Spring 2014 NEWSPA Newsletter

Spring 2014

Vol. 37, No. 2

NEWSPA returns to Oshkosh

by Haley Walters

O

n

Wednesday, april 9, UW OshkOsh

Will Once

again host the annual NEWSPA conference featuring interactive and informative sessions, awards and networking.

Veteran NEWSPA goers will be able to expand on what they learned last year and learn even more from the numerous sessions that will be held throught the day and new attendees will discover all of the fascinating speakers and activities that NEWSPA provides.

Registration for the conference will begin at 7:30 a.m. in Reeve Memorial Union.

Seven new sessions will be unveiled this spring, concerning student success, understanding design technology and properly utilizing social media for student publications.

These sessions are “Prior Review: What to do if it happens to you,” “Careers in Journalism: Digital Features,” “Keys to Getting College Scholarships,” Using Social Media to Engage and Update Your Readers,” “When Your Student Newspaper Goes from Print to Online,” “Wikipedia: What Every Journalist Needs to Know,” and “Working for a College Radio Station.”

Be sure to check out the official conference program available on the NEWSPA website for more details on these sessions and more.

Some changes were also made to existing ses-

sions, most importantly the advisers’ meeting. This year newspaper and yearbook advisers will come together to discuss topics instead of being separated.

We hope the added insights and knowledge will help broaden the conversation and lead to more ideas being shared.

Students will again hear speakers from all over the country, including journalists from The National Football League, USA Today, The Oshkosh Northwestern, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Chippewa Herald and Northwestern University, Another notable change to this year’s conference will be the keynote speaker. Instead of one, we will have four young professionals who are already moving up the career ladder who will give advice about how students could do the same.

No NEWSPA conference would be complete without an awards ceremony where we will be handing out first, second and third place honors to students for photography, writing, design and general publication excellence.

Throughout the day, students and advisers are encouraged to tweet about NEWSPA using the #newspa2014 hash tag.

Students and advisers can also “like” the new NEWSPA Facebook page to stay up-to-date on NEWSPA events throughout the year.

Table of Contents

features

04

Spring Conference Preview

06

School institutes prior review for paper

08

Keynote Panel

09 12

Learn more about the new sessions and features of this year’s NEWSPA conference.

A NEWSPA high school now has to submit their publication to administration before printing.

Four young professionls share their tips on how to be successful during school and right after graduation.

Top 5 Ways to Get Scholarships

The top 5 places to search for scholarships when students are thinking about how to pay for college.

Sheboygan North’s Success

Last year’s yearbook winners, Sheboygan North, share how they make their publication better than the rest.

departments

03 11 14

Letter from the President How to: Create informative infographics Scholarships

Letter from the President

“

Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.

”

-Henry Anatole Grunwald

F

rOm the last cheers FOr

rUssell WilsOn’s seahaWks

at the

sUper BOWl

echOing thrOUgh-

out MetLife Stadium, to the heightened security measures taken at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, to the news that defensive end NFL hopeful Michael Sam has broken the sexual orientation barrier in professional sports…news is all around us and good news reporting is a must.

That’s what we are attempting to teach our students. We are trying to impart the belief that good reporting, thorough reporting, ethical reporting is more than just an idea…it is the lifeblood of journalism. It is what draws us to this work…the drive, the nose for a story, the fastpaced race to get the facts straight yet still be the first to break the news. That’s why we spend so much time each year on creating a conference that is fun, educational, and relevant to today’s issues in journalism.

This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of our best yet, sure to not disappoint students who are interested in journalism for their futures or just for their high school careers.

We’re keeping the old standard sessions that are the backbone of our conference, such as computer software and design sessions like “PhotoShop Tips and Tricks,” writing and interview sessions like “Feature Writing” and “Sports Writing,” and general sessions like “How to Create Editorial Cartoons” or “Journalism Smackdown.” Besides the standbys that students and advisers alike have stated they’ve enjoyed and learned from, we are also offering some exciting new sessions this year. Some of the new sessions offered are “You Can Get a Great Internship Too,” “Keys to Getting College Scholarships,” and “Working for a College Radio Station.” But there are many other new sessions as well and a new keynote speaker approach that we are piloting this year.

So make sure you mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 9, so you don’t miss what is sure to be our strongest conference yet. As Jef Mallett says—“Writing well means never having to say, ‘I guess you had to be there’”—and this conference will help your students hone this skill.

Sara Marquardt NEWSPA President uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 03

new Seven s! n sessio

2014 NEWSPA Preview

Keyno t ing th e Panel: Li veD Profes ream: You ng sional s their m making ark.

NEWSPA is back again with informative sessions, speakers and activities for student journalists.

This year we are featuring seven new sessions for students to attend.

There will also be a panel of young keynote speakers who will give tips and share experiences about their success.

As always, sessions will focus on how the field of journalism is changing with new media and give students tips on how to keep their reporting up-to-date and relevant.

NEWSPA recognizes the influence the Internet plays in today’s journalism so expect more sessions to be focused on successfully building an online presence and using social media.

The conference will be held on April 9, 2014 in Reeve Memorial Union.

More info about the conference on pages 5-8 uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 04

by Nicole Kiefert

P

hotoshop might cause controversy

for models and some ad campaigns, but it is an important tool for journalists to be able to use and understand.

Writers, editors and photographers, need to be familiar with this program because knowing how to use Photoshop and edit photos properly is important to how a photo in a publication will turn out and how people will perceive it.

Students attending the April 9 NEWSPA conference at UW Oshkosh will learn the most important things about Photoshop, the best ways to use it and receive a few tips and tricks picked up over the years by speaker Kevin Rau of Rauhaus design+letterpress.

“Photoshop Tips and Tricks,” which runs from 9:20-10:50 a.m. in Sage 3422, is limited to 15 participants. Schools should pre-register for the session by emailing NEWSPA Executive Secretary Barbara Benish at benish@uwosh.edu Only one student per school publication can sign up.

Rau said his presentation will cover important techniques used in Photoshop, including practices for proper resolution, cropping and resizing photos, adjusting color, shadows and highlights, and converting color photos to black and white.

Rau will also discuss the legalities of using photos downloaded from the web.

The session will be held in a Department of Journalism computer lab to give students a chance to practice and get a

NEWSPA 2014

New session presents Photoshop tips feel for all of the content as he explains it.

This will also allows Rau to answer questions.

“We’re running an extended session in a computer lab, which gives us the ability to cover a lot of topics in a very hands-on fashion,” Rau said.

Rau said he plans to tell students how he got to where he is today and how they can do the same. He said he is excited to teach students how important photography is for not just journalism, print and designing, but as a form of communication.

“Photography plays such an integral role in visual communication.” Rau said.

“I’m excited to be able to pass along some of my experiences regarding getting the best results from every kind of photograph.”

Rau said Photoshop plays an important role in media and is important for prospective journalism students to understand.

“Every image you see today has been ‘shopped’ to some degree from minor adjustments all the way to assembling people and elements together in a single picture that have never in reality been together. So Photoshop is huge,” Rau said.

He plans to share with the students his experiences in the printing industry as well as the lessons he learned along the way. “During the presentation I’ll often share stories of mistakes I made in building digital files so that students don’t make the same mistakes,” Rau said.

Conference

April 9, 2014 Reeve Memorial Union Registration begins 7:30 a.m.

uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 05

Session explores online transitions

by Nicole Kiefert

P

laying

outside

has

been

re-

placed by video games, paper books are becoming e-readers and newspapers are becoming websites.

Times are changing and with everything switching to electronic technology, it’s become more popular for different media to turn into electronic versions just to keep up.

Online sources can be quicker and easier to access, and with the ability to have it on-the-go, online newspapers are starting to take off.

Although some people prefer holding the paper in their hands as they read it, a lot of publishers are getting rid of the print product in favor of website.

Students attending the April 9 NEWSPA conference will hear personal experiences about what it’s like for newspapers to make the transition from print to online.

Beth Plankey, an instructor of speech, journalism and American literature at Neenah High School, and Allison Byam, student social media editor for Neenah High School’s student newspaper, The Satellite, will present “When Your Student Newspaper Goes From Print to Online” at

8:30 a.m. in Reeve 213.

“We will introduce ourselves and share our background and general experiences with implementing an online newspaper at the high school level,” Plankey said. “We plan to focus on disadvantages and advantages of the format.”

Plankey and Byam plan on keeping students interested by sharing examples from The Satellite and going over the pros and cons of the selections with them.

Plankey said, “We will engage the students with samples from our paper and general research on utilizing this format.”

According to Plankey, one of the main decisions for switching their newspaper to online format was based primarily on the cost of printing.

“Neenah High School’s newspaper is only offered in an online format because of print costs,” Plankey said. “The district made this decision approximately five years ago.”

Although the final choice to transfer the paper to a website was based on the budget, it does have some benefits, including that readers are able to access the paper anywhere and at any time after it has been published.

“Instant publication is the high-

light of an online publication,” Plankey said. “Also, the readership is not limited to access of a hard copy.

Being able to analyze our readers is an additional benefit of an online paper.”

To keep the online newspaper interesting, The Satellite staff has been adding social media accounts to keep it interactive.

Plankey said she is especially excited about adding a Twitter account to the website.

“We added a Twitter account based on feedback from NEWSPA last year,” she said. “We are in the process of having a Twitter feed scroll on the paper.”

Keeping the website interactive and innovative is important to keeping people coming back, she said, and social media is one way to make sure people stay in touch with what is happening in the world.

With a world shifting from traditional print to technology, it is important newspapers change along with the times to keep readers knowledgeable about current events.

“Journalism is changing because a majority of readers get their news online,” Plankey said. “Social media is thriving and students view it to be entertained and informed.”

Petition circulating to end prior review

by Haley Walters

A

petition

to

end

Fond du Lac High

School’s newly instated prior review policy because of a controversial article about rape culture has gained more than 1,400 signatures as of March 12.

NEWSPA will also be adding a session on prior review because of this controversy entitled “Prior Review: What to do if it happens to you.”

The petition, posted on change.org, calls for Fond du Lac High School Superintendent James Sebert to reverse his decision that requires the paper to submit all articles to administration before they are printed.

“The principal may refuse to publish any materials that substantially interfere with the educational process, educational environment, or rights of other students, or materials that may be reasonably

perceived to associate the school with any position other than neutrality on matters of political controversy,” the new school board policy states.

The article that began the controversy appeared in the latest issue of the school’s student newspaper The Cardinal Columns entitled “The Rape Joke”

by Fond du Lack High School senior Tanvi Kumar.

The piece focused on the dangers of high school rape culture.

According to change. org, the article was well-received by students and had a positive impact, sparking conversations about rape culture throughout the school.

Petition commenter Haruka Yukioka wrote, “Rape happens at Fondy High, no matter how badly administrators like Dr. Sebert would like to pretend it doesn’t [and] 97 percent of students have heard sexual assault being made fun of.”

uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 06

More Sessions to Consider Wikipedia can Session One

How to Be a Graphic Designer in 40 Minutes How to Create Editorial Cartoons How to Survive and Thrive in Your First Year at College Journalism 101: The Basics of Journalistic Writing Journalism Smackdown On-Site Newspaper Critiques

Photo Critiques of Entrants When Your Student Newspaper Goes from Print to Online Working on a College Newspaper Writing Reviews Yearbook Theme Development Keeping your Yearbook Staff Motivated & Drama Free

Session Two

Feature Writing for Newspapers, Magazines & Yearbooks Get the Most Out of Every Interview How to Get Coverage of Your Entire Student Body in Your Yearbook Keys to Getting College Scholarships Photojournalism: From Still Shots to Moving Images Journalism Smackdown Yearbook Trends

Session Three

Building a Brand, Building a Blog Brainstorming: How to Find Features and News Stories Get the Dirt: Harnessing Search Functions on the Web to Get the Story Great Photography, Limited Budget How to Cover Controversial Topics How to Get the Big Picture in Sports

Prior Review: What to do if it happens to you Newspaper and Yearbook Advisers’ Meeting Photoshop Tips & Tricks Using Social Media to Engage & Update Your Readers The Art of Newspaper Design Wikipedia: What Every Journalist Needs to Know You Can Get a Dream Internship, Too

iPhoneology: The Art of Digital Storytelling Newspaper Editors’ Roundtable Photoshop Tips & Tricks Sports Writing Working for a College Radio Station Writing Columns Yearbook Editors’ Roundtable

benefit students

by Grace Riggert

W

ikipedia,

the

user-generated

ency-

clopedia, is a topic of controversy when in academia, but University of Wisconsin Oshkosh assistant professor Sara Steffes Hansen will present ways student journalists can use Wikipedia to their advantage during her upcoming NEWSPA session.

Teachers and professors alike warn students against using this resource when conducting research for educational purposes.

Steffes Hansen will teach students how to successfully use the research tool to their advantage in reporting.

According to Steffes Hansen, Wikipedia’s biggest weakness is that its content is crowd sourced, meaning that users of the website can contribute to entries and update them with new information.

In her session Steffes Hansen will break down just how that updated content works along with editors and contributors.

While it’s a good idea in theory, Wikipedia often faces the issue of articles being updated with false facts and figures that make the site untrustworthy when looking for information.

“A reporter can’t count on its validity, in general, and it’s not acceptable as ‘a source’ as is,” Steffes Hansen said.

She said valid information varies from topic to topic and some articles are more heavily edited than others.

But despite its issues, Steffes Hansen said Wikipedia can be used to a student’s advantage and reporters should know to use it properly.

Steffes Hansen said the site is great for initial research, such as quick background information, but beyond that students should use caution and the site should not be used as a direct source.

“It can help point them to valid online links listed at the bottom of the Wikipedia entry where information is provided by credible sources,” she said.

Steffes Hansen said Wikipedia will continue to change as technology advances. “Wikipedia is like other forms of new media that keep changing with different uses of technology and mobile access.”

“Wikipedia: What Every Journalist Needs to Know,” in Reeve 227 and will begin at 9:20 a.m. uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 07

Panel to share career tips for success

by Grace Riggert

A

n internship is a daunting ,

yet crucial element for career experience that helps to set young journalists apart when looking for a full-time job.

But having real-life experience in the field isn’t the only thing one can do to stand out from the crowd.

A group of four recent college graduates will share their secrets how to quickly climb the career ladder in the 2014 NEWSPA keynote address.

Alex Gelhar had attended NEWSPA as co-editor of Oshkosh West High School’s student newspaper, The Index.

He is returning this year to be part of the keynote panel. Gelhar graduated from Marquette University with a degree in broadcast and electronic communication and then spent some time in Los Angles as a TV and film executive assistant.

He now works as an associate writer and editor for the NFL in digital features, and says it was his “proudest professional achievement” to attend the 2013 NFL Draft in New York City.

Gelhar said his secret for success lies in hard work. “I graduated college early with honors and had more internships than most of my friends combined,” he said.

Yes, he had to sacrifice a few “late night shenanigans,” but he is very excited about the next step in his own career.

But Gelhar said he doesn’t want the students to worry too much if they don’t have everything figured out. “College and the early stages of a career are a time for growth and a lot more learning,” he said.

Gelhar will also be presenting “Careers in Journalism: Digital Features” from 8:30-9:10 a.m. in Reeve 227BC. Nick Penzenstadler also began writing for The Index while attending Oshkosh West High School.

He went on to graduate from UW-Madison with degrees in journalism and political science.

“I worked for my high school and college newspaper and realized it was more than a hobby and I didn’t want to be anywhere else,” Penzenstadler said.

He started reporting for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and interned at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Isthmus, out of Madison.

His first job was at the Rapid City Journal in South Dakota, but he returned to Wisconsin to work at The Post-Crescent in Appleton.

He is also part of the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative team and is the Wisconsin correspondent for USA TODAY. Penzenstadler stresses the importance of networking. “I don’t think I realized how important a social network was until college, but it has been extremely beneficial to meet people, keep in touch and stay connected.”

He also suggests job shadowing and finding mentors. “You’d be amazed at how open other journalists can be about sharing their techniques, tips and secrets to navigating the business.”

Amanda Betts is a UW-Oshkosh alumna who earned a degree in journalism with emphases in public relations and advertising.

As marketing director at Stellar Blue Technologies, Betts researches and develops search engine optimization.

She is on the executive committee for the UW-Oshkosh Alumni Board of Directors and is a board member for the Sales and Marketing Professionals of Northeast Wisconsin.

Her most recent accomplishment is receiving the 2014 Future 15 Young Professional Award. “It’s an award that recognizes dedication in your line of work plus your community,” Betts explained, “which are two things I take very

seriously.”

Her success has come from two things —taking risks and never giving up on an opportunity.

Betts said she plans to stress the experience internships provide and how each job can help you “land bigger and better opportunities.” She said, “Internships are key to understanding your strengths, your dislikes and recognizing a career.”

Jake White, another graduate of UW-Oshkosh, earned a degree in music industry and journalism with an emphasis in public relations.

When in college he served as president of Reeve Union Board, one of the campus’s largest student organizations and received the Chancellors Award for Excellence.

“I’m most proud that I have learned to inspire and lead students to create campus-wide change for their university,” White said.

In his senior year he launched Sober Parties LLC, which hosts and promotes non-alcoholic parties on college campuses.

“I have three secrets to my success,” White said. “Saying yes, doing what scares me, and being constantly curious.”

He wants to teach students how to stand out and be the person employers are looking for.

Lastly, White wants students to never question their passion and jump right in.

“Most people let negative thoughts or fears rule them and that is why they achieve less,” he said. “If you let positive thoughts and amazing people inspire you, that will lead to a positive life full of experiences that are actually worth having.”

To hear more of their advice, stop by their session, “Living the Dream: Young Professionals Making their Mark,” which begins at 11 a.m. in Reeve 227ABC. uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 08

Top 5

Ways to get scholarships

by Haley Walters

1

2

Community Community organizations such as AAUW Rotary and the Lions Club offer thousands of dollars in scholarships for students. Some may require community service hours or certain residency requirements.

Ask a member for more information or check on their webpages.

Employers

Check with parents and your own place of employment to see if they offer any scholarships. Larger corporations usually offer a few scholarships to children of employees.

Many corporate scholarships may not even require a family member to work there, so check multiple businesses.

3

Sports

If you were involved in high school sports, your scholarship possibilities are m u c h more diverse. Scholarships are offered for both Varsity and JV players of all different types of sports. Search the internet, WIAA and your high school for athletic scholarships.

Many don’t even require you to play for your college team!

Future University

4

Colleges understand tuition is costly, and many will try to help students out with that.

Once you choose a University, check their website to see what types of scholarships they offer. Usually they will have a few geared toward incoming freshmen.

5

High School Many highs schools award scholarships to graduating students or at least help them find one. Stop by the counseling office to see a full listing of available awards.

Many high schools team up with community organizations and come up with awards. uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 09

Students lead social media session

by Leo Costello

W

hat do Justin Bieber, J.K. Rowling and President Obama have in common?

They all have a powerful presence on Twitter, the social media application that has revolutionized the way people send and receive information.

Sure, there are people out there tweeting about what color they painted their nails, but even important events like presidential debates use Twitter to communicate to the rest of the world.

With the vast integration of news events and social media in the professional world, it’s about time this evolving form of communication is brought into the high school realm.

In Fall 2013, Berlin High School senior editors Lauren Schmidt and Payton DeMaster approached their adviser, Shannon Kuehmichel, with the idea to incorporate Twitter and Instagram with the distribution of their high school newspaper, the Red ‘n’ Green.

Kuehmichel said she jumped at the chance to change the way students are exposed to the student newspaper. Since then, Schmidt and DeMaster have been running the social media aspect of the paper.

Kuehmichel has been the adviser for Berlin High School’s newspaper for six years of her teaching career.

In the past, she said she tried putting the Red ‘n’ Green online, but the site did not get enough traffic to make the expense worthwhile, she said.

Twitter and Facebook have been a much more successful way of giving the student newspaper an online presence.

Schmidt and DeMaster have not only used social media to promote the Red ‘n’ Green and share photos, but they also use Twitter

and Facebook to make a connection with their readers by asking questions, responding to followers, and cheering on their high school’s sports teams for a sense of school spirit.

Schmidt and DeMaster are no strangers to NEWSPA. They both have attended the conference since their sophomore year, though neither plans to take up journalism as a profession.

“I really like NEWSPA,” DeMaster said. “Every year we go, we take different types of classes.

There’s a lot for us to choose from.

We can take different classes each year and learn new things.”

During their session at the 2014 NEWSPA conference, Schmidt and DeMaster said they plan to discuss what they’ve done on Twitter and Instagram to engage and update their readers.

They will also show session attendees how to set up their own social media accounts.

Schmidt said she is a little nervous to lead the session as a student, but she’s still confident it will go well.

“Payton and I know what we’re doing,” Schmidt said, “so hopefully it’ll be all right.”

I t ’ s somewhat rare for students to lead NEWSPA sessions, but Kuehmichel said it made sense for the two to do conduct this session because they figured out

on their own how to effectively use social media for the paper.

“I think something coming from the students’ perspective and showing how we did it might ring a little more true with other students than a 50-year-old newspaper reporter or a 35-year-old teacher,” she said.

Schmidt and DeMaster said they hope their session will encourage other schools to use social media to accomany their publications and help them gain readership around the school.

They said they also hope attendees will learn to get their followers more in tune with what’s going on in the paper with updates about things such as news, games, events and contests.

Berlin High School’s Red ‘n’ Green has more than 140 Twitter and Instagram followers.

That’s almost 25 percent of Berlin High School’s 600-student population.

You can follow Berlin High School’s Red ‘n’ Green on Twitter and Instagram @bhsrng.

Schmidt and DeMasters’ session begins at 9:20 a.m. in Reeve 207.

uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 10

How to create exciting infographics

by Haley Walters

I

nfographics are becoming more

popular as publications realize the importance of visual representation of data to their readers.

Infographics have been used for centuries as a way to present data and facts, but it wasn’t until the 1980s when USA Today began using more graphics to tell stories and other newspapers soon followed their lead.

Today, infographics are a popular way to communicate ideas and with the help of more interactive technology, student publications can produce professional looking infographics to accompany their content.

NEWSPA acknowledges the growing popularity of infographics and has added an infographic category in its competition.

Beginning an infographic can be a daunting task. Students have to accurately represent data in a visually appealing and engaging way.

The first step is to find a good image creating software or an infographic template website.

“My go-to software for infographics is Adobe Illustrator,” rauhaus design+letterpress owner Kevin Rau said. “It allows the user to create completely customized charts and graphs.”

Students also need to keep in mind appropriate time to use an infographic.

“Infographics are appropriate any time you want to accompany an article with at-a-glance statistics,” Rau said. “They can even stand alone if you want to present data in a visually interesting way.”

Although infographics are usually made up of multiple visual elements and different pieces of data, it is important to keep the design simple and easy to follow.

“The design maxim, ‘Less is more’ is very applicable to infographics,” Rau said. “Don’t try

Infographic courtesy of World Wide Web to say too much within a single graphic.”

The infographic above has multiple visual elements, some added for appearance and some are used to illustrate data.

It’s also important to explain the data within the infographic

since some readers may not read the full accompanying article.

Above all else, take time to make the infographic look professional and make sure it accurately represents the data. The work won’t turn out well if it’s put off until layout day. uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 11

Sheboygan North’s NEWSPA success

by Nicole Kiefert

M

ost

people

get

nostalgic

paging through their high school yearbook and looking at those embarrassing picture day photos, but nobody really takes the time to appreciate the way the yearbook has been put together.

The yearbook staff at Sheboygan North High School paid enough attention to win Blue Ribbon honors for overall publication at the 2013 NEWSPA Conference.

Last year was Andrew Delong’s first year as Sheboygan North’s yearbook adviser, and he was very proud of how the yearbook came out.

The theme of their yearbook was timelessness, which was important to the staff since they were celebrating the school’s 75th anniversary.

“The staff did a phenomenal job carrying the theme throughout the book, reflecting on our past without forgetting to celebrate North High circa 2014,” Delong said.

Current student editor Brenna Eckhardt said she was proud of the design last year, which she attributed mostly to the head editor.

“Our head editor that year, Sarah Cheney, did basically all of the graphics in that book.

She was incredible. I remember watching her design and looking at her spreads thinking I wish I could do that.”

The staff inspired each other and worked well together.

S t u d e n t editor Brynn Molzner said her favorite part about putting the yearbook together is the people she gets to work with.

“The people involved in our year- part of the yearbook.

“There is nothing better than book are easy to work with and fun to be with,” Molzner said. “We have opening a blank layout and having that family atmosphere that makes the photos, text and title come together with ease,” Eckhardt said. it worthwhile.”

Finding photos for the yearbook Delong said he loved working wasn’t the hard with the staff and part; it was narrowthe different perI strongly believe yearbook ing down which ones spectives everyone benefits any student who made it onto the got of the school, takes it. pages. The staff felt but it was hard to pinpoint exactly Andrew Delong it was important for what he loved most Yearbook adviser students to be able to open a page and about working on the find their picture. yearbook.

“The reason we want so many “I guess if I had to pick one thing I love the most it would be photos (included) is so we can get how many lessons the staff learns as much coverage as possible,” Eckfrom the yearbook,” he said. “They hardt said. “We want everyone to learn how to deal with deadlines, open the book and be able to see real deadlines. They learn how to something about themselves in it.”

Delong said the yearbook pronot only converse with people they may not know, but how to talk to vides a great experience for stuthem about what that person is pas- dents with intentions to get into sionate about. And they learn how journalism as a career path.

“Yearbook provides students to deal with true evaluation of their the opportunity to practice photoghard work.”

Putting everything together and raphy, design and writing,” Delong seeing how the design ended up said. “I believe this helps them decoming out was Eckhardt’s velop an understanding of what obstacles and pressures others may favorite experience.”

Students who are undecided or are not planning on a future with journalism will still benefit from being involved with yearbook, he said.

“I strongly believe yearbook benefits any student who takes it,” he said.

“There are true lessons in the class: the deadlines, the finality of sending that proof back after approval, and the high expectations, knowing that the world is going to evaluate your work.”

“

”

uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 12

NFL writer leads session on digital features

by Leo Costello

awesome game that it is.”

Gelhar is given assignf you grew up in Wisments, but he also gets to consin, you know what choose some of his own it’s like to be raised in stories. a society where football is The feature he is most a major part of your culproud of is “The Untold ture, whether you like it or History of the NFL and not.

JFK,” which included writFor the football fans ten copy, photo essays out there, being a part and videos. of the National Football Other articles Gelhar League world would be a is most cited for include dream come true.

“The History of Crying Oshkosh West High in the NFL,” “The Six School alumnus Alex GelBoroughs,” and “Taylor har is living that American Swift’s ‘22’ covered by dream.

Dolphins, Saints CheerAfter graduating high leaders.” school, Gelhar studied For the cheerleader broadcast and electronic story, Gelhar was forced communications at Marto watch 10 minutes of quette University. singing and dancing NFL He then got an interncheerleaders in bikinis. ship at Cartoon Network “That, I believe to this through The Academy of day, is still my most highArts & Sciences Foundaly trafficked article,” Geltion. har said.

Gelhar now resides Writing digital feain California working for tures isn’t all just fun and NFL.com as a digital feagames. There’s an imture writer and video proportant business aspect ducer. to writing Gelhar the artidefines There’s no day I wake up cles. digital fea“ I t ’s and not look forward to tures as a about trygoing to work. casual way ing to deto enterAlex Gelhar t e r m i n e tain and NFL feature writer how to communitake digcate with ital features to the next all breeds of NFL fans, as level with bigger ideas, well as generate followers. features, and stories that “For the most part, could potentially go under people know what they sponsorships and bring want and how they want more money in, and then it from the NFL,” Gelhar become a long-running said. “Our job in digital series instead of just a features is to try and show short-lived blog post,” them new things and have Gelhar said. them look at the NFL in a Gelhar’s session at new way and appreciate this year’s NEWSPA conit more so than just the

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NFL writer Alex Gelhar will be sharing his experiences as a young journalist at the April 9 NEWSPA conference. ference will focus primarily on how competitive, unique, exciting and fun it is to work in the digital space.

He will also discuss how digital features are written and where the genre of journalism is headed. The session will be open for questions.

Gelhar said he also would stress the importance of producing content, such as a blog or social media networks, since that shows true initiative and passion.

Lastly, Gelhar will discuss how he got to the NFL and what it’s like to work there.

In a nutshell, he gets to meet NFL players, work with a lot of talented people, and he gets discount-

ed game tickets.

“There’s no day I wake up and not look forward to going to work,” Gelhar said.

He hopes his session will get students excited about working in the digital space.

“There are a lot of opportunities to be creative and cool,” Gelhar said.

Along with his digital features session, which begins in Reeve 227BC at 8:30 a.m., Gelhar will also be one of the keynote speakers for “Living the Dream.”

The panel keynote will begin at 11 a.m., also in Reeve 227ABC. You can find Gelhar’s work at NFL.com and follow him on Twitter @ AlexGelhar.

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Journalism Scholarships NEWSPA Scholarship

$500 April 1, 2014 Applicants must have worked on a school publication, attended a NEWSPA conference, be graduating in 2014, and plan on majoring in journalism or something pertaining to it. An application and 500 word essay are required.

For more info visit www. uwosh.edu/journalism/ newspa/scholarships

Dr. Alma S. Adams Scholarship

$5,000 April 30, 2014 Applicants must have completed community service, preferably in the area of tobacco prevention and be able to effectively utilize media to convey anti-smoking messages.

For more info visit www. legacyforhealth.org/adams-scholarship.aspx

National Press Club Scholarship for Journalism Diversity

$2,500, renewable March 1, 2015 Applicants must be a high school senior with a GPA of at least 3.0. Students should plan to pursue a journalism career.

For more info visit www. press.org/about/scholarships/diversity

National Press Photographers Foundation Scholarships $2,000 March 2, 2015 Applicants submit applications, photo portfolios including single pictures, picture stories or multimedia stories, faculty adviser’s contact information and essay responses.

For more info visit www. h t t p : / / n p p f. o rg / n p p f scholarships-grants-andawards/

All students attending NEWSPA should turn in a permission slip allowing NEWSPA to use their images National Press Clubonline, in our newsletter and for other promotional activities. For those over 18, they just need to sign it. Those under 18 will need a parent’s signature. Please turn in all Scholarship permission slips when you stop at the registration table onfor April 9.

Journalism Diversity and click on “permission slip” You can download the permission slip at http://www.uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa/conference

2013-2014 NEWSPA Board Members

Sara Marquardt, President (2015) Reflections (yearbook) Oshkosh North High School 1100 W. Smith Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54901-1896 920-424-4020, ext. 2684 sara.marquardt@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Amy Karoses (2013)

Notebook (yearbook) Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Oshkosh, WI 54902-4294 920-424-4092; fax: 920-424-4950 amy.karoses@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Susan Carlson (2015) The Hi-Light (newspaper) Green Bay East High School 1415 E. Walnut St. Green Bay, WI 54301-4305 920-448-2090 scarlson@greenbay.k12.wi.us

Shannon Kuehmichel (2015)

Lucas Cleary (2015) Hi-Lights (newspaper) Plymouth High School 125 S. Highland Ave. Plymouth, WI 53073-2599 920-893-6911, ext. 1538 lcleary@plymouth.k12.wi.us

Aaron Rompani (2014) Noctiluca (newspaper) Appleton North High School 5000 N. Ballard Road Appleton, WI 54913-8942 920-832-4300 ramponiaaron@aasd.k12.wi.us

Jason Cummings (2014) North Star (newspaper) Oshkosh North High School 1100 W. Smith Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54901-1896 920-424-4020, ext. 682 jason.cummings@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Trent Scott (2016)

Red ‘n’ Green (newspaper) Berlin High School 222 Memorial Dr. Berlin, WI 54923-1252 920-361-2000, ext. 1815 skuehmichel@berlin.k12.wi.us

The Index (yearbook) Ashwaubenon High School 2391 S. Ridge Road Ashwaubenon, WI 54304 920-492-2955 ext. 5126 eslowinski@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us

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Matt Smith (2016)

Cardinal Columns (newspaper) Fond Du Lac High School 801 Campus Dr. Fond Du Lac, WI 54935 920-238-9255 smithm@fonddulac.k12.wi.us

Emma Slowinski (2015) The Paw (yearbook) Ashwaubenon High School 2391 S.Ridge Road Ashwaubenon, WI 54304 (920) 492-2955 ext. 5126 eslowinski@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us

Contacts at UW-Oshkosh Mailing Address:

NEWSPA Department of Journalism UW-Oshkosh 800 Algoma Blvd Oshkosh, WI 54901-8696

Barb Benish, Executive Secretary 920-424-7145 Fax: 920-424-7146 benish@uwosh.edu

Haley Walters, PR Assistant 414-467-8195 walteh07@uwosh.edu

Cindy Schultz, Academic Program Associate 920-424-1042 Fax: 920-424-7146 schultzc@uwosh.edu

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