2014 convention program final

A huge ASPA thank you to the following peopleDean Jennifer Greer and the C&IS Dean’s OfficeDr. Wilson Lowrey, Journalism Department Chair

Cecilia Hammond, Crechale Stevens and the Department of JournalismDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations

Department of Telecommunication and FilmDepartment of Communication Studies

Diane Shaddix and the C&IS Graduate ProgramSteve Diorio and the staff of WVUA-TV

Paul Wright and the Office of Student MediaJohn Stevenson with The Randolph Leader

Taylor Armer, Jason Battles, Sharon Bullock, Carol Cummings, Jason Frost, Krista James, Alex Hauser, Elizabeth Lowder,

Andrea Mattei, Cara Walker, Alex Hale, Matt Wilson

PATRONS

Alabama Broadcasters AssociationAlabama Press Association

Our ASPA Board MembersPresident Melissa Dixon; Past President Erin Coggins; Vice President Connie Nolen;

Secretary Renee Quaife; Director Emeritus Marie Parsons; Director Meredith Cummings; Graduate Assistant Tara Bullock

Follow ASPA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!Instagram: @AlabamaSPA

Twitter: @AlaSPA (Hashtag #ASPA14)Facebook fan page: Alabama Scholastic Press Association

Schedule of events Friday, Feb. 14, at Ferguson Center

8 a.m. Registration at Ferguson Theater9 a.m.. Kickoff and keynote, Dianne Bragg10 a.m. to noon On-site competitions10 a.m. Session 1 11 a.m. Session 2Noon Lunch on your own1 p.m. Session 32 p.m. Session 43 p.m. Session 5 4 p.m. Closing awards ceremony

Saturday, Feb. 15, at Reese Phifer Hall

(Session times vary depending on the duration of the class. See Saturday’s schedule for details.)

9 a.m. Session 110 a.m. Session 211 a.m. Session 3Noon Lunch on your own1 p.m. Tours: UA campus tour, Digital Media Center tour or WVUA station tour

Feb. 14-15, 2014 ASPA State Convention

Welcome to the annual

ASPA State Convention at The University

of Alabama.

#ASPA14 #SpreadTheLove on

Twitter

Don’t forget to stop by our Penny Drop

table and place your change in a jar! All proceeds benefit ASPA’s mentoring

and scholarship programs.


Mark your calendar for ASPA’s summer camps!June 13-15: The Long Weekend summer camp

June 13-22: Multicultural Journalism Workshop (Deadline to apply is April 1)

and other events ...Fall Regional Workshops: Sept. 22: Mobile, Sept. 24: Tuscaloosa,

Sept. 26: Huntsville (Other cities and dates TBA)

Deadline for all media for competition and critiques: Dec. 19, 2014

Senior award deadlines (Bragg, Thomson, Stevenson and Journalist of the Year awards), Administrator and Adviser of the Year awards deadlines: Jan 31, 2015

ASPA 2015 State Convention: Feb. 20-21

For information and updates, check the ASPA website at aspa.ua.edu.

The goal of Scholastic Journalism Week, Feb. 16-22, is to do something, whether big or small, to raise awareness and promote your program to your community, school and staff. Your involvement and that of your students will to raise community c onsciousness regarding the benefits of scho-lastic journalism. Need some ideas? Check out JEA's Scholastic Journalism Week page, download some posters and materials, then become part of the community on Facebook or Tweet (#sjw2014) your own ideas. We hope every staff will do something to celebrate, and represent Alabama well!


Onsite competitions begin at 10 a.m. and will be held in the following rooms. STAY IN THE BALLROOM for instructions before going to your room:

Yearbook copy and caption writing Ballroom

News writing 313

Feature writing 313

Sports writing 313

Editorial writing Ballroom

Broadcast stand up/camcorder 313

Newscast (anchor) Ballroom

Sportscast (anchor) Ballroom

Yearbook layout Ballroom

Newspaper layout Ballroom

Literary magazine layout/design Ballroom

Editorial Cartooning Ballroom

Literary magazine poetry Ballroom

Literary magazine illustration Ballroom

10 a.m. Sessions Session 1

Shoot like a pro (Broadcast, Online)How do you shoot video to look professional? Having the right look, sound, and questions to produce a good story can be difficult if you don’t know all the rules. This session will get beginning broadcasters off on the right foot for success. Dr. Chandra Clark Room 300

Exposing the best in graphic design: Braving the worst “type demons” (Yearbook, Lit Mag, Newspaper)Almost like magic, the right type choice can turn two-dimensional designs into dynamic and powerful pieces of journalism – digital or print. From light to extra bold italic, the right font can turn good reporting into great storytelling. Students will use this session to pre-view and critique a variety of font samples from high school magazines, newspapers and yearbooks.Bruce Watterson Room 360, Forum

Basic Editing (Newspaper, Online, Yearbook)When should you cut a sentence? When do you leave it? Oh, and AP Style! Let’s talk about that little monster in this introduction to editing. Taylor Manning Room 301A

Ledes – you know, the first paragraph? – are key (Newspaper, Online)There are tried and true ways to write the first para-graphs of a story. This session will explore techniques for writing direct ledes, delayed ledes and feature ledes. Find out what to include in a strong lede, and what to avoid. And maybe most importantly of all, find out why journalists spell the word L-E-D-E.Paul Isom Room 312

PLEASE NOTE: The Penny Wars will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drinks and snacks are available for advisers in the Advisers Hospitality Room in the Anderson Room, 302. If you are interested in a Saturday tour, please sign up at registration Friday morning.

Friday, Feb. 14 sessions, Ferguson Student Center

9 a.m. Welcome! Dr. Wilson Lowrey, Chair, University of Alabama Department of Journalism Meredith Cummings, Director, ASPA Keynote, Dianne Bragg, “Changing the World Where You Are”


Behind the scenes with Black Warrior Review (Literary magazine)Find out what it takes to be part of a college literary magazine staff from members of the the nationally respected, award-winning Black Warrior Review, one of UA’s lit mags. BWR publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction and art by Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners alongside up-and-coming writers. Black Warrior Review staff Room 301A 11 a.m. Session 2

Exposing the best in graphic design: Erase the clutter by simplifying (Yearbook, Newspaper)In-your-face designs have infiltrated our publications. Ever tried to spice up your deign by adding some-thing? Next time, subtract something instead. Join us to see just how hard it is to create simple, effective de-signs. It is time to eliminate the flashy, overly graphic patterns that glut our grids.Bruce Watterson Room 360, Forum

Starting out small: Behind the scenes with NANO (Literary magazine)Find out what it takes to start a small, independent publication with members of NANO Fiction, a literary magazine run independently from UA by a group of English graduate students. Taught by NANO Staff Room 301A Intro to feature writing (Newspaper, Online, Yearbook)Do you dream of writing features for publications such as The New York Times, Southern Living or Sports Illustrated? This session will teach you the me-chanics of feature writing, and help you to do delve deeper into stories and write glowing sentences.Elizabeth Manning and Laura Monroe Room 312

Photography for beginners: Endless possibilities (Newspaper, Online, Yearbook)Get photo tips and tricks to make your photos pop! This veteran photographer will show you many easy ways to improve your photos.Dan Meissner Room 313

Noon Lunch on your own!Be sure to check out the Penny Wars and Val-entines in the ballroom!

1 p.m. Session 3

Are your photos page turners? (Yearbook, Liter-ary Magazine, Online, Newspaper)Use photography to illustrate, not decorate. It is time to capture things the reader takes for granted: the awe, the mystery, the victory, the humor and, yes, the defeat that tell the stories that matter.Bruce Watterson Room 360, Forum

Advanced BroadcastMaking sure you have the right tools to take your video, sound and packages to the next level is not as simple as you thought. Find out about some free resources you can turn to for help while you build that award-winning portfolio that win scholarships and get some attention.Dr. Chandra Clark Room 300

You are the Woodward to my Bernstein (All media)Spread the Love with journalism for justice! In-depth pieces sometimes require two or more reporters to work together. The Watergate Scandal, for example, was uncovered by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Learn how two heads are better than one for certain stories in this session, led by students who won the 2013 College Press Freedom Award from the Student Press Law Center.Matt Ford and Abby Crain Room 313 Travel with us! Design and photography by way of travel journalism (Yearbook, Lit Mag, Online, Newspaper)Do you hope to photograph for National Geographic? Or, do you dream of writing for Travel + Leisure? Members of Alpine Living, an award-winning travel magazine sponsored by the University of Alabama’s Journalism Department, will offer tips on design, pho-tography and writing for magazines. They will also discuss obstacles to overcome in travel journalism. Jessie Hancock and Gigi Eyre Room 301A


Behind the Scenes at the Marr’s Field Journal (Literary Magazine)How a successful magazine gathers fiction, poetry and art is all in a day’s work for staff of The Marr’s Field Journal. Get tips and tricks of the trade from students on staff at this award-winning undergraduate publication.Marr’s Field Journal staff Room 312

ASPA Board meeting (Advisers only)The annual State Convention meeting for the ASPA board. All advisers are welcome to attend.Melissa Dixon Anderson Room, 302

Multicultural Journalism Workshop - What’s it all about?Learn about UA’s prestigious Multicultural Journalism Workshop - one of the oldest in the coun-try. Get tips and tricks for applying and find out moreabout this lifechanging experience open to anyone!MJW alumni Ballroom

2 p.m. Session 4

Trendsetting ideas for improving your reporting and design skills (Yearbook, Newspaper)Real storytelling takes time, patience and passion. Use this session to polish your skill-set and increase your importance to the staff.Bruce Watterson Room 360, Forum

Yearbook 3D (Advisers, Yearbook)Preserve memories forever with the printed yearbookwhile leveraging new technology to ensure it staysexciting and relevant to today’s students. Learn how to create video content that comes to life on your mobile device!Kane Belew and Tyler Craig Room 313

Producing for more than just broadcast news (Broadcast, Online)Shane Dorrill, a veteran radio and television broad-caster works with media from around the state with University Relations at the University of Alabama to get sources from state media while producing promo-tional videos for the web and broadcast. Find out how you use your skills for more than you ever realized.Shane Dorrill Room 300

Leadership Academy (All media)In this session, Hauser, former Journalist of the Year, will discuss leadership in a high-school newsroom. It’s your chance to pick the brain of someone who’s been in your shoes, as well as gain contacts with different editors around the state you can connect with through-out your year as editor-in-chief.Alex Houser Room 301A

Advanced Reporting with a side of TwitterLearn how to write in-depth pieces with help from 140 characters or less with al.com’s Melissa Brown. Melissa Brown Room 312

Sports myserties solvedTwo award-winning sports reporters answer your questions about covering the big (and not-so-big) games. They will also look at challenges and triumphs of being a sports reporter.Marc Torrence, Marq Burnett Ballroom

Typography 101Missed the first typography session? Then head on over to this one where you will learn how the right typography can turn your work into dynamic and powerful pieces of journalism.Mike Little Room 301B

3 p.m. Session 5

Need some great idea starters? How to capitalize on your unique ‘home-town’ coverage advantage (All media)Grab a list of top creative ideas that are sure to trigger plenty of positive reaction among all your readers.Bruce Watterson Room 360, Forum

Rewind and take a step back in time (All media)Members of the University of Alabama Radio Televi-sion Digital News Association broadcast students who will share stories of what they wish they would have known as broadcasters while in high school. They’ve had great internships and know how to get future em-ployers’ attention with stories that have what it takes to air. They will share the good, the bad, and the ugly in this session moderated by Dr. Pamela Tran, UA Electronic News Professor.RTDNA students Room 301A


All morningPlease stop by the ASPA lobby on the third floor to say hello and grab a snack!

9-noon Ongoing photography sessions

9 a.m. Session 1

Beginning InDesignDon’t be scared of all the bells and whistles. You, can conquer the InDesign beast in a few easy steps!Alex Houser Room 341

Student media problem solvingWhat are your biggest issues? Hiring staff? Keeping the staff you’ve hired? Meeting deadline? Finding sto-ries? All these things and more are on the table. Come to this session with your list of problems and, with the help of a veteran adviser, we’ll solve them together. It’s quite possible the person sitting next to you will have dealt with the same things – and might even have discovered some solutions.Meredith Cummings Room 327

Harness the power of the desktopHow to begin creating, distributing and optimizing cutting-edge content. For digital magazines or online newspapers, it’s got to be interactive, inspiring. Why? Because your readers in the student body are demand-ing it.Bruce Watterson Room 338

10 a.m. Session 2

New trends in high school publicationsA look at the national award-winning publications, soon to be previewed at the Spring Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s conference in NYC.Bruce Watterson Room Room 338

Advanced InDesignNow that you’ve conquered InDesign, see how far you can take it with these fun ideas.Alex Houser Room 341

11 a.m. Session 3Using digital devices like the iPad and the iPhone to improve your reporting skillsIdeas that take you from traditional photographic ba-sics through more interactive uses of digital imaging. Bring along copies of your publication or share your URLs. Bruce Watterson Room 338

Noon Lunch on your own

1 p.m. Session 4, Tours Advisers: See Mrs. Cummings for where to go for your tour.

Saturday, Feb. 18 sessions, Reese Phifer Hall

The Inside Scoop on College NewspapersPeek inside the day-to-day operations of one of the best college papers in the country.The Crimson White Staff Room 301B

Expect the unexpected (Broadcast)Learn how to handle covering unexpected events and keep your cool while on camera. WVUA’s Isaac Williams will share experiences, tips and tricks from covering Snowpocalypse 2014.Isaac Williams Room 300

Production Tips and Tricks (Broadcast, Online)When filming video or capturing audio, there are some basic techniques that can be used to increase quality with little or no cost. We will review some of these techniques and learn how to create better video and audio for our newscasts and other projects.

Andrew Richardson Room 313

The Icing on the Cake (Newspaper, Online, Yearbook)This session explores the use and function of figura-tive language within news reporting by experimenting with writing in a mini-workshop format.Elizabeth Pratt, Kelsey Nolen and Lizzy Valenza Room 312

4 p.m. Awards ceremony* Dr. Jennifer Greer, Dean College of Communica-tion and Information Sciences* Sharon Tinsley, President, Alabama Broadcaster’s Association* Larry Haynes, Principal, Oak Mountain Middle School* Dr. Chris Roberts, Journalism Professor

Friday, Feb. 14 sessions continued

2014 convention program final

Documents