The Long Weekend camp program '13

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association

The

LONG

Weekend 2013

Tuscaloosa, Ala. June 14-16, 2013

The University of Alabama

Journalism Department

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association and the Multicultural Journalism Workshop would like to say

thank you

to the financial supporters: Alabama Broadcasters Association • Alabama Press Association Boone Newspapers, Inc. • Dow Jones News Fund UA Center for Community Based Partnerships • UA Department of Journalism UA College of Communication and Information Sciences • Selma Times-Journal • Mercedes-Benz Endowment and ASPA board members: • President: Melissa Dixon, Oak Mountain High School • Vice President: Connie Nolen, Pelham High School • Secretary: Renee Quaife, Sparkman High School • Past President: Erin Coggins, Sparkman High School • ASPA Director Emerita: Marie Parsons

Thank you to contributors of the Multicultural Journalism Program endowment:

The Estate of John Brooken Gaines and Marci and Louis Henna Jr.

And a special thanks to all those who made The Long Weekend possible: al.com • The Birmingham News The Crimson White • Birmingham Magazine Dr. Loy Singleton, Dean, CIS • The Mobile Press Register Dr. Jennifer Greer, Chair, Department of Journalism • The Huntsville Times Paul Wright and the Office of Student Media • The Tuscaloosa News Marie Parsons, ASPA Director Emeritus • Crechale Stevens Diane Shaddix and the C&IS Graduate Program • Cecilia Hammond Department of Communication Studies • Brooke Carbo Department of Telecommunication and Film • Katie Acklin Department of Advertising and Public Relations • Tara Bullock Taylor Armer • Pamela Banks Greg Goldstein • Brett Hudson Krista James • Eugene Berry and all TLW session leaders

The Alabama Scholastic Press Association Presents

The Long Weekend

2013

All sessions held in Reese Phifer Hall on the University of Alabama campus

Friday, June 14 Check-In...........................................................................................................11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Check in to Blount dorm/Lunch on your own

Welcome to The Long Weekend.......................................................................................2- 3 p.m.

Dr. George Daniels, Assistant Dean of Administration, College of Communication and Information Sciences Dr. Melanie Miller, Director of Student and Community Engagement, Center for Community Based Partnerships Meredith Cummings, Director, Alabama Scholastic Press Association Room 216 Kickoff Session — What Ice Cream Flavor Are You? Get to know other campers and yourself better wth your counselors as leaders.

What’s an event without social media?

Tweeting sessions?

Use hashtag #TLW13

Tweet at us using #TLW13. Get it trending!

Want to see our pictures? Follow @AlabamaSPA. Want us to see yours? Use #TLW13.

Find us on Facebook: Alabama Scholastic Press Association

Friday, June 14

3

Session One

•

3 - 4 p.m.

The Right Thing to Do — Dr. John Latta Media does not always operate on the same ethics level as the Cleaver family. Certain things need to be said or seen to make a point and someone always has to take the fall if those things register as “too much.” This session will help you make tough choices that journalists face when it comes to the final question, “To publish or not to publish?” A key lesson of adulthood is that the world is not simply black or white. As a mass communicator, you will have to make many not-so-easy choices.

Sure-Fire Ways to Avoid Vanilla Reel — Lesley Bruinton Ever wonder why some broadcast/multimedia clips fall flat? This session will help cinematographers and editors set up film that works! The session will analyze natural sound, B Roll and stand-ups to ensure that you leave knowing the difference between good film and junk clips.

Photography done the right way —Melissa Dixon From the good, the bad and the ugly, check out some yearbook photography from around the country to get new ideas for your book. what a theme is from top to bottom and the reasons why they can be so useful.

Heaping Helping of Headlines —Tara Bullock Writing headlines may be the trickiest task in the newsroom. This session offers students classic tips and tricks for writing alluring headlines for both print and online publications.

ROOM 341

Your Life on Pause — Allie Hulcher Do you spend hours staring at a blank screen? Or worse, stuck after two graphs? Don’t give up! Every writer has been there (and if they say they haven’t it’s a hideous lie)! In this session we can show you simple techniques to overcome the dreaded writer’s block and get those words flowing – finally!

Scooping Up a Story — Jessie Jones Generating a story idea is not always easy. People won’t read what doesn’t spark their interests, so the first thing that comes to your mind won’t always catch the reader’s eye. Running with a good idea begins with a solid, well-constructed pitch and ends with a fact-filled story that you can be proud of! This course will look at award-winning writers and how they manipulate action, dialogue and narrative to weave unforgettable stories.

ROOM 346

ROOM 345

ROOM 344

ROOM 338

ROOM 222

ROOM 327

Choose from the following:

Get Your Game On — Aaron Suttles It takes a certain kind of athleticism to be a sports reporter. Learn tips on how to cover and write about sports in this session with a Tuscaloosa News sports reporter.

4

Friday, June 14

Session Two

•

4 - 5 p.m.

If it Works, Work it Hard: Writing Tips — Susan Newell Writers have used the same key elements to entice and entertain their readers for centuries. Learn what these elements are and how to incorporate your personal writing style.

Leading AND Succeeding — Jody Evans Want to learn how to motivate those students just looking for an easy credit, how to resolve conflict between opposing staffers, how to decide what goes on the front page/top of the newscast and how to work with school administration for the advancement of your media? Learn all that and much more in this session! In this Leadership 101 seminar, we will discuss how to be an effective leader, create an award-winning product and help YOUR staff stop fighting and start excelling.

ROOM 338

We All Scream for Good Themes —Melissa Dixon Pick a theme and stick with it! In this TLW yearbook session, yearbook staffers will learn to follow the basics of a theme and put together something fluid that your readers will appreciate. You’ll explore and brainstorm what a theme is from top to bottom and the reasons why they can be so useful.

ROOM 327

Like it? Blog about it! — Brett Hudson Blogging isn’t what it used to be! It should be second nature for today’s media. A blog not only allows you to express your professional opinions and establish your voice as a serious journalist, it allows potential employers to become familiar with your writing before you ever sit down to an interview. It’s a permanent writing sample for your future editors, so learn to be critical of what you post and make brilliant points about the topics you love.

Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words — Jeff Hanson In this session campers will learn photography tips and tricks to make every photo better, whether with high-end equipment or a phone. Take those tired, dull snapshots and make them pop!

ROOM 345

ROOM 222

ROOM 341

ROOM 344

Choose from the following:

Consistency — Jamon Smith Even the greatest writers struggle with consistency. The beginning and middle of their stories could be award-winning but the ending steadily weakens enough to make it an average piece overall. In this course, learn how to merge the necessary amount of back-story with a strong plot effectively throughout your copy.

Joint Session—Getting to Know You........................................................................................5 p.m.

Brett Hudson, Meredith Cummings, Taylor Armer, Pam Banks, Tara Bullock, Eugene Berry Room 216

It’s time for some fun! Get to know your fellow campers through fun games and activities.

You might make a new lifelong friend! At the very least, you will have some good, clean fun.

Dinner..................................................................................................................................6 p.m.

Reese Phifer Rotunda

Friday, June 14 5

Saturday, June 15 Breakfast.........................................................................................................................8:30 a.m.

Drop in to the Blount dorm common area. (Meet to walk with appointed counselor to Reese Phifer at 9:40.)

Session Three

•

10 - 11 a.m.

First Impressions: Newspaper Layout — Jessie Hancock Before readers scan even one headline, your paper has already made its first impression. What is the layout and design of your publication say to readers? Is it easy to follow? Is it fun-looking and vibrant? In this session you’ll discuss the basic elements of eye-catching design and look at real world examples of layout.

ROOM 222

Camera Shy? We Can Fix That — Isaac Williams As a beat reporter, often cast out in front of the camera, or a lead anchor of a broadcast TV show, you must know how to annunciate, be decisive and confident in your information and make the viewer feel like you’re speaking directly to them. In this session, you will write a script, develop enlightening interview questions and learn simple techniques to avoid being tongue tied on camera.

ROOM 341

Building Better Graphics and Illustrations: Thinking Visually — Anthony Bratina Say you’ve been assigned a story about your student body’s most popular ice cream flavor. What visual elements are you going to use to depict the crunch of a waffle cone or the smooth pull of a scoop through the top of an ice cream barrel? How could you chart the preference for chocolate over strawberry? Your session instructor will show you how to apply powerful visual attributes to magazines and newspapers so you can pump up your pages with all the right stuff!

Get Everything in There — Melissa Dixon The third session in TLW’s series for yearbook staffers. What goes in your book, where it should go and how to get everyone in there.

ROOM 338

ROOM 345

ROOM 327

Choose from the following:

Videography Via Smartphone — Dr. George Daniels (This session also offered again at 11 a.m.)

More and more people are using their smartphones as video cameras. In this session, we’ll emphasis short, SMART videos that can be produced using an Apple iPhone or Android phone. Bring your phone and your ideas for video storytelling.

6 Saturday, June 15

Session Four

•

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

ROOM 346

Chill Out? NO WAY! This is Copy Editing — Haley Grogan Copy editors have a big job. If they miss a simple mistake in a story, then the printed version looks less professional with every misplaced comma. In this class, you’ll learn how to write/edit cleaner copy, minimize the margin for personal error and keep your composure under a strict deadline. You’ll also get to see some of the most common blunders in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Catch the small stuff before print and your publication will thrive!

ROOM 222

Sports Writing Throw Down — Brett Hudson Learn how to best cover a sports beat, and be ready totackle it regardless of what is thrown at you! Also, learn how to deal with writing a negative sports story. You can’t win ‘em all… So be prepared to cover ‘em all.

ROOM 327

Angles, Angles, Angles — Morgan Upton Some news stories reach the viewer on a visual level that they cannot explain. The simple answer is that the angles the clips were shot in were not dull or cheaply center-focused. The session will lead you through ways to set up captivating camera angles that will give your story that extra edge and create powerful scenes that make the viewer say “wow.”

ROOM 341

Yearbook Writing and the Five Steps of Revision — Melissa Dixon Go big or go home. Ditch those boring spreads and learn how to incorporate innovative design to send your publication to the next level.

ROOM 338

Choose from the following:

Videography Via Smartphone — Dr. George Daniels More and more people are using their smartphones as video cameras. In this session, we’ll emphasis short, SMART videos that can be produced using an Apple iPhone or Android phone. Bring your phone and your ideas for video storytelling.

Lunch.................................................................................................................................12 p.m.

Reese Phifer Rotunda

Joint Session — Taking Journalism on the Road Less Traveled .........................................................1 p.m.

Chris Sanders, tax and budget analyst for Alabama Arise Suzanne Henson, M.S., R.D., L.D., Assistant Director of Health Education and Promotion for the UA Department of Health Promotion and Wellness Ethan Summers, Second year MBA candidate Taylor Holland, Chief of Staff, Fairfax Co. Supervisor Jeff McKay Kelsey Hendrix, Former buying intern at Dianne Von Furstenberg, currently works for Real Simple Magazine

Room 216 Having a journalism degree doesn’t mean you have to work in newspapers! In fact, many journalism majors go on to pursue careers outside the printing press, all while using skills they learned in reporting. Find out how helpful and versatile a journalism degree can be in this session. Hear from a government official, a fashionista who worked for Dianne Von Furstenburg and a nutritionist, among others!

Saturday, June 15 7

Session Five

•

2 - 3 p.m.

ROOM 341

Take Your Broadcast to the Next Level! — Theadoris Morris On-camera interviewing, composition, framing, microphones, techniques, what to ask, how to ask it, and quality sound bites.

ROOM 327

For High Schoolers only! — Judah, Ashley Montgomery, Judah Martin This is the place to ask all of those embarrassing questions that you’ve always wanted to know about getting ready for college. From social life to academics, we’ve got you covered!

ROOM 323

Leadership Academy — Alex Hauser In this session, we will discuss the role of leadership in a high school newsroom. This is your chance to pick the brain of someone who’s been in your shoes, as well as gain contact with different editors around the state. Connect with new-found friends as Alex, a newly-graduated editor-in-chief swaps ideas and troubleshooting tips.

ROOM 338

What Not to Wear (In Your Yearbook) — Melissa Dixon The fifth session in TLW’s yearbook series focuses on trends: Design, typography, photos and copy must all work together or the outfit is just gross.

ROOM 345

Choose from the following:

For Middle Schoolers only! No high school students allowed! — Quin Kelly, Finesse Franklin This session is for rising 6th through 8th graders. There is a reason “Diary of A Wimpy Kid” was set in middle school! This is the place to ask all of those embarrassing questions that you’ve always wanted to know about getting ready for high school.

Tweeting sessions?

Use hashtag #TLW13 or #weallscreamforicecream!

8 Saturday, June 15

The Best Ice Cream Social Ever!..................................................................................3- 3:45 p.m.

Reese Phifer Rotunda

Campus Tours...................................................................................................................4 - 5 p.m.

Multicultural Journalism Workshop students MUST meet in Room 338 at this time.

All other campers, choose one of the following tours:

Tour the University Campus

This tour will take students on a guided walk across UA’s beautiful campus

with a representative from the Capstone Men and Women.

Meet on the steps outside Reese Phifer Hall

Tour WVUA Television Studio

Students will tour the television station located in the basement of Reese Phifer,

UA’s own WVUA, which signed on the air as News Channel 49 in January 1998.

Question and answer session will follow.

Meet in Reese Phifer Rotunda

Tour the Office of Student Media

Take a tour of the offices that house The Crimson White, UA’s yearbook The Corolla

and Marr’s Field Journal literary magazine. You will also hear about how to get involved

in college media on any campus. Question and answer session to follow.

Meet outside the Office of Student Media building

Joint Session— Tell us what you have learned! .........................................................5 p.m.

Taught by your fearless team leaders: Brett Hudson, Meredith Cummings, Taylor Armer, Pam Banks, Tara Bullock, Eugene Berry Room 216 In this session we will convene as a giant newsroom to produce a website and/or final products to show and tell Sunday at camp closing.

Dinner..................................................................................................................................6 p.m.

Reese Phifer Rotunda

Free Time.......................................................................................................................7 - 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 15 9

Sunday, June 16 Breakfast.........................................................................................................................8:30 a.m.

Drop in to the Blount dorm Common Area.

Devotional (optional).........................................................................................................9 a.m.

Blount classroom, first floor.

(Meet to walk with appointed counselor to Reese Phifer at 9:40.)

Session Six

•

10 - 11 a.m.

ROOM 216 ROOM 341

iMovie: How to Produce Video Clips in 15 Minutes or Less — James Jaillet If you have a Macintosh computer, you can add video to your text news story using the iMovie application. We’ll show you how to use iLife’s video application to do BASIC video editing. No documentaries! No news packages! This hands-on session is for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time editing video, but still want the benefits of the moving-picture medium to add a dimension to their story.

ROOM 327

Character Development: Not Your Character, Your Character’s Character! — Laura Hunter Readers long for unforgettable characters. Remember Pip? Captain Ahab? Harry Potter? Scarlett O’Hara?

What makes them distinctive? Leave this session with a new character, one you create! Tell their story.

We May Scream For Ice Cream But Not At Each Other — Melissa Dixon The secret behind a good yearbook is a staff that loves working with each other. In this session, you’ll learn management and motivation tips to stay sane during the stressful times.

ROOM 338

Studio Lighting Everywhere You Go! — Scott Bowman Great lighting is essential to great photography! In this session, students will learn how to use inexpensive lighting tools to set up the perfect studio on the run!

ROOM 222

Choose from the following:

Adobe Premiere — Stephanie McNeal Learn the most essential tools in Adobe’s Premiere software! Edit video, record audio and add smooth transitions to link it all together. Leave here with a solid understanding of how to complete any video project.

10 Sunday, June 16

Session Seven

•

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

ROOM 222 ROOM 338

Video Editing Course: I Tube, YouTube, We All Tube — James Jaillet Learn how to take your video projects to the next level! Also, if you don’t have a YouTube Channel, we will help you get one started so you can broadcast what you learned here online.

ROOM 222

Feeling emotional? Have some ice cream. — Tara Bullock What on Earth is this supposed to mean? Your word choice… especially as related to connotation is key to communicating with your readers. What you write can dictate how they feel and your opinion should not be present in standard news writing. Sometimes your feelings on the topic can show through in the words you choose. This session will work with strengthening your word choice and battling implied meanings.

What Readers Want — Melissa Dixon The seventh and final session in TLW’s yearbook series: Who says no one reads the copy? You can’t produce a great yearbook without accurate yet interesting headlines, copy, and captions to tell the whole story.

ROOM 327

Welcome to the Block Party!—Laura Hunter Do you spend hours staring at an empty page (or a blank screen)? Don’t worry. Every writer has been there! In this session Hunter will show you how to develop simple techniques to overcome the dreaded writer’s block and get the words flowing.

ROOM 341

Choose from the following:

Your Online Portfolio: Arguably the Most Important Session — UA Career Center staff This field is incredibly competitive on the professional level! Are you ready? Learn how to compile an online portfolio of your best writing clips, a clean/concise resume (complete with leadership experience and list of skills) and more all in the same easy-to-access place within “the cloud.” When you are asked for your clips (and you will be), you won’t feel the least bit stressed out about getting scraps of paper together.

BONUS: Resume critiques will be given at the end of the session!

Lunch.................................................................................................................................12 p.m.

Reese Phifer Rotunda

Closing Ceremony—Room 216..........................................................................................1 p.m.

Final awards, show-and-tell and camp closing ceremony

Check-Out...........................................................................................................................2 p.m.

Check out of Blount dorm immediately following awards ceremony. Walk with your counselor if your parents/ guardian are not in attendance for the closing session.

Multicultural Journalism Workshop students please meet in Room 338 immediately following the Closing Ceremony.

Sunday, June 16 11

Do you wish

The Long Weekend

could last even longer?

Join us in September 2013 at one of our

Fall Regional Workshops Mobile • Auburn • Tuscaloosa • Huntsville This fall, ASPA is hitting the road to bring you the latest trends in newspaper, yearbook, digital and broadcast production. One-day workshops for writers, photographers, designers and producers of scholastic media will be held throughout the state during the month of September. Visit us online for more details and the most up-to-date information.

www.aspa.ua.edu

Celebrating 76 years of promoting scholastic journalism excellence