The Long Weekend 2016 Program

JUNE 10-12, 2016

ALABAMA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION

FRIDAY

KICKOFF

2-3 p.m.

ROOM 216 REESE PHIFER HALL

Dr. Wilson Lowrey, Chairman, Department of Journalism Taylor Armer, Co-Director, Alabama Scholastic Press Association

SESSION 1

REESE PHIFER HALL 3-4 p.m.

Creating content for social media, led by Dr. Kenon A. Brown, Room 346 Students will gain instruction on the do’s and don’ts of using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to create content that your audience will enjoy. Emphasis will be on creating eye-capturing posts using video and photos, as well as concise and creative storytelling.

The Internet and news: three multimedia tools you can use right now, led by Stan Diel, Room 112 Students will get hands-on experience learning to use three multimedia tools that add depth and vibrancy to online news platforms. They will learn to create basic interactive graphics using Datawrapper, to build narrative photo galleries in WordPress, and to embed documents in news posts using Scribd.

The art of interviewing, led by Jessie Jones, Room 222 The do’s and don’ts of interviewing. You will jump headfirst into becoming comfortable with interviewing. Learn how to ask meaningful questions, even about the sensitive subjects. Interviewing is so often where the heart of a story lies. How to construct a good interview is a part of great storytelling.

Shooting video on your phone, led by Andrew Richardson, Room 344 Modern smartphones are capable of creating high quality videos, but making that footage useful requires learning how to use the phone properly. In this session, learn how to make your iPhone or Android footage look and sound great.

Finding great story ideas, led by Lydia Seabol-Avant, Room 345 We’ve all been there, staring at the blank page. Learn how to think creatively when it comes to new story ideas and where to look for them.

Rookie of the year!, led by Hannah Keeling, Room 343

This session will help beginning sports journalists take the field and score big.

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FRIDAY

SESSION 2

4-5 p.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

Professional communication development: It’s not just who you know, it’s what you know, led by Kate Risk, Room 344 Learn how to introduce yourself and your career goals to potential employers in a process called an “elevator pitch.” This will assist you in getting your dream job! You will also learn how to be effective in negotiation of conflict in the workplace, after landing the job.

Storytelling in journalism and beyond, led by Shemaiah Kenon, Room 346

Whether you’re reporting breaking news, writing a feature story or collecting anecdotes for an oral history project, you’re telling somebody’s story. Learn how to gather brilliant stories to move your writing forward.

Show the world your awesomeness, led by Taylor Armer, Room 345 Are you awesome? Of course you are! So why not let the world know? In this session you will learn the importance of branding yourself and getting the word out about your accomplishments to teachers, parents and even the media. Don’t be shy! Brag about you. Learn how to do it professionally in this session.

Visually speaking, led by Alex Hauser, Room 341 Let’s talk about design! In this interactive session, you will learn what makes a design stand out and how to make it speak to your audience. You’ll discover the importance of good and effective design, as well as how good design is made. This is part one of a two-part session.

TRACK 1

5-7 p.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

Tracks will always meet in the following rooms unless otherwise noted by your track leader: Photography - led by Dan Meissner and Shemaiah Kenon Yearbook - Team taught Multimedia - led by Alex Hauser and Anthony Cave Newspaper - led by Alex Hauser Creative Writing - led by Connie Nolen Broadcast - led by Venton Blandin Sports Journalism - led by Cole Thompson and Marquis Munson For track leader information, see page 8 .

DINNER IN REESE PHIFER ROTUNDA 7-8 p. m.

FREE TIME

8-10 p.m.

Walk back to Blount dorm after dinner with appointed dorm counselor for free time.

All campers must be in their rooms and checked in with their assigned counselors by 10 p.m.

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SATURDAY

BREAKFAST IN BLOUNT DORM

7:30-8:30 a.m.

After breakfast, meet with your appointed dorm counselor to walk to Reese Phifer Hall at 8:30 a.m.

SESSION 3

9-10 a.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

How to think about doing the right thing, led by Dr. Chris Roberts, Room 344 It’s one thing to want to do the right thing, but it’s something else to know what’s right. In this session, you’ll get some help in thinking about ethics from Dr. Chris Roberts – a former student president of ASPA who helped rewrite the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics in 2014.

Hey Mr. DJ!, led by Marquis Munson, Room 222 This session will show you the ins and outs of radio hustle from someone who has been there and done that. From sports to hip-hop, Munson will walk you through radio basics.

Becoming a designer, led by Alex Hauser, Room 341 We’ve talked about the basics, now let’s dig down deeper! Learn the difference between knowing how to use graphic design programs and becoming a designer. We’ll talk about the designer lifestyle and how to advance your design skills just by walking down the street. Learn the techniques beyond the computer, as well as the top tools that can reduce your design time by hours.

The art of documentary filmmaking, Led by Lauren Musgrove, Room 345 Filmmaking is an art, a tool to creatively express a feeling, moment, or passion, through story. Documentaries are unique in that they can be equally informative, persuasive, and, more increasingly, entertaining. Come learn about some of the choices documentary filmmakers make in lighting, camera, and style, and how they affect the story’s impact. Let’s explore how creativity makes a difference in the world, through the lens of documentary film!

SESSION 4

10-11 a.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

What to expect in high school, led by Rebecca Griesbach, Room 344 Various forms of journalism can be an awesome escape from the awkwardness of high school. Middle schoolers, come learn about what to expect in high school, as well as ways to get involved early on, led by our 2016 ASPA Journalist of the Year.

Video game casting: the voices behind the animation, led by Maggie Brown, Room 345 We have all played video games, and we have watched them evolve. But, what about the voices behind the characters? Learn how creativity and innovation bring to life animated characters, in order to create new gaming worlds. This one-hour talk will cover the processes behind casting and recording of audio for video games and animation.

Feature writing and magazine style, led by Mark Mayfield, Room 327 This session, led by a veteran magazine and newspaper editor, will explore the fun of feature writing and the magazine industry.

The inside guide to entertainment reporting, led by Anthony Cave, Room 346 You like food? Write about it! Celebrities? Cover them! This session will cover the ins and outs of entertainment reporting, from making story pitches to conducting engaging interviews, as well as what NOT to do on the red carpet. Chances are, if you have a passion in the entertainment realm, there is an opportunity to report on it.

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SATURDAY

SESSION 5

11 a.m. – Noon REESE PHIFER HALL

The power of descriptive writing, led by Dr. Dianne Bragg, Room 344 Even in this social-media savvy age there is nothing more powerful than using the written word to paint a picture for readers. Learning the power of language and the importance of planting the reader in the front row remains the foundation of good writing.

Making it on air, led by Anthony Cave, Room 346 A recent graduate with a print background shares his tips for successful scripts on air. This Multicultural Journalism Workshop alumni will show you how he made the transition from print to broadcast, and how to write great scripts.

I didn’t know that! What to expect in college, led by Marquis Munson and Kate Risk, Room 345 A University of Alabama senior and graduate will help high school students understand how college is different from high school and what to expect. Bring your questions! No question is ever silly in this safe space.

A day in the life of radio, led by Stan Ingold, Room 343 A professional radio broadcaster will show you the ropes and a day in the life at a radio station in the Digital Media Center in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

LUNCH IN REESE PHIFER ROTUNDA

Noon – 1 p.m.

Multicultural Journalism Workshop students please get in the front of the line (permission to cut in line) and meet in Room 338. Bring your lunch!

TRACK 2 ICE CREAM IN REESE PHIFER ROTUNDA

1-3 p.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

3-4 p.m.

Drop by our ice cream social in the rotunda of Reese Phifer Hall from 3-4.

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SATURDAY

SESSION 6

4-5 p.m.

ROOM 216 REESE PHIFER HALL

This is a joint session. Everyone will meet in Reese Phifer Room 216 at 4 p.m.

TRACK 3

5-6 p.m.

REESE PHIFER HALL

DINNER IN REESE PHIFER ROTUNDA, VERANDA

6-7 p.m.

7-10 p.m.

FREE TIME IN BLOUNT DORM

Walk back to Blount dorm after dinner with appointed dorm counselor for free time. All campers must be in their rooms and checked in with their assigned counselors by 10 p.m.

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SUNDAY

BREAKFAST IN BLOUNT DORM

7:30-8:30 a.m.

After breakfast, meet with your appointed dorm counselor to walk to Reese Phifer Hall at 8:30 a.m.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL DEVOTIONAL [OPTIONAL]

8-8:30 a.m.

Devotional will be in a first-floor classroom in the Blount Undergraduate Living Learning Center. Campers are not requried to attend. Feel free to bring breakfast to devotional.

CAMP PHOTO/MEETING ON REESE PHIFER STEPS

9-10 a.m.

After the photo, everyone should immediately return to Reese Phifer Room 216 for a camp meeting.

TRACK 4 LUNCH IN REESE PHIFER ROTUNDA, VERANDA

10 a.m. – Noon REESE PHIFER HALL

Noon – 1 p.m.

CAMP CLOSING IN REESE PHIFER

1 p.m.

The Long Weekend’s closing ceremony will be held in Reese Phifer Room 216 at 1 p.m. Parents and families are welcome and encouraged to attend!

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TRACK LEADERS Meredith Cummings has over 20 years of experience in print, web and multimedia reporting. She is President of the Society of Professional Journalists Alabama Professional Chapter, Alabama Media Professionals and advisor for the Capstone Association of Black Journalists. She is a member of SPJ’s Journalism Education Committee and is lead organizer for TEDxTuscaloosa. Cummings currently writes for al.com where her blog won first place in the 2015 National Federation of Press Women contest. Cummings has worked at newspapers and websites in Alabama, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York and Florida. She supervises Editing and Digital production for UA’s Journalism Department in the WVUA-TV newsroom, a professional commercial TV station. She directs the National Elementary School Press Association, the Alabama Scholastic Press Association and the Multicultural Journalism Workshop at The University of Alabama. In that capacity, she works with K-12 students around the country to help them start and improve broadcast, newspaper, magazine and multimedia journalism through training, workshops and a mentoring programs for teachers. She coordinates social media for the University of Alabama Department of Journalism.

Taylor Armer is a journalism graduate student at The University of Alabama. Her primary research interest is black women’s body image; she plans to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research methods to study this topic. Taylor is also an editorial/research assistant to Dr. Ed Mullins in the Center for Community-Based Partnerships (CCBP), where she writes press releases and covers CCBP-sponsored events. She has years of experience working with the Multicultural Journalism Workshop as both a counselor and co-director. She enjoys the hands on experience of teaching students the fundamentals of journalism, while also learning how to be a better educator. Taylor aspires to earn her Ph.D. in communication studies, to teach budding journalists, and most importantly, to set up media literacy programs in inner-city schools. But, she would say the only thing that matters about herself is that she is an avid, card-carrying member of the #Beyhive.

MULTIMEDIA/NEWSPAPER Alex Hauser is a senior at The University of Alabama majoring in Visual Journalism. She works as a graphic designer on campus and started her own photography and design firm with her fiancé. When not working (which is all the time) she can be found planning her wedding, watching Disney movies and playing with her dog, Buzz Lightyear.

SPORTS JOURNALISM

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Cole Thompson is a senior at the University of Alabama who will be graduating in August with a degree in Sports Journalism. During his time at the Capstone, Thompson spent three years covering the Alabama football team along with two seasons covering players and events across the SEC. Thompson also has contributed to the Read-Optional, Walter Football and Bleacher Report covering the NFL Draft. Thompson currently is the Lead NFL/NFL Draft writer for DixielandSports.com. When not working on a new story, Thompson can be found chasing his dog Cooper through traffic while working on his pilot for his television series.

Anthony Cave, a Miami native, covers politics for ABC15/ PolitiFact Arizona in Phoenix. He has previously reported in radio, print and magazines for publications including The New York Times and Delta Sky Magazine.

Marquis Munson is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a major in sports journalism. Since attending Alabama in August of 2014, he has had the opportunity to intern and work in sports media on and off campus. He started writing for the student newspaper, the Crimson White on their sports staff, working as a contributing writer and staff reporter. He also worked for the student radio station 90.7 the Capstone, hosting various radio shows. He has since become Assistant Sports Director for the station. Munson has had internships with Alabama Public Radio, The Tuscaloosa News, and Tide 99.1. He is also a Co-Founder and Lead NBA Writer for Dixieland Sports.

TRACK LEADERS PHOTOGRAPHY Shemaiah Kenon is a senior majoring in journalism with a double minor in political science and German. She is the youngest child in her family and has five older brothers. Shemaiah is from Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

She is currently employed as a Team Lead for University Programs, supervising over 20 students at The University of Alabama. She also works as an intern for The Tuscaloosa News and WVUA 23 News, which is housed in the Digital Media Center on campus. Shemaiah aspires to pursue a career as a sports broadcaster for ESPN before branching off into hosting her very own daytime TV show. After graduating from The University of Alabama, she plans to seek a job in sports broadcasting for a major platform.

Dan Meissner has served as a newspaper reporter, photographer, editor and designer. He has more than 30 years of experience teaching journalism at The University of Alabama in reporting, editing and visual journalism courses. At UA, he also coordinates journalism internships at media outlets throughout the state and nation.

CREATIVE WRITING Connie Nolen is the Communication and Media Arts Academy Director, writing teacher and literary magazine adviser at Pelham High School in Pelham, Alabama. She writes a weekly column for The Pelham Reporter and The Shelby County Reporter. Nolen serves as the president of the Alabama Scholastic Press Association. She is sleep-deprived, hyperactive and happy to be always busy in her school, her community, her home and in cyberspace.

BROADCAST Venton Blandin, an Emmy-nominated reporter, joined Alabama’s ABC 33/40 in July 2014. Blandin, a Chicago native, became interested in TV news after watching local stations cover a shooting in his neighborhood. He spent a lot of his childhood chasing news trucks from all the Chicago stations, riding the ‘L’ after school to visit the stations and standing in lines outside a couple of Chicago-based TV shows. The ‘news bug’ bit Venton and has kept him inside a TV newsroom ever since 1993. Venton’s passion for news grew when he moved to Greenville, South Carolina that year. He worked behind the scenes at WYFF-TV during high school. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1998 and did tours in the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Korea and Thailand before receiving an honorable discharge as a Corporal. Venton attended Bowie State University in Maryland. Venton worked at WRC-TV in Washington, DC while in the Marines. He has also worked at stations in Baltimore, Charlottesville, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina.

Venton moved to Alabama in December 2008 to report for WHNT-TV in Huntsville. He spent almost six years reporting for WHNT News 19. Venton launched ‘Fighting for You’, the station’s troubleshooting/viewer advocacy segment, in 2012. He fought for the little guy, cut through the red tape and helped viewers when they exhausted all of their resources to get something done. The Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored Venton with two Emmy nominations for his work in Huntsville. The Alabama Broadcasters Association honored Venton’s work in Huntsville with its ‘Spot News’ Award. During Venton’s time at ABC 33/40, he’s traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to cover the shooting at Emanuel A.M.E. Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee to cover the shooting at the armed forces recruiting office and to South Carolina again to cover the floods. Venton’s work in Birmingham earned him the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s Reporter of the Year Merit Award.

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SESSION LEADERS Dr. Dianne Bragg is an assistant professor in the Journalism Department at The University of Alabama. She teaches a variety of classes including mass communication law and regulation, history of journalism and the First Amendment, mass communication theory, and journalistic principles.

Her research interest areas are nineteenth-century newspapers, in particular the antebellum era. She serves in leadership positions with several academic organizations, including the American Journalism Historians Association and the Symposium on the 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression.

After completing his doctoral studies at The University of Alabama, Dr. Kenon A. Brown joined its Department of Advertising and Public Relations in August 2012 as an assistant professor. Prior to his academic appointment, Kenon worked for eight years in restaurant management and marketing, while also conducting independent media training for several smaller non-profit organizations and local businesses. His teaching specialties include strategic communication management, research methods and communication campaign planning. His research interests include image and reputation management, particularly in sports, and minority recruitment in mass communication. Kenon has published manuscripts in several high-profile journals, including Journal of Public Relations Research, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Communication and Sport, and Mass Communication and Society. Keeping with his practitioner roots, Kenon also consults with several regional and national clients, specifically assisting with market research and strategic planning.

Maggie Brown attended the University of Alabama from 2012-2016, where she studied Film and Communications. She will be moving to Los Angeles, California in July to work for a talent agency. Maggie spent her college internship working in video game casting. She is credited on numerous video games, including Fallout 4, Destiny, and Alien:Isolation. Before casting video games, this blue eyed blonde worked at GameStop for three years. She also dabbled in radio at WVUA-FM, being one of the youngest station managers the University of Alabama had ever hired. Aside from video games, Maggie enjoys reading celebrity biographies, playing piano, and staring at her phone.

Rebecca Griesbach is a recent graduate of Northridge High School, where she served as the Managing and Feature Editor of The Northridge Reporter. She writes occasionally for The Tuscaloosa News and was named ASPA’s 2015-2016 Journalist of the Year.

Stan Ingold is the Assistant News Director for Alabama Public Radio. He has been working in public radio for thirteen years. He started at APR in March of 2011, with his first big assignment here being the tornado of April 27, 2011. Since his arrival Stan has covered a wide variety of stories ranging from presidential campaigns to a coon dog cemetery to a company that puts people’s cremated remains into ammunition. Stan has won several regional and national awards for his work since coming to APR. Besides feature reporting, he also currently runs APR’s intern program where students get to work in a functioning newsroom alongside APR’s full-time staff.

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SESSION LEADERS Jessie Patterson Jones, a Tuscaloosa native, is the assistant director of external affairs for UA’s Division of Student Affairs. She serves as the editor of Capstone Magazine and works with marketing and public relations for Student Affairs. Jessie attended The University of Alabama, earning her bachelor’s in journalism in 2008 and her master’s in journalism in 2010. She didn’t stay away from the program long. Now she teaches journalism classes as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Journalism.

Hannah Keeling is from Gadsden, Alabama and started at Jacksonville State University in the Fall of 2012. She transferred to The University of Alabama in 2014 and that is when her goals really came into focus. She is majoring in Telecommunications and Film with a focus in sports and entertainment news with a minor in English. Her first internship with WVUA 23 News began in the Summer of 2015. She recently interned at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham this past Spring. She is currently interning with WVUA 23 News again, until she graduates this December in hopes of landing her dream job. ​

Mark Mayfield serves as editorial adviser in the Office of Student Media at The University of Alabama, following a long career in magazine and newspaper journalism. He is a former editor-in-chief of four major home design and art magazines, including House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Southern Accents and Art & Antiques. He also worked for more than 10 years as a reporter and bureau chief for USA Today. He is author or coauthor of three books—The Spaceflight Vault: A History of NASA’s Manned Missions, Southern Style, and Crimson Domination: The Process Behind Alabama’s 15th National Championship.

Lauren Musgrove grew up in Houston, Texas with a passion for theatre and stage acting, which led to a passion for filmmaking and a high school internship with NASA’s Media and Public Affairs Office. She has since produced, directed, shot, edited, and acted in several award winning short films. One summer, she completed the Southern Exposure film fellowship with the Southern Environmental Law Center, where she crafted a documentary about solar power in the state of Alabama. Lauren has taught media skills to students by working at the Sanford Media Center, being a TA in college, and teaching classes at the Capitol School in Tuscaloosa. She recently received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Production from the University of Alabama and now works for the Time, Inc video department in Birmingham. Through the art of film, she aims to tell creative stories about nature and the human condition that bring awareness and protection for the environment and encourage social equality. In the future, Lauren intends to direct feature films in both fiction and documentary genres.

Kate Risk, recent graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Journalism and Communication Studies, is currently pursuing a career in sales and marketing. She has a passion for coaching and teaching. Kate hopes to, one day, return to school to get her masters in secondary education.

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SESSION LEADERS Andrew Richardson is the Manager of Marketing and Communications in the Office of Information Technology at The University of Alabama. As an undergraduate, he worked at Alabama Public Radio and as the Multimedia Editor and Producer at The Crimson White. He has worked at UA in multiple professional communication roles for about six years, and he holds a B.A. in Communication and M.A. in Higher Education Administration.

Dr. Chris Roberts was student president of ASPA in 1982-83, when the organization was the Alabama High School Press Association and had student presidents. He worked in radio and sportswriting when he was in high school and at the University of Alabama, and then was a reporter and editor at newspapers in Alabama and South Carolina. He earned a doctoral degree in 2007 from the University of South Carolina, and since 2008 has been a professor at Alabama. His specialty is media ethics; he helped write revisions to the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics in 2014 and is the co-author of Doing Ethics in Media: Theories and Practical Applications.

Lydia Seabol Avant is a nationally syndicated columnist who worked for more than a decade as a reporter at The Tuscaloosa News. A two-time UA graduate, in 2012, she was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the April 27, 2011 tornado. Seabol Avant is now the editor of Alabama Alumni Magazine and continues to write her column on parenting, The Mom Stop. She also teaches journalism as an adjunct instructor at The University of Alabama.

Stan Diel is a doctoral student in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. He spent 25 years as an editor and reporter at newspapers and news organizations including The Arkansas Gazette, The (Rochester, N.Y.) Democrat & Chronicle, The Birmingham News and al.com.

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DON’T MISS OUR

FALL REGIONAL WORKSHOPS!

SEPT. 26

MOBILE

SEPT. 28

TUSCALOOSA

Sept. 30

HUNTSVILLE

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THANK YOU We offer a special thank you to all those who made The Long Weekend possible:

All of our wonderful counselors and session leaders Taylor Armer Alex Hauser Venton Blandin Dr. Dianne Bragg Dr. Kenon Brown Maggie Brown Anthony Cave Stan Diel Rebecca Griesbach Stan Ingold Jessie Patterson Jones Hannah Keeling

Shemaiah Kenon Mark Mayfield Dan Meissner Lauren Musgrove Connie Nolen Kate Risk Andrew Richardson Dr. Chris Roberts Lydia Seabol Avant Cole Thompson Marquis Munson

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association and the Multicultural Journalism Workshop would like to say thank you to our supporters: Dean Mark Nelson and the C&IS Dean’s Office Dr. Wilson Lowrey, Journalism Department Chair Holley Mabury, Crechale Stevens and the Department of Journalism Department of Advertising and Public Relations Department of Telecommunication and Film Department of Communication Studies Diane Shaddix and the C&IS Graduate Program Steve Diorio and the staff of WVUA-TV Paul Wright, Mark Mayfield and the Office of Student Media

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THANK YOU Patrons Alabama Broadcasters Association Alabama Press Association The Selma Times-Journal Boone Newspapers, Inc. Center for Community-Based Partnerships

THANK YOU to our ASPA board members: President Connie Nolen, Pelham High School, Pelham Past President Melissa Dixon, Oak Mountain High School, Birmingham Vice President Renee Quaife, Sparkman High School, Harvest Secretary Capri Day, Hillcrest High School, Tuscaloosa Member at large, Mobile, Barbara Bateman, Murphy High School Member at large, Montgomery, Susanne Harrison, Stanhope-Elmore High School Member at large, Auburn, Beth Antoine, Auburn High School Member at large, Birmingham, Melissa Dixon, Oak Mountain High School Member at large, Huntsville, Michelle Sisson, Lee High School Director Emeritus Marie Parsons Director Meredith Cummings Program Assistant Anna Waters

Thank you to the contributors of the Multicultural Journalism Program endowment: The estate of John Brooken Gaines and Marci and Louis Henna Jr.

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