The cold air stung my cheeks and burned my lungs as I stood outside of the airport. However, it was a good sting. I took in the weather as the bus that was supposed to take us to the T pulled up. We took the T, a transit subway, and finally stopped at the Sheraton hotel. We had arrived at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Boston.

 The first class I took was a four hour design class with a professor from Indiana University and a reporter for the Boston Globe. It was incredible. Ron Johnson, the professor from Indiana, was an amazing teacher. With his witty humor and quick remarks he managed to contain my attention the whole time during his presentation. He taught the class great tips and had solid advice to help improve The Roar. For example simple knowledge like not over-designing your page, or to use white space to draw attention. And of course his number one pet peeve, which he seemed to stress over as he grabbed his forehead: maintain the grids. With his enthusiastic presence he made me feel like I could make a huge difference in improving our school’s magazine.

On a more somber note, Robert S. Davis, the reporter for the Boston Globe, did a very informative and interesting speech on the Boston bombing. He was on staff those few weeks of terror that took the city by storm. He expressed the importance of having the correct facts and being flexible, because news will always change. Hearing him talk about the event was truly emotional as he showed videos and photos from the finish line. He really was a great speaker and an even better reporter.

 On a different day, I took four classes which were Journalism is Journalism,Literary Magazine: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Magazines that Rock ,and also Why Journalism Matters. Each class was so educational. My first class really taught me that our media needs to work together and to collaborate with other students, while my second class taught me new fundraising ideas and fun writing activities to help with my creativity. My third class taught students how to create good magazine covers and tips on how to stand out to readers. My fourth class really reminded me why I love journalism, and why it is important. For example, journalism lets people know the truth and get answers.

This whole convention was so well put together and fun to attend. I already know that myself and others have learned multiple new skills. Not to mention it was a blast being in the beautiful city of Boston.

by SAVANNAH HOUDEK