In a city like no other, four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and a freshman navigated through the streets of San Francisco’s tenderloin district. On this trip, LHS Publications members learned different ways they could improve their publication classes and program overall.

Lilly Fister’s (11) favorite part of the convention was “learning lots of new social media techniques to take home to our social media team.”

Through attending sessions held by both students and other publication teachers, others were able to learn new ways to use social media, change up a broadcast program, design a better working website, use creative themes and mods while designing yearbooks and just overall find the best ways to have a cooperative publication team.

“There were lots of cool new foods that let me break out of my shell and it was great to become closer with the people I work with,” Fister said.

“Force people who are going into publications to take the intro class,” Parker Sethaler (10) said in response to something he learned about recruiting others to the publication program. Through doing so, students coming into the classes requiring a prerequisite will get to know what journalism is all about and find their class of best fit.

The students arrived a day earlier than the convention began, on Thursday, April 20, to explore the city. They began the day by getting on a trolley to Pier 33, one of the piers that send ferries of tourists to Alcatraz Island.

Seeing where the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris busted out of their cells was Alix Queen’s (12) favorite part of the trip because they used to have a huge obsession with Alcatraz. “I used to spend hours studying their escape and seeing if they survived. So seeing it for the second time in person was incredible,” Queen said.

According to the students of the locations visited, Alcatraz triumphed them all. Alcatraz was Sethaler’s favorite part of the trip and he thoroughly enjoyed the flowers, remarking that they were beautiful.

After Alcatraz, the students ate lunch at various restaurants in Fisherman’s Wharf.

In all, nine awards were won amongst the staff. The 2021-22 yearbook also received special recognition for being named as a finalist of the Pacemaker award for overall yearbook.

“To be able to win an award for leadership means a lot to me because it means that as a leader, I have been able to inspire and work with a lot of other people,” Editorial Leadership award winner Rhett Cunningham (12) said.

“Awards are always nice but I really enjoyed hanging out with the students I took. It really shows me how much the program has evolved over the last several years. I felt like this group handled themselves well and had a good balance of fun and journalism,” trip adviser Jonathan Hall said.

JEA/NSPA Individual Awards:

Individual awards to Sydney Davis (Sportswriting), Lilly Brown (Feature Writing), Rhett Cunningham (Editorial Leadership). Megan Geisler (Broadcast Feature and Review Writing), Braden Altrup (Video Package Editing), Gavin Block (Newswriting). Lilly Brown, Lilly Fister, Gavin Block, Parker Sethaler (Quiz Bowl finalist participant).

NSPA Award:

2022-23 Talon Yearbook – Second Place (Overall Yearbook)

2021-22 Talon Yearbook – Pacemaker finalist (Overall Yearbook)

Gallery | 6 Photos

Sydney Davis

Julia Wiley (12) gets interviewed by a student at the convention while on the elevator to Quiz Bowl.