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 Maybe
it sounds like the IHSPA Editor's Leadership Workshop is
a little bit stuck.
Frankly, the goals of this workshop don't change much. The
faculty is stuck on the notion that editors ought to be
trained as leaders. We're stuck on the belief that good
organizational skills and conflict management are important,
even if we've been teaching these concepts for nearly a
decade. We're also stuck on the thought that no editor is
an "island." That is, no one student can do the
job alone. That's why we teach students to rely on one another.
After only a few days, students in the 2002 workshop will
journey to Indianapolis where they will spend the day at
the zoo. Unlike others who will be enjoying the attractions,
these 64 leaders will form into small teams. Each team will
be comprised of a reporter, photography, a designer, and
a "maestro." Each team will have a few hours to
find a story. Working together, the teams will decide how
to tell their story in both words and pictures (or visuals).
"The
process is an important one. It's important on one level
to convince students they are capable of doing professional-caliber
work in a short period of time. It's also important for
students to understand that stories have both a verbal and
visual component," said Denise Roberts, Greenwood High
School adviser and workshop coordinator. "Words can't
stand alone, but neither can photos and art. Each need the
other. The key is in how the teams work out the balance
between the visual and verbal to tell the story in the most
compelling way possible," she added.
Yes,
it's safe to say the IHSPA workshop is stuck on these ideas.
We believe the best way for staffs to lead and to make a
difference in their schools is first to learn to work together.
Once the staff begins to function as one, the attention
can shift to the best ways to tell the story of the school
year in words and pictures. That's also our definition of
leadership: telling the story of the school year in a way
that makes a difference in the school.
We're
stuck on those sorts of ideas. We hope advisers and students
who are interested in leadership agree.
Click
Here For A Copy of the Workshop Flyer and Application Form.
About
the Photo:
Jennifer
Tarrance, Allison Rahrig and Renee Wotkun (from left) were
the first to finish their maestro package titled "Order
in the Court" about a juvenile court judge. The team
spent an afternoon in Magistrate Craig S. Lawson's court
room before interviewing him for their story.Tarrance is
from Jeffersonville High School; Rahrig is from Homestead
High School and Wotkun is from Griffith High School.
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