Eloise Luken, ODYSSEY Media Group Variety Editor and a CCHS junior, discusses observational journalism in a session at the University of Georgia’s Tate Student Center during the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Fall Conference on Oct. 27. Luken has attended the convention throughout high school, co-presented with OMG Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo. “Going into fall 2026 GSPA, I was very nervous because I was presenting for the first time, but it ended up going better than I would have expected. We had a great turnout from different publications, and our audience was very engaging,” Luken said. “Because Lea and I did so much preparation, I was confident in what I was talking about, and I could focus on the experience and being in the moment.” Photo by Grady Dunston
The ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board attended the Georgia Scholastic Press Association at the University of Georgia Tate Student Center on Oct. 27.
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board attended the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Fall Conference on Oct. 27 at the University of Georgia Tate Student Center.
During the event, more than 900 registered participants attended a variety of informational sessions on subjects such as interviewing, leadership, broadcasting, and writing, delivered by student journalists, journalism educators, and professionals. Additionally, OMG members presented two different sessions throughout the day, the first one being “Finding the nugget: Writing Profiles through Observational Journalism,” by OMG Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo, a Clarke Central High School senior, and Variety Editor Eloise Luken, a CCHS junior.
“(During) my first session, (Luken and D’Angelo’s session) interviewing, I learned not to be so worried about the questions I want to ask during the interview that I miss other vital questions I could have asked based off what they were telling me,” Journalism I student Arohi Singh, a freshman, said.
Additionally, OMG Senior Visuals Coordinator Emlyn McKinney presented the session,“The Creative Cloud Designer’s Toolbox.” The session was designed to help attendees experiment with the principles of design using Adobe’s signature product suite.
“As someone who is extremely new to using Creative Cloud, McKinney’s session helped define a lot of terms I was unfamiliar with in a very digestible way and I hope to use the skills I learned going forward,” D’Angelo said.
“Something I learned about the OMG is that it’s a really tight-knit community and this program (is) something that means a lot to the upperclassmen, especially the seniors since most of them have stayed for all four years. (OMG is) something that all members deeply care about, including (OMG founder and adviser) Mr. (David) Ragsdale.”
— Arohi Singh,
OMG Journalism I student and CCHS freshman
Prior to the event, students were paired up with a buddy to spend the duration of GSPA with, with each group comprising a veteran staffer or editor and a mentee. Additionally, some students, including OMG Broadcast Editor Mzée Pavlić, a CCHS senior, participated in on-the-site competitions.
“It was my partner, (Social Media Staffer and CCHS senior Essex Forker’s) first time going to GSPA, so I was able to show him the GSPA experience,” Pavlic said. “We both worked on the social media contest together, but he has done a lot of social media so it was less me leading and more us working together. Doing the competition together was very fun.”
Seniors Essex Forker, an ODYSSEY Media Group Social Media Staffer, and Mzée Pavlic’, OMG Broadcast Editor, participate in an on-site game at the University of Georgia Tate Student Center during the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Fall Conference on Oct. 27. Pavlic’ has attended the conference since his freshman year, and found his final conference memorable. “GSPA is a great opportunity to build connections with members of the OMG that you wouldn’t really interact all too much with. I hope that (underclassman) learned some things they can bring back to their work in class and found inspiration for future journalistic work,” Pavlić said. Photo by Grady Dunston
For Singh, the convention was an opportunity to see the OMG program in a different context.
“Something I learned about the OMG is that it’s a really tight-knit community and this program (is) something that means a lot to the upperclassmen, especially the seniors since most of them have stayed for all four years,” Singh said. “(OMG is) something that all members deeply care about, including (OMG founder and adviser) Mr. (David) Ragsdale.”
