Sidekick students to mentor fellow journalists in media convergence

Thomas Hair Staff Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the hundreds of journalism students gathered at the Marriot Hotel for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, Friday was an extremely busy day. It was the first full day of sessions, where knowledgeable professionals mentor the aspiring students on all aspects of journalism. The sessions continue on Saturday, the final day of the convention. Over the past several years, The Sidekick has established itself as a frontrunner in the conversion of high school newspapers to the online realm. For the Sidekick students attending the Convention, Saturday will be a far more important day, the culmination of several days of preparation for the Convention. Sidekick students in…

Sidekick members to give presentation in Anaheim

Sammy Robben Staff Writer Even though they are only first timers at the convention, the Sidekick staffers will have the opportunity to give a presentation on convergence and interactive online publications, where each member will share a different aspect of how The Sidekick utilizes its website. “I’m pretty excited about the opportunity to tell other schools about the innovative things we do on the sidekick, and I think we have a lot of cool and new things we can share with other schools,” said junior Madison Ford. The presentation has been divided into seven sections ranging from how the sidekick uses social media, the Coppell Student Media App and blogging to how the Sidekick promotes…

Yearbook member travels to national journalism convention

Sammy Robben Staff Writer The group of students that are attending the JEA/NSPA journalism convention is made up of almost all Sidekick staffers, except for junior Alison Draper, who is a Round-Up yearbook staff member. She will hold the position of Editor-in-chief of the Round-Up for the 2011-2012 school year. As editor-in-chief Draper will have the responsibility of designing all the pages of the yearbook, editing the pages, and booking the book together. At the convention Draper went to session specifically geared toward yearbook, such as A “Glee”-worthy yearbook distribution event”, and “Foto Finish” which helped give her examples of new ways to design pages, and useful tips for editing the yearbook. “I leaned that…

Journalist’s experience inspires students

Key note speaker Laura Ling shares about her experience being held captive in North Korea and the importance of journalism in the world. Photo by Aditi Shrikant. Crossing the border into hostile North Korea is not something anyone would expect a sane person to do. Then again, Laura Ling is not a sane person: she’s a journalist. Today in Anaheim, Ling and her sister Lisa attended the JEA/NSPA National Hight School Journalism convention and  shared their journalistic experiences with newspaper and yearbook students from across the nation, including some of our own Sidekick staff. In her speech, Laura talked about a terrifying time in her life, when, on assignment in China, she wandered across the…

Ling inspires with story of experiences

Kelly Stewart Staff Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. – On Saturday at the JEA/NSPA Nation High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim, well-known reporter Lisa Ling gave an enlightening speech on her life and how she came to be a journalist. “I thought [the speech] was really interesting,” centerspread editor Lauren Ussery said. “I mean, I see her on talk shows all the time, but I felt like in person she had more emotion and it’s nice to hear an experienced journalist talk.” Accompanied by her sister Laura, Ling regaled her experiences, from dreaming of becoming a star on TV so that she could have a better life, to getting her own show on OWN (Opera Winfrey Network) entitled…

Anaheim trip teaches staff about more than journalism

Michelle Pitcher Opinions Editor ANAHEIM, Calif. – Whenever school clubs or teams go on a trip together, they always seem to return to the halls of CHS exhausted, slightly sunburned, but most importantly with a renewed sense of team pride. I have always felt truly uncomfortable when forced to do team-building exercises, and whenever I hear the term “ice-breaker” my hands start to get clammy. I have never understood how standing in front of the class and saying my favorite animal (cats) will do anything to bring us together as friends. I do not, however, underestimate the value of a close-knit classroom. Today I attended a seminar advertised to be about ways to keep the…

National High School Journalism Convention introduces Student Film Festival

Mary Whitfill Features Editor ANAHEIM, Calif. – When darkness falls on Saturday night, students attending the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention will gather for the first convention-hosted Student Film Festival. Beginning at 9 p.m., students will be welcomed into the Marquis Ballroom of the Anaheim Marriott for special viewings of student films. The videos, between 10 and 20 minutes long, have been deemed appropriate for audiences over the age of 13, and awards will go to the winning filmmakers as determined by the audience. “Students were invited to enter anything under 20 minutes,” film festival coordinator Sean Ziebarth said. Any category they wanted as long as it was a student film; documentary, animation, anything.”…

Sidekick students continue to lead in Anaheim

Lauren Ussery Centerspread Editor ANAHEIM, Calif. – In fall 2009, The Sidekick took a trip to Washington D.C. for the JEA/NSPA high school journalism convention. The 9 seniors and 2 juniors (editors, at the time) who attended did the paper proud. Almost a year and a half later, and the staff is at it again. On April 14, 11 members of The Sidekick traveled to Anaheim, Calif. to once again compete with newspaper and yearbook students from schools across the country, and attend sessions designed specifically for high school students and their advisors. Upon arrival, students from all schools were able to choose which sessions they would dabble in.  For the first time ever, The…

Students pursue interests at National High School Journalism Convention sessions

Thomas Hair Staff Writer Journalism is an incredibly diverse field, with numerous specialities ranging from television broadcasting to web page designing. At the 2011 JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention from Thursday April 14 to Saturday April, journalism students from all over the nation have the opportunity to attend a wide range of sessions covering every possible branch of journalism. The convention is being held at the Marriot Hotel in Anaheim, California. Today, hundreds of students checked into the hotel in preparation for the initiation of the sessions on Friday. Among this throng of aspiring journalists are the students from Coppell High School. Members of The Sidekick Newspaper, KCBY, and the Round Up Yearbook…

Sidekick students go to Anaheim

Abby Drake Staff Writer From Thursday through Sunday ten member of the Coppell High School newspaper, The Sidekick, will be traveling to Anaheim, Calif. for a journalism conference. The four-day trip is a great way for students to become more involved in the world of journalism and see what is expected. Their schedules are packed with outstanding activities that are great for aspiring journalists. There are several speakers that will be at the conference to share their wisdom of media such as the CO-Executive Producer of the Oprah show “Our America” Lisa Ling. The weekend has a lot to offer to the Sidekick staff and will hopefully lead the to a better understanding of journalism.