Students collected flags for their ID badges throughout the convention.

Haven student journalists earn national honors in Nashville

Kate Plows

Students collected flags for their ID badges throughout the convention.

Haven student journalists earn national honors in Nashville

Panthers stepped outside of their comfort zones and into cowboy boots to bring home 19 national rankings.

Staff

Nov 25, 2025

Fourteen student members of the Strath Haven High School Panther Press and Haven Yearbook teams traveled to the National High School Journalism Convention (NHSJC) in Nashville, Tennessee from Nov. 12-16.

Accompanied by yearbook co-adviser Mrs. Beth Cohen and newspaper and yearbook adviser Ms. Kate Plows, student journalists participated in three busy days of workshops, contests, and educational sessions at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center.

The fall convention is one of two annual conventions sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. NHSJC is the nation’s largest gathering of high school journalists, advisers, and journalism teachers. The Nashville convention recorded 5,322 registrants from 46 states and eight countries — the largest convention since before the COVID pandemic.

After extended workshops covering writing, design, branding, and artificial intelligence on Thursday, the team attended the evening opening keynote by Pulitzer on the Road. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Jessica Gallagher and Alissa Zhu of The Baltimore Banner and Toluse Olorunnipa of The Atlantic spoke about the urgency of local journalism.

The crowded and energetic keynote was a teaser for the packed convention sessions students would experience on Friday and Saturday. Students were able to network with journalism organizations, college representatives, and peers with similar interests at the exhibit hall and during convention sessions. They also learned from 30-minute individual critiques of recent publications with expert journalism educators.

For some students, a key highlight of the convention was attending as a journalism team.

“There are a lot of technical skills that you should know to do student journalism,” senior Matthew Ramirez said. “But especially at the convention, it’s also about teamwork, camaraderie, and passion.”

Others emphasized the importance of learning from the diverse experiences of other convention attendees.

“I think the most significant part is going to hear different ideas and listen to the people [at the convention], not just the people you go on the trip with,” junior Kathryn Barrett said. “There are a lot of similarities in how we do our paper and yearbook, but also some differences… where people are from, different styles, different ways to put out information.”

National Student Media Contests

Onsite in Nashville, Haven students participated in individual National Student Media Contests (NSMC), competing in photography, newspaper writing, and yearbook copy. In all, 1,668 students competed in photo, broadcast, graphic design, literary magazine, design, and writing contests in Nashville, according to the JEA press release. Top entries were recognized with 120 superior, 194 excellent and 352 honorable mention awards.

The following Haven students earned recognition in the National Student Media Contests:

Joya Nath ’28, Superior, Newswriting
Clark Kerkstra ’27, Superior, Editorial Writing
Fiona Seale ’28, Superior, Review Writing
Morgan Matthews ’28, Superior, Commentary Writing
Isaac Lothrop ’26, Superior, Sports Action Photography
Kathryn Barrett ’27, Excellent, Feature Photography
Kaitlyn Ho ’26, Excellent, News Editing / Headline / Current Events
Rowan Brown ’29, Excellent, First Year Photography
Izzy Boland ’29, Honorable Mention, Yearbook Copy/Caption, Sports
Josselyn Dixon ’29, Honorable Mention, Yearbook Copy/Caption, Academics

NSPA Individual Awards

NSPA announced their annual Individual Awards in Nashville. NSPA Individual Awards honor the nation’s best scholastic journalism in a wide range of categories. The national awards are presented to individuals and small teams. The following Haven students and alumni were recognized in the 2025 Individual Awards, presented on Nov. 15.

Matthew Ramirez ’26, First Place, Newspaper Front Page
Matthew Ramirez ’26, Third Place, Digital Story of the Year, Photo Story, “Cantata returns to New York City”
Matteo Ventresca ’25, Fifth Place, Sports Action Photo, “Baseball wins fourth consecutive game”
Matthew Ramirez ’26, Evelynn Lin ’25, Mia Fagone ’26, Honorable Mention, Digital Story of the Year, Multimedia News Story, “Off or On”
Matteo Ventresca ’25, Riley Smith ’25, Honorable Mention, Digital Story of the Year, Multimedia News Story, “Girls soccer wins state championship”

NSPA Best of Show

NSPA’s Best of Show competition is presented as part of each national convention, and consists of both individual and staff recognition. The awards represent overall excellence among entries from convention attendees. Haven’s team cheered loudly for the following Best of Show awards in Nashville:

Isaac Lothrop ’26, Individual Recognition, Third Place, Newspaper Design
The Panther Press, Staff Recognition, Seventh Place, Newspaper, Schools fewer than 1800 students
Haven Yearbook, Staff Recognition, Ninth Place, Yearbook, 225-276 Pages

Notably, all of the other ranked publications in the Best of Show staff recognition categories are embedded in journalism classes, while Haven’s publications are fully extracurricular.

Quiz Bowl

Another contest in which Haven’s student journalists excelled was the JEA National Journalism Quiz Bowl. The Quiz Bowl included an initial qualifying round of 50 teams on Friday, and then buzzer rounds for the top 16 teams on Saturday morning. Questions covered an array of journalism and current event topics.

Haven’s first-ever Quiz Bowl team of senior Kaitlyn Ho, senior Matthew Ramirez, junior Evie Fernandez, and junior Clark Kerkstra earned second seed in the qualifying round and made it all the way to the semifinals, placing third overall. Haven was the only semifinalist team from an extracurricular journalism program. DuPont Manual High School from Louisville, Kentucky — a school with a journalism magnet — won their sixth quiz bowl championship.

To share resources on how to support extracurricular publications, Plows presented a conference session on Saturday, Nov. 15 titled “Celebrating Clubs.” Her presentation focused on ways to build student leadership and common-sense organization. Haven student journalists answered questions and shared tips during the presentation. Plows also assisted as a judge in the photography and writing contests.

Students agreed that the convention was an intense learning experience, as well as a chance to learn informally from others who were excited about student journalism.

“My most important takeaway is that going up to random people and figuring out what they’re like, where they’re from, and what they do for their staff is outside of my comfort zone,” senior Isaac Lothrop said. ”The convention helped me with that skill. There are a lot of differences between our staffs, thinking about a club versus a class and the roles people play.”

Participants have shared some of their learning from the NHSJC experience in the posts below.

Kathryn Barrett '27 | Session and critique notes

From my one session with Andrew Shainker, Director of Student Media at The Colombus School, I learned about telling a story and moving the viewer. To do the rule of thirds and to then break it, and that candid photos beat perfect ones.

After visiting over ninety eight countries and teaching English and journalism in Colombia his advice is: “Don’t let your world get too big, but don’t let it get too small.” That telling real stories, and having truth behind your images are key to making it matter. That you must ensure you have safety and sensitivity when taking pictures of people, cultures, or places, and that above all your passion for journalism matters most. That when writing and capturing stories that you should mix fact and feeling and to push boundaries while respecting the rules. That we should not just capture journalism but you should “live journalism."

But there is a fine line between respect and responsibility and to always consider the ethical weight of things you are capturing.

In our yearbook critique with Rachel Deainger, I learned that our text can be small, and that we need to use more white space. Instead of writing two or three stories or features, focus on one good one. That the signatures we do are great and that we have good head sizes for the amount of photos we put in. That our headlines are a little small and we have to try and make our inside of the book “prettier."

She told us we should add in the history of the school, teachers and alumni of the school, and the experiences with the lockers and how they have been used throughout their time at Strath Haven. To use vertical stripes to go with the locker theme and make the whole book feel like a full circle, by doing small but also big details to correlate it back to the theme.

This year's convention taught me a lot not only about journalism, but about problem solving, building friendships, community with people all around the state, and gratefulness for not only our program at Strath Haven, but the people that make it happen.

Kathryn Barrett '27 | Yearbook design presentation

Click to view Kathryn's presentation for the staff on yearbook design.

Izzy Boland '29 | Improving writing skills

While only lasting a few days (November 13 to November 16), the 2025 National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville, Tennessee taught me more about aspects of journalism, such as writing and interviewing. Writing was a topic specifically covered at the pre-convention workshop I attended.

The type of lede (the introduction paragraph) I just wrote is one of the many types I learned about during the pre-convention workshop I attended on Thursday, November 13. The types of ledes I learned about were gerund phrase, casual clause, temporal clause, concessive clause, and participle phrase. The type of lede I used before was a temporal clause. A temporal clause lede features the time element, beginning with words like when and while.

At the pre-convention workshop, I also learned about adding flare to my writing. Reading a long article can be boring. And tiring. That’s why using things like a partial sentence (like the last sentence I wrote) in articles can make readers find them more interesting. To continue with the example, a partial sentence isn’t technically a complete sentence, but completes the sentence it follows, making the writing flow better and more engaging.

Another technique for adding flare is parallel sentence structures. The structure uses similar elements in sentences to build an idea. This can be helpful if someone is repeating a lot of similar information in a story. The people in the workshop got to try and implement this technique of adding flare, as well as other techniques (such as the partial sentences I had mentioned before) to a story to make it more interesting.

Additionally, at the workshop I learned about writing captions. I had already known the basics of writing captions such as answering the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the photo. However, something new to me was to try to avoid starting with the “who” of the photo, and instead start with another aspect of the photo like the “what." I had never thought of doing this before, but it made the captions have more variety.

It wasn’t just ledes, flare, and captioning that I learned about. I learned multiple more ways to improve my writing at the pre-convention workshop and I’m looking forward to applying them elsewhere in my writing. On top of that, I (hopefully) used some of the techniques (correctly) here.

Izzy Boland '29 | Picking words that matter

I like to write. This fact is probably unsurprising considering I write for the Panther Press, but I adore the craft. And yes, I did say the craft. Much work goes into every word on a page, and every word on a page counts.

This idea was emphasized at the session I took at the 2025 National High School Journalism Convention called ‘The power of narrative: six-word stories." This session covered how six word stories were invented by Ernest Hemingway, and how to start writing and refining them. I learned that six-word stories could be in a variety of genres and still be unique and beautiful. Additionally, I discovered the value of punctuation in six-word stories. Punctuation helps replace spaces where words would’ve needed to go otherwise giving more room to write more meaningful words, and not just filler words.

The first step was to brainstorm words with deep emotional values — for example, words like loss, acceptance, and love. After making a long, and I mean LONG list of these words (since the best words don’t usually come first) I picked out a few of the words I wrote down.

Using those words as a basis, I came up with more specific words. Using these more specific words and some imagination I pieced together a story with carefully picked connecting words.

Following this step, I just kept writing ideas, trying to create more in depth stories with more descriptive words. Soon, I shared my favorite story that I wrote with the people sitting near me, and they shared their own. We provided some constructive feedback for each other and complemented each others’ writing. We then picked the best six-word story (spoiler alert: it wasn’t mine) to share with the overall group in the room.

I was amazed by the talent that was shown in the six-word stories I heard. Some were humorous while others were sorrowful. Some were light hearted while others were more personal. I was far from the best writer in the room, but it was neat to hear other’s writing and the stories they decided to share with the limited space available.

It opened me up to the fact that when there are only a few words, they have to matter.

Rowan Brown '29 | Review a movie, review the world

When I was in Nashville at the National High School Journalism Convention I went to a total of 13 different sessions. Out of all the different sessions I went to, the "Review a Movie, Review the World" was by far my favorite. Not only was the speaker able to keep my attention until the end (unlike in some of my other sessions), but it helped me learn how to write about things that really interest me.

I learned that there are five main parts of a good review. These are the lead, a condensed plot synopsis, background information, an evaluation, and a kicker.

The lead in review writing is very similar to the lede in news writing, but because reviews are opinion articles, it allows for more creativity and expression. The lead is meant to be a preview to the review as a whole, not to lead readers on. This means that you must get your opinion across in the lead. The reader should not have to read the whole review to get your opinion, but if it is good and intriguing writing, they should want to continue reading.

The second part of a good review is a plot synopsis. Before seeing the movie, the reader will want to know what it is about. The reviewer must provide a brief description of the events of the film without spoiling what happens. The reader will not want to see the movie if they already know what happens.

The third part of the review is background information. When writing this segment of the review, look at statistics and facts such as the movie’s genre, budget, director, cast etc. Sites to get good background information on movies IMDB as well as Rotten Tomatoes.

The most important part of the review is the evaluation. This is the reviewer’s time to analyze and critique the film. Pick apart the movie and highlight what you liked as well as what you didn’t. The most important part of the evaluation is to be honest about what worked and what didn’t. If the reader reads what you wrote and you were dishonest about the quality of the movie, they will remember that the next time they read one of your reviews. When writing your evaluation consider the quality of the movie’s script, acting and entertainment value.

The final part of the review is the kicker. Much like a news story, the kicker is going to be the strongest part of your review. It is a restatement of the points you made throughout the review. The reader should be able to read just the kicker, and have a sense of your stance on the film. It is the reader's last impression of you as a reviewer, so make sure it is the most well-written part of the piece.

Rowan Brown '29 | Camera settings presentation

Click to view Rowan's presentation for the staff on camera settings.

Josselyn Dixon '29 | Secrets to small talk

Initially, I was interested in the session because of the name, "Every Way to Get Your Way: The Art of Persuasive Communication." Apparently the name had jumped out to others as well, because the room filled up quickly. When Ella Rosloniec, the senior at Penn State who was giving the talk, stood up and introduced herself, it was clear that she was the right person to be teaching it.

One of her main points was that to get people to listen to you, you have to connect with them. She described it as finding a shared “public” or community. For example, if both of you go to Strath Haven, that would be a shared public. Her belief was that once you find a shared public with someone, you can have an easy conversation and leave a good impression on them.

Her other main point was the three things you have to do in your first conversation as small talk. The first is a positive thing such as a compliment, the second is to be a little vulnerable to humanize yourself, and the third is to leave the conversation open for the other person to say something. For example, you could go up to a person and compliment their sweater (positive), then say you’ve been looking for one in that color (vulnerability), then ask where they got it (open).

These points made an impression on me. It struck me as very interesting that there were specific methods to “cheat” at meeting people. Luckily, I was in the perfect place to use the new methods I had learned. With around 5,000 high school students attending the convention, there were plenty of opportunities to talk to people.

In the few days after taking this session, I talked to strangers while in Starbucks lines, while sitting at session tables, and even while eating lunch. And you know what? It worked. I was able to connect with these people who I didn’t really have much in common with. And the funny thing is, it kind of did feel odd at first, to know the cheat codes to small talk. Or, more accurately, to recognise patterns in all the conversations I was having.

Turns out, most people tend to do some of these things unconsciously, and unless you notice the patterns, you might never even know.

Josselyn Dixon '29 | Inspiration

Honestly, my biggest takeaway from the trip was probably the inspiration. I went into it expecting to learn a whole lot about successful interviews and how to write ledes well, and while I did learn that, I also learned more about what it means to be a journalist.

To begin with, the whole environment was motivational. So many students in one place, and once we got to talking, we realized that although we were all different, we also struggled with a lot of the same things, and handled them differently. This connectivity was important because it enabled us to share solutions and create a sense of community with other students from around the country and world.

The most impactful thing to me however was the keynote ppeakers. There were three of them, Pulitzer Prize winners every one. Two of them had been high school student journalists as teenagers, and were able to relate to us. At the keynote, all three shared their stories. Alissa Zhu and Jessica Gallagher had won their Pulitzers for their illuminating work on the opioid epidemic in Baltimore, and Toulse Olorunnipa had won his for his reporting on the life of George Floyd. While a student journalist isn’t likely to be covering topics like these, they still gave us tips on how to get good stories, or how important communication is to journalists who are collaborating.

Overall, the whole convention served as a great reminder that even the Panther Press is the only newspaper at our school, it certainly isn’t the only student newspaper even in the county. It’s comforting to know that other publications put in the same hard work as we do to get their newspapers out, and it was interesting to see the community of other journalists, and see the similarities and differences between us all.

Evie Fernandez '27 | Session notes

Notes Document

This was my third year going to the National High School Journalism Convention for Panther Press, and I can honestly say that it was the best experience yet.

Longer field trips like these are always fantastic in that they provide the perfect opportunity to get to know all of the dedicated people on the newspaper staff that I probably wouldn’t otherwise have spent that much time with. Getting to know everyone was so amazing, and I think overall we bonded as a team very well.

But to get to the actual convention: it was incredible. Seeing so many student journalists in a room will never not be shocking to me (5,000+ student journalists– the largest convention since the COVID-19 pandemic), and getting to meet so many new people is always incredible. All of the students/professionals leading sessions are so knowledgeable and so open as resources, which is always great for my many questions.

The biggest thing I think I worked on while in Nashville was newspaper design. It’s something I’ve gotten into more this year as Managing Editor of Print, but I did a full-day workshop on it on Thursday, and I think it was one of the most constructive experiences I had while at the conference.

Designing our paper as an extracurricular is very different than how a class would do it, but learning about other school’s processes and strategies was incredibly interesting, and I think going to the workshop and learning all of the technicalities related to design was great, and it helped me create some manageable goals to improve our paper as we move on with the year.

Overall, the convention is always an incredible experience, and this year it truly delivered. I learned so much, and I’m sure that I grew as a student journalist as a result of this trip.

School Name-ify It - Friday 9 a.m.

https://www.hspresscentral.com

jetsflyover.com

hilifenewsmag.com

OBJECTIVES

Why do local angles matter?

Copying national/local news = red sea (dead)

Can’t compete with their news cycle
Stories that readers can’t find anywhere else

Find someone nearby to speak to about national issues. Local interviewee = new perspective/appropriate localization.

President signs a new education bill → impacts of president’s new education bill on students

Factory closures, 200 locals lose jobs → impacts on families in your district

3 STEP FORMULA

Identify the gap
- What’s missing in current coverage?
Humanize the story
- Direct local stakeholders, lived experiences?
Extend the timeline
- What happens after the headlines fade?

FIND UNIQUE ANGLES - STORIES OVER STATISTICS

Humans behind stats
People who live the issue, not people who can comment
Firsthand experiences, not opinions

LIVED EXPERIENCE

Ex. National Vaping Crisis → interview an anonymous students

UNIQUE STORIES

Talk to people
Watch your communities
Unique perspectives
All research is me-search

LOCAL NEWS PIPELINE

Section of the pitch sheet with current events ideas from bigger news that can be localized biweekly

Not Your Average Sports Coverage - Friday 10 a.m.

Ben Langevin, Oviedo HS Journalism Adviser (OHS Now) | [email protected]

Community identity is tied to local sports teams

Not just about playing time or how good your team is.

Student journalists are part of the community we’re reporting on

Unique access to student athletes
“We don’t buy history, we make it.”
OUR team

Sports are tied to school identity

Briefs (classic)
Photos (baby powder 😭)
Full sports spreads for ybk w/ captain profiles at the bottom of the page
Dedicated sports mag
What’s in your bag sports mod?

Five commandments of interesting sports coverage

1. Athletes (and their supporters) are PEOPLE FIRST.

- Ex. Robert Wickens
- What unifies us as human beings?
- Conflict, pain, struggle, resilience, desire, joy

2. Every stone can turn into David.

- The story is always there– you may have to chisel away at it but it exists
- Time, attention to detail, and open ears are key.
- Beat system– every sport gets a photographer/writer. Embed yourself in their community, get to know them, ride buses to games– be there. Build trust.
- Cover the people, not the sport.

3. You have to be there to be there.

- No ‘butt reporting’- again, you have to be there. You can’t just email from the sidelines, you have to go up to people.
- Instagram increased sales almost 25%
- Weekly wrap up for beats.
- Ask the questions when they’re hyped for the best answers.

4. Show (and tell) what your readers can’t see.

- Behind the scenes, stands reactions, weird angles, close-ups, drone, etc.
- Wield your press pass wisely– go to practice.
- Use whatever you have, it’s more than your audience has.
- Day in the life of an athlete before a game.

4. Read, listen and watch good sports journalism.

- The Last Dance, 30 for 30, The Athletic, BYU sports photo, Palo Alto HS

Telling the Story of a Lifetime - Friday 1 p.m.

Leon Alligood, Professor at Middle TN State University (15 yrs)

Always looking for the next big story to get you on the front page.

Universal themes

TRANSCEND DIVISIONS
Kindness
Goodness
Hate
Love
You have to find them– they don’t find you
Stories of a lifetime

Ordinary people, extraordinary stories.

How Luke got his book– Dolly Parton’s book club. Every month until they turn five, they get a book. Imagination library. Interview with DOLLY PARTON at Dollywood.
Ed Benson– wife died, found the book she was last reading and found a letter to him from her. Wife left letters in her books in their house for after she died.
Howell Peebles– WW2 vet, the voices of german and american soldiers singing silent night with the nurses in a field hospital on Christmas.
Christopher Schornak– obituary, wrote about the birth of his child and then a year later wrote about his death in Iraq.
Alice Haymer-Tubbs– very poor, dad died, no food. Christmas night, someone dropped boxes of food and gifts for the kids. Person dropped their bracelet, she kept it. Kept it as a signal for hope.

Curiosity & a friendly smile

Have to be willing to let curiosity guide you, no matter how nervous you are.
Be the fly on the wall. Listen and observe.
Stories of a lifetime matter– especially now. We are so divided that we forgot that we’re all a part of humanity and humanity is built on stories. Stories are the currency of our civilization. You should start collecting stories now. Remember milestones, why are they continuing.

First steps

Make your first contact face to face
Explain that you’re a student journalist
Tell them why you think their story is important
Be respectful
What’s the worst that could happen?
- ‘No’ never killed anyone

So, you have an interview → compile questions

Use your phone recorder ← Ask open ended questions
However, listen intently
When you’re really listening, your body should be burning categories
Go over notes several times; tell the story to a friend or family member
Describe your subject
Be choosy with your quotes
Go chronologically: beginning, middle, and end

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY

Profile roulette
Think of yourself when you think about telling stories. You have a story too, you can explain who and why you are.

WRITE LIKE A CARICATURE

Don’t make fun, but notice and note big things

Journalism Meets Marketing - Friday 2 p.m.

Laura B. Holloway – LinkedIn: @laurabholloway, IG: @storytellerhouse

Journalism degree → content writing job → marketing degree → EIC → founding marketing agency → strategic marketing correspondent + playwright

Journalism has changed

Good journalism matters but available roles are becoming less available

Storytelling has moved beyond the newsroom

Marketing agencies set up like newsrooms
Produce content, all act like publishers

Brands need storytellers who can be trusted

Journalists operate under a code of ethics, which is necessary in marketing
“Without facts, you can’t have truth.” -Maria Ressa
“Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed.” -Dan Zarrella
Can’t tell a powerful story without knowing the people, the context, and the truth behind it.

Research reveals human insight– journalists and marketing both look for the ‘why?’

Data alone can’t reveal lived experiences like interviews and conversations.

Stories rooted in real human moments stay with people– it makes messages more memorable.

Human connection CAN’T BE AUTOMATED.

“The most rewarding part of journalism is the human connections and conversations.” -Harvard Magazine

“Marketing is about creating a connection with your audience.” -Brian Halligan

“I became a journalist to come as close as possinle to the heart of the world.” -Henry R. Luce

“It’s all storytelling, you know. That’s what journalism is all about.” -Tom Brokaw

“Tell stories that make people feel something. The best stories are the ones that elicit emotion.” -Jay Baer

Journalism skills → marketing skills

Research → market insights
- Understanding people, motivations, and behavioral truths.
Interviewing → customer stories
- Asking meaningful questions that lead to emotional responses.
Writing & editing → clear, compelling messaging
- Crafting stories, headlines, copy, and captions that connect quickly and powerfully.
Ethics & accuracy → brand trust
- Protecting truth, building credibility, creating honest communication.
Deadline discipline → campain execution
- Thriving under pressure, managing timelines, and producing high-quality work fast.

Most valuable journalism skill that translates to marketing is storytelling

Celebrating Clubs - Saturday 12 p.m.

Kate Plows | Presentation

Club programs are common– just not at national conventions.

#1 challenge: everything else comes first.

5 key topics

Clear (but flexible) goals

1. 1. It takes 4 years to build a culture
  2. Set manageable goals
  3. No consequences if the newspaper doesn’t come out– but the yearbook is a big deal, and people count on it
  4. Have to adapt to the personalities of the members of staff

Structures

1. 1. Space– media lab (223)
  2. Healthy competition
    - Trophy/Tupac
  3. Candy– good strategy
  4. Shared resources between PP + yearbook

Teamwork

1. 1. Training
  2. Badge training– 1/1.5 hour small evening sessions, repeated
  3. Know your team
    - Build in time for fun
  4. Meeting structure: working shoulder-to-shoulder with staff as much as possible
  5. Good relationship with administration. Good feedback is key

Building excellence

1. 1. Be the team that’s in demand
  2. Stand by your work (which is your team’s work)
  3. Friend before boss (Andy B)
    - RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
  4. Share feedback
    - Unified basketball email 😀
  5. Brand identity
    - Sweatshirts, memberships, awards, trips, etc.

DOCUMENT YOUR TRIPS

How do you build engagement with students who aren’t in a class?

- Deadline parties (just bring snacks and hang out)
  - Have to get things done or you can’t come to the party
- Offering food (cookies)

We need the research. What’s going on at schools that aren’t part of state or national organizations? How do we support the future of journalism without journalism curriculum in all schools– especially now?

Review a Movie, Review the World - Saturday 1 p.m.

Dean Bradshaw, Adlai E. Stevenson HS | Presentation https://www.statesmanshs.org/category/news/

No Country For Old Men

Some people are aware of more than others– high schoolers will understand none of it.
- Should I go see it?

Expertise and voice

Own your expertise
- Who are you an expert in, not what.
- Expert in being a student of your age in your community.
Great reviewer finds their voice and creates a style.
Roger Ebert for good, funny reviews.
ROTTEN TOMATOES for reviews

Build a FILM review

Ledes

- OPINION IMMEDIATELY but don’t give EVERYTHING away
- Allows for creativity you can’t find most other places

Condensed synopsis

- What is the plot?
- What’s going on?
- NO SPOILERS
  - ‘Twists and turns’
- Brief, emphasize key moments
- When there’s no plot– what is presented? Overall theme.
- Restaurants: menu summary,

Background info

- Usually present, but not always
- Most famous person in the movie?
- Context

Movie	Other reviews
Genre	Menu
Actor(s)	Cost
Director	Atmosphere
Hype	Competition

Abbreviated evaluation – opinion

- GOOD REVIEWS ARE SHORT
- Evaluation of what does/doesn’t work, and WHY
- Limit evaluation to 1-2 key items that are really representative of your opinion
- Consider acting, plot/script, and entertainment value.
- What does the movie try to do and how well does it do it?

Kicker – opinion

- Always make sure it’s clear what your reader should do.
- Hammer the point home

Both a ‘it’s good/bad go see it’ and ‘it’s good/bad and HERE’S WHY’ reader needs to be served

You can review ANYTHING.

Examples (Ledes)

HIM, Robert Daniels
Zero Day, Brian Tellerico
Frankenstein, Glenn Kinney
Fallout 4, Peter Suderman

Examples (Plot synopsis)

Barbie, Christy Lemire
Midwest Princess, Olivia Horn

Examples (Background)

Midwest Princess, Olivia Horn
Fallout 4, Peter Suderman
Rosebud, Jeff Ruby

Examples (Abbreviated evaluation)

Attack of the Clones, Roger Ebert
Avatar, Roger Ebert
Titanic, Roger Ebert
American Kitchen, Pete Wells
1989 (TV), Shaad D’Souza

Examples (Kicker)

Barbie, Christy Lemire
Poor Things, Christy Lemire
C.A.: Brave New World, Robert Daniels
American Kitchen, Pete Wells (Thanks is the only only non-question in the review)

You're Losing Readers, Here's Why - Saturday 2 p.m.

Sofia Ball, Northwest Passage, Shawnee Mission Northwest

Emulsifying mediums to get the best interaction possible.

“Journalism is always the art of incomplete. You get bits and pieces.” -Anthony Shadid

Portlandia

What makes a good photo?

Rule of thirds
Reaction
Interaction
Tight cropping
Repetition/breaking repetition
Good composition
Angles
Close-ups

GET UNCOMFORTABLE

Loudest sound other than the mother of the boy who died crying was her shutter speeds

What makes a successful photo essay?

Variety
- Angles, subjects, colors, composition
Impact
Authenticity
Reporting
Faces
- Don’t want to see a faceless photo
- First point of connestion with a photo story
Narrative
Details
EXAMPLE: NYT “Where We Are” Photo Essays
- Good writing comes with details

What are high schools doing?

No Touching (New Passage)
- Not the best title
- Pull color is a good throughline
Cannabis Controversy (Verde Magazine)
- Great type/font choices, huge drop cap
- Don’t need to be A LOT of photos, as long as they’re good
Overall avoid black and white photos. If you’re going to use it, use it throughout or selective color
Cloud9 Coffee (Verde Magazine)
- Big focus photo, again great font choices
- Wish there was establishing/more customer interaction
Marching Toward Victory (Harbinger)
- Cutouts, interesting layout, great colors, good throughlines
- Leading lines
Brewing Success (Harbinger)
- QR code to story isn’t great. Makes story seem less important
- Strong cutouts
Walkout (Northwest Passage)
- Walkout for gun violence
- Strong emotion/expressions
- Signs showcased well.

What do all of these do well?

Clear dominant
Play with depth
Consistent spacing
LOTS of faces, moments, and actions

Everything starts with social media. PROMOTE YOUR PHOTOS.

Evie Fernandez '27 | Design presentation

Click to view Evie's presentation for the staff on news design.

Charlie Grueser '28 | How to cover a protest

One of the most engaging and useful sessions I attended at the convention was “Taking to the streets: covering protests and politics.” Full of practical tips such as what to bring and wear, as well as how to prepare and train student journalists for such potentially dangerous events, the session was extremely educational, and got me interested in possibly covering protests in the future.

Can I attend a protest?

Even when they take place in local areas or include a large population of student participants, protests are not school-sponsored events. School administration often exercises the ability to refuse an absence excuse, or even suspend students who chose to miss school in order to cover protests. This is often used as a tool to prevent student publications from covering more controversial topics. So, what can you do to prevent being barred from the protest?

Tell your parents about it. Not only is this a safety issue (which I’ll discuss in more detail later), but the more responsible the process seems, the harder it is for the school to justifiably prevent student journalists from covering protests. C
Check the protest’s grounds permit. Know exactly where you can and can’t go. As well as presenting a responsible and well thought out game plan to your school, staying strictly within allotted areas at a protest will prevent a lot of legal trouble (which isn’t fun for you or your school!).
It has to be your choice. An editor or adviser cannot directly ask you to cover a protest—it gets fuzzy legally.
Check limitations specific to your state. Different areas of the country have more restrictions than others.
The Big Rule: you are a journalist—not a participant. It needs to be extremely obvious that you are attending the protests as a journalist, and not a participant. Having a student journalist that is clearly supporting or opposing the ideals of the protest will influence how the publication and school are seen. Both need to be as objective as possible.

How do I make sure that I'm following The Big Rule?

First, focus on depoliticizing your appearance as much as possible. That means no t-shirts with political slogans (even mild ones!), and no pins or anything else on a bag that could sway general perception of you in the direction of being for or against the aims and ideals of the protest. Display press identification as clearly as possible, and do not engage with the participants of the protest in anything other than a strictly journalistic manner. That means no arguing, no sign-holding, and no joining in on chants.

The goal is thorough and accurate coverage, not to instigate conflict or to sway your readers in a certain direction. Let the protest speak for itself!

How do I build a staff process for protest coverage?

Creating safe and efficient protocols and strategies for student journalists covering protests takes at least a full school year. Taking this time is important in ensuring that students are safe while, and capable of, covering protests. So, what does this mean?

Plan, prepare, and practice. A well-trained staff needs to know exactly what to do on very short notice, as protests can be extremely volatile.
Put someone in charge. The buddy system and travelling in groups is important, but there needs to be at least one more experienced person (preferably a senior) present at any student coverage of a protest.

Practical tips

Bring food and water. You never know if the area could get shut down.
Set a strong pin, and turn off face ID. Police (or protesters) might attempt to access your phone.
Check the weather. Always bring layers. Don’t just bring rain gear for yourself, bring rain gear for your camera. You can buy a cover made specifically for cameras, but just using a trash bag can be just as effective.
Wear practical shoes. You should be able to move around fast.
Stay out of the centers of crowds. This will make it easier to identify you as a reporter, and help avoid dangerous situations. Know your exit routes.
Write down numbers you need to remember on your arm. You could lose your phone or a notepad very easily in an intense crowd situation.

Charlie Grueser '28 | How to write a good review

In the session, “Review a movie, review the world,” I learned a simple but effective formula for writing movie reviews—a formula that can be applied to reviewing almost anything. From restaurants, to music, to YouTube videos, reviews vary drastically in style and opinion, but usually follow the same basic format. Once you understand that format, you can begin to experiment with voice and develop personal style. I think it would be a useful skill for many (if not all) of our staffers to have!

What makes a review iconic?

A good reviewer owns their expertise, and boldly establishes their voice and opinions. The most memorable reviews are often funny, blunt, brutal, or openly emotional. Let your audience know exactly how you feel, and exactly why you feel that way.

How do I build a review?

Most reviews will follow a pattern that mixes objective fact and opinion—opinion initially to let the reader know what your argument is, objective fact to back it up, and an opinionated evaluation as to why that objective fact supports your opinion. To use the film example, a review would look like this:

Lead: Opinion
Condensed Plot Synopsis: Objective
Background Information: Objective
Abbreviated Evaluation of the Film: Opinion
Kicker: Opinion

With a few tweaks, this format can be used for nearly any review, no matter the subject.

Lead

A lead in a review is often very different from those of articles, as it allows for much more opinion and creativity. Your lead should clearly establish your opinion on whatever it is that you will be reviewing, without giving too much away. Many reviewers use their lead as a shock factor tool, which can be very effective in getting people interested enough to keep reading. Just make sure that your opinion remains consistent to whatever you established in your lead—don’t bait readers with an opinion more dramatic than your genuine thoughts!

Condensed Plot Synonopsis

Using the film example, this section should be a brief and objective summary of events. Without giving too much away (never spoil the ending!), emphasize the key moments, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions before providing more of your own opinion. Again, this format applies to all kinds of reviews. If you’re reviewing a restaurant, tell us what you ate and what order you ate it in. If you’re reviewing an album, tell us what songs you listened to and what order they came in.

Background Information

Most reviews need context outside of the actual content that the reviewer witnessed first-hand. For example, if a film was extremely high budget, or perhaps a period-piece, the reader needs that information. You can go on to explain how these facts highlight whatever your opinion may be, but this section should be just as objective as the plot synopsis/summary of events.

Abbreviated Evaluation

An evaluation should be focused on identifying whatever impact your review subject was attempting to make, whether it achieved that goal, and why it exceeded or fell short. For example, if a film was clearly intended to be a comedy, how successful was it in making you laugh? This is the most important part of your review—this is where the most analysis and criticism should lie. A review should never be too long, or a reader will either lose interest or have details spoiled for them, so identify the most important details to back up your opinion.

Kicker

Most people come to a review trying to decide whether or not they should consume the content that you are reviewing. A good kicker will leave the reader with a definite answer: is it worth their time?

What can I review?

Keeping in mind the rule of localization as a school publication, the answer is essentially anything. If students or teachers are interested enough in it, if it’s close to home, and most importantly if people are asking that driving question, “Is it worth my time?”, then it’s fair game. This could include:

Study aids
YouTube videos
Food/snacks
Restaurants
TV Shows
Music
And even things at your own school! Review the cafeteria food if people are interested enough.

Kaitlyn Ho '26 | We are actually pretty awesome.

“Hi! I’m (person)! I’m from (place). I write for (award-winning newspaper that looks like it was done by professional adults on a payroll). Where are you from? Oh, you’re from Philadelphia, the convention was there last year!”

I had this exact conversation at least twenty times at the convention. After these contractually obliged greetings, it would inevitably turn to me explaining that the Panther Press and our yearbook are fully extracurricular.

When we tell people we’re a club, they pause. “Then how do you get anyone to join?”

Now, forget the long list of grievances against our design and logo and forget the fact our paper apparently made other schools feel better about their own. (These are just the critiques we got from the pre-convention workshops…rough day.)

It’s an amazing question. Every Tuesday from 3-4, I wonder the answer myself when I peer out into the sea of 20+ student journalists that gather in Media Lab 223. How are we getting people to show up after fifth block? How are we getting people to work hard without the promise of a grade?

You could say I learned two main things from this convention. The first is that we have a lot of potential to improve, and I got some fun actionable items to make sure that we pursue that potential. But the second, which took me a little longer to discern, is the answer to that question of just—how?

Check out the title: we are actually pretty awesome.

The convention is powerful because it reminds us how big the world of journalism is. It is liberating to see so many passionate, brilliant kids who care so much about the power of good journalism in an increasingly polarized political climate. To be around those people and to learn from national experts is invaluable.

But the convention teaches us most about ourselves.

One session I had was on telling the story of a lifetime. I went into it thinking we’d be talking about the big feature pieces that blow up on the news, investigative journalism that takes down people in power and exposes the corrupt systems.

It was actually about profiles, aka, telling the story of someone else’s lifetime. Profiles spotlight members of the community; they aren’t always timely or relevant, so many students look down on them a bit.

The presenter, Leon Alligood, told us about the stories he had written. An obituary for a soldier that he had personally known. A group of friends who watched operas once a month on Friday night together. A woman who used a bracelet as a sign of hope. He told us about his own story, the story of his name.

“Ordinary people with extraordinary lives,” Allgood said. “Beautifully boring lives.”

It made me realize how grateful I was for our paper and our commitment to cover those people. Even if we have room for improvement, one thing that we are great at is getting local stories about students.

Without this convention, we wouldn’t be able to learn how we can tell those stories better. Every time we go, we improve. That’s because of that core value: we all have a drive to tell the story of Haven students with beautifully boring lives.

So to answer all those people who asked us how we do it, the answer is actually pretty simple. Being a club is one of our greatest strengths. We get the best from people who want to be there just because they believe in student journalism, not because they have to be there to boost their GPA.

We also have a drive to demolish the meeting candy bowl, but the sugar is merely fuel for our passion, I promise.

Kaitlyn Ho '26 | Presentation: Going outside of my comfort zone

Click to view Kaitlyn's presentation for the staff on going outside of her comfort zone in Nashville and how this applies to student journalism.

Clark Kerkstra '27 | Convention notes summary

Branding Workshop

In my branding preconvention workshop, we discussed the elements of branding and how it can be applied to a student newspaper. The elements of branding include logo, font, photography style, web presence, and overall style. Branding is important for building loyalty when it comes to publications. For student newspapers, it’s important to get talked about, have an active presence throughout the school, and to build anticipation for upcoming issues or stories.

AI Workshop

In my AI preconvention workshop, we discussed the impacts of AI on the future and on student journalisms. We went over how AI is still progressing, as well as how AI works with an input and an output and something mysterious in between. AI relies on the law of large numbers, which means it is more likely to trust information that comes from an abundance of sources. Likewise, if there are very few sources on a particular topic, AI is more prone to hallucinations. Because AI requires an input, it will always have the fundamental weakness that it requires an output. Unlike a human reporter, AI would be more likely to only ask a source questions that have been asked before. This is one of the reasons it seems unlikely that AI will ever fully replace reporters. We also discussed the topic of poaching – how AI bases its outputs off of the work of news outlets and how this has of late become a major issue in the journalism world.

The ReMarker’s Production Cycle

One of the sessions I attended at the convention was about the ReMarker’s production cycle from St. Mark’s School in Texas. They have a class for their newspaper, meaning that it runs much differently than our school. Everyone in their class must submit pitches, and they categorize pitches into four different buckets: national localized stories, local on-campus coverage, a personality story/profile, and online-only pitches. For them, pitches are not signed up for of your own accord but rather assigned by editors. They also have reporters assigned to around 50 beats around different topics that will report back regardless of whether a story on that beat is running. After that, meetings are continuously held during classes to check in and monitor progress, as well as discuss visual elements for stories. Design runs continuously through a week every month and on a Saturday, the entire team comes together to proof the draft. They put out a paper once a month.

School Board Coverage

I also attended a session on school board coverage. The presenters had covered a topic similar to that we did a year ago, but I thought their coverage was markedly more expansive than ours. This was because not only did they have multiple reporters covering board meetings, they were also able to integrate multimedia elements like video and social media reporting to cover the issues better. They also incorporated opinion pieces to better tell the student perspective. I think adding some of these things to our school board coverage would improve it, and allow us to better communicate the news to a student audience.

Clark Kerkstra '27 | Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier Presentation

Click to see Clark's presentation for the staff on Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier.

Clark Kerkstra (11) poses for a photo with speaker Cathy Kuhlmeier.

Isaac Lothrop '26 | Why writing a photo caption is nothing more than just describing a moment

One thing I’ve learned as a student journalist and photographer is that writing a strong photo caption isn’t nearly as complicated as people make it seem. In fact, I feel that the easiest way to think about it is this – a good caption is just yourself describing the photo to someone who can’t see it.

For me, I imagine that I’m sitting across from Stevie Wonder describing a photo; it honestly completely fixed my lack of creativity in that department. Once I looked at it that way, the pressure dropped, and the purpose of a caption (rather than just for informational purposes) became much clearer.

At first, photojournalists are taught the ways of the 5 “w”s: who, what, where, when and how. That’s level one, the basics, the skeleton of a caption. Level two is adding a second sentence that gives context or provides a clearer sense of what’s happening beyond the frame, followed by a quote that backs the moment up and connects the reader to the subject.

But level three is something different, something you don’t always learn in a classroom. Level three is making the caption feel like the moment.

I wasn’t really expecting to hear this way of thinking about caption writing in a class entitled, “Capturing Humanity: Gratitude storytelling and global travel,” but it made me realize how much the world around us shapes the way we write captions. Every environment, every person, every small interaction influences what details we notice and how we choose to tell the story. A caption isn’t just labeling a moment, it’s interpreting it for the viewer. It’s taking the chaos, beauty, noise, or quiet of the world and narrowing it into a sentence that still feels truthful to somebody who wasn’t there.

In short, a caption is written by someone who remembers what it felt like to be there – maybe we should all write them as if Stevie Wonder were sitting in front of us.

Isaac Lothrop '26 | Why designers should think like photographers — why good photography leads to good design

One thing that really clicked for me during my pre-convention workshop for yearbook design is how deeply photography and design depend on each other. I think that certain staffs usually treat them like two separate jobs; the photographer captures the moment and the designer arranges it on a page. However, the more experience I’ve gained, the more I’ve realized they are really one conversation. Good photography leads to good design, and good design becomes a lot easier when you think like a photographer.

At first, I started out mostly as a designer, long before I ever picked up a camera seriously. Design was the comfort zone for me: spacing, rhythm, typography, white space, all the invisible choices that make a page feel intentional. Over time I became an award-winning designer, and I thought I understood visual storytelling decently well. But the moment I began studying photography more deeply in Photo 1 and 2, and eventually winning awards for photography, I saw how connected the two fields actually are.

Photographers and designers are solving the same problem: how do you guide someone’s eye through a story? A photographer uses light, framing, and composition; a designer uses hierarchy, grids, and balance. When one understands both, they start to anticipate what the other side needs. As a photographer, I now shoot with the layout in mind, I ask myself, “How can I make this image less distracting? How do I leave more intentional negative space? What do I think about verticals vs. horizontals? How should I capture emotion that translates well across a spread?” As a designer, I can instantly recognize when a photo has the storytelling power to carry a page.

What my workshop reinforced is that the best publications come from teams where everyone thinks beyond their role. Designers should see the world like photographers, noticing moments and energy. Photographers should image a design before they even click the shutter. I’m lucky to work on both sides of that process, and it’s made me better at both. Good photography and good design aren’t separate skills, they speak the same language.

Morgan Matthews '28 | Session notes

Friday’s sessions were filled with invigorating information about how to begin a unique column, captivate readers with podcasts, localizing big systemic issues, and broaden sports coverage. I think our publication already does a great job with most of these things, but there were definitely some key takeaways that I think would be very cool to implement.

Cultivating Columnists, Producing Podcasters

Kristin Taylor, The Archer School for Girls

Develop a unique written voice!

-Write about what excites you

-Read great writers

-Read your writing aloud

More than just an opinion piece

-Learn libel law

-Remember: good columnist=good reporter

-Take a side, fairly

Column ex #1

The writer was very descriptive, included a personal lens- talked about what she herself experiences.

Column ex #2

Included a lot of local details, connected to community-included anecdotes about her father.

Column ex #3

Addressed racial stereotypes without constraint- asked the people appropriating her culture directly why they do this.

*Tone must match topic

Audio Storytelling

Podcast listening rising rapidly in popularity

-News and analysis, what's happening

-Features, interview style, profile

-Entertainment

-Sports

-Self help/Health

Structures:

Acts and Trax- standard narration
Non-narrated- subject just telling story
Two way-straightforward Q and A
Audio Diary- reflections, interviews, active scenes
Audio Essay- sounds how speakers talk

*Mix sounds, layer!

Considerations:

Equipment- Expensive mics ^ regular phones
Audio recording best
Subscription to a music library/licensable resources
Hosting platform, PINECAST

Challenges

refusal to practice
doesnt meet deadlines
doesnt produce content
feedback resistant
SIGN CONTRACTS!

Localizing big stories

Evan McNamara, Adam Smith, Tami Degeider

Homelessness
Immigration
Economics

Connecting these broad ideas to community:

Take a broad issue
Demonstrate impact on people

Find the local angle (why should I care?)

How does this major story affect people like me?
Human connection
Local flare!
“What if that was me?”

Increase RELEVANCE & ENGAGEMENT

Make distant news relevant
Build a deeper connection
Could this happen here?

Not your average sports coverage

Local community is vital- fans, coaches, trainers, etc.

Team means more when there is a community connection
As a student journalist we have an inside connection with athletes, we go to class to interact with them socially, this gives us an in!
- Find traditions
- Playlists?
- School pride!

Build a good beat- each reporter is responsible for covering one sport

Remember:

Athletes are people first
Believe every stone can turn into David
Be there to be there, don’t wait
Show and tell what your readers can’t
Read, listen, digest sports coverage
Social media coverage is vital!

Morgan Matthews '28 | More session notes

Saturday’s sessions were filled with a variety of topics, from how to write a good review, how to cover big issues, building a narrative, and how movies specifically can be reviewed to reflect something larger. These sessions had a lot of overlap, which was cool to see because the information I learned in one session would end up being super helpful in another.

As the detours editor I really enjoyed the sessions about reviews, because almost all of the information was new to me. I can’t wait to take back the skills that I learned to the upcoming December issue of the paper.

How to write a 5 star review

Pre-review

Meta-cognition, think about what you’re thinking
Plan out how you want things to go- it won’t
If everything went perfectly, how would it go?

Don’t lose the reader before you begin engaging! Include an interesting hook to draw them in. Address the reader.

*Begin a narrative- draws attention+generates interest

*Keep a bit of your opinion hidden in the hook, you need content for the body of the review

Conclusion

End on a high note
Most personal- include a great kicker
Room for creativity here

Potential pitfalls

Must be something unique and personal, don’t let your voice fade
Make sure you get your details right, consistency is key

Follow through

Good lede
Ex. to back opinion
Good nut-graf
Mic-drop paragraph
Entire experience reflected accurately

Tackling big systemic issues

Pulitzer Center

Remember the iceberg analogy, Top=daily news coverage, Bottom=underlying big issues

Human rights
Global health
Peace and conflict

How do we find unreported news?

Critically analyze breaking news
- Why are things happening?
- Real impact, human effects
- Ask what's missing, who is affected?
Consider issues your community cares about
- Ask questions like “why + how does this impact you?”
- Take a deep dive into the bottom of the iceberg
- What issues matter to you?
Observe and get curious
- Consider your immediate surrounding in a new light
- Dig deeper
- Force yourself to see from a new perspective

Building a narrative

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass” -Anton Chekov

True narratives have:

Beginning, middle, end
Characters, conflict, tension
Telling details
Intimate moments
Scene, sensory detail
Dialogue
Story arc builds

Building your narrative

Use chronology
Show, don’t tell
Take us there
Write with authority
Resonate with readers, don’t alienate them

Feeling shaky? Do more research.

Key takeaways:

No detail too small
Emotional, personal
Keep 1st impression notes
How does the detail serve me?

Does the story have:

Surprise
Storytelling
Emotional punch
Novelty

How would you describe this to your mom, friends, etc. What stands out, how can you paint a clear picture?

Be a fly on the wall.

Review a movie, review the world

Expertise and voice

Own your expertise
Who are you an expert in, not what
A great reviewer finds their voice and creates a style
“No matter what they’re charging to get in, it’s worth more to get out” -Roger Ebert
Rotten Tomatoes, great place to read lots of reviews in one place!

Build a film review

Lead-opinion
Condensed plot synopsis-objective
Background information-objective
Abbreviated evaluation of the film-opinion
Kicker-opinion

Review leads

Allows for creativity not found in news

Condensed synopsis

Must include early on
Brief, emphasizes major moments
Do not review the end too quickly
Plot synopsis applies here

Background information

Look at facts + info to frame genre, budget, context, etc.
Required for film review

Abbreviated evaluation

Most important part
Analyzes and critiques
What does, doesn't work?
Limit to 1-2 items

Kicker/Finale

Make it clear what reader should do
Get crazy here
Leave with something clear

Joya Nath '28 | Session notes

For my first post, I wanted to share a few of the notes that I took in the various sessions I attended at the convention.

While I was able to examine more aspects of journalism than I even knew existed, the things that stuck with me the most were sessions on localizing. A few of the notes I attached deal with localizing and how to approach broad, systemic issues at a high school level. I think that sometimes it can feel like those topics are out of reach for us, but what I’ve gathered through the speakers I saw is that most things have a local angle because most things affected kids in America, particularly teenagers.

These notes attached cover everything from how to use a person in your community as a vessel for larger issues, to how to write an awesome movie review! Anyways, I’ll let my scribbles do the rest of the talking.

Session Notes

Joya Nath '28 | Nashville impressions

I hope to use my second post as a way to illustrate the experience of being surrounded by 5,000 journalism loving teens for four days, because…man. Never could I have anticipated the amount of passion that would find its way to Nashville.

Some part of me feared that maybe it would be a bunch of people on their phones, or that most people would prefer to keep to themselves, but truthfully, it was hard to find people who weren’t willing to geek out over pitches or design or photography with you.

The convention provided me with an experience that I think was most valuable: being able to really get the idea that the world is so much bigger than YOU or what you are working on. It becomes easy to feel like we are singular, or trapped in a little bubble, when the truth is there is loads of creativity out there. Some of the high school papers that I saw at this convention blew me away, and left me inspired to make change.

The skills and tips that we all learned from other students in truth most likely transcend anything that can be picked up in the classroom. I saw stories that were relevant and impactful, and designs that seemed so thoughtful down to every detail. And the coolest part was, it was all coming from people my age! Suddenly, ideas didn’t seem like dreams, but rather like tangible realities. That sort of feeling, knowing that you have the power to make something happen, is really so cool.

In attending the convention, I found a hidden community of people with drive and talent. No matter where you came from, or what your publication was like, the exchange of ideas and tips was constant. It’s amazing how fired up you can get after spending four days surrounded by journalists, but I have a feeling that the ideas will last, and eventually manifest themselves. Truthfully, the whole thing has given me pure excitement about where the Panther Press can go!

Matthew Ramirez '26 | Renewed motivation

Wow.

What an actual surprise. I did not expect to leave Tennessee with the first place award representing my publication. I didn’t even expect to place, nonetheless to have a 2025 Design of the Year award from NSPA.

I heard my name being called out and my design flash on the screen, it all went by so quickly.

I knew that I was sitting in the keynote ballroom. These were my final moments at one of these Nation High School Journalism Conventions, but I felt more proud than I did bittersweet.

The whole trip, while I learned much about the technical things of journalism like photography and design, I learned more about the people that I work with. I’ve learned more of that while the newspaper is still at the core of what we do. It's really the connections between all of us that actually drive what we do.

It really puts into perspective how blessed I am to be a part of such an amazing group, and to also lead and motivate these set of people.

This feeling also goes back to this past summer where I was constantly reminded to just take it all in and appreciate it, which I feel like what a lot of this trip was about.

Coming back to Wallingford I have this new sense of motivation and wanting to be better as a staff, but also a leader, than I did going into Nashville.

At our first meeting back from Nashville, it honestly felt magical. Everyone was tired and you could see it on their faces, but I also felt this energy in the room that I wish I could replicate.

And I think that’s where I find the challenge for myself as a leader to keep this sense of motivation after a high, such as this trip, especially with balancing all the other things.

With powerful keynote speakers on the first night, I have identified that it’s okay to not always be correct and it’s okay to make mistakes, which is comforting to hear as a high school senior beginning to find his way in the world.

I’m also surprised how smoothly the whole trip went from the airport, to checking in, to convention logistics. I couldn't have imagined it any better—except the hotel charging me $10 for an iced latte.

A huge thank you to Ms Plows and Mrs. Cohen. I couldn’t have imagined a better duo, to take on this menacing task of taking 14 high school students across the country for a club field trip.

Matthew Ramirez '26 | Intentional typography presentation

Click to view Matthew's presentation for the staff on publication typography.

Fiona Seale '28 | Session notes

You're losing readers, here’s why

Good photo stories/ essays

Not everyone is going to read huge blocks of words, tell stories through photos
Overlapping shots create depth and texture
Different types of photos+sizes create variety and interest.
Have cutout shots, different shapes, not every photo should be a square or rectangle, it should look kind of like a collage or scrapbook (not boring)
Faces, faces, faces!
What little writing you have should be narrative, have good captions
Consistent spacing, consistent color scheme is satisfying to people, they can categorize it
People love seeing high quality photos of themselves in the paper, increasing viewership.

Review a movie, review the world

Voice+expertise

Are you an expert at anything, if not, your still an expert at being a student of your age, that perspective is important
Develop voice+style, it should remain pretty consistent throughout your story, are you funny, serious, narrative?

Lede

Come out with a bang, strong first sentence
Should subtly describe your opinion or which way you're going to go, should make the reader want to hear what you have to say.

Plot synopsis

Brief-explain the main points you will talk about in your analysis
No spoilers, you can allude to the vibe of the movie, sad, happy ending, but no spoilers
If a restaurant, describe sitting down at the restaurant, how did you feel?
Generally what the reader will need to know to understand the rest of your review.

Background Info

Genre, menu, actors, director, cost, stats, any general information that might be important
Also atmosphere, vibe, any competition it might have.
Where does it fit in the scheme of its field?

Evaluation

This is where you describe your opinion!
You can’t give your opinion on the entire film, create a thesis statement: The love story was creative but the acting and chemistry was flat. Pick a few specific scenes or points in the film/product that best outline your thesis, describe why
What does and does not work, and WHY?
What is this movie/restaurant/product trying to do? Do they succeed?
You have to write the evaluation to serve both readers, one who wants to know if the movie is good or bad because they’ve never seen it before, and the one who has seen it before and wants to see an analysis/deep dive.
Base it on simple points, this was good, this was bad. The why or because should be the complex deep dive.

Kicker

The last paragraph should encapsulate the essence of your opinion/thesis.
Usually try and be funny/witty when referencing points of the film
End with a great last sentence/mic drop, witty remark, funny joke.

Sports

Why it’s important

Communities usually revolve around sports teams, great way to keep student interest
Geographically based community, evokes emotion

School identity through design

Highlight specific players, people love faces, large pictures/full body cutouts.
Stat graphics, pre-game playlist, any fun little glimpses into the inner workings of a sports team, people love feeling like they are a part of the team culture.
Full sports spreads in yearbook/newspaper, action shots.

Commandments of interesting sports journalism

Athlete stories/people over stats

Find the interesting/emotional sports story, recovering from injury, family inspiration, goals in colleges, hardships

ex: Robert Wickens

Every stone can turn into David

Any stone/story can become great, you have to chisel away at it
Your chisel is good questions, time details, if someone seems boring or you think no story is there, that’s probably not true, just keep pushing and digging.

You have to be there to be there

to know a team you have to be part of it. Go to practices, go to the locker rooms, go to team events, keep showing up to collect stories and details.
You have to build trust and relationships with the coach/players to get them to tell you their stories. This means just being around them all the time, making them comfy enough to tell you things.

Beat reporting

Just being there helps you observe team vibe/culture and collect sensory details.
Show what you reader couldn’t see otherwise
Behind the scenes, practices, different angles
As a journalist you can see places the average student can’t see, document it, people will be interested.

Watch and read good sports journalism.

Narrative storytelling

Don’t tell me the moon is shining, Show me the glint of light on broken glass

We tell ourselves stories in order to live-Joan Didion

True narratives have

Beginning middle end
Characters, they need to have complex, the average person must feel empathy for them
Conflict
Detailed
Intimate moments
Scene
Dialogue
Story arc, builds climate and falling action
Surprise, storytelling, emotional punch, human experience/condition, novelty

Building

Use chronology. Guide your reader, keep it simple
Show don’t tell. Let your reader be smart
Take us there. Gather every detail you can through interviews and observation, ask a lot of very specific, even silly questions, and gather as much info as possible.
Write with authority. Do good comprehensive reporting. Know the story inside and out, know the people, interview them multiple times.
Write like a fly on the wall.

Reporting on systemic issues

Report underreported stories

Take a large issue that you know is happening, now narrow it down, what is a perspective on this that is not being shown
Think critically about situations, brainstorm who is affected, and who is underrepresented
How does this large scale issue show up in my community?

Consider issues your community cares about.

Talk to community members about what’s important to the what have they notice, or what is bothering them
Observe the people around you, build connections

Pitch, Pitch Pitch, edit your pitches and keep revising.

Fiona Seale '28 | Convention takeaways

I would say the biggest thing Nashville did for me was provide inspiration, and perhaps light a fire under my butt, if you will.

The beginnings of my acute inspiration began with jealousy. After going to a few of my sessions, talking to some people, reading the legendary Nueva Current, and even meeting the staff of The ReMarker (omg), I was stunned by the sheer amount of resources these kids had — from full classes, selective journalism programs, and of course that illusive private-school funding. Not only that, their papers were stunning, had great and innovative ideas and writing.

So yeah, I was jealous.

But throughout the various sessions I went to and the people I met, I took this feeling of envy and disappointment at the differences between The Panther Press and some of these other publications and turned them into goal — goals of making our paper great even though we were a club, and a public school. I have so many ideas, many of them which I cannot fit into this blog!

I absorbed information and inspiration like a sponge in my sessions. In my narrative storytelling lesson, I learned about a completely different style of journalistic writing, one that aligns with my everlasting love for creative writing and fiction storytelling. The idea of identifying characters, scene, sensory details and world building in a news/feature article was astounding, and exciting. Now, I look at features in a different way, that class made me want to start writing differently, start elevating my work and our paper to the different styles, textures and emotions that news writing can evoke.

In "Review a Movie, Review the World," my view on review writing changed completely. Admittedly, I say them as filler stories that populate the detours section (sorry Morgan!), but now I understand that movie reviews can be a fun and vital way to bring together communities and highlight culture. I think movie reviews with a little TLC could be a huge pull for readers in our community

One of the most important things I took away was design. On this trip, I learned that you eat with your eyes. On the huge tables full of newspapers from around the country, of course I picked up the ones that were the prettiest. Through that experience and our critique, I know just how important every little design element is, and how it can be the difference between a new reader, or not.

I want to be more involved in design, I have been so focused and isolated on improving my writing, I failed to see that there is so much more to a publication, and I want to be part of innovating and improving every part of it.

I am so proud of our team, not only for the impressive amount of awards we took home but also for the way we bonded and stuck together during this trip.I remember late nights belly-laughing in the hotel, and the meal together after I had been the last one to leave my competition.

Speaking of that, I'm so happy I received a superior distinction! I have trouble with my high word count, as most of the staff know, so I was convinced I would get points docked for that. The superior distinction just validated that I am improving my writing, that felt really good.

Mostly, the convention showed me that yes, this is real, this is important. It was so impactful and inspiring to see the passion and talent of all those student-journalists, I want to be more like every single one of them. I am so excited to be working with this amazing team, I look forward to making this paper better, I’m grateful and energized to be a part of that.

Jane Yau '28 | Pre-convention workshop

From November 13-15, the National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville, Tennessee had student journalists plunging into different varieties of workshops, and as a new member and a first time attendee, I had no idea what to expect.

The first morning, we headed to our workshops. My workshop was about writing, reporting and interviewing. It was really interesting, and I enjoyed listening to my speaker, Mrs. Badalamente, who we called “OC."

For the first two hours, we mainly focused on caption & lede writing. While writing captions, it’s important to focus on the 5 W’s and the H- the who, what, where, when, why, and how. It's important to make the caption interesting and engaging — and bonus points if you start with anything but the “who."

OC also drilled us into writing ledes, and started us off with an easy-to-understand definition for a lede — a caption with a little bit of mystery, like an introduction to the story. A lede should immediately capture the reader’s attention, which is why it should be written in 40 words or less. A useful strategy OC taught us was to write the first draft, then reduce it to 25%. It’s important to not start with the obvious when writing ledes, as ledes are meant to hook the readers attention and summarize the article.

One of my favorite topics we worked on during our pre-convention workshop was adding flare. Adding flare to an article makes the story more engaging and dramatic- but not to the point where the story is overexaggerated.

The first method we were taught by OC was adding partial sentences. A partial sentence is a sentence that is not technically complete, but it completes the sentence it follows. This helps emphasize a key point and creates a dramatic effect, which adds tension.

Another way of adding flare to a story is by using parallel sentences. Parallel structure highlights sentence elements that are alike in function as well as in construction. It can appear at all writing levels, helping the story feel more organized, smoother, and easy to read.

Overall, after the first day, I felt more confident in my writing skills and I really do think that the pre-convention workshop played a role!

Jane Yau '28 | Learning about reviews

When I attended the National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville, I listened to 14 different speakers, but only a few stood out to me. One of my favorite sessions was Review a Movie, Review the World.

First off, the speaker had me engaged and held the audience’s attention the entire time, which is pretty difficult considering the fact that nowadays, teenagers have extremely low attention spans.

From this session, I learned that a strong movie review is built on 5 essential parts- the lede, a condensed plot synopsis, background information, abbreviated evaluation of the film, and the kicker.

The lede in movie reviews is very similar to the lede in newspaper writing, but since reviews are opinion-based, it can be more “your style." In fact, the speaker had said, “A great reviewer finds their voice and creates a style." It’s important to have a short lede that gets to the point immediately because the reader is searching specifically for your opinion and what you think about the movie. The lede is meant to be more of a preview, and the reader should get what they’re searching for within the first paragraph.

Next is the condensed plot synopsis. Before watching the movie, readers wanting to know the general idea of what the movie is about. This is not meant to spoil the story by revealing major plot points, instead, this is meant to provide a brief overview of the of the film’s events. If all the key plot points get revealed, there is no point for the reader to watch the movie.

The background information section gives readers context. The review should provide some of the cast, especially if some of the actors/actresses are popular/gaining popularity, the director of the movie, the movie genre, etc. After reading the background information, the reader should have a broad understanding of the general plot with no major key points revealed.

The evaluation is one of the most important parts of the review. The movie reviewer has to pick a movie and break it down- The reviewer has to be honest of what they liked and disliked about the movie. While writing the evaluations, important things to keep in mind is the quality of the script, acting, and entertainment value. If the reviewer had misleading information, readers will remember it the next time they come across the reviewer.

To wrap it all up, we have the kicker. The kicker should be one of the strongest parts in your piece, as it’s the last impression you’re leaving the reader. The reader should be able to read your kicker and have a good idea of what you think of the movie and have a general understanding of what going on.

This session was one of my favorite sessions I attended. I definitely will start making attempts critiquing movies!

Mrs. Beth Cohen | Lights, cameras, and lots of action

From the Christmas decorations to the neon signs of the honkytonks on Broadway and the glow of thousands of laptop screens, the lights were bright in Music City for the Fall 2025 JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention November 12-16! 14 SHHS yearbook and Panther Press students, and two chaperones, joined over 5,000 other convention attendees from 47 states and eight countries at the Gaylord Opryland Resort for four days of informative sessions, contests, and activities.

The Opryland was decked out in glittering lights from the hanging decorations in the atria to the massive Christmas tree bedecked with presents. Even the walkway railings and the riverboat were decorated for the season and Snoopy-themed scavenger hunt encouraged guests to explore the less-traveled paths wandering around ponds, waterfalls, and fountains. The overall impression, while undeniably festive, was a bit much after a few days, as if Santa’s sleigh had crash landed in the hotel with the stereo stuck at full volume on the Sirius country Christmas channel.

As overwhelming as the hotel decorations were, though, they had nothing on the neon lights and country music spilling from the honky-tonks and bars on Broadway in downtown Nashville. After an uneventful flight and checking into the hotel, the SHHS team headed downtown on Wednesday evening to grab dinner and experience the city. The Assembly Food Hall provided live music as well as a variety of Southern-style options such as mac&cheese, the Nashville Smokehouse Melty grilled cheese sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese and slow-smoked brisket, and the Woodrow Nachos made with bourbon baked beans, and hickory smoked pulled pork, topped with HoneyFire Original Sauce.

A roughly 10-block tour of downtown included views of the State Capitol, Ryman Auditorium and the statues in Ryman Alley; the frenetic activity of Broadway with tourists sporting cowboy boots, denim, and Stetsons; and the quieter riverside walk along the Columbia with views of Nissan Stadium and a quick walkthrough of the restored Fort Nashborough, the original Nashville. Photo opportunities were plentiful during our walk and student photographers took advantage! The brightly illuminated decorations at the hotel also provided plenty of opportunities for artistic photos playing with light and shadow.

Day 1 step count: 21,075.

After a full day of sessions and visits to the trade show and college fair on Friday, students let off some steam and socialized while line-dancing and playing games! Saturday brought another full day of sessions, followed by the awards ceremony (spoiler- SHHS did very well!) and another trip downtown. This time the SHHS team were joined for dinner at Puckett’s Restaurant by the group from W.B. Saul High School in Philadelphia. Students swapped stores and convention experiences while enjoying southern comfort food like Nashville Hot Chicken Bites, BBQ Taco Salad, Fried Catfish, and Piggie Mac. The desserts were massive and excellent, and included peach cobbler, cinnamon roll bread pudding, and the Presley Parfait, a mason jar filled with layers of crushed vanilla wafers, homemade banana pudding, fresh banana slices, peanut butter mousse and whipped cream. Sadly, there were no Elvis sightings during the trip.

Day 4 step count: 17,603.

The entire trip was an incredible experience combining learning, journalism, socializing, and a bit of sightseeing. Friends were made, contact info swapped, notes taken, and memories made. Everyone came home tired, but grateful for the time spent.

Mrs. Beth Cohen | To AI or not to AI

To use AI or not to use AI? That is the question that student newsrooms, schools, and professional news outlets have been wrestling with for years. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an easy, one-size-fits-all answer. Many sessions at past JEA conventions have addressed this issue, and this year’s schedule also included several presentations on AI, especially its use in schools and by students.

As expected, there were sessions on both sides of the debate. Before discussing AI further, however, it is important to remember that these newest discussions stem from the rise of generative AI. AI as a tool has existed for decades - the well-known red squiggly line debuted in Word95, autocorrect appeared in 1993, Google’s autocomplete feature launched in 2004, and autotagging of people in images on social media was commonplace by 2015. OtterAI (the name should be a tip-off!) uses artificial intelligence to create written transcriptions of recorded interviews. All of these are widely accepted without question or concern. What’s new (and exciting or disturbing, depending on your viewpoint), is generative AI - artificial intelligence that generates new content based on prompts.

Amy Kristin Sanders, a professor at Penn State, is a proponent of limited use of AI in the newsroom. In her session, she focused on the SPJ Code of Ethics and how ethical use of AI would align with those values. Some examples of AI already in use in newsrooms that she gave include gathering background information before an interview, organizing notes, and analyzing large documents, drafting headlines, and drafting summaries to create social media posts from longer stories. She does caution that there are ethical considerations to using AI such as hallucinations, bias, and privacy. She also stressed the need for transparency when AI is used in the newsroom.

Sean Marcus from MediaWise echoed many of Sanders’ points. In addition, he suggested some AI tools to help with acceptable AI assisted tasks and some tips for using AI effectively, and addressed the environmental impact of using AI. He also emphasized the need for a clear policy on AI use in the newsroom. Both presenters recommended the Poynter Institute's AI literacy resources and training modules.

Finally, a student presenter stood firmly against the use of generative AI in any fashion in the student newsroom. Her session was an extension of her AP Research project from the year before looking at the negative outcomes of the use of generative AI. She provided several examples of AI fabricated news stories from professional news outlets as well as an example from her own student newspaper where a writer had clearly violated the AI policy, and the related story was pulled from the issue. She made the argument that student journalists should know the community and audience better than a chatbot so the AI suggestions for stories would be less relevant, and that the checks in place in their editorial process correctly flagged the AI-generated story. In her opinion, none of the AI tools mentioned by the other two speakers had a place in the student newsroom.

The use of AI has been a topic at JEA annual conventions for several years, and does not appear to be going away anytime soon. The decision to use generative AI, whether in newsrooms or schools, is a local decision that encompasses many factors and stakeholders. Even when the ultimate decision-making authority rests with the school board or other governing body, all involved need to understand the ethical considerations, benefits, and risks of using generative AI.

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