Welcome to the 2023 KSPA State Celebration!
Thanks for joining teachers and students from around Kansas for a celebration of student journalism at the University of Kansas on May 6. Below you will find all of the details that you need to plan your day.
We won’t be printing a paper schedule for this event, so keep this web page handy for the day.
THE BASICS
- Parking is in the KU Mississippi Street Garage: LINK Please be sure to pay for your parking. We do not have permits or vouchers for this event. Payments for parking can be made through small electronic kiosks in the stairwells of the parking garage.
- We will use The Kansas Union for the event. The day will begin in the Woodruff Auditorium on the fifth floor of the building.
- KSPA will not be providing breakfast for the event.
SCHEDULE
WELCOME
8:30 a.m. Exhibitor Tables Open
On the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, join our sponsors for a showcase of their products and services.
8:30 a.m. Slideshow of Regional Winners
We will showcase the winning entries from the visual categories of the Regional Contest in the Woodruff Auditorium before our program begins.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
9 a.m. Keynote Speaker in the Woodruff Auditorium, fifth floor of the Kansas Union
Peggy Lowe reports for KCUR, the NPR affiliate in Kansas City. “Overlooked,” her recent podcast collaboration with fellow staff members, investigates the alleged corruption and criminality in the Kansas City, Kansas police department. The subject of the investigation, homicide detective Roger Golubski, has been indicted by the federal government for a pattern of suspicious behavior that often targeted black women in the Kansas City, Kansas. The six-part podcast relies on the alleged victims of Golubski’s crimes to tell the harrowing stories of harassment and intimidation. The series recently earned an award from IRE, the national nonprofit Investigative Reporters and Editors, for best audio project in a small market. KSPA executive director Eric Thomas, in a piece for the Kansas Reflector, described how “This particular series rises to the vanguard of an often cluttered pile of podcasts by dedicating years of dogged recording along with veteran skilled journalists to the investigation of this one sordid story.”
AWARDS CEREMONY
9:55 a.m. Awards Ceremony in the Woodruff Auditorium
We gather to celebrate so many of the awards that student journalists have earned during 2022-2023:
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- Student Journalists of the Year
- Portfolio of the Year winners
- Our educator Awards, including Administrator of the Year, Hall of Fame and Sunflower Award winner
- Mary Patrick Aspiring Journalist Award Winners
- All-Kansas publications: yearbook, news publication, online and video
- State Contest Visual & Writing Winners
Plus, we will crown our KSPA State Contest Sweepstakes winners: the schools who have earned the most points in the State Contest competition.
BREAK-OUT SESSIONS #1
10:55-11:35 a.m. Break-out session #1
*** click on arrow for a detailed schedule of sessions ***
click on arrow for a detailed schedule of sessions5th Floor Lobby
TOURS OF THE WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE SCHOOL
Stop by to meet recruiter from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. You will take a walking tour from the Kansas Union to Stauffer-Flint Hall, the main home of student media, journalism, advertising and public relations classes at KU.
Ballroom: Fifth Floor
“What TikTok and tabloids can teach us about continuing coverage”
Journalists tend to excel at getting that first story when news happens, but we sometimes struggle with what comes next. How do we approach the second-day (or second-week) story? We’ll discuss what merits an update or further reporting using examples from pop culture.
presented by Megan Moser of the Manhattan Mercury
Governors Room: Fifth Floor
“Generating impactful story ideas”
A presentation with a Q&A at the end about strategies and techniques for finding hard-hitting news ideas in a high school environment.
presented by Josh Merchant and Maria Benevento of The Kansas City Beacon
International Room: Fifth Floor
Keynote Q and A
Peggy Lowe, our keynote speaker and KCUR reporter, will be available to talk about her award-winning podcast series or any of your questions about reporting. Come to this smaller chat with your questions and curiosity.
presented by Peggy Lowe, reporter and podcaster for KCUR
Jayhawk Room: Fifth Floor
The importance of community journalism in the 21st century
presented by Ryann Brooks, news editor for the Emporia Gazette & the 2023 Kansas Journalist of the Year
Woodruff Auditorium: Fifth Floor
“What is it like to be a professional journalist?”
The Kansas City Star’s Jonathan Shorman will share experiences and perspectives from his career as a reporter. If you’re curious about a career in journalism, bring your thoughts and questions.
presented by Jonathan Shorman, lead political reporter for the KC Star
Alderson Room: Fifth Floor
“Secondary coverage inspiration”
Secondary coverage is critical to covering the year. These coverage ideas can help with your design, improve your writing, and help you get more students featured in your book. We will look at examples of strong secondary coverage from other yearbooks andspend some time brainstorming potential ideas for next year.
presented by Tucker Love, publications adviser at Shawnee Mission South High School
Big 12 Room: Fifth Floor
ADVISER SOCIAL ROOM
The KSPA staff may be setting up the lunch, but advisers are welcome to use this room to meet-up and chat about their lives in the classroom and hear about the latest work by the KSPA board.
hosted by Kathy Habiger, KSPA secretary and publication adviser at Mill Valley High School
Kansas Room: 6th Floor
Podcasting basics
Do you want to start a podcast for your publication? It’s not as hard as it sounds. Get some tips on what questions you need to answer before recording, and how to convince your teacher and administrators that it’s worthwhile.
presented by Brendan Praeger, publications adviser at Wabaunsee High School
10:55-11:35 a.m. Award Distribution
Advisers: Please come to the fifth floor lobby to claim the awards that your staff earned. We will have State Contest certificates and medals ready for any of the winning entries from your school.
10:55-11:35 a.m. Exhibitor Tables Open
On the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, join our sponsors for a showcase of their products and services: Herff Jones yearbooks, Jostens yearbooks and Walsworth yearbooks.
BREAK OUT SESSIONS #2
*** click on arrow for a detailed schedule of sessions ***
click on arrow for a detailed schedule of sessions
5th Floor Lobby
KU Journalism Table
Ask questions about the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the KU table on the fifth floor lobby.
Governors Room: Fifth Floor
“Leveling up your story ideas”
Workshop your story ideas for upcoming issues — or even next year’s yearbook — with these veteran journalists.
presented by Josh Merchant and Maria Benevento of The Kansas City Beacon
International Room: Fifth Floor
“What is college (really) like?”
Students from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications talk about college life and their work on student media, internships and jobs. Come with the curiosity.
presented by KU students
Jayhawk Room: Fifth Floor
“Q&A with the Kansas Journalist of the Year”
What kind of journalism earned Brooks the title of journalist of the year from the Kansas Press Association in 2023? Come to find out. Bring your curiosity.
presented by Ryann Brooks, news editor for the Emporia Gazette
Woodruff Auditorium: Fifth Floor
“Trust me.”
A session on building trust and finding sources for stories in areas with non-public information and people who don’t want to talk with you.
presented by Blaise Mesa, criminal justice reporter for Kansas News Service
Big 12 Room: Fifth Floor
ADVISER SOCIAL ROOM
The staff for the Union may be setting up the lunch, but advisers are welcome to use this room to meet-up and chat about their lives in the classroom.
Alderson Room: Fourth Floor
A session with the editor of the Kansas Reflector
presented by Sherman Smith, the editor of the Kansas Reflector
Kansas Room: 6th Floor
“Galleries and Images”
A session from a recent KU graduation and current award-winning freelance photojournalist working with The Lawrence Times and Kansas Reflector. Come to learn how to take photos at events and produce engaging photo galleries
presented by Chloe Anderson, free-lance photographer
10:55-11:35 a.m. Award Distribution
Advisers: Please come to the fifth floor lobby to claim the awards that your staff earned. We will have State Contest certificates and medals ready for any of the winning entries from your school.
11:45-12:25 p.m. Exhibitor Tables Open
On the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, join our sponsors for a showcase of their products and services.
ADVISER LUNCH
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Adviser Luncheon in the Big 12 Room
Advisers who registered for the luncheon should join their fellow teachers and educators in the Big 12 Room. We will celebrate the educators who earned awards during the school year, including Administrator of the Year award and Sunflower Award winners. We will also hear remarks from the Engel Award winner. The KSPA board will also update members on the upcoming year and the proceedings of this year’s board meetings.
STUDENT LUNCH
12:30-1:30 p.m. Student Lunch
Students will have two options for the KSPA Celebration at the Kansas Union. KSPA will fill the ballroom with places for students to gather for pizza, soft drinks and cookies. To pay for this lunch, advisers must pre-purchase tickets through the KSPA website.
Otherwise, lunch offerings at the Union will be very limited because of the end of the semester and the weekend event. The Market, which is the typical location for meals at the union, will be closed. While Chick-Fil-A will be open, students should expect long waits and possible shortages.