Constantly moving forward

Ryan Gunterman, Vice President of Student Activities
Bloomington High School North

This about sums up my year: Being appointed IHSPA secretary this summer was the smallest change I have encountered. From the rural roads of Orange County to the packed sidewalks of a college town, nothing has been the same. Well, there is this one thing…

Since I was elected to the IHSPA Executive Board at last year’s convention, I have had five places to call home. Two of which were places where I laid my head at night, and two others were where I might as well have laid my head. But the one constant was the fifth home – IHSPA. Despite the change of addresses, personal and professional, IHSPA has always been the constant. Our efforts must remain just as constant to complete the work we have begun.

As one of the liaisons to the inclusion task team, the effort to introduce all Indiana middle and high schools to the Press Association has remained constant. Task Team Chair Robin Bilinski and her fellow inclusionites have worked diligently to pass the good word of scholastic journalism on to those who believe and those who just don’t know.

With snow on the ground and icicles hanging from the buildings, the inclusion task team met in an Indianapolis hotel lobby to discuss dissecting the state into different regions. The hope is to create communities within communities. Just imagine a scene where advisers come to meet for a meal and discuss strategies, dilemmas, and the highs and lows that are guaranteed to appear in a publication’s room. That’s the goal. Therefore, we must remain constant.

We must continue to keep our presence in all schools. We must continue to reach those who have never heard of us. We must continue to show those who aren’t in our shoes and wearing our lanyards that we’re not just an extracurricular. We must remain constant.

Before the next convention I hope my report reads: “This year we appointed regional directors. We made ourselves known to schools from Evansville to Fort Wayne, Madison to Gary and everywhere in between. We have made ourselves the constant in Indiana high school journalism.”