350 Students Attend Journalism
Scholars Day At WKU
September 27, 2004
Bowling Green, Ky. - Journalism Scholars Day, a 30-year tradition at Western Kentucky University, attracted some 350 Kentucky high school journalism students to campus Friday for a four-hour conference that included breakout sessions, keynote address, write-off contest and yearbook contest awards ceremony.
Student media advisers from Owensboro to Campbellsville brought their staffs to attend sessions taught by Western faculty and students as well as other journalism professionals.
The conference goal was to encourage excellence in high school media classes. It also provided high school students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills. Staffers and their advisers attended 30 breakout sessions with topics ranging from broadcasting and photography to technology and speaking for broadcast.
Eight students entered the write-off contest.
Facilitated by Bob Adams, adviser to the College Heights Herald, Western's student newspaper, the write-off required students to type their stories about the keynote address on computers, self-edit and turn them in all in under an hour, just like in a real newsroom. Adams and Herald editorial board members judged the stories.
The competition was stiff, Adams said, and the stories were quite good.
Lexington Herald-Leader managing editor Tom Eblen gave the keynote address, "First Amendment: Purpose, Pride and Passion."
For two area seniors, however, it was more than just another speech.
Jordan Speer of Bowling Green High and Mary Grace Brooks of Glasgow High won the speech story write-off competition; each earned $500 scholarships to attend Western.
Purple Gem cartoonist and feature writer Speer said Eblen's speech about the First Amendment had a profound effect on him. "It definitely made me think about the people I listen to on the news media—that I should think twice before I know it's true. Now I know the next time I write a story I should verify stuff before I write," Speer said.
Journalism Scholars Day attendees came from the following high schools: Allen County-Scottsville, Barren County, Bowling Green, Breckinridge County, Corbin, Daviess County, Glasgow, Greenwood, Graves County, Grayson County, Hopkinsville, Pulaski County, Shelby County and Taylor County.
Several came specifically for the awards ceremony. Twenty-three schools entered their yearbooks in the Mark of Excellence Yearbook contest, sponsored by Western's chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
One local yearbook adviser says she thinks the contest is a good idea.
"It's invaluable for my students to see their books are being judged," said Tricia Crocker, Bowling Green High yearbook adviser.
"I've seen my staff become much more interested in doing a good job when they see they are being compared to other schools and that it's (the yearbook) not just a product turned into a teacher."
The Mark of Excellence Yearbook contest was chaired by Western SPJ chapter president Ashlee Clark. Judges included Clark, students Katie Clark, Julie Kish, Lee Fisher, Lisa Ross, Whitney Ingersoll and Adriane Hardin. Jackie Bretz, director of the Kentucky High School Media Institute, was the contest coordinator.
Here are the yearbook contest winners:
DIVISION A/AA
Advertising A/AA
First Place- Crittenden County High School, Rockette
Second Place- Edmonson Country High School, Wildcat
Third Place- Fulton County High School, Pilot
Honorable Mention-Corbin High School, Redhound; Webster County High School, Trojan
Photography A/AA
First Place- Glasgow High School, Scottie
Second Place- Webster County High School, Trojan
Third Place- Crittenden County High School, Rockette; Edmonson County High School, Wildcat
Honorable Mention- Corbin High School, Redhound; Fulton County High School, Pilot
Cover/Theme Development A/AA
First Place- Corbin High School, Redhound
Second Place- Webster County High School, Trojan
Third Place- Glasgow High School, Scottie
Honorable Mention- Crittenden County High School, Rockette; Edmonson County High School, Wildcat
Layout/Design A/AA
First Place- Webster County High School, Trojan
Second Place- Glasgow High School, Scottie
Third Place- Corbin High School, Redhound
Honorable Mention- Edmonson County High School, Wildcat; Fulton County High School, Pilot
Copy A/AA
First Place- Corbin High School, Redhound
Second Place- Webster County High School, Trojan
Third Place- Crittenden County High School, Rockette; Glasgow High School, Scottie
Honorable Mention- Edmonson County, Wildcat
Best Overall Yearbook A/AA
First Place- Corbin High School, Redhound; Webster County High School, Trojan
Second Place- Crittenden County, Rockette
Third Place- Glasgow High School, Scottie
Honorable Mention- Edmonson County High School, Wildcat; Fulton County High School, Pilot
DIVISION AAA
Advertising AAA
First Place- Lone Oak High School, Oak Leaves
Second Place- Taylor County High School, Cardinal
Third Place- Union County High School, Unionaire
Honorable Mention- Bowling Green High School, Beacon; Lexington Catholic High School, Quest; Logan County High School, Cougar; South Oldham County High School, Draconium
Photography AAA
First Place- South Oldham County High School, Draconium
Second Place- Taylor County High School, Cardinal
Third Place- Lexington Catholic High School, Quest
Honorable Mention- Hopkinsville High School, Orange & Black
Cover/Theme Development AAA
First Place- South Oldham County High School, Draconium
Second Place- Bowling Green High School, Beacon
Third Place- Lexington Catholic High School, Quest; Taylor County High School, Cardinal
Honorable Mention- Logan County High School, Cougar; Lone Oak High School, Oak Leaves; Union County High School, Unionaire
Layout/Design AAA
First Place- Lexington Catholic High School, Quest
Second Place- Bowling Green High School, Beacon
Third Place- Taylor County High School, Cardinal
Honorable Mention- Hopkinsville High School, Orange & Black
Copy AAA
First Place- South Oldham County High School, Draconium
Second Place- Bowling Green High School, Beacon; Lexington Catholic High School, Quest
Third Place- Taylor County High School, Cardinal; Hopkinsville High School, Orange & Black
Best Overall Yearbook AAA
First Place- South Oldham County High School, Draconium; Taylor County High School, Cardinal
Second Place- Lexington Catholic High School, Quest
Third Place- Bowling Green High School, Beacon
DIVISION AAAA
Advertising AAAA
First Place- Barren County High School, The Trojan
Second Place- Graves County High School- Aquila; Greenwood High School- Ebullience
Third Place- Eastern High School, The Talon; Fern Creek Traditional High School, Tiger; Henderson County High School, Countiana
Honorable Mention- Shelby County High School, Rocket
Photography AAAA
First Place- Daviess County High School, Echoes
Second Place- Scott County High School, eXposure
Third Place- Greenwood High School, Ebullience
Honorable Mention- Barren County High School, The Trojan; Eastern High School, The Talon; Graves County High School- Aquila; Shelby County High School, Rocket
Cover/Theme Development AAAA
First Place- Eastern High School, The Talon; Graves County High School, Aquila
Second Place- Daviess County High School, Echoes; Fern Creek Traditional High School, Tiger
Third Place- Greenwood High School, Ebullience
Honorable Mention- Barren County High School, The Trojan
Layout/Design AAAA
First Place- Barren County High School, The Trojan
Second Place- Greenwood High School, Ebullience
Third Place- Scott County High School, exposure; Graves County High School, Aquila
Honorable Mention- Eastern High School, The Talon; Fern Creek Traditional High School, The Tiger
Copy AAAA
First Place- Graves County High School, Aquila
Second Place- Greenwood High School, Ebullience
Third Place- Barren County High School, The Trojan; Henderson County High School, Countiana; Fern Creek Traditional High School, The Tiger
Honorable Mention- Eastern High School, The Talon
Best Overall Yearbook AAAA
First Place- Graves County High School, Aquila
Second Place- Greenwood High School, Ebullience; Barren County High School, The Trojan
Third Place- Daviess County High School, Echoes; Fern Creek Traditional High School, Tiger
Honorable Mention- Eastern High School, The Tiger; Henderson County High School, Countiana; Scott County High School, exposure; Shelby County High School, Rocket
Journalism Scholars Day, directed by Jackie Bretz, is co-sponsored by the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, the Kentucky High School Media Institute, Western, Western's Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, the College Heights Herald, Talisman and the Kentucky High School Journalism Association.
Originally called High School Press Day, the conference was renamed Journalism Scholars Day when Jo-Ann Albers became department chair in the late 1980s. Having a day devoted to high school journalism is a Western tradition that dates to the 1970s. Dr. Pam Johnson is the current director of WKU's School of Journalism and Broadcasting.
More information about Journalism Scholars Day can be found at www.wku.edu/khsmp.
For information, contact Jackie Bretz at (270) 745-6407
