Mississippi Scholastic Press Association

2011 Convention

2011-04-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Skill, knowledge, planning and fun were the key reasons that more than 400 attended the 2011 Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Convention on the Ole Miss campus April 1.

The annual convention offered students and advisers 70 sessions in all areas of journalism. Staffs expanded their skills in magazine, yearbook, newspaper, online, new media and broadcast categories. Speakers from all over Mississippi included professionals, instructors, advisers, and Ole Miss students who have been recognized in their fields.

Critiques, brainstorming sessions, hands-on desktop publishing labs, photo sessions, writing labs, advertising classes and publication development were only a few of the sessions offered during the day.

Awards were a big part of convention day. Dr. Will Norton, Dean of the Ed Meek School of Journalism and New Media, presented more than 350 awards to students based on mail-in competition sent during February. Also, staffs who entered the carry-in competition, which included work done after the mail-in deadline, received more than 75 awards. Associate Dean Charlie Mitchell, MSPA Director Beth Fitts, and MSPA officers helped with the awards ceremony as well.

The keynote speaker was Kalisha Whitman, a reporter and weekend anchor for WTVA News-Tupelo, an NBC affiliate. She was an associate producer, Internet reporter, field reporter, and fill-in anchor in Tallahassee, Fla. before coming to Tupelo. Her speech inspired future journalists to get out and into the news-gathering world.

Contact MSPA Director Beth Fitts at 662-816-8159 or mefitts@olemiss.edu for more information.

MSPA EVENTS 2010-2011

2010-09-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome!
Come join us and become part of all the activities MSPA has to offer this year.

FALL WORKSHOPS
September 21 - MSPA Fall Regional Workshop at Ole Miss
October 16 - MSPA Fall Regional Workshop at Oak Grove High School
REGISTER ON-LINE. Forms are at www.yourmspa.com

CONVENTION and COMPETITION
January 6 - MSPA contest entry forms and convention forms to be mailed
February 15 - Contest entry deadline
April 1 - MSPA Spring Convention at Ole Miss

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL WORKSHOPS
Travel with us to these workshops and get involved with journalists from other states.
November 11-14 - JEA/NSPA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri
March 4-6 - Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention in Columbia, SC
March 18-18 - Columbia Scholastic Press Association in New York City

SUMMER WORKSHOP CAMPS
Mississippi High School Journalism Student Camp - June 17-20 at Ole Miss
Mississippi Press Association Adviser Boot Camp - June 17-20 at Ole Miss

For more information, contact Beth Fitts at mefitts@olemiss.edu.

Mississippi Summer Journalism Camp

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MISSISSIPI SUMMER JOURNALISM CAMP NEWS

2009-07-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

by Mary Kate McGowan – Dow Jones Summer Workshop
The name Dow Jones transports thoughts of anxiety and fluctuating stocks to most people’s minds, but for some it means successful and immaculate student publications for the next school year.
During the week of June 21-26 at the University of Mississippi, the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund sponsored 12 young journalists to gather and help elevate their student publications to a whole new level. Representatives from New Albany High School, Marshall Academy, Pontotoc High School, Tupelo High School, and Madison Central High School learned many innovative ways to connect to their audience through words and designs.
Workshop director Beth Fitts said the Dow Jones group was one of the best to participate in the Ole Miss camp.
“This group was diverse, talented, friendly and determined to raise the bar of excellence in journalism skills and to take those skills and their enthusiasm back home to challenge their staff members to be the best,” Fitts said.
“I learned that you have to bring everything you have to the table,” said incoming sophomore and managing editor at the Tupelo Hi Times Kate Herndon. “You cannot expect to do well when you do not try.”
The campers received instruction from exalted experts throughout the six-day time period. Among these instructors were Beth Fitts, MSPA Director and former journalism adviser at Oxford High School, and Jack Topchik, a retired copy editor from The New York Times. All mentors pushed and challenged the students harder than ever before.
“I am not going to pat you on the head and tell you good job if the work sucks,” said Topchik the first time he met the students.
That approach created astonishing results for the students.
“I was not used to being criticized the way I was by Mr. Topchik. He was tough and very challenging, but I learned a whole lot,” said Marshall Academy upcoming sophomore yearbook and newspaper staffer Emma Elgin.
The students worked every day in classrooms at Farley Hall and the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. But the Monday night of camp, the students were carpooled over to a movie theatre where students saw The Proposal or Year One.
“We were not locked in the dorm staring at each other; we were in class most of the day. It was refreshing when we went to the movies,” said Micha Washington, the eleventh grade editor of New Albany’s Vista yearbook.
The students worked on multiple assignments until other students arrived on Wednesday for the MPA/ Overby three-day camp. After working closely together for three days, the students were separated into five specific tracks of their choice. These tracks were writing, desktop publishing, photography, broadcast, and yearbook. Writers worked on interviewing, reporting and editing. Photographers used 35 mm. digital cameras provided by Olympus and did multiple photo shoots around campus as well as learning to edit their pictures. Desktop students worked on the basics of design and learned to use PhotoShop and InDesign to make their own publications better. The broadcast track did hands-on training in writing, filming and production, and the yearbook track learned all the basics of writing, design and photography to put together a tremendous book. All the tracks were taught by specialists who helped the students in their particular field.
“Next year’s yearbook will benefit so much from the ideas I learned at camp. I have such a different concept of design now, and I know I can bring many new ideas to the staff to make it a lot better,” said incoming senior at Madison Central Meagan Cole.
Among other great opportunities, the students experienced a taste of college life.
“The Union was a great place to eat, hangout, and drink Starbucks. The dorms at Brown Hall were not home, but they were a great place to get to know the other campers. At times, I had to catch myself pretending to be a college student because it was so realistic,” Elgin said.
College does not only last a week though. To celebrate the end of the week, all Dow Jones and MPA campers were chauffeured through Oxford on a double-decker bus heading to The Skate Place, a local skating rink. For two hours, campers skated and watched their advisers dance to the “Cupid Shuffle” and “Ice Cream and Cake.”
“I liked going to the skating rink because I got to hang out with my new friends and chill for the first time that week,” said Washington.
After surviving the six days of journalism boot camp, the now more exposed students were forced to pack their bags and head home after an awards ceremony in Farley. Among the winners were Meagan Cole, Best Overall Graphic Design; Kate Herndon, Excellence in News Writing; Madison Central’s rising junior Mary Kate McGowan, Excellence in News Writing; and senior yearbook editor from Madison Central Lauren Sensing who won the coveted Most Outstanding Yearbook Student award.
“Getting up so early with no sleep was hard, but it was so worth it for the amount of information I learned,” Cole said.