Thousands of people from 45 states, the District of Columbia, England and South Korea crowded into the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. last week, all with the same passion: journalism. The JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention had finally arrived.
“We’re still calculating total attendance, but total registration should exceed 6,350, which is a record,” Logan Aimone, executive director of NSPA (National Scholastic Press Association) wrote in an e-mail sent to more than 1000 journalism educators involved with the convention. NSPA hosts the convention each fall and spring in partnership with the Journalism Education Association.
Among the vast crowd were 20 students representing the communications programs at WHS. They did not come home empty-handed.
Details yearbook placed fifth in Best of Show competition, while Unleashed placed ninth in Best of Show competition. The contest ranks entries from all participating schools and winners are announced at a two-hour awards ceremony during the convention.
“I was so excited because we just didn’t know what to expect from the judges. Our book was so different last year than anything that had ever been done before, so I knew it would either be taken really well or really bad. I guess they took it really well. When we were sitting there waiting for the results, we were super-nervous and had butterflies in our stomachs,” editor-in-chief Sara Roudebush said. Although Details won Best of Show three consecutive years previously, staffers are pleased with their fifth place certificate since the book’s larger size caused them to move up a category and face tougher competition.
As for individual students, in write-off contests sponsored by JEA, Loriana Di Gino earned Superior in Yearbook Layout and Catherine Teano received Superior in Headline Design. A Superior is equivalent to being in the top 3 percent nationally.
Also, Roudebush got Honorable Mention in Yearbook Theme Layout and Kyla Sebens earned Honorable Mention in Advertising Design. Representing the broadcasting program, Alexa Acosta and Kenzie Greenreich received Honorable Mention in Broadcast Feature.
Chaperone and broadcasting teacher Mr. Ben Barnholdt agreed that the convention was a success.
“This was my fifth JEA conference and by far my most memorable. Anytime students make genuine memories, then you know they are learning. Talking with several students after the trip, they could quickly tell you details about what they saw and learned. That is more powerful than anything I can teach in my classroom. Overall, it was one of the best times I have had as a teacher,” Barnholdt said.
By HALEY DOYLE
