I traveled to San Antonio to attend the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention from Nov. 15-18, and I can confirm that everything is indeed bigger in Texas, from the food to the pride.
I was very lucky to be able to go on this trip with a great group of people. Walking around in the convention center, we met several professional journalists who admired the Chronicle, which made me proud to be on the staff. Listening to the stories of diverse students and faculty made me realize the importance of student journalism in a broader context.
At the final awards ceremony, we all waited in anticipation to hear the names called of the Chronicle newspaper and website, Big Red sports magazine, Vox Populi yearbook and Spectrum middle school news magazine. When we heard the name of the Chronicle announced as a Pacemaker winner, we all jumped up with excitement, until we realized that the Chronicle was also a newspaper from San Antonio, and that we did not in fact win. Nevertheless, we managed to place “Best of Show” with all of our publications, which is an impressive feat.
One thing that stuck with me was that with every award announced, rousing applause could be heard. Every school cheered for one another when they were honored at the convention. Every school publication did not come to prove that they were better than every other publication. There was no actual competition between newspapers and yearbooks, only a spirit of cooperation and a communal desire to promote journalism.
I had a lot of fun traveling and spending time with my friends on the Chronicle staff. This trip was not just a learning trip for journalism, but a memorable experience.