Publications Students Experience National Journalism Convention in Boston

Yearbook and Broadcast bring home awards as 11 students represent Liberty and the WSD

Anna Simms, Editor-in-Chief of LHStoday.org | November 17, 2023

Eleven students involved in publications pose outside the Paul Revere House in Boston, Mass. to learn more about the history of the city.

Braden Altrup

Get an inside look into what it’s like to travel the country with Liberty Publications. This fall, the students traveled to Boston, Massachusetts for 5 days and they not only were able to see all the historic locations first-hand, but also meet so many amazing people at the JEA/NSPA Convention.

Twice a year, thousands of students from all across the United States, and even Canada and England, come together in excitement to learn more about journalism in the professional world. After being held in San Francisco, Calif.. in late April of this year, the fall 2023 JEA/NSPA convention was hosted in Boston, Mass. and took place from Nov. 2-5.

For this convention, a total of 11 students spanning all grade levels, freshman through senior, attended this event

With representatives from many different colleges, including Emerson College, University of Missouri-Columbia, Northwestern and Penn State, students were able to learn more about the journalism degree programs offered at each of the schools. Along with the universities, major publication companies attended the convention, such as Herff Jones, Jostens, Walsworth, and even School Newspapers Online.

Senior Liz Hayes teaches a session titled “How to start a broadcast with a small staff” on Nov. 4 in the Sheraton Convention Center during the JEA/NSPA Boston Conference. (Sydney Davis)

During this convention, attendees go various sessions, workshops, critiques and competitions. Senior Liz Hayes was able to teach a session called “How to build a broadcast with a small staff” and educate people on how a broadcast program can be started with minimal equipment and staff. This was Hayes’ second time teaching this session at the national level.

“Teaching the first time, I didn’t think it was going to be as fun as it was,” Hayes said. “Even though it was nerve wracking, it was an adrenaline rush I liked, and I got feedback from people about the work that I do at Liberty is good work so it helped build my confidence.”

Not only did the students learn a lot about journalism, but they also learned a lot about the rich history of Boston.

On the first full day there, the students toured around the city and visited many iconic spots, including Fenway Park, the Paul Revere House, the U.S.S. Constitution, and Quincy Market.

Jackson Adams is the only freshman on the yearbook staff this year and attended the trip.

“My biggest takeaways were to be open to meeting new friends and make the most of wherever you travel,” Adams said.

Many of the students on the trip have attended previous JEA/NSPA conventions before and noticed the difference Boston had compared to previous cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“Boston was very different in that it was a very quiet city,” senior Sydney Davis said. “You were able to have a conversation without screaming.”

One of the requirements of attending this conference is that every attendant must compete in a competition of their choosing. With a wide variety of competitions, ranging from photography and videography to caption writing and news ethics, there is something for everyone.

Below are the awards that LHS Publications won at the 2023 Fall JEA/NSPA conference. More than 4,000 students participated in the convention events.

Yearbook staff members Lilly Brown, Lilly Fister, Sydney Davis, and Liz Hayes pose with their Best of Show award for the 2022-2023 Talon Yearbook in their category. (submitted by Jonathan Hall)

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Journalism Education Associations National Student Media Contest Awards

Jackson Adams- Excellent: First-Year Photo

Braden Altrup- Excellent: Videography

Sydney Davis- Honorable Mention: Yearbook Sport Caption Writing

National Scholastic Press Association Awards

Yearbook Best of Show (232-276 pages)- Fourth Place: The 2022-2023 Talon Yearbook Staff

Broadcast Feature Story– Third Place: Shae Earle, Megan Geisler, Courtney Jefferson, Jacorrion Leach, Parker Sethaler

About the Contributors

Anna Simms, Editor-in-Chief of LHStoday.org

Anna Simms is the editor-in-chief of LHStoday.org and this is her third year in publications. She is also in her senior year and second year at SCC. After high school, Anna plans on going to a university to study biomedical sciences, and later get a doctorate. She is also a part of Liberty’s drama club as an executive board member, and has done both acting and tech. Outside of school, you can find Anna either taking photos, editing, hanging out with friends, listening to music, or reading!

Braden Altrup, Executive Producer of Broadcast Media

Braden Altrup is a senior and is the Executive Producer of the Broadcast Media class. This is his third year in Broadcast Media and is super honored to be the Executive Producer. After he graduates he will be going to University of Northwestern Ohio for Motorsports Marketing in hopes to get his dream job of working for Formula Drift. He spends his free time building his 240sx s13 drift build and working on his marketing/design projects for his clients.

Sydney Davis, Editor-in-Chief of The 2024 Talon

Sydney Davis is an editor-in-chief of the Talon Yearbook and will soon be in her third year of publications while also a manager of the cross country team. She is in her senior year and her second year of classes at SCC. She loves listening to music and watching movies and reading in her free time, along with playing with her niece and nephews. Sydney dreams of being a concert photographer while traveling the world when she is older. She is unsure of where her education will continue after high school, but would like to major in either journalism or marketing. Worms love worms!