Thanks for joining teachers and students from around Kansas for a celebration of student journalism at the University of Kansas on May 4. 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. 

Students will have two options for lunch in the Kansas Union: Wendy’s and Chic-Fil-A. (The Market will not be open for lunch on Saturday.)

With teacher permission, students may also visit the Bird Dog Bar in the Oread Hotel. The restaurant is sit-down dining that is quite a bit more expensive than the options in the Kansas Union. Find directions to the Bird Dog here. The walk is less than a quarter-mile and should take about 5 minutes.

• 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. 

our sponsors

Thanks to Herff Jones and Jostens for being sponsors at the top level for our State Celebration. 

our exhibitors

Thanks to Walsworth for being an exhibitor for the State Celebration. 

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. 

9-9:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker in the Woodruff Auditorium, fifth floor of the Kansas Union

Since 1996, Bonita has served as as Editor-in-Chief of The Community Voice newspaper. As the owner, she has guided the Wichita-based publication’s growth in reach across the state of Kansas and into the Kansas City metro area; and in a period of decreasing newspaper circulation, she increased the publications to one of the largest non-daily newspapers in Kansas. Bonita has always insisted on providing high-quality journalism focused on the interest and needs of the African-American readers in her distribution areas. Her commitment is to positively enhancing the lives of her her readers and their communities. In her spare time, Bonita is an avid tennis player and gardener.

9:55-10:45 a.m. Awards Ceremony in the Woodruff Auditorium

We gather to celebrate so many of the awards that student journalists have earned during 2023-2024: 

• • 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
  • 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.

5th Floor Lobby

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.

4th Floor

Exhibitor Tables Open

On the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, join our sponsors for a showcase of their products and services. 

from our friends at Varsity Yearbooks, Jostens Yearbooks and Walsworth Yearbooks

5th Floor Lobby

MEET THE RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR

Stop by to meet Himee Kamatuka, the recruitment coordinator from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Himee can introduce you to the media, journalism and communications classes — and activities — here at KU.  

Governors Room: Fifth Floor

Starting Your Own Student-Run Photo Business

Interested in taking more photos, making money for your program, and getting real world job experience? Start a school photo business!

presented by Allie Crome of Silver Lake High School

Jayhawk Room: Fifth Floor

ADVISER SOCIAL ROOM

The KSPA staff may be setting up the lunch, but advisers and retired 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 the KSPA board

Woodruff Auditorium: Fifth Floor

Watchful eyes

AI is increasingly being used to monitor the work of students across the country. At Lawrence High, students sensed a program called Gaggle raised serious First and Fourth Amendment issues, and they fought back. Learn more about how they advocated to get Gaggle off of their accounts with the help of the Student Press Law Center and a little encouragement from Mary Beth Tinker.

presented by Barb Tholen of Lawrence High School

Alderson Room: Fourth Floor

What’s the big idea?

Covering the same old thing every year in your newspaper or yearbook? Let’s shake things up. Come to this session and leave with actual story ideas you can bring to your publication immediately. Learn how to cover the same old things in a different way. — Heady

presented by Chris Heady of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Big 12 Room: Fifth Floor

Design Trends: Looking for new Inspiration for the 2025 yearbook”

It’s time to start thinking about next year’s yearbook. Don’t make the “same book” again. Jump start your creativity with a short session on design trends to help make your 2025 yearbook the most exciting book yet!

presented by Tucker Love of Shawnee Mission South High School

Kansas Room: 6th Floor

Photojournalism: A Wide Angle Approach

Cary Conover has taken his passion for photography and publications and crafted a wide-ranging photojournalism curriculum. This session will look at the successes and challenges of his program over the last thirteen years at Andover High School.

presented by Cary Conover of Andover High School

Parlor ABC: 5th Floor

Editorial Cartooning

Learn the basics of editorial cartoons by discussing some professional and amateur works. Learn how to communicate ideas through humor and make serious ideas clear for your readers.

presented by Brendan Praeger of Wabaunsee High School.

Divine Nine Room: 6th Floor

Vital Interview Skills

This session will go in-depth on essential interviewing skills all journalism students should learn and practice. Participating in numerous interviewing activities throughout this session will strengthen your interviewing and communication skills. There will also be open time for questions about how to transition from high school to college journalism.

presented by Rayne Rekoske, graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in English and Journalism Education. Currently a student teacher at Wabaunsee High School

5th Floor Lobby

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.

4th Floor

Exhibitor Tables Open

On the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, join our sponsors for a showcase of their products and services. 
from our friends at Varsity Yearbooks, Jostens Yearbooks and Walsworth Yearbooks

Governors Room: Fifth Floor

The Campaigns Experience

One of the signature experiences of being a student in KU’s William Allen White School is completing the Campaigns class. Students complete a semester-long project helping a real-world client with a messaging project. Come here from two current seniors who just completed Campaigns and see what they made.

presented by Ryan Jungmeyer and Fia Kobs of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Jayhawk Room: Fifth Floor

KSPA Adviser Luncheon

Welcome to a celebration of our award winners — plus the celebration of the 50th anniversary of KSPA!

hosted by the KSPA board and executive director Eric Thomas

Woodruff Auditorium: Fifth Floor

Cover breaking news free of breakdowns

In a time when news seems to break every day, discover how you can put your entire staff to work producing high-quality work on deadline.

presented by Barb Tholen of Lawrence High School

Alderson Room: Fourth Floor

Covering the Kansas Statehouse

Students get an immersive public affair reporting experience at the State Capital in Topeka while covering the important statewide issues of the day. Student work is published on the KU Statehouse Wire Service which provides legislative coverage to newspapers, websites across Kansas. 

presented by Pat Gaston of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Big 12 Room: Fourth Floor

Why opinion writing matters

As one of only two opinion editors in Kansas, Clay Wirestone understands the power of words to change minds and shape political debate. In this session, he will talk about why opinion journalism should be part of every (yes, every) news outlet and how to respond to people who claim it makes the news media look biased. He looks forward to sharing his experiences and answering students’ questions!

Presented by Clay Wirestone of the Kansas Reflector

Kansas Room: 6th Floor

Creating an enjoyable culture in a student-led studio

Leading peers can be intimidating and difficult. But, if you can get them to buy into what you’re doing through the team culture, you’ll have more success building their trust and achieving your leadership goals. 

Chad Cushing and Emily Baldwin are the producers of the KU Journalism sports broadcast show Playmakers for the 2023-2024 school year. Chad is an extremely talented and creative photographer, and Emily is an enthusiast of all things broadcast.

Parlor ABC: 6th Floor

Everything you need to know about KU

Meet our recruitment coordinator Himee Kamatuka for a session about all things KU, especially the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

presented by Himee Kamatuka of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications

11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 50th Anniversary Luncheon (Jayhawk Room)

Advisers who registered for the luncheon should join their fellow teachers and educators to celebrate KSPA’s anniversary. We will celebrate the educators who earned awards during the school year, including Administrator of the Year award, Sunflower Award winners and our 2024 Hall of Fame inductee. 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. 

12:30-1:30 p.m. Student Lunch

Students will have two options for lunch in the Kansas Union: Wendy’s and Chic-Fil-A. (The Market will not be open for lunch on Saturday.)

With teacher permission, students may also visit the Bird Dog Bar in the Oread Hotel. The restaurant is sit-down dining that is quite a bit more expensive than the options in the Kansas Union. Find directions to the Bird Dog here. The walk is less than a quarter-mile and should take about 5 minutes.