The 2012 Spring Advisers Conference will take place at Rutgers University on Friday, May 4.  GSSPA members should register by April 26 using this form.

The GSSPA helps sponsor two scholarships — the Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship and the Bob Stevens Memorial Scholarship. The deadline for both is February 15.

The $5,000 Bernard Kilgore Scholarship is for seniors who plan to major in journalism. The winner also becomes the New Jersey Student Journalist of the Year, and is entered into the JEA National Student Journalist of the Year competition.

The $1,500 Bob Stevens Memorial Scholarship is also for senior high school journalists, but the winner is not required to major in journalism in college.

For more information and scholarship forms click here.

Fall Press Day 2011 brought almost 900 high school students to Rutgers University today to study the craft of journalism and for one group, to compete for the title of Write-Off champion. Below is the winning Write-Off  entry, chosen from this year’s 21 contestants’ entries. Kaitlin Chaung of Old Bridge HS took first place; Nisha Dosai of Bergenfield HS won second place and Alexandra Glembocki of Indian Hills High School won third place. Honorable mention went to Brian Murphy of Communications HS in central New Jersey.

By Kaitlin Chaung

Old Bridge High School

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Although the current generation courses through an age of social media, the power of the photograph was demonstrated at the 2011 Garden State Scholastic Press Association’s Fall Press Day at Rutgers University.

Bergen Record photographer Tom Franklin delivers the keynote speech at Fall Press Day 2011. Photo: Susan Dougherty

More than 200 journalism and yearbook students sat in stunned silence as a slideshow detailing the devastation of Sept. 11 played before their eyes.

Narrating the slideshow was Thomas Franklin, an American photojournalist who is best known for his photograph, “Raising the Flag at Ground Zero.”

“Photojournalists take photos that tell a story,” said Franklin. “The human element means everything. You have to tell stories that are about people and affect people.”

Franklin detailed his experiences as a photojournalist, explaining that he covers news events and feature articles and often spends long periods of time with his subject.

“You don’t shoot the same picture over and over,” said Franklin. “You have to cover a wide range of shots to get all the details.”

The white projection screen behind Franklin illustrated each one of his points. The audience chuckled at the bright, in-depth shots of children and felt the suffering from his portraits of elderly hospital patients.

But the room sat in silent reverie as the iconic and dramatic photos from Sept. 11 were shown.

“I remember the chill I felt when I saw the burning building,” said Franklin. “Tears filled my eyes and burned down my cheeks … I had to hide behind my camera.”

But, he added, his job was to document and record history.

One of the most memorable photos taken that day was a picture of three rescue workers lifting an American flag amidst the rubble, one that was taken by Franklin himself.

“The fireman lifted the flag and I took the picture,” he said. “And that was it.”

The picture went on to become an iconic image that gained immense popularity and exposure.

The picture was gaining attention but it lived a life of its own,” said Franklin. “It was the events that changed me.”

Franklin also added that the utilization of multimedia played an important role in his work. Multimedia, such as video and audio, allows for richer storytelling, Franklin said.

He demonstrated this with his own experience in his slideshow entitled, “20 Years in 3 Minutes.” Photos of joy and devastation and passion played along with equally emotional music that lent a beautiful dramatic effect, said Megan McEvoy, a senior from Old Bridge High School.

Franklin concluded with one final 9/11 show.

“I don’t take pictures,” he said. “I make pictures.”

New Jersey teen journalists will gather next Monday for their annual day of sessions and activities at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus.

This year’s Press Day keynote address will be delivered by news photographer Tom Franklin of the Bergen Record. Franklin’s iconic photo of firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero is just one of his award-winning works.

Students and teachers can download an 8-page Conference Booklet that describes each speaker and session.

Also ready for download is the 2011 Conference Grid, which includes the session times and room numbers.

Other materials are available under the “Conference” tab here at gsspa.org.

Questions and concerns, please contact conference chair Sue Everett at everetts@earthlink.net.

Dear Member,

As the nation prepares for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, you may be looking for lesson plans and other materials to help your students to understand the events and press coverage of that day.

We’ve assembled just a few of the many resources now available on the web:

I. PBS News Hour: “America Remembers 9/11: Tell Us What’s Changed, 10 Years Later”
Students can videotape interviews with classmates and others and submit them to the News Hour. Interview subjects should answer any or all of these questions:

• Is the U.S. safer now than before 9/11?
• Was the course or direction of your life changed on 9/11. If so, how?
• It was often said that 9/11 “changed everything.” Did it?
• How would you describe current relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States?
• Have we achieved a balance between your civil liberties and security?

II. New York Times: “The Reckoning,” a special commemorative edition, is now available online, covering every aspect of the attacks and how they changed New York City and the world.

III. Times Learning Network: offering a comprehensive List of Sept. 11 stories.

IV. YouTube Videos
10th Anniversary Video Tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRjgF_BrkxM&feature=player_embedded#!

9/11 Tribute set to Rock Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDHZ3tFsQ58&feature=related

Also, remember that Fall Press Day is Monday, Oct. 24 at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus Center. Forms are on this website.

Fall Press Day at Rutgers University is Monday, Oct. 24, the annual gathering of high school reporters, editors and photographers from New Jersey’s student newspapers, yearbooks and online media.

Early birds can get their Fall Press Day registration form here. See below for directions on getting an appointment for a yearbook or newspaper critique at the conference.

Students will attend sessions at Fall Press Day on various topics and the best work of New Jersey’s high school publications will be recognized when annual awards are announced for both Newspaper and Yearbook contests.

At the Fall Press Day Conference:

On-site Newspaper Critiques – What You Need to Do to participate:

To schedule an appointment, please e-mail Hope Brand at hrbrand@comcast.net by Oct. 1, 2011.
The e-mail should include:
1. Your Name, 2. Your School, 3. School Address, 4. Name of Publication, 5. E-mail Address – You will receive an e- mail confirmation of your scheduled On-Site Critique time slot.
No walk-ins will be permitted.
Then, send one (1) copy of your best issue published between January 2011 and October 2011 to:
Hope Brand, 579 West Court, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076. Go to www.gsspa.org and download the form to attach to the hard copy. Deadline for receipt of hard copy and form is Oct. 7.

On-site Yearbook Critiques – What You Need to Do to participate:

Yearbook staffs also may take advantage of expert feedback through an on-site critique.
Sit down with an expert and review your yearbook – get insight and advice.
You will be allotted a block of up to 30 minutes for a face-to-face discussion with a yearbook expert to go over your book and discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
Pre- registration is required.
To schedule an appointment, e-mail Susan Dougherty at crusadersue@hotmail.com by Oct. 7, 2011.
Bring your yearbook and plans for this year with you to the Press Day – Do not mail it ahead of time.

Check back soon for more conference news as we get closer. Those with questions or concerns should contact Conference Chair Susan Everett at everetts@earthlink.net.

As you plan for the 2011-12 school year, consider instructing your students on the craft of the photo slideshow. These plans contain specific directions for teaching photo composition and caption writing, the first skills needed to create successful slideshows.

Students then use these new skills to create their shows in Powerpoint. To get started, download the Photo Slideshow Lesson Plans, a Powerpoint presentation on Captions and examples of slideshow pages. There’s also a short quiz included. A slideshow rubric is also provided.

These plans were presented at one of our recent spring advisers conferences, sponsored yearly at Rutgers University. Consider attending the conference for more lesson plans and other helpful materials for teachers of both newspaper and yearbook journalism.

We’ll post more information soon about both Fall Press Day (for students), set for October 24, 2011; and next year’s Spring Advisers Conference.

William "Bill" Allen of Communications High School, Monmouth County, accepts the Golden Quill Award at Fall Press Day 2010, on Oct. 25 at Rutgers. Photos by Susan Dougherty.

The Golden Quill is our highest honor for members. The award is presented to an individual who has made substantial contributions, not just to his of her own students, but to the growth and quality of scholastic journalism throughout New Jersey.

This year’s Golden Quill honoree is William “Bill” Allen, who has been a GSSPA board member for the past six years. He has risen to become a vice president of our association, working tirelessly to advance the study of journalism.

Mr. Allen has been an educator for 16 years. He teaches Graphic Communications and Photojournalism at Communications High School in Monmouth County. Every year his talented students travel to national competitions for SkillsUSA, and every year they come back with national medals.

Mr. Allen is the 38th recipient of this highest of GSSPA Awards. For the list of prior award winners, visit our Awards Page.

Thanks to all who participated in Fall Press Day at Rutgers in October 2010, a great day of learning for students and advisers.

GSSPA announced its 2010 Awards for excellence in high school newspapers and yearbooks at Press Day. Thanks to GSSPA Corresponding Secretary Susan Dougherty for photographs of the winning staffs.

The top Staff Awards for NJ high school yearbooks:

Monsignor Donovan High School's "Exemplar" yearbook took the top All-NJ Diamond Award. Adviser Christine Mooney, right, with GSSPA President Andi Mulshine, accepted the award.

Staff and Adviser of the "Excalibur" yearbook of Old Bridge High School, a winner of the All-NJ Platinum Award.

Staff and Advisers of the "Culmen" yearbook of Scotch Plains/Fanwood High School, also an All-NJ Platinum Award winner.

The staff of "The Buccaneer" yearbook of Cinnaminson High School took a First Place Gold Award.

"The Pride" yearbook staff of Jackson Liberty High School won a First Place Gold Award.

Staff members of the "Daedalus" yearbook of North Brunswick High School accept their First Place Gold Award.

Monsignor Donovan HS              “Exemplar”                All-NJ Diamond Award (Highest)
Madison High School                   “Alembic”                  All-NJ Platinum Award
Old Bridge High School               “Excalibur”                All-NJ Platinum Award
Scotch Plains/Fanwood HS        “Culmen”                   All NJ Platinum Award
Cinnaminson High School          “The Buccaneer”       First Place Gold Award
Jackson Liberty High School      “The Pride”                First Place Gold Award
North Brunswick High School    “Daedalus”                First Place Gold Award

The top Staff Awards for NJ high school newspapers:

Overall Excellence
(This category is judged through an analysis / critique of three issues of the paper; divisions are determined by the population of schools, with A being largest schools, C being smallest schools)

Division A Winner: "The Knight Life" staff of Old Bridge High School.

Division B winner is "The Ram Page" staff of Hightstown High School.

Division C winner is the staff of "The Pilot’s Log" of Hasbrouck Heights High School.

New Jersey High School Distinguished Journalism Award
(This category  is based on the total number of points accrued by the paper in all categories – each first place is 4 points, second place 3, third place 2 and honorable mention 1.)

Division A Winner is the staff of "The East Side" of Cherry Hill High School East.

Division B winner is the staff of "Bear Facts" of Bergenfield High School.

Division C winner is "The Inkblot" of Communications High School, Monmouth County.

Newspaper Overall Excellence
Division A: Knight Life – Old Bridge H.S.
Division B: The Ram Page – Hightstown H.S.
Division C: Pilot’s Log – Hasbrouck Heights H.S.

New Jersey High School Distinguished Journalism Award for Newspapers
Division A – Eastside, Cherry Hill High School East
Division B - Bear Facts – Bergenfield H.S.
Division C – The Inkblot, Communications High School