How do you create stories that matter? At the Florida Scholastic Press Association’s (FSPA) annual conference, our school’s journalism students learned how to do just that. On April 3rd, the Olla TV and Grotto News team traveled to Orlando to join Florida schools in learning and experiencing new skills to become better journalists.
On Thursday, the conference began with a keynote speech by the leaders before the release of contest prompts. The rest of the afternoon, every student worked on group or individual categories to compete with other schools for the final awards announced on Saturday. Olla TV competed in multiple categories, most notably Man on the Street and Collaborative Commercial. The Grotto News team also competed in multiple writing prompt categories, such as Feature and Opinion story. In the evening, students from each district competed in a Lip Sync Battle.
“I got to reunite with people from my middle school and build new connections,” freshman Alexis Cruzeta said. “I want to go into broadcasting, so this was an amazing support system for that.”
As a first year journalism student, Cruzeta and many others who joined the trip learned important journalistic tools through collaboration with peers. Speaking about the conference, Cruzeta said that the best thing she learned was how to lead with the help and opinions of others. She and her collaborators from other schools competed and won 2nd place in the Collaborative Commercial.
On Friday, various break out sessions were available almost every hour from 9 a.m to 3 p.m as an opportunity to learn from fellow students and experienced professionals. Students could choose the speaker and session they would most like to hear, and attended a total of 4 sessions throughout the day. The presentations ranged from knowledgeable student representatives to seasoned sports broadcasters.
“The best part was the sessions,” junior Valeria Rincon said. “I loved applying what we learned and meeting experts in the field.”
Rincon participated in the Man on the Street Category, winning an honorable mention with her collaborator, junior Gigi Valladares. Juniors Sophie Vallejo and Valentina Brime also won an honorable mention for their submission in the same category. Even though some aspects of the conference were individual, one resounding theme of the weekend was teamwork. Everyone worked hard and, most importantly, worked together to produce the award-winning packages, reels, and stories.
“What makes Olla TV special is the people around you and the connections you make. It’s a supportive group that comes together when you need them,” Cruzeta said.
In addition to broadcasting awards, the Grotto team’s Alani Avila and Emma Moran were awarded honorable mentions for their Opinion Story and Sports Writing, respectively. Overall, the conference was a success. The team not only returned with valuable experience, but new ideas on how to improve their own journalistic skills and our program as a whole.
