The Feather attends conference in New York City: Day 4

For more than 25 years Feather journalism teams have traveled to the New York participating in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Journalism Conference. This year, 16 students attend the 100th anniversary of distinguished journalism education while also teaching six sessions. The Feather has been honored with a national recognition as a Digital Crown recipient for the 2023-24 year. This is Day 4 as the team begins the conference in the Big Apple during the week of March 9-16.

The NYC Feather team reached the halfway point of their trip and spent their morning headed toward Columbia University, NY. The team arrived early to the conference for check-in, and prepared for the first of three days packed with sessions.

For almost three decades, The Feather’s journalism team has made their way across the nation to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Spring Journalism Conference. This year was a milestone for the distinguished establishment as it marked the 100th year celebration of the annual event. This year the Feather team returns after a five-year hiatus since the last time Feather representatives attended the conference.

Meilani Gilmore Young, ’24, and Advisor Kori James gave the audience five pro tips to make a better infographic. (Mallory Friesen )

Through the years, the Feather has experienced the significance of this conference, hence their decision to continue attending. This year is the 100th anniversary of the first gathering of journalists, which represents a century of building community in the publications world. The innovation and growth seen over this time period can be attributed to the inclusion of student journalists and publication teams.

This conference demonstrates the power networking has on each individual team when given the opportunity to collaborate with others doing their same craft. Individual teams may feel discouraged due to the apathy of their school community, but it takes collective community workshops like this to show the teams they are not alone. The journalists serve as a reminder to each other that what they are doing as journalists is incredibly vital to the world around them.

More than 300 workshops will be taught throughout the span of the three-day conference. Schools from all parts of the United States gather to learn. Columbia Scholastic Press Association invited The Feather Online team to teach six sessions throughout the conference. The team tied for most taught sessions from a single journalism team on their first year back. Advisor Kori James led three sessions on the opening day with help from Editors Meilani Gilmore Young, ‘24, and Mallory Friesen, ‘25.

Students were able to be hands-on during “Canva to the Rescue” by creating their own infographic during the session. (Selah Neal)

James and Gilmore Young started with “Canva to the Rescue” at 10 a.m. The 45-minute shift included an in-depth tutorial on the infographic making site. The “For Reels” class followed taught by James and accompanied by Friesen; they showed students how to utilize CapCut for short engaging videos. They finished with the “Digital Media Toolbox” workshop taught by James. While those classes were being taught, The Feather Team had a chance to attend three of their choice classes for the day.

Senior Editor Meilani Gilmore Young talks about her experience teaching.

“Teaching a session gave me the opportunity to gain classroom experience and work on my teaching skills,” Gilmore Young said. “This also helps me develop my public speaking skills, and prepare me for future interactions and my future career.”

The classes include all forms and aspects of Journalism from renowned teachers from around the United States and beyond. From yearbooks to magazines, the ins and outs of website design to new AI features, the plethora of options provides equipping for student journalists.

A senior in the yearbook from Long Island High School, Lauren Hannah, did not have to travel far for the beneficial conference.

“It’s important to see different ways from around the nation to make our yearbook and what different aspects they put into it,” Hannah said. “That can overall give us ideas and inspiration to make our yearbook.”

Hamilton debuted on Broadway in 2015 and has stayed as a resident show since then. (Benson Elbert)

As the first day of the conference came to an end, the NYC Feather team’s day was far from over. The group found themselves traveling downtown to Manhattan for authentic Italian cuisine. Little Italy is a romantic destination – its heritage stretching back to Italian immigrants from the 1880’s, who moved to the city. The authenticity of Little Italy is apparent, preserved through the architecture, fare and restaurant owners.

Little Italy lies at Mulberry and Grand streets. For a while it took over a larger portion of the city, but has been condensed. Several travelers stopped to dine at Amici Ristorante, one of the many authentic eateries in the neighborhood. The food was marvelous and made up for the less-then-authentic Italian cuisine consumed earlier in the trip.

With full stomachs and happy hearts, the Feather students closed their long day with another Broadway musical, “Hamilton.” The hit musical follows the life of Alexander Hamilton. Through this two act show audiences learn about Hamilton’s involvement in the American Revolution, his career, and his role as Secretary of state. This show is a historical fiction musical drama that combines rap, hip-hop, R&B, and traditional style show tunes.