Board coincides with an increased focus at the NHSJC on diversity-driven sessions and the inclusion of a DEI NSPA award category. Meyer and Atchley’s session was part of the NHSJC’s DEI certificate, which students could earn by attending four DEI-centered sessions over the course of the conference. Atchley, iliad Literary-Art Magazine Business Manager Mattie Pittard and iliad Social Media Coordinator Onyx Mills all received the certificate.
“I think student media has (an) opportunity to change things in professional media, so I really hope that the students who attended the conference and the students at home can change things because the professionals are definitely watching us to see what we’re doing as much as we watch them,” Atchley said. “I hope we can inspire them as we become the next generation of journalists and we can create the diversity that we’re striving for now.”
“It feels really good to be recognized for so many things. It’s super validating to receive awards personally, but as a staff, it shows the progress we’ve made so far and, on the flip side, how much more room we have to grow,”
— Wyatt Meyer,
ODYSSEY Media Group Editor-in-Chief
The NHSJC held its annual award ceremony on Nov. 9 to commemorate both individual and staff work. In the Best of Show contest, which honors the top publications who attended the conference, the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine won first place, the OMG website placed third and the iliad Literary-Art Magazine placed fourth.
The ODYSSEY Media Group Editorial Board poses with the OMG’s National Scholastic Press Association Best of Show third place award for online publications. The award was one of several brought home by staff and students alike at the convention. Photo by Victoria Garland
Along with these staff recognitions, several past and present OMG students received awards in the individual Best of Show categories.
“It feels really good to be recognized for so many things. It’s super validating to receive awards personally, but as a staff, it shows the progress we’ve made so far and, on the flip side, how much more room we have to grow,” Meyer said.
Aside from the conference, students were also able to explore the city of Philadelphia by attending famous landmarks such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Rocky Steps”, Reading Terminal Market and the Liberty Bell. Sightseeing provided an opportunity for bonding and quality time among attendees.
“Experiencing the conference and going into it with an open mind to learn and also bond, knowing when to switch on our learning brains, and then also to turn that off, I think we did a good job balancing that,” Ripps said. “We pick each other up and get through it and I think that applies to ODYSSEY, just in the sense that not every day is going to be amazing. We may have some tough times, and we got through it, we helped each other out, and that’s what a team does.”
Ragsdale, who has brought students to NHSJC since 2006, values the experience as a reality check for students at home.
“When I’m working with other colleagues, delivering my own sessions or supporting our folks, you see people genuinely interacting, genuinely engaging, asking questions, seeking feedback, mentorship,” Ragsdale said. “I think it helps for (students) to see that what I’m doing with us at home has merit. You guys have grown up in a program that has (done) good things. Intrinsically, it seems a lot of people think it just happens overnight or magically. It’s all very intentional.”
Staff Awards
Best of Show at NSPA
Newsmagazine (more than 1,800 students), First Place: ODYSSEY Media Group
Editorial Leadership: All Media, First Place: Wyatt Meyer
Reporting: News Story, Second Place: Wyatt Meyer
Website (more than 1,800 students), Third Place: ODYSSEY Media Group
Literary Arts Magazine, Fourth Place: iliad Literary-Arts Magazine
Reporting: Feature Story, Fifth Place: Emlyn McKinney, Wyatt Meyer
NSPA Story of the Year
ODYSSEY Media Group
2024 Story of the Year, Sports Story, First Place: Wyatt Meyer
2024 Digital Story of the Year, Podcast, First Place: Emlyn McKinney
2024 Digital Story of the Year, Blog, Second Place: Isabella Westrich
2024 Photo of the Year, News Photo, Honorable Mention: Aza Khan
2024 Digital Story of the Year, Multimedia Sports Story, Honorable Mention: Cadence Schapker, Anna Shaikun, Wyatt Meyer, Cooper Jones, Evan Cornish
iliad Literary-Art Magazine
2024 Design Story of the Year: Literary/Speciality Magazine Page/Spread, Honorable Mention: Olivia Hendershot
2024 Design of the Year: Literary/Specialty Magazine Cover, Honorable Mention: Olivia Hendershot
2024 Best Use of Social Media, Social Media Promotion, Second Place: Victoria Garland, Olivia Hendershot
