Alabama Scholastic Press Association 2020 State Convention Program

ASPA

State Convention

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#ASPA20 #AMPLIFY2020

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 8 a.m.

9 a.m.

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

11 a.m.

12 p.m.

1 p.m.

2 p.m.

3 p.m.

4 p.m.

Registration

SESSION Key Advisers Only

Welcome and keynote Onsite competitions (2 hours) Session 1 Session 2 Lunch on your own Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Closing awards ceremony

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19 9 a.m. Hands-on workshops 12 p.m. Convention ends

All Media Broadcast Creative Media Literary Magazine Writing/Reporting Yearbook

onsite competition LOCATIONs Ballroom:

Back of Ballroom:

Yearbook copy, caption writing News writing Editorial writing Editorial cartooning Broadcast stand-up Literary magazine poetry Literary magazine fiction Literary magazine illustration

Newscast (anchor) Sportscast (anchor)

Room 3115: Feature writing Sports writing

Registration table: Yearbook layout Newspaper layout Literary magazine layout

Other: Photography instructions in packet

Kickoff

9 a.m.

WELCOME | DR. CORY ARMSTRONG Chair, The University of Alabama Department of Journalism and Creative Media WELCOME | MEREDITH CUMMINGS, MJE Director, Alabama Scholastic Press Association

KEYNOTE

9 a.m.

MALICK MERCIER is a student journalist who loves crying, laughing and chai lattes. He is a sophomore studying journalism and sociology at Ithaca College. He is currently the host of “this news” on IGTV – a show focused on the passions and pains of his generation airing on the platform they love. Most recently, Mercier was an intern and producer at ABC’s new digital brand Localish, where he shot, edited, produced and reported a story on JFK Airport’s first hotel, the TWA Hotel. Mercier is most known for hosting Instagram’s coverage of the “March for Our Lives” in Washington, D.C. on the official @Instagram account for 230+ million viewers. He continues to work with Facebook and Instagram on camera and at various events. Additionally, he has worked with Teen Vogue, Seventeen Magazine, Mic.com, DoSomething.org, and JetBlue Airways.

SESSION 1

10 a.m.

SCREENWRITING | MAYA CHAMPION | ROOM 3104 Learn the basic story elements and screenwriting structure. At this session, create a treatment for a short film and even pitch your ideas!

THINK FUN AND FAMILY | PATRICIA HINMAN | ROOM 3108 Add pizzazz to your book and the school year by using thematic gimmicks and goodies or simply by including off-the-wall, creative coverage ideas and special distribution day techniques as well as ideas for the yearbook family. See how some schools have reinvented their books each year and always try to THINK FUN! BRINGING YOUR A-GAME | ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL | ROOM 3700 Communication between staffers, advisors and subscribers is key, and there’s no better way to build your lit mag team spirit than with icebreakers and communication games. Try some fun team building activities during this session, and try them with the rest of the staff upon your return.

SESSION 1 CONT.

10 a.m.

CHANGE LIVES WITH PERSONALITY PROFILES | SUSAN NEWELL | ROOM 3111 Everybody has a story. Like Steve Hartman, the TV reporter who threw a dart at a map and chose someone at random to interview, you too can randomly select people and turn them into story.

NEW ADVISER SOS! | RENEE QUAIFE | ROOM 3103 Are you a new adviser who is feeling overwhelmed, or just don’t know where to start? The immediate past-president of ASPA is here to help! Bring your tired, your hungry (we have snacks!) and your problems and she will help you solve them.

HOW TO SCORE GREAT SPORTS STORIES | CHRISTOPHER WALSH | ROOM 3114 Thanks to social media, your audience knows the final score the second the buzzer sounds. Let’s share examples on how to write about the cool people and random quirks of the sports teams at your school.

SESSION 2

11 a.m.

ASPA BOARD MEETING | MEREDITH CUMMINGS, MJE AND ASPA PRESIDENT CAPRI DAY | ROOM 3125 ANDERSON ROOM The annual State Convention meeting for the ASPA board. All advisers are welcome and encouraged to attend.

CAPTION MAGIC | PATRICIA HINMAN | ROOM 3108 Good captions are the backbone of a good yearbook. Learn simple ways to improve your captions.

CONNECTIVITY THROUGH LIT MAG MARKETING | ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL | ROOM 3700 How do you create connectivity with your audience? We’ll discuss innovative ways to market your lit mag including newsletters and specialized, limited-print pubs called zines. During the session, we’ll explore the history of the zine, and we’ll each make our own. Bring your creativity!

SOCIALLY HEALTHY: LOOKING AT THE INTERNET AND HEALTH | SHAHEEN KANTHAWALA | ROOM 3111 Did you know that the Internet is the main source of health, science and technology news for most people? It is also where most people are exposed to incorrect or misinformed content. And once someone believes something, it is very difficult to change their minds. Social media plays an important role in spreading this information. Here we will discuss how and why this happens and what are some factors to keep in mind for your school media while determining what is true and what is not.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? | BUTLER CAIN | ROOM 3104 This session will cover storytelling tips for the on-demand pace of radio, podcasting and broadcasts.

Learn about workflow and technical elements of recording and editing and the equipment needed for great sound.

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN

12 P.m.

SESSION 3

1 P.m.

REPORTING WITH ETHICS | BUTLER CAIN | ROOM 3115 Choosing when and how to provide details to your readers and viewers can save your coverage from being incomplete or simply offensive. In this session, you will learn industry standards for sensitivity when reporting on groups in your community.

YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT | PATRICIA HINMAN | ROOM 3108 How to get those good quotes that make great copy and special captions. Also a great way for advisers to get a journalism grade without a lot of effort.

HOW TO GET YOUR WORK PUBLISHED: A GUIDE FOR STAFF AND SUBSCRIBERS | ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL | ROOM 3700 During the session, we’ll ask you to reexamine how you correspond with your lit mag readers. Then, we’ll discuss how to get published, craft a cover letter, and target some magazines specializing in YA — other than yours.

INTERVIEWING AND IMPROVING BROADCAST TECHNIQUES | ANGELA FLOWERS | ROOM 3104 Discover ways to help your broadcast program become more professional. Starting with how you approach stories and interviews, to getting solid audio every time, this session will offer ideas to sharpen your broadcast skills.

BUILDING A STAFF THAT WORKS AND PLAYS TOGETHER | LILLIE YAZDI AND MAREN FAGAN | ROOM 3111 How do you get 30+ students who are spread across four different classes to work together?

Team-building activities that span the day – and of course, food! Daphne High School yearbook staff leaders have a variety of activities and opportunities that help them work together as a team, even when they are not together.

REPORTING ON GENDER AND RACE ISSUES | REBECCA GRIESBACH | ROOM 3107 What’s the burden of proof? The spiral of silence? Disparate impact theory? Learn key concepts – and tools – for reporting on gender and race in a responsible way.

CREATIVE MEDIA ROUNDTABLE | TERESA GAWRYCH | ROOM 3114 Is your student media doing – or thinking about starting – creative media (such as creative non-fiction, TV or film)? Bring your ideas to an industry veteran and let her help you think them through and get a plan.

CONNECT WITH US:

Alabama Scholastic Press Association @alaspa @alabamaspa

@alabamaspa aspa@ua.edu aspa.ua.edu

SESSION 4

2 P.m.

CENSORSHIP IS A BAD WORD | ERIN COGGINS | ROOM 3107 Join Sparkman adviser Coggins, former University of North Alabama adviser Scott Morris and the Student Press Law Center’s Hillary Davis for a discussion of Alabama’s New Voices Campaign. We need all students and advisers to join in the campaign to get student and adviser rights protected in Alabama.

THE COVERAGE QUEEN | PATRICIA HINMAN | ROOM 3108 One time a yearbook evaluator gave me this nickname. I always felt my main job as an advisor was to scout out the stories around the school that the students might not know about. From the custodian that retires after 25 years to the two PE teachers that got married in Vegas, here are some ways you can find out interesting coverage angles.

THE MAGIC OF COVER CRAFT | ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL | ROOM 3700 During this session, we'll take a look at magazine, especially literature magazine, covers. We'll discuss the art of cover craft, and we'll create a cover ourselves. Bring your creativity!

BROADCASTS PEOPLE WATCH | ANGELA FLOWERS | ROOM 3104 Want to start or improve your broadcast program? Learn how to build an audience for your live broadcast program and become a vital part of your school’s community. From live coverage to in-studio presentation, this session will make your broadcast become a must-watch.

WRITE WHAT THEY WILL READ | LARS ANDERSON | ROOM 3111 Storytelling is an art. It’s not just putting words on a page. Session leader Lars Anderson spent 20 years as a senior writer at Sports Illustrated and is a New York Times best-selling author of 10 books. He's also written a Showtime documentary and was a main, on-camera character in the 90-minute feature.

He will talk about the keys to reporting and writing, and what it takes to make it in an increasingly competitive field.

REPORTING ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS | DENNIS PILLION | ROOM 3114 The impacts of climate-related events can profoundly touch, or sometimes devastate, people and communities around the globe, including students, teachers and faculty in our schools. Pillion, the statewide natural resources reporter for al.com, will show students how to better plan climate coverage, as well as common pitfalls and challenges.

SESSION 5

3 P.m.

12 STEPS TO GREAT COPY | PATRICIA HINMAN | ROOM 3108 Not everyone on the yearbook staff is automatically a good writer. This step-by-step formula will help those staff members who need a little help writing good copy.

THE FUTURE OF SPORTS MEDIA | SEAN SADRI | ROOM 3114 Ever wonder where sports media is headed? With advancements in technology, sports media may not resemble what you consume every day on your TVs, phones, and laptops. Come get a primer on where it’s going and how you can prepare yourself for a career in this evolving field.

SESSION 5 CONT.

3 P.m.

THE WRITE STUFF: WRITING PROMPTS THAT CAN WORK FOR YOU | ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL | ROOM 3700 Like to write? Bring your pen/pencil/paper/phone/typewriter [insert other writing implement] with you, along with your creativity. We'll spend this entire session creating our own poetry and stories from a series of writing prompts. Consider using these prompts, or ones of your own devise, to inspire reader submissions! Get ready, set, write!

POLITICAL WRITING | LARS ANDERSON | ROOM 3111 A New York Times best-selling author, session leader Anderson served as the primary speechwriter for Walt Maddox, the mayor of Tuscaloosa, who won the Democratic nomination for governor of Alabama in 2018. Anderson will discuss dos and don’ts of political and speech writing and how to capture the voice and vision of a political candidate.

HOW TO GET PAID TO PLAY | REBECCA BRITT AND RANDALL HUFFAKER | ROOM 3104 How do you get a job in the world of video games? This session will focus on avenues for writing, vlogging, blogging, in games – and more! Additionally, you’ll learn about avenues for creating your own game and distributing content through online platforms like Twitch.

TELLING THE COMPLETE STORY | ERIN COGGINS | ROOM 3107 This session will take an issue and explore the multiple ways it can be told, including print, web, design and multimedia. Come with your own topic/subject and we will work through them together.

AWARDS CEREMONY

4 P.m.

AJ SPURR | EMCEE The awards ceremony will be held in the ballroom.

Scholastic Journalism Week:

the people, trends, issues and stories of their community. The results are clear and meaningful.

This year’s theme is “Big Questions, Big Results.�

How you help promote this week is entirely up to you. Your students will learn from both the promotion and their celebration of an event holding major significance for them.

Feb. 24-28, 2020 Big Questions

Big Results

PPRRE S E SSS JO UR JO NA LI

AAC CUR NA LISTST C CEES S SS

JEA Scholastic Journalism Week 2020 celebrates student journalists who ask important questions about the world around them and thoroughly and accurately convey solid reporting to benefit the audience in a big way.

They investigate, and their coverage is timely and relevant; they shed light on

Follow Scholastic Journalism Week on Twitter at @ScholasticJWeek and use the hashtag #SJW20

MEET YOUR LEADERS LARS ANDERSON @LarsAnderson71 Lars Anderson is a a 20-year veteran of Sports Illustrated and New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including “Chasing the Bear,” “The Quarterback Whisperer,” “The Mannings,” “The Storm and the Tide,” and “The All Americans.” Several of his books have been optioned for movies. An instructor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media, Anderson teaches sports writing and journalism ethics. He is a co-host of “The Jay Barker Show with Lars Anderson.” Anderson was a senior writer at Bleacher Report, where he was the sport site’s primary long-form writer. During the 2018 race for Alabama Governor, Anderson served as the primary speechwriter for Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, who won the Democratic nomination.

DR. REBECCA BRITT @beckykbritt Rebecca Britt earned her Ph.D. in communication from Purdue University. Her research and teaching draws upon her experience in computer programming and data mining to explore health disparities and promote community health. In addition to her health communication research, Britt is also researching video games, gaming communities and the role of communication, broadly speaking. Britt has received numerous top paper awards at NCA, BEA and CSCA, and has received grant funding through university, state, regional and federal funding agencies.

DR. BUTLER CAIN @ButlerCain Butler Cain is chair and professor in the Department of Communications at the University of North Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama with B.A. and M.A. degrees in journalism. He received his Ph.D. in Communication and Information Sciences with a focus in media history from UA as well. Cain worked as a broadcast journalist in Virginia and Alabama, including a decade as news director of Alabama Public Radio.

Before transitioning into higher education, he spent a year teaching English language reading and writing skills in Seoul, South Korea. He is a member of the Fulbright Specialist roster with a focus on Journalism and Mass Communication.

MAYA CHAMPION Maya Champion attended New York University, where she studied production and cinema studies and graduated with a bachelor’s in film. She went on to attend graduate school at Columbia University, earning a master’s in film. She now teaches screenwriting and directing at The University of Alabama. Champion likes to focus on screenwriting that delves into the subjects of motherhood, feminism and mental health.

ERIN COGGINS, MJE @eecoggins Erin Coggins has advised the journalistic publications at Sparkman High School for the past 18 years. She has been named the Alabama Scholastic Press Association Adviser of the Year six times, a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser and Special Recognition Adviser and is a CSPA Gold Key recipient. Coggins is also a freelance journalist for Madison Living Magazine.

MEREDITH CUMMINGS, MJE @MereCummings Meredith Cummings has over 20 years of experience in print, web and multimedia reporting. She is Immediate Past President of Alabama Media Professionals and the Society of Professional Journalists Alabama Professional Chapter. Cummings advises the Capstone Association of Black Journalists and directs the Alabama Scholastic Press Association. She is a member of SPJ’s Journalism Education Committee, co-hosts Sky Box on WVUA 90.7 and is producer and co-host of the podcast Hissy Fit, by Alabama Sound. She also blogs for Medium.com and supervises Editing and Digital Production for UA’s Department of Journalism and Creative Media in the WVUA 23 newsroom.

MAREN FAGAN Maren Fagan is the assistant editor of Daphne High School’s yearbook, The Palladium.

As a freshman, she came into the program with two years of middle school experience and quickly became indispensable to the journalism staff. She presented at the National Scholastic Press Association's convention in the fall of 2019.

ANGELA FLOWERS Angela Flowers is a 2019 graduate of Alabama State University. While at ASU, Flowers majored in communications with a concentration in radio television. Flowers is in preparation to move to Memphis, Tennessee, where she will be attending Union University to get her M.A. in urban education. In her free time, Flowers enjoys hanging out with family and attending concerts headlining her favorite artist, Sza.

TERESA GAWRYCH @TGawrych Teresa Gawrych is an instructor and the Creative Media Internship Supervisor in the Journalism and Creative Media Department at The University of Alabama. Gawrych started working at local newspapers at 17, and graduated from Pittsburg State University with a B.A. in communication with an emphasis in photojournalism and a minor in graphic design. She transitioned to telling stories with video while in undergraduate school and continued doing so while getting her graduate degree in communication with a focus on gender and visual communication. Gawrych also works as a freelance Assistant Producer and Graphics Operator for ESPN, SEC and other networks, and directs and operates cameras for other live and studio shows and events.

REBECCA GRIESBACH @rebach97 Rebecca Griesbach completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and African American studies in the summer of 2019 and is a masters student in the Department of Gender and Race Studies at UA. A proud ASPA alumna, Griesbach got her start telling stories of resegregation in the Tuscaloosa City Schools system. She has seven years of experience in news media and is currently the news editor of The Crimson White, UA’s student newspaper, where she trains reporters and helps investigate administrative scandals. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, ProPublica and Chalkbeat, a national non-profit outlet focused on stories of education equity.

PATRICIA HINMAN Patricia Hinman recently retired after teaching over 30 years. She advised the Robinson Middle School Sentry yearbook for 24 years and the Robinson High School Above & Beyond yearbook for nine years in Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia.

Both books have won numerous CSPA Gold and Silver Crowns and NSPA Pacemakers and Pacemaker finalists. Hinman has presented at many conventions and journalism conferences. She is also the recipient of a CSPA Gold Key and a JEA Special Recognition Adviser Award.

RANDALL HUFFAKER @CreateGold Randall Huffaker joined the University of Alabama Advertising and Public Relations faculty in August 2012 as an instructor. His professional career spans more than 23 years in the industry within corporate communications, advertising agencies and digital marketing firms working with regional, national and international companies. In 2007, he opened his own agency, Alchemist Branding. Their expertise is in digital marketing and brand development. Huffaker is the director of the Digital Specialization Program and the UA Twitch channel. In all of his classes he partners with organizations to bring real world projects for students to develop, which give them valuable skills on the job search.

DR. SHAHEEN KANTHAWALA @ItsShaheenK Shaheen Kanthawala is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media at The University of Alabama. She earned her Ph.D in Media and Information Studies, an M.A. in journalism, and an M.A. in health and risk communication, from Michigan State University. Her research focus lies at the intersection of health, information, and technologies which she looks at to understand how people make decisions and self-manage health-related issues using technology. In the past she has been an environmental writer and news reporter.

ALICIA CLAVELL MCCALL Alicia Clavell McCall is founder, publisher and editor of an annual electronic and print publication, Southern Women’s Review. She has almost two decades of experience in magazine publication and serves as a full-time UAB Collat School of Business faculty member specializing in business communications. McCall is also a two-time winner of the UAB Barkesdale-Maynard Poetry Prize and a Hackney Award winner. She has published in venues such as Red Truck Review and Birmingham Arts Journal. McCall lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her comedian husband and her wonderful 2-year-old son, Sebastian. Email her at aliciaclavell@gmail.com or clavela@uab.edu.

SUSAN NEWELL, MJE Susan Newell, MJE has advised award-winning newspapers and yearbooks. She is JEA Director for Alabama, a JEA mentor and has served as a SIPA board member and an ASPA president. She is an Alabama Advisor of the Year, a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Special Recognition Advisor and Distinguished Advisor, and an ASNE Reynolds HSJ Institute fellow. She welcomes new Alabama advisors to become mentees.

DENNIS PILLION @dennispillion Dennis Pillion is the natural resources reporter for Alabama Media Group, which publishes AL.com and affiliate newspapers The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times and Mobile’s Press-Register. He's held that position since 2015, focusing on topics such as climate change, coal ash, wildlife issues, invasive species and recycling. He's been with AL.com since 2007 and covered sports, news, entertainment and Alabama's beach communities before moving to his current beat. He lives in Birmingham and is a 2005 graduate of The University of Alabama.

RENÉE QUAIFE Renée Quaife is the adviser of Silhouette, the literary magazine at Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama. Quaife has been at Sparkman since 2005. This is her 12th year advising the lit mag. In addition to advising the Literary Magazine, Quaife also teaches English 10 and creative writing. She lives in Madison, Alabama with her husband and their two children. Writing, traveling and reading are her passions – in that order.

DR. SEAN SADRI @seansadri Sean Sadri recently joined the UA Department of Journalism and Creative Media as an assistant professor, teaching sports journalism and digital sports production courses.

He joins UA after five years as an assistant professor at Old Dominion University, where he taught online news and broadcast news courses. While at ODU, he also served as the faculty advisor to the student newspaper, The Mace & Crown, and helped create a new broadcast journalism curriculum. He’s now at his fifth university in his fifth state. He received his Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Florida, as well as an M.S. in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and a B.A. from UC Davis.

AJ SPURR @SpurrFM AJ Spurr is currently a junior at The University of Alabama pursuing a double major in news media and political acience. Spurr currently works as a writer for USA TODAY’s ‘Roll Tide Wire’ covering Alabama football. He is the program director for 90.7 WVUA-FM where he also co-hosts a weekly sports talk show. He works for the Alabama Athletics department as a PA announcer for numerous sports. Spurr has previously worked as a production assistant at TIDE 100.9 and as a news reporter for WVUA 23 News.

LILLIE YAZDI @lillieyazdi Lillie Yazdi is the editor-in-chief for Daphne High School’s yearbook. This is her third year on staff and as a senior has definitely left her mark on the program. She presented at the National Scholastic Press Association’s convention in the fall of 2019.

CHRISTOPHER WALSH @WritingWalsh Christopher Walsh has been an award-winning sportswriter since 1990 and currently runs his own website. BamaCentral.com is the Sports Illustrated site for all things Crimson Tide. He’s a seven-time award winner from the Football Writers Association of American and twice had the story of the year from the Alabama Sports Writers Association. He’s covered Crimson Tide football since 2004 and is the author of 26 books, including the recently published “Decade of Dominance,” “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association would like to say thank you to: Dean Mark Nelson and the C&IS Dean’s Office Dr. Cory Armstrong, Amy Stanley, Crechale Stevens and the Department of Journalism and Creative Media Department of Advertising and Public Relations Department of Communication Studies Steve Diorio and the staff of WVUA 23 News Traci Mitchell, Mark Mayfield and the Office of Student Media ALSO, THANK YOU TO: Carol and Larry Cummings, Maddy Hoch, Isabel Hope, Hannah Jones, Austin Kohls, Russ Lamoureux and Amber Slaughter PATRONS: Alabama Broadcasters Association Alabama Press Association Herff Jones Jostens ASPA BOARD MEMBERS: PRESIDENT Capri Day, Brookwood High School, Tuscaloosa VICE PRESIDENT Barbara Bateman, Daphne High School, Daphne SECRETARY Silvia Scaife, Auburn High School, Auburn

MEMBERS AT LARGE: BIRMINGHAM Connie Nolen, Pelham High School MONTGOMERY Gina Aaij, LAMP High School MOBILE Lindsey Koen, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School HUNTSVILLE Michelle Sisson, Lee High School STAFF: DIRECTOR Meredith Cummings DIRECTOR EMERITUS Marie Parsons PROGRAM ASSISTANT Nayeli Pineda PROGRAM DESIGNER Savannah Bullard

All graphics are fair use images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.