12
P erspective Serving South Carolina scholastic journalists since 1936 SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION Summer 2011 Special Anniversary Issue P erspective Serving South Carolina scholastic journalists since 1936 SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION Winter 2011 DATELINE 2011 February 25 SCSPA Scholarships deadline March 4-6 SIPA Convention and Competition March 11 Newspaper evaluation, broadcast evaulation and broadcast individual competition received in office deadline March 15 ESNA deadline March 22 SCSPA officer nominations and Adviser of the Year, Scroggins and Most Improved Awards deadline April 1 SCSPA Spring Conference earlybird registration deadline April 8 SCSPA Photography Contest deadline May 2 SCSPA Spring Conference at the USC Russell House May 12 Carolina Journalism Institute earlybird registration deadline June 8-12 Carolina Journalism Institute See the SCSPA website (scspa.sc.edu) for a detailed master calendar. They say as you get older, the more you start to slow down in life. However, as SCSPA prepares to celebrate its 75 th birthday this year, scholastic journalism could not be more alive. Throughout the planning, Jenna Eckel, third- year public relation major, has been the SCSPA 75 th Anniversary Intern. “My primary involvement in planning the 75 th anniversary has been creating and maintaining an invitation database,” Eckel said. “Some more tasks include planning the history, managing multiple mailing messages to those in the database and starting to create the banquet and fall conference on Oct. 17.” Eckel said the anniversary celebration can act as a reunion for former scholastic journalism staffs. “I’m really excited to have such a large database because it gives staffs the opportunity to reunite at the anniversary,” Eckel said, “and allows old friends to come together years later to discuss how they are involving journalism in their lives today.” Former SCSPA director Bruce Konkle said the upcoming anniversary will be better than the 50 th anniversary celebrated in 1986. “I always hope each year SCSPA enhances its 75 years and counting! SCSPA plans upcoming anniversary offering to members, and putting on an even better anniversary celebration 25 years after the 50 th goes along with that way of thinking, especially for a former director of the organization,” Konkle said. “Every organization should always want to strengthen what it does for its members.” Konkle said SCSPA has more than just age to celebrate. “By my estimate, more than 45,000 student journalists and publication advisers have attended SCSPA conferences and workshops in Columbia since the organization made USC its permanent home in the early 1960s,” Konkle said. “That’s quite an achievement, and that’s something that should be celebrated and appreciated by all school and university faculty members and administration.” This year’s special guest speaker is Bobby Hawthorne, author of The Radical Write, and who, for more than 30 years, has helped student journalists appreciate the importance of great writing in scholastic publications. “He truly is now a ‘pioneer’ in every sense of Anniversary continued on page 5 Former SCSPA director Bruce Konkle, SCSPA 75th anniversary intern Jenna Eckel, and former Dutch Fork MS yearbook adviser Beth Underwood meet in the School of Journalism to discuss the 75th anniversary and fall conference. 75TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE ALL YOUR INFOMATION ABOUT THE CELEBRATION!

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Page 1: Perspective

Perspective Serving South Carolina scholastic journalists

since 1936

SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATIONSummer 2011 Special Anniversary Issue

Perspective Serving South Carolina

scholastic journalists

since 1936

SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATIONWinter 2011

DATELINE2011

February 25

SCSPA Scholarships

deadline

March 4-6

SIPA Convention and

Competition

March 11

Newspaper evaluation,

broadcast evaulation

and broadcast individual

competition received in

office deadline

March 15

ESNA deadline

March 22

SCSPA officer nominations

and Adviser of the

Year, Scroggins and

Most Improved Awards

deadline

April 1

SCSPA Spring Conference

earlybird registration

deadline

April 8

SCSPA Photography

Contest deadline

May 2

SCSPA Spring Conference

at the USC Russell House

May 12

Carolina Journalism

Institute earlybird

registration deadline

June 8-12

Carolina Journalism

Institute

See the SCSPA website

(scspa.sc.edu) for a

detailed master calendar.

Theysayasyoug

etolder,themore

youstartto

slowdowninlife.

However,asSCS

PAprepares

tocelebrateits75

thbirthdaythisyear

,scholastic

journalismcould

notbemorealive

.

Throughoutthep

lanning,JennaEc

kel,third-

yearpublicrelatio

nmajor,hasbeen

theSCSPA75

th

AnniversaryIntern

.

“Myprimaryinvolvem

entinplanningthe

75th

anniversaryhasbe

encreatingandma

intainingan

invitationdatabase

,”Eckelsaid.“So

memoretasks

includeplanningt

hehistory,manag

ingmultiple

mailingmessagest

othoseinthedatab

aseand

startingtocreatet

hebanquetandfal

lconference

onOct.17.”

Eckelsaidtheann

iversarycelebratio

ncanactas

areunionforform

erscholasticjourn

alismstaffs.

“I’mreallyexcited

tohavesuchalarg

edatabase

becauseitgivesst

affstheopportunit

ytoreunite

attheanniversary,”

Eckelsaid,“anda

llowsold

friendstocometo

getheryearslatert

odiscusshow

theyareinvolving

journalisminthei

rlivestoday.”

FormerSCSPAdir

ectorBruceKonkl

esaidthe

upcominganniver

sarywillbebetter

thanthe50th

anniversarycelebr

atedin1986.

“Ialwayshopeeac

hyearSCSPAenha

ncesits

75 years and counting!

SCSPA plans upcoming anniversary

offeringtomemb

ers,andputtingon

anevenbetter

anniversarycelebr

ation25yearsafte

rthe50th

goesalongwithth

atwayofthinking

,especially

foraformerdirecto

roftheorganizati

on,”Konkle

said.“Everyorgan

izationshouldalw

ayswantto

strengthenwhatit

doesforitsmem

bers.”

KonklesaidSCSP

Ahasmorethanju

stageto

celebrate.

“Bymyestimate,m

orethan45,000st

udent

journalistsandpu

blicationadvisers

haveattended

SCSPAconferenc

esandworkshops

inColumbia

sincetheorganiza

tionmadeUSCit

spermanent

homeintheearly

1960s,”Konkles

aid.“That’s

quiteanachievem

ent,andthat’ssom

ething

thatshouldbecele

bratedandappreci

atedby

allschoolanduni

versityfacultyme

mbersand

administration.”

Thisyear’sspecial

guestspeakerisB

obby

Hawthorne,autho

rofThe Radical Write,and

who,formoretha

n30years,hashel

pedstudent

journalistsapprec

iatetheimportanc

eofgreat

writinginscholast

icpublications.

“Hetrulyisnowa

‘pioneer’inevery

senseof

Anniversary continued on page 5

Former SCSPA

director Bruce

Konkle, SCSPA

75th anniversary

intern Jenna

Eckel, and former

Dutch Fork MS

yearbook adviser

Beth Underwood

meet in the School

of Journalism to

discuss the 75th

anniversary and

fall conference.

75TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

ALL YOUR

INFOMATION

ABOUT THE

CELEBRATION!

Page 2: Perspective

PAGE 2 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

Banquet fee (includes dinner): $30 (SCSPA members) and $40 (non-members).Student conference registration fee: $25 (members) and $35 (non-members).Adviser conference registration fee (includes luncheon): $35 (members) and $45 (non-members).Reservations and registration are necessary.RSVP by Sept. 16 to http://scspa.sc.eduA form to reserve hotel rooms is found at http://scspa.sc.edu.

How quickly three years have passed since the planning began. Now SCSPA’s 75th Anniversary is just a little over a month away – Oct. 16 at the Columbia Marriott.

We hope South Carolina advisers and their staffs will be able to take advantage of this moment in scholastic journalism history to celebrate with us on both Sunday and Monday.

The anniversary celebration will kick off Sunday at 7 p.m. with a banquet and keynote speaker Bobby Hawthorne, author of The Radical Write. The banquet program will showcase our history, our present, and those who will lead us into our future.

After the banquet, students will have a number of pre-conference classes to choose from and time to “reunionize” at the sponsored reunion tables. Special guests and advisers will gather at a reception in the Palmetto Room.

Monday’s fall conference will also be at the Columbia Marriott rather than the Russell House. Speakers will be former scholastic journalists who now work in professional media, whose background in scholastic journalism has gotten them where they are today, or who are now journalism teachers.

Mark LaFountain and Erin McClam are just two examples of conference speakers. LaFountain, 1992 Journalist of the Year and editor of Irmo HS’s newspaper, The Stinger, is current vice president of community support at Tumblr. McClam, 1996 JOY and another Stinger editor is now a writer on the Top Stories Desk of the Associated Press in New York.

Bruce Littlefield, SCSPA 1984-85 student president and scholarship recipient and current New York Times best-selling author who appears on national television, will be our keynote speaker for the fall conference.

Registration and hotel reservation information can be found on page 5 and at http://scspa.sc.edu.

Please visit http://scspa.sc.edu for anniversary and conference updates.

It’s Time: Come celebrate SCSPA’s 75th Anniversary

Bobby Hawthorne, award-winning author of The Radical Write, popular workshop instructor and writing coach, will be the 75th anniversary banquet keynote speaker.

SCSPA 75th Anniversary Celebration and Fall Conference Details

Columbia Marriott Hotel 1200 Hampton St., Columbia, S.C. 29201

Sunday, Oct. 16:75th Anniversary Banquet, classes and reception: 7 - 11 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 17:Fall Conference: 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Bruce Littlefield, best-selling author, TV contributor and lifestyle expert, will be the fall conference keynote speaker.

Page 3: Perspective

Summer 2011 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION• PAGE 3

75th Anniversary ColumnCaston shares his story of becoming a journalism teacher

My mind more on the NBA and girls in my ninth grade English class rather than reading Romeo and Juliet, I welcomed the distraction when my classmate turned around and showed me an application to Spartanburg High School’s school news-paper, Norse News. He had

picked one up from the teacher.“Hey man, this stuff looks good on your college applica-

tion,” he said.Looks good on my college application? Surely it should

come with a better warning than that. Why didn’t he tell me that filling out the application

would lead me to covering sniper shootings in D.C., or chasing down a President for an interview? Why didn’t a warning tell me about all the gruesome murders I would cover one day? Or how I would soar over the Charleston harbor in a World War II fighter plane? Why didn’t it tell me that I would be drawn back to the classroom and—

But that didn’t matter then. I heard the magic words “college application,” the words that my parents had drilled into my brain many nights at the dinner table, and I raised my hand to ask for an application.

The next year led to a simple appointment as sports editor of the Norse News. But that was only the nose of the canoe sticking out over the waterfall. Editor in chief in high school led to SCSPA Journalist of the Year. That led to changing my major at Clemson from architecture to English and becoming editor-in -chief of The Tiger, which propelled me to grad school at The University of Maryland for a mas-ter’s in journalism.

From there, I worked various professional jobs, but eventually wound up at the Charleston Post and Courier as a cops reporter.

I suppose teaching is in my family’s blood since there are so many of us. But I had a steady dose of journalism injected into my bloodstream, and it created that monstrous hybrid known as an adviser. So I left the newsroom to pur-sue a teaching career, and I landed, finally, here. In another classroom. Working once again on high school publications.

Looks good on a college application, huh? Why didn’t it say, “WARNING: May cause permanent, enlightening changes to your life. Do not take if you are allergic to ad-venture, meeting extraordinary people, making a difference in lives, and if you operate complicated machinery (i.e., teenagers)”?

On Oct. 16, I’m going to see the lasting effects of my de-cision to fill out that little application. I will see my former

adviser, my former classmates, and former coworkers. But the life-changing experience I look forward to seeing the most are those kids who came to me a few years ago in hopes of having something that looked good on their col-lege application.

I’ll see former students who are now confident, proud adults who logged in hours after school because they believed in our publications. I’ll see college students who, somewhere deep inside, knew we were constructing something special even when the rest of the school didn’t understand how big of a deal it truly was. And I’ll see those former students who once uttered those words I love to hear: “No, Caston, I’m not afraid to cover that story. Yeah, I got this.”

But most of all, I’ll be surrounded by my current pub-lications students. They’re the ones who feel sorry for the other kids at our school who can’t be a part of the magic. The kids who, when another teacher eyes them for their organization or class, or when a principal turns a disap-proving eye towards them, I want to jump in front of them, growling with bared teeth and say, “No. These are newspa-per and yearbook kids. These kids are mine.”

They are ours, aren’t they? No matter where life takes them, somewhere we leave our permanent mark on them, right? I still carry the mark of my adviser. I sit at my desk sometimes and ask, “How did she do it?” Somehow, some way, we looked good on their college application. We did something to them that looked good on their life applica-tion, too, right? Because that’s what scholastic journalism does. It’s more permanent than a Spring Break tattoo and has more all-terrain capabilities than a new SUV. Forget Harry Potter. We advisers are given a state-issued license to unleash magic upon the world.

Because, well, these young adults who don’t yet know the power of their journalism want something that looks good on their college applications.

What if you could go back in time, back into your ado-lescent body, and, with the full knowledge of the conse-quences of your choices, make changes as you see fit?

I suppose I could have ignored my friend that day in English class. I could have kept on that path to become an architect. Maybe I would be in a nice corner office right now, thinking about skipping out of work early and driv-ing my brand new BMW down to my beachfront Isle of Palms vacation home.

I might think SCSPA was some animal rights group. I might tell people that buying a high school yearbook was a waste of money. I wouldn’t have to deal with teenagers all day, except on the roads, and my stocks, mutual funds, and

Caston continued on page 10

Phillip CastonSCSPA chairJ.L. Mann HS

Page 4: Perspective

PAGE 4 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

Director’s NoteSCSPA director gives behind-the-scenes look at putting together SCSPA’s history

The words history and team have new meanings in my vocabulary and putting SCSPA in front of them will forever conjure special memories of people who worked together to produce this history book.

The work of our SCSPA History Team brought a new perspective and greater appreciation for our predecessors in the scholastic journalism world in South Carolina. The more we found in old Perspectives and SCSPA files, the more I wanted to know. The more stories we heard and the more times we spent together, the more I wanted to share in this history.

Unfortunately, like every writer will tell you, only a small portion of the wealth of discovered history can be shared in these 76 pages, but I hope we have shared enough to get readers excited too about those who have preceded us in SCSPA and those who will carry on the work in the future.

The SCSPA History Team – Mary Ann Blaskowitz, Leslie Dennis, Jenna Eckel, Will Felts, Bruce Konkle, Judy Mulkey, Lisa Sisk, Beth Underwood and I – have collected and organized 75 years of scholastic journalism work in South Carolina. We have looked through hundreds of photos in envelopes and on the schopress server. By email, snail mail, Facebook and phone, we have contacted former students and publication advisers as well as those still active in SCSPA. We have compiled their memories, their quotes and their identifications.

We have edited for content, edited for clarity, edited for consistency, edited for punctuation and edited some more. And still, despite the number of eyes we have had on these pages, I am sure some errors still exist. But I will try not to worry about that. It’s a fact of the writing process.

I will forever be grateful to my former colleague and always friend, Will Felts, for agreeing with just one word in an email– yes – to writing the history. At times during the process of gathering information and weaving it into The Story of SCSPA’S People, I’m sure he must have questioned just how far a debt of friendship should go. I’m thankful, he, like the rest of the team, was willing to keep the process

going. The result is an ode to friendship, to history, to hard work and to working together.

I will always remember the surge of adrenalin I had working in Room 3008 of the SJMC – a computer lab with 27-inch iMacs – when text and visuals Beth and Jenna were working came together and when Leslie adjusted

the columns, tweaked the leading and performed other InDesign tasks none of us understood. Not since my days in the publication classroom have I felt such excitement and felt so good to be part of a team of people working toward a common goal.

Finally, I want to thank Balfour Yearbooks for printing this history. Thank you, David Dixon for believing in our work in scholastic journalism in South Carolina enough to put this work in your budget at a time when “extras” are hard to eek out. Thank you, Milani Arguelles for your patience in our technical communications, and thank you, Holly Schweitzer for always smiling even when

we asked the strangest questions.And thank you, scholastic journalism for being a part of

my life.– Karen

The history will be available at the anniversary banquet and fall conference.

South Carolina Scholastic P

ress Association | 1936-2011 | C

elebrating 75 Years of Excellence in Journalism

57 th

75

SCSPA’s 75th Anniversary History Cover

SCSPA History Team

Mary Ann Blaskowitz, Camden HS adviserLeslie Dennis, Scholastic Press ManagerJenna Eckel, SCSPA Anniversary InternWill Felts, James Island HS adviserKaren Flowers, SCSPA directorBruce Konkle, SCSPA director 1985-2002Judy Mulkey, Irmo Campus I adviserLisa Sisk, SJMC senior instructor Beth Underwood, Dutch Fork MS adviser

Page 5: Perspective

Summer 2011 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION• PAGE 5

Come celebrate SCSPA’s 75th Anniversary & attend the Fall Conference

75th Anniversary Sunday, Oct. 16 Fall conference Monday, Oct. 17

Both at the Columbia Marriott (Hampton Street)USE THE FOLLOWING TO HELP YOU PLAN.

TOTAL COSTS:SUNDAY

Room for one night: $120.99 (includes tax)/4 per room = $30.25Banquet = $30 (member schools); $40 (non-member schools)

MONDAYConference registration for students = $25 (member schools); $35 (non-member schools)Conference registration for advisers (includes luncheon) = $35 (member schools); $45 (non-member schools)

Transportation = $ _______________

Misc. expenses = $ _______________

Total cost per student = $85.25 (not including transportation)

So…….. for about $100, students can come be a part of SCSPA’s history, meet people who have contributed to that history (like people on their staff) and bond with their current adviser and staff.

PAYMENT PLAN (Adjust to your staff’s total when transportation and any miscellaneous expenses are added)

Deposit by AUG. 30 $40 Payment #2 by SEPT. 15 $30 Final payment SEPT. 30 $30

To make reservations for Sunday night email

the following to Tiffany Adams (tadams@

pyramidhotelgroup.com or fax 803-254-2911).

Group: SC Scholastic Press Association

75th Anniversary

Date: Oct. 16 - 17, 2011

School Name:

School Address, city, ZIP

Adviser Name:

Credit Card for Guarantee:

Credit Card Expiration:

Room 1:

______________, ______________,

______________, ______________

Room 2:

______________, ______________,

______________, ______________

Reservations must be made by Sept. 15.

Check in: 4 p.m. Check out: 12 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 16 75th Anniversary Celebration Schedule6 - 6:45 p.m. Banquet registration

7 - 9 p.m. Anniversary banquet

9 - 11 p.m. Reception for guests and advisers

9:15 - 10 p.m. Classes for students and advisers

10 - 11 p.m. Scavenger Hunt

Monday, Oct. 17Fall Conference Schedule8 - 9 a.m. Registration9 - 9:45 a.m. Session 110 - 10:45 a.m. Session 211 - 11:45 a.m. Session 3Noon - 1:15 p.m. Adviser luncheon (Students on their own)1:20 - 1:40 p.m. Bruce Littlefield keynote1:40 - 2:30 p.m. Awards ceremony or class

Membership information can be found at http://scspa.sc.edu

Page 6: Perspective

PAGE 6 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

Communicating Then and Now with MembersAssociation publications through the years

The Convention-Ear 1939-1945

Carolina Editor 1945-1960

SCSPA Bulletin1961-1980SCSPA

1980-1984

Perspective 1985-2011

Scholastic Focus 1980-1997

Scholastic Review

1997-2011

Annual magazine of the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association – Volume 15

2011Scholastic Review

SCSPA communicating with members in 2003Article from October/November 2003 Perspective

Publications have always been a key to keeping associations activities in the forefront so members will know what’s going on, who’s doing what, when something’s happening, where a meeting will occur and why what we call scholastic journalism is just so darn important!

An early SCSPA publication included Convention-Ear, a tabloid newspaper published in the early 1940s in conjunction with conventions. SCSPA archives only include one copy of the newspaper (1940). Most member correspondence was simply done by personal letters to advisers until an official newsletter, named The Carolina Editor, was first produced in 1945. The tabloid-sized newsletter continued in that format until the mid-1950s when it changed to an 8 ½ X 11 size.

The Carolina Editor was renamed the SCSPA Bulletin in 1961 by Director Fletcher Ferguson. In 1980 the name was dropped and the newsletter was simply called SCSPA. The name Perspective appears for the first time on the April 1985 nameplate of the publication. It was the last newsletter edited by Ann Herlong before she stepped down as director of the organization.

Other publications sporadically produced through SCSPA’s 67-year history include:

SCSPA Extra, a later successor to the Convention-Ear convention newspapers, and The First 50 Years, a brief history of the organization published in 1986. The association also published calendars from 1986 to 1988. Initially they were developed to highlight SCSPA’s 50th anniversary, but they were continued for several years because of their popularity with advisers. Gazette, an in-depth list of award winners for each conference was first published in April 1988 as a way to give conference attendees an immediate list of award winners following an awards ceremony.

The association’s Adviser Notebooks were first published for the fall 1985 conference. The notebooks gave members critical information to assist with the publishing of magazines, newspapers and yearbooks. Although time consuming to produce, the notebooks continue to be one of SCSPA’s more unique offerings.

Conference programs, membership brochures and evaluation guides, of course, also serve as critical published materials for members.

Although printed publications remain viable communication tools, Director Karen Flowers continues to move critical conference, competition and award information to SCSPA’s website, so members will have quick access to it and “we can save a few extra dollars in mailing costs.”

-Written by: Bruce Konkle, College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, in 2003

Page 7: Perspective

Summer 2011 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION• PAGE 7

Communicating Then and Now with Members

Find us on the web:http://scspa.sc.edu

Like us on Facebook: SC Scholastic Press Association

Follow us on Twitter:SCSPA

By the Numbers$1

Dollar amount to attend the 1936 convention dance.

$5Registration fee for the 1962 SCSPA convention.

$6Membership fee to join SCSPA during September 1967.

14Number of SCSPA directors/co-directors since 1936.

18At least this many graduate students have worked for SCSPA.

$30Membership fee to join SCSPA in 1988.

$40Membership fee to join SCSPA in 2003.

99Newspapers were entered in SCSPA’s critique service in 1951.

800Participants attended the

1948 SCSPA convention in Charleston.

1,126Participants attended the 1991 two-day fall conference in Columbia.

1936SCSPA’s origination year.

As the SCSPA 75th intern last spring, I needed to create multiple communication tactics for promoting the 75th anniversary.

So I put my public relations campaign course to good use and created a SurveyMonkey questionnaire to better understand what forms of communication SCSPA advisers are using most in 2011.

I sent the survey to 68 SCSPA advisers hoping to gain insight on how to communicate most effectively with our advisers for the anniversary as well as future events. Eighty percent of the sample responded and much to my surprise advisers are not conforming to the social media age.

According to the survey, 80.4 percent said they would always use email, but 87. 2 percent said they would never use Twitter. Facebook was accepted more than Twitter with 44.7 percent saying they will sometimes use it.

The survey also gave information on how long teachers have been advising. The majority of the respondents have only been advising zero to four years. In fact, 12 of the respondents have been advising two years or fewer. Since the majority of advisers are either new or young, it is interesting that the emergence of the social media age does not seem to have had much affect on them.

As we worked in the office, we had to employ more than traditional means of communication. While working on SCSPA’s History and the invitation list for the 75th anniversary, Karen Flowers, SCSPA director, often used Facebook to find former advisers and students. When false leads for home snail mail addresses occurred, Facebook came in handy.

“Facebook and other social networking sites are means of communicating to different publics,” Flowers said. “It is important to find and use the medium your publics are using.”

Flowers said the office staff tries to communicate in a variety of ways: email, snail mail, the scholastic journalism websites (scspa.sc.edu and sipa.sc.edu), the schopress listserv, Facebook and a little Twitter.

But the staff knows you are reading your emails the most.

-Written by Jenna Eckel, SCSPA Anniversary Intern

Email is the most used resource among SCSPA advisers. Conference, Perspective and the website are also reliable means of communicating. Twitter is used the least.

Page 8: Perspective

PAGE 8 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

Forever-useful articlesJournalism BeneficialArticle from October 1986 Perspective

College freshman who have been on the staff of a high school newspaper or yearbook do better in their first year of college English courses and tend to earn a higher grade point averages than do those without such experience, ac-cording to recent research conducted the American College Testing Program.

Of more than 19,000 participants in the study who had taken the ACT Assessment as high school students, almost 25 percent had worked on the staff of a school newspaper or yearbook. Those students’ ACT English and composite scores – often used as criteria for college entrance – were significantly higher than those who had not worked on a high school publication.

Students with yearbook or newspaper experience scored in the 81st percentile in the English test, while non-publi-cations students scored in the 69th. Composite scores were in the 76th percentile for publications students, compared with the 74th percentile for non-publications students.

They also had significantly higher social studies scores, but had lower math scores and scored the same in natural science.

Diamond Anniversary...

Sneak peek

SCSPA is celebrating its 75th anniversary… also known as the diamond anniversary. In honor of our past, each newsletter will feature articles from past Perspectives. This issue also features a sneak peak of SCSPA’s 75th Anniversary History –the book– that will be unveiled at the 75th anniversary banquet.

The Stories of SCSPA’s PeopleBy Will Felts

“What is the difference,” the education major asked, “between teaching journalism and teaching English, history or math?”

Her instructor, like a Kung Fu master stroked his chin and squinted knowingly.

“What would you say is the difference between teaching swimming in a pool and teaching swim-ming in a classroom?”

Journalism teachers know the difference. For this history, they’ve opined on that differ-ence and a dozen other issues...from how to recruit students... to

advice to advisers... from memories of moments

most proud... to those most embarrassing...

...Thus begins the SCSPA history

Fort Johnson HS’s, November 1969 issue of The Odyssey. Fort Johnson later became James Island HS.

• Director: Karen H. Flowers• Scholastic Press Manager: Leslie Dennis• Perspective Editor: Jenna Eckel• Office Assistants: Kelsey D’Amico, Jenna Eckel and Rebecca Piner• USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications Colubmia, SC 29208• Phone: 803.777.6284• Fax: 803.777.4103• Email: [email protected]• Website: http://scspa.sc.edu

Student Officers 2011 - 2012 President: Katie Jones

Vice President: London Lecy

Representatives: Broadcast: Hannah Luther Coastal: Christopher Swain Magazine: Ellen McFadden Midlands: Rebecca Rowell & Richard Lipkin Newspaper: Collyn Taylor Piedmont: Coralia Balasca Yearbook: Olivia Barthel

Perspective

Page 9: Perspective

Summer 2011 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION• PAGE 9

Publications in South Carolina have a strong and rich history. SCSPA, your state scholastic journalism organization, has influenced prominent individuals in the community and on the professional level. To help celebrate our 75 years of educating, serving and honoring individuals and staffs who have impacted and been impacted by SCSPA, we would like to offer your staff an opportunity to showcase your publication history, whether it is extensive or just beginning. We invite your staff to put your publications on display during the Sunday banquet, Oct. 16, and the Monday conference, Oct. 17. Show former staffers who attend, as well as current staff members, what your literary magazine, newspaper and yearbook have looked like through the years.

To reserve your exhibit space, fill out the bottom portion of this sheet, tear off and mail with a check for $40 made out to SCSPA. Mail to:

SCSPAUniversity of South Carolina

School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationsColumbia, SC 29208.

Table reservations are due in the SCSPA office Friday, Sept. 16. For more information contact Jenna Eckel: [email protected] look forward to learning about your school’s traditions and history through your publications. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Please reserve the _________________________________________________________ staff(s) of

_____________________________High School in ___________________________, S.C. ________ table(s)

@ $40 each for a total of $___________.

Mail with your $40 check to SCSPA

University of South CarolinaSchool of Journalism and Mass Communications

Columbia, SC, 29208.

Showcase your publication’s history at SCSPA’s 75th anniversary celebration

and fall conference

Page 10: Perspective

PAGE 10 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

portfolio would seem more intriguing than some article on kids addicted to drugs in high school. “Who would want to read about that anyway?” I would probably ask myself.

“And some 75th anniversary with a bunch of teenagers? Who would want to go to that?” I might ask if I led that life.

So what if I could go back to that day in ninth-grade English, knowing all that I know now and having experienced the wild rollercoaster ride that is journalism and teaching? Knowing full well what kind of life I could have if I just turned away?

“Hey man, this stuff looks good on your college application,” my friend would say.

“Give me one of those things,” I would say. “Yeah, I got this.”

Caston continued from page 3

Fall Board Meeting NotesThe SCSPA executive board met Friday, Aug. 5, at USC’s Carolina Coliseum. Fifteen of the 21 board members attended along with finance and 75th anniversary committee members.

Items discussed:• The board voted to raise evaluation fees for 2012-2013 from $40 to $50.

• A SurveyMonkey survey will sent to SCSPA members to find out what conditions South Carolina scholastic publications are operating.

• Much of the meeting discussion pertained to the 75th anniversary and fall conference.

• SCSPA encourages students to apply for Journalist of the Year. Application deadline due: Feb. 15, 2012

• SCSPA announced a Multi-Cultural Conference Oct. 27.

DATELINE 2011

September16 – SCSPA 75th

Anniversary Celebration hotel reservation & Fall

Conference early bird registration deadline

23 – SCSPA Fall photo contest deadline (via email)

24 – SCSPA One-Day workshops (USC School of Journalism and Mass

Communications)

October1– SCSPA newspaper &

broadcast mini-evaluations begin

15 – SIPA fall delivery yearbook & magazine

evaluation deadline16 – SCSPA 75th

Anniversary Celebration at Downtown Marriott in

Columbia, S.C.17 – SCSPA Fall Conference

at Downtown Marriott in Columbia, S.C.

27 – SJMC Multi-Cultural Outreach Forum for juniors

and seniors sponsored by USC School of Journalism

and Mass Communications

November1 – Quill & Scroll Yearbook

Excellence Contest deadline15 – SCSPA Excellence

in Scholastic Newspaper Awards email submission

deadline17-20 – JEA/NSPA

Convention in Minneapolis, Minn.

See the SCSPA website (scspa.sc.edu) for a

detailed master calendar.

Get ready for the Fall Photography Contest! No entry fees – just make sure your publication is a

member.Photo must include a lightbulb!

Email entries by Sept. 23 to [email protected] or [email protected].

Page 11: Perspective

Summer 2011 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION• PAGE 11

Did you know?The SCSPA office staff learned so much while working on SCSPA’s history. Here are some facts about SCSPA that you might find interesting.

n It took 10 years to get SCSPA started. It is actually modeled off of

Kansas’ high school press association. William M. Albergotti used the

Kansas model as an example of an ideal structure. Ironically, a Kansas

scholastic press association was not formally organized until many

years later.

n By 1967, ten junior high schools held membership in SCSPA.

n Two 1968 JEA publications, All American Adviser and JEA Media

Guide, were edited by SCSPA’s Sara Greer, adviser at Wren HS.

n SCSPA did not recognize the yearbook/literary

magazine division until 1969 and magazine staffs were

not invited to attend conventions until 1975.

n SCSPA used to have districts. SCSPA sponsored

five-district workshop in October 1973 in Columbia,

Spartanburg, Aynor, Iva and Moncks Corner.

n SCSPA Director Dennis Jones handed out 46

yearbook critique awards at the Sept. 24, 1974 Yearbook

Convention as 376 participants looked on.

n Literary magazine evaluations were begun in

the summer of 1975. Costs for entering the critique

service: $8.

n Dr. Reid Montgomery, former SCSPA director, keynoted the

April 24, 1975 Spring Convention.

n Dr. Albert T. Scroggins, dean of USC’s College of

Journalism, was awarded a Gold Key from CSPA in 1979 for

his support of scholastic journalism.

n SCSPA used to have separate conferences and student

presidents for a newspaper division and a yearbook/literary

arts division.

Second-year Socastee MS adviser Martha Herring talks with Lisa Hucks and other students in 1986. Hucks went on to be editor-in-cheif of The Sentinel at Socastee HS.

Tammy Watkins and the Wando HS Tribal Tribune newspaper staff won Best in State for the first time in 1993.

Judy Mulkey, Campus I MS’s newspaper, Witness, adviser, talks with a student about the day’s classes at a conference.

Page 12: Perspective

PAGE 12 • SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION • Summer 2011

School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationsUniversity of South CarolinaColumbia, SC 29208