ASPA 2013 State Convention Program

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Tweet at us using @AlaSPA or #ASPA13; get it trending!Want to see our pictures? Follow @AlabamaSPA. Want us to see yours? Use #ASPA13.Find us on Facebook: Alabama Scholastic Press Association

#ASPA13The Long Weekend

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A huge ASPA thank you to the following peopleDean Loy Singleton and the C&IS Dean’s OfficeDr. Jennifer Greer, Journalism Department Chair

Cecilia Hammond, Crechale Stevens and the Department of JournalismDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations

Department of Telecommunication and FilmDepartment of Communication Studies

Diane Shaddix and the C&IS Graduate ProgramTerri Brewer and WVUA-TV

Paul Wright and the Office of Student MediaJohn Stevenson with The Randolph Leader

Thomas C. Wilson, Associate Dean for Library TechnologyKatie Acklin, Taylor Armer, Eugene Berry, Sharon Bullock, Kent Burton,

Angel Coker, Carol Cummings, Greg Goldstein, Brianna Holman, Krista James, Donna Lake, Barbara Lantrip, Catherine Mitchell,

Andrea Matei, Sarah Milledge, Johnathan Speers, Courtnie Stephens, Morgan Upton

Cover artwork by Krista James

PATRONS

Alabama Press Association

Balfour Taylor PublishingMike DunnJay Elmore

Jimmy ElmoreChris Nail

Jim RobbinsJoe Robbins

Walsworth Yearbooks

Kane Belew, Tyler Craig

Our ASPA Board Members:President Melissa Dixon; Past President Erin Coggins; Vice President Connie Nolen;

Secretary Nikki Minoso; Director Emeritus Marie Parsons; Director Meredith Cummings Bowman; Graduate Assistant Tara Bullock

Schedule of events Friday, Feb. 22, at Ferguson Center

8 a.m. Registration at Ferguson Theater9 a.m.. Kickoff and keynote, Jim Dunaway10 a.m. to 12 p.m. On-site competitions10 a.m. Session 1 11 a.m. Session 2Noon Lunch on your own1 p.m. Session 32 p.m. Session 43 p.m. Session 5 4 p.m. Dinner and closing awards ceremony

6 p.m. Bob Woodward speaks immediately following awards ceremony in Bryant Conference Center. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Reese Phifer Hall

(Session times vary depending on the duration of the class. See Saturday’s schedule for details.)

9 a.m. Session 110 a.m. Session 211 a.m. Session 3Noon Lunch on your own1 p.m. Tours: UA campus tour, The Crimson White newsroom tour and WVUA station tour

Feb. 22-23, 2013 ASPA State Convention

Welcome to the annual

ASPA State Convention at The

University of Alabama.

#ASPA13 #GoBigOrGoHome

on Twitter

Don’t forget to stop by and place your

bid in the Ballroom for our silent auc-tion! All proceeds

benefit ASPA’s mentoring program

that helps new media advisers in Alabama.


Mark your calendar for ASPA’s summer camps!June 14-16: The Long Weekend summer camp

June 14-23: Multicultural Journalism Workshop (Deadline to apply is April 1)

and other events ...Fall Regional Workshops: Sept. 11: Tuscaloosa, Sept. 12: Huntsville

(Other dates and cities TBA)

Deadline for all media for competition and critiques: December 13

Senior award deadlines (Bragg, Thomson, Stevenson and Journalist of the Year awards), Administrator and Adviser of the Year awards deadlines: Jan 31, 2014

ASPA 2014 State Convention: Feb. 21-22

For information check the ASPA Website at aspa.ua.edu.

The goal of Scholastic Journalism Week, Feb. 17-23, is to do something, whether big or small, to raise awareness and promote your program to your community, school, and staff. Your involvement and that of your students will serve to raise community con-sciousness regarding the benefits of scholas-tic journalism. Need some ideas? Check out JEA's Scholastic Journalism Week page, and then become part of the community on Face-book, or Tweet (#sjw2013) your own ideas. We hope for every staff to do something to celebrate, and represent Alabama well!


Onsite competitions begin at 10 a.m. and will be held in the following rooms. STAY IN THE BALL-ROOM for instructions before going to your room:

Yearbook copy and caption writing Ballroom

News writing 313

Feature writing 313

Sports writing 312

Editorial writing Ballroom

Stand up/camcorder 313

Newscast Ballroom/WVUA

Sportscast Ballroom/WVUA

Yearbook layout Ballroom/Gorgas Library

Newspaper layout Ballroom/Gorgas Library

10 a.m. Sessions Session 1

The 5 Ws of writing (Yearbook)Think people don’t read copy? Maybe it’s because your copy is boring. Here are some ideas and exam-ples of how to write great feature copy – and do it in 300 words (or less).David Graves Room 360, Forum

Secrets of a meaningful stand up: Framing, story-telling and other camera techniques. (Broadcast)Framing for interviews, stand ups and other camera techniques. Catenya Ashford Room 300

Create a comedy skit (Lit Mag)Using elements of group brainstorming and impro-visation, students will collaborate to write a comedy sketch to warm up for the day.David Hornbuckle Anderson Room, 302

Put a pin in it (All media)Stop using Pinterest to plan imaginary weddings, dress children that don’t exist, and decorate homes you can’t afford, and start using Pinterest and Tumblr to plan a stellar publication. This is one session where it’s OK to have your phones out, as long as you grab the Pinterest app first! Great for lit mags, newspaper and yearbook, but helpful for everyone.Chip Brantley Room 309

11 a.m. Session 2

Make them laugh, make them cry (All Media)But most of all, make them think! This session will sharpen opinion writing, online and broadcast commentary skills.Chip Brantley Room 309

ASPA Board meeting (Advisers)The annual State Convention meeting for the ASPA board. All advisers are welcome to attend.Melissa Dixon Anderson Room, 302

Trends in yearbook copy and design (Yearbook)Examples from yearbooks and the pros that will help make your book stand out. David Graves Room 360, Forum

PLEASE NOTE: The silent auction will be open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. All bids close at 1 p.m. and winning bids will be posted by 2. Please pick up items in the Ballroom BEFORE 4 p.m. Drinks and snacks are available for advisers in the Advisers Hospitality Room in the Anderson Room, 302. If you are interested in a tour Saturday, please sign up at registration Friday morning.

Friday, Feb. 22 sessions, Ferguson Student Center

9 a.m. Welcome! Dr. George Daniels, College of Communication and Information Sciences Meredith Cummings, Director, ASPA Keynote, Jim Dunaway


Lit mag grab bag (Lit Mag)What is your focus? Who is your audience? Who and what will you feature? How often will you come out? What in the world will you call it? We will discuss your answers to these and other questions you may face when you decide to work on your lit mag project.David Hornbuckle Morris Mayer Room, 312

Crystal Clear and Easy to Hear (Broadcast)Bad audio can ruin even the best broadcasts. We’ll discuss tricks for getting the best sound possible when filming. Ryan Vasquez Forum, Room 300

Noon Lunch on your own! (Be sure and check out the silent auction items in the ball-room. Auction closes at 1.)

1 p.m. Session 3

Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!This adviser’s help session will leave you feeling ready to take on the world! (Well, maybe not the world, but at least your problems.) Bring your woes to this session and let ASPA President Melissa Dixon and others help!Melissa Dixon Anderson Room, 302

Photography for the non-photographer (Yearbook, Newspaper, Website, Lit Mag)Photos are the first things your readers see. We’ll look at the basics of how to control your camera and photo composition techniques that will make your photos pop.David Graves Room 360, Forum

Interviewing (Broadcast, Newspaper)Are you feeling a little nervous about your next in-terview? Do you sometimes struggle getting strong quotes for your story? Our interviewing session will teach you what questions to ask and how to ask them.Glenny Brock Room 300

The slush pile demystified (Lit Mag)This session discusses what to do if you aren’t getting enough quality submissions and what to do if you are getting too many. Learn tips on how to set up guide-lines and criteria that will help optimize the selection process.David Hornbuckle Morris Mayer Room, 312

I Wish I Knew That! (Newspaper)University of Alabama Society of Professional Journalist members will present tips and tricks that every aspiring journalist should know going into college to get ahead of the game. We will present advice from college lectures, tricks we have learned through student media internships and jobs, and things we learned the hard way in a fun, interactive “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Journalism Edition” game. You can also win a prize by acing our AP style quiz and proving to be the most knowledgeable high school journalist in terms of AP style. Teri Hasmeyer Room 309

2 p.m. Session 4

Rookie of the year! (Newspaper, Yearbook, Online)This session will help beginning sports writers take the field and score big. Morgan Upton Room 313

Type and fonts (Yearbook, Newspaper Features, Lit Mag)The fonts you use on your page are the unsung design elements that can make or break your publication. We’ll talk about some of the basics of type and how you can use it to make your publication different from any other.David Graves Room 360, Forum

Print or online: What medium to choose for your literary magazine (Lit mag)Many literary magazines are moving from print to online. Both media have advantages and disadvantages. Based on extensive experience in both areas, David discusses the pros and cons of each and how to take the best advantage of the medium you choose.David Hornbuckle Morris Mayer Room, 312

Tweet it, share it and own it (All media)Learn how to develop your social media skills to enhance your reporting. Taught by a former ASPA Journalist of the Year!Amethyst Holmes Room 300


The importance of script writing (Broadcast)The story is the most important aspect of any film production and one thing that’s easy to overlook in the face of shiny new cameras and video equipment. This session will cover all aspects of narrative short film screenwriting from script format to story structure. Make your story the best it can be with these helpful screenwriting tips and tricks.Adam Schwartz Room 313

3 p.m. Session 5

It’s alive! (Lit Mag)Give your settings and characters new life with vivid descriptions that excite all five senses. This workshop helps you enhance your descriptions with tactile sen-sations, smells, tastes, sights, and sounds.David Hornbuckle Morris Mayer Room, 312

Finding unique angles for recurring stories (News-paper, Yearbook)Never tell the same story twice! Holidays, proms and homecoming happen every year. Don’t get stuck in a rut.Team taught Room 309

How to stream online (Broadcast, Newspaper, Website)If you’ve ever wanted to know the tools and tech-niques for streaming your broadcast or content live on

the internet, this class is for you. We’ll cover the vari-ous streaming services, software for both Mac and PC, and how to put the broadcast on your website.Andrew Richardson Room 300

How to shoot short filmsYou have your script, now what? This session will cover the basics on how to get your movie production off the ground and on the screen. Adam Schwartz Room 313 Bringing it all together (Yearbook)Random thoughts on how to bring all the yearbook elements together to make a great book. We’ll talk some about what judges look at and why critiques and contests can help you make a book that not only gets noticed, but serves your audience better.David Graves Room 360, Forum

Breaking: Students to write great headlinesYour headline sells your story. Learn how to write ex-citing headlines to make sure readers will notice your stories. Chris Roberts Anderson Room, 302

4 p.m. Awards ceremony

6 p.m. Bob Woodward in the Bryant Conference Center

All morningPlease stop by the ASPA lobby on the third floor to say hello and grab a snack!

9 a.m. Session 1

From Footage to Finished Project: A Hands-on Video WorkshopThis 3-hour hands-on session shows you how to take unedited video and turn it into a 2-minute professional news report. We’ll use actual footage shot by ASPA Convention attendees and learn the do’s and don’ts when shooting stands-ups, cut-aways and b-roll. If none of these terms make sense, they will after you finish this workshop!George Daniels and Andrew Richardson Room 338

Correcting Photos with Camera Raw. Do the people in your photos have a greenish, Martian hue? Are they underexposed? Overexposed? Grainy? Here’s how to fix these and a host of other problems quickly and easily. And, best of all, if you make a ma-jor blunder, you can go back and fix it.David Graves Room 341

10 a.m. Session 2

From Footage to Finished Project continues

10 Photoshop and InDesign Tips and TricksHere’s a collection of techniques to spice up your bookDavid Graves Room 341

Saturday, Feb. 18 sessions, Reese Phifer Hall


Follow ASPA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!Instagram: @AlabamaSPA

Twitter: @AlaSPA (Hashtag #ASPA13)Facebook fan page: Alabama Scholastic Press Association

11 a.m. Session 3

From Footage to Finished Project continues

How Do I? (or Stump the Chump) Having trouble doing something in InDesign? Bring your questions and we’ll see if we can help you figure outhow to do it.David Graves Room 341

1 p.m. Session 4, Tours

UA Campus Tour (Meet at front steps of Reese Phifer Hall) This tour will take students on a walk through campus guided by a representative from the Capstone Men and Women.Capstone Men and Women

WVUA Tour (Meet in the Reese Phifer rotunda)Students will tour the television station located in the basement of Reese Phifer, the University’s own WVUA, which signed on the air as News Channel 49 in January 1998. The operation became the first televi-sion station in Tuscaloosa since 1996, when Tuscaloo-sa’s local television stations left the city. Question and answer session to follow.WVUA staff

Getting Involved in College Media (Meet in the ASPA lobby)Students will check out the Student Media building that houses The Crimson White (newspaper); The Corolla (yearbook); and Marr’s Field Journal (literary magazine). Students will also hear about how to get involved in college media at any college. Question and answer session to follow.Crimson White staff

Saturday, Feb. 23 sessions, Reese Phifer Hall (Continued)

ASPA 2013 State Convention Program

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