March 6, 2006

SIPA Convention teaches freedoms guaranteed by First Amendment

More than 600 high school journalists, publication advisers and professionals in print and electronic journalism attended the annual Southern Interscholastic Press Association's (SIPA) convention and competition March 3-5. The Knight-Ridder Foundation Study that found high school students know little about the First Amendment freedoms inspired this year's theme.

Convention attendees had the opportunity to compete in 29 carry-in contests and six onsite contests. Five seniors received scholarships to help with their freshman year at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Keynote speaker, cartoonist and author Doug Marketers some of his cartoons and explains how his work has been censored at the opening on Friday night. On Saturday banquet speaker, Jack Kennedy, Colorado publications adviser and JEA vice president, reviewed the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment while captivating the audience with a sing-along of “Those Journalism Blues.”

Thanks to grants from American Society of Newspaper Educators, Dow Jones Newspaper Fund and Newspaper Association of America Foundation SIPA was able to offer fellowships to the 2006 SIPA Convention to advisers affected by Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The following four advisers received the fellowships to attend SIPA’s “Freedom First” convention focusing on the First Amendment: Ellen Bayless, Northside High School (Lafayette, La.); Richard Benton, Harrison Central High School (Gulfport, Miss.); Coy E. Henderson, J.J. McClain High School (Lexington, Miss.) and Mary Kay Sullivan, Dr. Michael Krop High School (Miami, Fla.). Five students also received fellowship money to attend the convention.

SIPA awarded one C. E. Savedge Scholarship and four SIPA scholarships at the Saturday night banquet and also named the Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year.

C. E. Savedge Scholarship

Daniel J. Davis of South Florence High School in Florence, S.C. received the C.E. Savedge Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an outstanding yearbook staff member. Davis has worked on his school’s yearbook for the past three years as a copywriter, photographer and layout designer. He plans to continue journalism in college and become either a sports writer or broadcaster.

He says that he has “wanted to major in journalism for a long time” but that after he attend the SIPA convention last year he made the decision to attend USC. His ultimate goal is to “work as a broadcaster for a major league baseball team or a sports network, such as ESPN,” he said.

SIPA Scholarships

Jessica Corley, Nick Di Dolci, Justin Fenner and Andrea Taber received SIPA Scholarships.

Corley of Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C. serves as the co-editor-in-chief on her school newspaper, The Renaissance. She has been involved in journalism since the eighth grade.

Talking about her future in journalism, she says, “I can only hope that by pursuing a career in journalism I can give back a small amount of what has been given to me.”

Di Dolci of Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach, S.C. has worked on his newspaper, The Prowler, and his broadcast program, the Panther News.

Because of his dedication to his newspaper, he moved away from his entire family so he could continue to write for the newspaper. While his father and brother live in New Jersey, he lives with a surrogate family until he begins going to USC. 

Although he is not sure if he will go into print or broadcast journalism, whatever he chooses he says “I will put all the energy I possess into it […] In some ways I am living a dream, a dream I hope continues at USC.”

Fenner of Stratford High School in Goose Creek, S.C. has worked as a news director, anchor reporter and producer on his high school’s broadcast program, Real TV.

Although he says, “I would love to achieve the fame, the surmountable notoriety and unparalleled credibility of journalists such as Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, Ted Koppel and Anderson Cooper, I have always felt that if I am not distinctly myself as a journalist, I will have failed the high calling of this most distinguished profession.”

After graduating from USC, he hopes to work for Channel One and, after gaining the experience needed, to become an anchor or reporter on a major news network.

Taber of Irmo High School in Columbia, S.C. is the co-editor-in-chief of her newspaper, The Stinger. Chosen for the position in her paper’s fortieth anniversary year, she had a lot of responsibility and history to live up to.

“Leading a staff of would-be journalists and being responsible for producing a quality publication each month (in a milestone year) has challenged me to achieve more than I would have imagined,” she says.

When she graduates from USC, she plans to start a career in print journalism and ultimately work as a writer for a major music magazine.

Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year

Dr. Jel Herbst of South Plantation High School in Plantation, Fla. received the Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year Award. To be considered for this award an administrator must provide support for more than one publication, aid in the acquisition of the school’s journalism programs’ physical needs, support the professional growth of the advisers and allow student memberships and critiques by state, regional and national organizations.

Herbst is described by his school’s newspaper adviser, Alyce Culpepper, as having a “unique leadership style” in which he “treats students and teachers with respect.”

In 35 years of his school’s history, Herbst is the first principal to help students attend the SIPA convention.  In addition, the publication staffs have been able to travel to NSPA/JEA national conventions as well as their state press association’s conventions with his help. Not only has he found money to support the staff’s attendance at conferences and workshops, he has also improved the equipment in the journalism department.

“From his very first day, he has nurtured scholastic journalism at our school: newspaper, yearbook, broadcast program and literary magazine. He immediately sent school funds on upgrading the digital television productions studio and publications lab. Each year he purchases upgrades for software and computers,” Culpepper said.

At the advisers luncheon Saturday, SIPA awarded five Elizabeth B. Dickey Distinguished Service awards. Recipients of this prestigious award were Gary Dickey, husband of the SIPA Executive Director and supporter of scholastic journalism; Martha Herring of Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Jack Kennedy, JEA vice president and Colorado publications adviser; Amy Medlock-Greene of Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C.; and Ken Thornberry of Taylor Publishing.

SIPA's mission is to encourage a high degree of professionalism in scholastic journalism and mass communications in the Southeast. SIPA was founded at Washington and Lee University in 1926 and moved to the University of South Carolina in 1972. Members are from 15 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

To view opening, awards, program and more information on SIPA>>