Record numbers attend MSPA’s annual Spring conference

By Taylor McGraw, Mississippi High School Journalist of the Year

Approximately 400 students and 50 advisers from 32 high school and middle school journalism staffs across the state attended the annual Mississippi Scholastic Press Association conference on the University of Mississippi campus Friday, March 28.
MSPA offered a total of 70 sessions in the areas of newspaper, magazine, yearbook, broadcast and on-line media as well as hands-on labs in PhotoShop, InDesign, broadcast and podcasting over the course of the day.
“This was one of the best and biggest conferences we have ever had for MSPA. Our goal is to provide training and assistance for more high school and middle school publications and journalism classes,” MSPA Director Beth Fitts said.
The conference kicked off around 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony at Nutt Auditorium. Fitts took the podium, welcomed the packed crowd of young journalists, recognized current MSPA officers Nathan Weber from Madison Central and Catherine Threlkeld from Oxford High School and then introduced the new MSPA officers, president Catherine Threlkeld and vice-president Lydia Roberts, both from Oxford High School. Dr. Samir Husni, chair of the journalism department at the University and one of the nation’s leading experts on magazines, then addressed the audience.
Journalism Department Chair Samir Husni, who moved to America from Lebanon in 1978 to get his doctorate degree, addressed the audience. He described himself as “an adopted son of Mississippi.” He started a magazine program at Ole Miss when he first came to Oxford and has been instrumental in the advancement of the University’s journalism department, soon to be the School of Journalism. His
advice to students seeking a career in journalism was simple: go after the three F’s – fun, fame and fortune.
Husni then introduced his former student and the morning’s keynote speaker, Clint Smith. Smith is the senior editor of Southern Accents magazine in Atlanta and, according to Husni, one of the leaders on magazine design in the country.
In his address, the 1999 Ole Miss graduate described his rise from a member of the yearbook staff at a Texas junior college to editor-in-chief of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles and now his current position at Southern Accents. He closed with several pieces of advice for the aspiring journalists attending the convention.
“Don’t be afraid of hard work or working for free. Make yourself indispensable,” Smith said. “People are watching. People are reading what you’re doing.”
After a warm ovation and some closing remarks by Fitts, students and advisers dispersed to their first of four 40-minute sessions located at Farley Hall, the Student Union or Barnard Observatory. Journalistic professionals and many Ole Miss faculty members presented these sessions with titles ranging from “Radio: the Theater of the Mind” to “Reporter’s Privilege and the Rights You Have.”
“I think by offering such a diverse program, we are helping to build programs at the schools in Mississippi,” Fitts said. “We want Mississippi advisers to know that they are not alone; we will help them get the support and training they need.”
Members of the professional media that presented sessions included Layne Bruce, executive director of the Mississippi Press Association; Otis Sanford, opinions editor of The Commercial Appeal; Laura Schaub, National Creative Accounts Manager for Jostens Publishing Company; Karen Loden and Brandy Seawright of Taylor Publishing Company; Marc Perrusquia, investigative reporter for The Commercial Appeal; Brooks Taylor of the Tunica Times; Sue Lynn Mills, John Davis and Jon Scott of The Oxford Eagle, Todd Vinyard and Todd Sherman of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, and Barry Burleson of The South Reporter.
After three sessions, students and advisers took an hour break for a catered lunch. Jostens Publishing Company hosted advisers for lunch in the Overby Center. Student lunches were in the Grove sponsored by Taylor Publishing Company, Herff Jones Publishing Company and The University of Mississippi. Students refueled on sub-style sandwiches, pasta salad, potato chips, cookies and sweet tea before heading to their last session at 1 p.m.
After the final session ended, students and advisers congregated again at Nutt Auditorium for the closing awards ceremony. Prior to the convention, each of the MSPA-member schools had the opportunity to submit entries in various newspaper, yearbook, magazine, on-line media and broadcast categories. MSPA judges selected the winners and MSPA presented a total of 141 awards to staff members and advisers.
Adam Pugh from Lafayette High School was recognized as the MSPA Administrator of the Year and took the opportunity to address the students.
Cynthia Ferguson from Oxford High School was presented the JoAnn Sellers Newspaper Adviser of the Year Award, and Kim Hosket from French Camp Academy was named the MSPA Yearbook Adviser of the Year.
Mac Warren from Oxford High School was named Newspaper Editor of the Year, and Jasmine Phillips from Water Valley High School was recognized as the Yearbook Editor of the Year.
Clara Bradford from Terry High School was recognized as Newspaper Staff Member of the Year, and Emily Henderson from French Camp Academy was named Yearbook Staff Member of the Year.
Fitts said she was pleased with the number of schools that attended the convention.
“We are growing every year, and we eventually want to reach every school in the state and get them involved with our program. We offer so many benefits for advisers and students: fall training, competitions, newsletters with lesson plan helps, e-mail assistance with problems, scholarship information, and hands-on training twice at year. We will also be offering summer workshop training for advisers and students in late June,” Fitts said.
Scholarship applications and workshop application froms for those programs can be found online at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/journalism. The deadline for summer workshops is April 15. MSPA membership forms can also be found online. Those interested may contact Beth Fitts at 662-915-7146 or at mefitts@olemiss.edu.