Armed with cameras, microphones, and notepads, the AVJournalism program traveled across the country to attend the annual JEA (Journalism Education Association) Fall Convention in Philadelphia, PA.
“We had a lot of first-time students and convention attendees. We were eager to learn, ask questions, and just to build a sense of what it means to be a journalist in general,” said Journalism 1-2 teacher Stephanie Kamali.
Day one
Lasting for three days, the convention offered students the opportunity to learn all about multimedia journalism, as well as explore the City of Brotherly Love. On the first day, students attended pre-convention workshops covering topics ranging from AI in the newsroom to Editorial Leadership.
“I went to digital photography for my pre-session event and it was really interesting. We got to go around and take photos at the market and around the city. But afterwards I was really tired, and I almost passed out, but it was really fun and I learned a lot,” said Sarina Liu (‘27).
Day two
Each day after that, students chose from over 50+ workshops to attend for each hour between 8 a.m.-2 p.m. They had the freedom to plan out their day according to their interests. Several students also competed in news writing, online package, video editing, broadcast package, photography, captions, commentary writing, or quiz bowl.
“I did the broadcast package contest with a partner. We worked eight hours. First four hours we filmed, came up with story ideas, and wrote the script. Second half, we mainly edited. It was tiring,” said Saarthak Yadav (‘27).
A small group of students and teachers went on a sightseeing excursion to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Here, they learned about the creation of the U.S. Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence.
“I really loved seeing where the Constitution was drafted and actually signed. It looked so old-fashioned and small, compared to what I would expect to see it as nowadays in 2024. But it made me definitely connect with things that I’ve read about or watched, and it was really inspiring,” said Kamali.
Day three
On the final day of the convention, several students rose at the crack of dawn to follow in the footsteps of one legendary boxer: Rocky Balboa of the hit 1976 film Rocky. The group trekked up the iconic stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the early morning chill, while a group of marathoners jogged by as part of Philadelphia’s annual Rocky Run.
“My favorite experience was probably going to the Rocky Steps because it was just really surreal going to a place you watched in a movie. It was interesting being able to actually walk the steps that Rocky walked himself several years later,” said Yadav.
The wrap-up from JEA
The JEA convention offered students a valuable opportunity to gain exposure to the complexities and responsibilities of the real world, as well as a chance to explore the City of Brotherly Love.
“Students learned how to be on time, get through checkpoints and security at the airport, communicate with people, and be responsible for time management. [The experience] definitely goes beyond classroom learning and into real-life skills,” said Kamali.
