UPDATE: April 12

DAY 4 in San Diego began with sessions from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Each staffer attended and took notes to bring back to the staff to share after spring break. The morning was rushed as over 4,000 journalism students from across the country crowded the hallways and floors of the Hilton Bayfront Hotel and Convention Center.

After Feather adviser Greg Stobbe and editors Tynin Fries and Viviana Hinojosa’s session on “Thriving in Cyber Space,” the team ate lunch and headed back to Fresno. While they could not stay for the awards presentation, The Feather Online was awarded Third Place for Publication Website Small School category.
Last year The Feather won an
Online Pacemaker and Best of Show in San Francisco.

For the first full day of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and Journalism Education Association (JEA) spring conference, The Feather staff attended many informational classes about the importance of learning different journalistic techniques, April 11.

The Feather staff had the choice of attending seminars which were hosted by award winning and nationally recognized professionals from different fields.

Senior Editor Viviana Hinojosa and Tynin Fries, Editor-in-Chief had the opportunity to chat with a renowned visual artist, Geoff McGhee through a web series in the morning. Later, the duo also attended an exclusive lunch with the President of the JEA, Mark Newton, alongside six other student from around the country.

“Being able to chat with Geoff McGhee was a great experience,” Hinojosa said. “We learned so much about visualization and how we can incorporate it in The Feather. I only wish we had the chance to speak with him at the beginning of the year so we could have been working on visualizations all year. Also, the lunch with JEA’s president was very enlightening. It was great to hear from someone of prominence in the journalism world.”

Over 4,000 journalism students from across the country were able to interact with seasoned professionals, followed by question and answer sessions which were held after each seminar.

During the students free time apart from the conference they experience the vintage culture of Old San Diego. The group toured the local attractions and visited authentic shops and businesses.

Old San Diego attempts to capture the feel of a real life western town, based on San Diego of the 1800s. The pageantry of the settlement extends from its products to its employees where employees dress in old clothing and speak in ornate accents.

A trip to San Diego would not be complete without a seafood meal. The staff dined at Joe’s Crab Shack and enjoyed gourmet seafood together for dinner. The shack was shaking intermittently during the meal, as the staff entertained the customers through dance.

Sophomore Rees Roggenstein loved seeing the culture and trying old-fashioned products like sodas.

“My favorite part of Old San Diego was the old-fashioned sodas,” Roggenstein said. “All we have now is Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc It’s nice to taste some of the old ornate drinks San Diego used to offer.”

The editors Tynin Fries and Viviana Hinojosa prepare to teach their afternoon class, “Thriving in Cyberspace” which will educate journalists on how to manage their staff, April 12.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @callyfries4. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more news, read the April 10 article, Coast coverage: Day 2.