Most who come to visit Hollywood or Los Angeles come with hopes of seeing movie stars or famous attractions. However, this week thousands of teens have come to this iconic city for a very different reason. This year L.A. is the host for the 2016 Spring JEA/NSPA Convention, in which students get a chance not only to visit the city, but also to learn more about journalism.

This is my first year of journalism and also my first time attending a conference put on by the JEA and NSPA. I had no idea what I was getting into when I agreed to go with Greg Stobbe and the journalism team on this trip, but I am glad that I have. The conference teaches students many different aspects of what it means to be a good journalist and what it takes to make it in journalism past high school.

The convention hall buzzed with energy as countless journalism students brushed by me in an effort to get to their classes quickly. Everywhere I looked, students with lanyards were eagerly reading an itinerary or huddling in groups together. I never knew how many teenagers were into journalism and simply the number of those who came impressed me.

Making my way through the sea of people proved to be a difficult task and I quickly lost our group. However, after about fifteen minutes of aimlessly wandering through the hotel I was reunited with the team. The massive crowd soon became less of a problem and I was able to focus on the different sessions I went to.

I now truly realize that we are not the only student newspaper that is dedicated to what we do. Every student is at the convention for a reason, and many believe that they are here to win. This event has widened the way I look at journalism and its impact not only in our schools but also in our nation. Events like this show both the power and the future that journalist have in our world today. — Mariana Fikse

The different seminars all showed off a different side of the journalism world and each of them gave insightful lessons to those who listened. Topics ranged from ideas of how to start an article to ways for a journalist to stay safe while reporting. The event was especially fascinating for me because it allowed students to chose seminars which they felt best fit their interest. The speakers all gave great advice on how to deal with conflict or social issues while writing an article.

I now truly realize that we are not the only student newspaper that is dedicated to what we do. Every student is at the convention for a reason, and many believe that they are here to win. Before attending this convention, I couldn’t imagine student journalism outside of what I have learned from school and the surrounding community.

This year alone, I have already learned so much from Stobbe’s journalism class. The role he plays in helping us go from average students to accomplished writers is a major part of why we are able to compete with other nationally ranked newspapers. Stobbe’s energy and passion for journalism motivates myself, as well as others he meets, to become a better writer.

This event has widened the way I look at journalism and its impact not only in our schools but also in our nation. Events like this show both the power and the future that journalist have in our world today.

The conference was able to highlight all the areas of journalism in a way that kept me interested. The amount of time that they had allotted for each session kept myself from becoming bored. Conferences like this one provide great experiences for any student journalist. There is always something new you can learn from listening to others.

This trip has put into perspective for me what journalism is about on a student level. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to do more of these trips in the future.

For more opinions, please read the EDITORIAL: Journalists evolve moral qualities, hone ethics.