This past weekend, The Gramblinite took home several honors during the 2009 Southeastern Journalism Conference Convention that was held in Nashville, Tenn.De’Eric Henry took home first place in the category of Best Newspaper Layout Designer. Henry, who is a former editor-in-chief, also took home third place in the Best Graphic Artist category.
Former Art & Style editor Justin LaGrande took home second place for Best A&E Writer. Terrance Stokes was named second-place winner for Best Advertising Staff Member. Alexander Knight took home an honorable mention for Best Sports Writer.
Belmont University was the host of the annual conference. Some may recognize the university also being the host of the 2008 Presidential Debate between Sen. John McCain of Arizona and then senator from Illinois and current president, Barack Obama.
The SEJC hosted several seminars ranging from discussions covering “Journalism and the Music Business” to “Debating the Debate.” The two seminars shared beneficial and inspirational information, along with new techniques being learned.
“In Tough Times, Top Resumes Still Count” was one of the many seminars that took place during the conference. Bill Elsen, a retiree after serving 33 years on The Washington Post, shared his experiences in reviewing resumes, revealing what employers are looking for, and giving snazzy tips on how to have a resume stand out in a seemingly overwhelming stack of prospects.
The seminar covered ways to get an internship. It offered world class tips for cover letters, work samples and interviews, among other beneficial information a student could use when preparing to embark on “MISSION: INTERNSHIP!”
Award-winning photojournalist Matthew Williams offered new shooting techniques, ideas, and technology tips to up-and-coming photographers and photojournalists through his seminar “Seeing Beyond the Literal.”
Although photography was the common denominator among the listeners in the seminar, Williams shared that the art of adding audio to a slideshow or photo-video is a very important skill to learn. “[As photographers], we want people to stop and care about what we are doing,” Williams stated.
The weekend getaway ended with a keynote luncheon in the Neely Dining Room of Belmont, with Amy Webb. Webb charismatically informed journalists about the future of technology.
In a short interactive activity, she asked everyone to hold up his or her cellular phones, then stated how this was the future of technology.
“The medium may change from newspapers to radio to television to the Internet to mobile and beyond, but the practice of journalism should not,” Webb said.