CSPA, also known as Columbia Scholastic Press Association, had a fall conference on November 6, 2023 at Columbia University in New York, NY. Members of WMC’s journalism club as well as the journalism class attended the CSPA field trip. The first workshop started around 9:30 AM and the last class of the day ended at 3:00 PM. Students were able to pick what classes they wanted to attend from over sixty different options.
The field trip was also attended by an advisor and editor of Mendham’s journalism program. Tristan Good, one of the many students who went on the field trip stated it was “. . .educational and informative. . . it really opened my eyes up to new perspectives, and I am hopefully going to do this again next year.”
The workshop offered many sessions that students were able to take, such as classes about writing better headlines, covering sports, and conducting interviews. The classes offered many different perspectives and solutions to understanding issues that student journalists have when either writing or submitting their work
The students were also given free time to get lunch during the designated lunch period and were able to walk around campus and see how students adjust to campus life. They were also able to go to the gift shop and buy something. Attendees were given maps for guidance if they needed directions for going to a class or getting lunch in the city. Students also got a name tag to wear around their neck with a code. When going into a class, the code gets scanned just to make sure that the students are attending classes and are safe.
Students have to pay to go on the trip, which may vary depending on how many students attend the trip. All in all, the CSPA trip was definitely fun and informative. WMC students who are interested in student publication should consider attending next year!