The yearbook staff flew to New York on Nov. 1 to participate in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association convention, as well as explore the city, see landmarks, theater, and dine. The staff returned Nov. 5.
“I mean, I feel like you can’t really say no to New York,” senior Editor-in-Chief Paige Richards said. “It’s such a great opportunity to take a look at the Columbia campus.”
The yearbook team attended the CSPA conference on Nov. 3. The conference consisted of classes taught by multiple different teachers from all over the U.S., many being yearbook and newspaper advisors from other high schools or professors from universities and colleges.
“I went to ‘Investigative Writing’ and ‘How to Avoid Bias’ by [Jenny Creech],” junior Copy Editor Bree Bosland said. “She was amazing, and we’re getting the presentations from her to teach to our class.”
The classes taught ranged from yearbook to newspaper topics. These included sports, photography, ethics classes, and even some poetry classes, as well as a ‘Round Table of Advisors.’
“[Exploring] just feels like team bonding and like a little vacation,” Richards said. “It’s always fun going up there at Halloween because all the locals are doing things, and everything’s decorated.”
Along with the convention, the team explored New York City for a few days to sightsee. They explored Bryant Park, the Met, Times Square, and saw Moulin Rouge at Hirschfeld Theater.
“It was nice to hear from someone else,” Bosland said. “I didn’t have to teach them so it was fun to just have them all learn things on their own.”
The yearbook is student-led, run by its Richards, Bosland, Ella Berkey, and Vinny Garcia, who all serve as editors. The editorial team edits the yearbook and teaches staff members journalism skills, with assistance from their teacher Jessica Stamp.
“I’m usually stuck with the other people in my group,” junior Aaron Bielik said. “But then when I was in New York, I got to expand my environment in knowing people.”
The staff is split up into different groups led by editors that focus on different portions of the yearbook. They usually stay mostly within their groups during class, which made the trip a chance to branch out.
“You’re staying up for curfew, watching movies,” said Richards. “It was an experience you don’t get just seeing them every day at school.”
