Publication classes traveled to Boston for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.  Students went to sessions to learn more about journalism, and participated in the NSPA’s Best of Show contest. The Image was a finalist for the Pacemaker award, and won 8th place Best in Show in the category Newspaper Tabloid.

Check out DVD Yearbook Editor Haley Gassel’s vlog of the entire trip!

Overall the Fall National High School Newspaper Convention was an eye opening experience that allowed The Image’s staff to perfect skills in the areas that need perfection. Reporter Emily Altic and Asst. News Editor Jack Rogan attended a writer’s workshop where they were required to observe a particular place during their lunch break and write a brief story on their surroundings that included interviews from people in that particular area.

The food court in the Prudential Center is always bustling during the lunch rush. Much like the variation in food a plethora of people swarm into the open room. In the midst of this crowded area in the always busy city of Boston, MA, Hannah sits at a small table in the corner of the vicinity. While tugging on the sleeves of her faded Nirvana sweatshirt and crossing her ankles, Hannah shares that she is a sophomore in high school and that it is her first year writing for her school’s magazine.

“I needed a hobby and I like to write,” she said with a nervous smile adorning her face as she looked to her friend that sat juxtaposed.

She also spoke about the town in which she resides. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she says that Boston is similar to her hometown but not near as populated or cold. When we asked her how she was enjoying Boston, she said she’s used to urban areas.

“I would consider my town a city,” she said, “and it’s very close to Atlanta, another big city, so I’m used to cities, just maybe not as big as Boston.”

Meeting and interviewing another reporter, unique and separated from the crowd, was a great experience because it showed that so many people come from so many different places and have entirely different background stories.

While we’ve grown up in West County, attended a large high school in a wealthy town, others across the nation have either had extremely similar or far different situations than ours, and everyone is unique and their own person.

Sometimes the crowds of people make it hard to pick out interesting details as everything blurs together. However, each individual has a separate story and even though we are all made up of different colors, personalities and actions, this newspaper convention brings students that share a love for publications together.