By: Grayson Strader
Journalism students plan to attend the 75th Annual Southern Illinois School Press
Association, or SISPA, Winter Conference on Feb. 25 at Southern Illinois University in
Carbondale.
Carlyle students will be among the 200 journalists from all across Southern and South-
Central Illinois who will be in attendance.
The conference is planned by three area high school journalism advisers in cooperation
with the Southern Illinois University School of Journalism and Advertising.
Advisers from Herrin and Okwaville and Carlyle’s adviser and SISPA co-director Gina
Shook have been planning the event since early last fall.
Shook said the SISPA Winter Conference allows journalism students to prepare for IHSA
contests, to learn from professionals, and to get expert feedback.
“My personal favorite event was the Best Story Contest, where I placed first, and my
favorite part of the day was getting Chick-fil-A and bowling with my classmates during lunch,”
yearbook photo editor Landry Steinkamp said.
In addition to the Best Story mail in contest, 14 different categories of on-site contests are
offered. These include yearbook theme development, several writing contests, editorial
cartooning, copy editing, advertising design, and photography.
“My favorite event from last year’s conference was Feature Writing,” Maggie Bass said.
Bass placed in the contest as a sophomore and plans to compete again this year.
Students not competing in events will attend workshops put on by professionals in all
areas of journalism.