CHASE HARRISON
harrisonc@lopers.unk.edu
On Halloween day, my fellow editors and I trekked to Washington, D.C. for the National College Media Convention. There, we were able to sit in on keynotes by renowned journalists, be critiqued by advisors, and even enter our previous issue into the “best of show” competition.
Unfortunately, we were not awarded in the best of show competition, as it only placed the top ten papers entered, these being from all over the nation, and ours didn’t make the cut. Still, we know that our takeaway was greater than any certificate or trophy would have been. And perhaps, at this time, it is for the best.
We want The Antelope to continue to progress. We enjoy pushing ourselves and striving towards new goals, and this is something we hope to pass on to future editors and staff. Not to be cheesy, but we still feel like winners – we believe that our last issue (as current staffers) was or best to date. And we plan on nurturing that motivation and drive to be “the best student-ran newspaper in the state”: a goal we set coming into this semester.
The convention was an awe-inspiring experience to say the least. Seeing and meeting so many other young individuals who are passionate about journalism and their community in the same way we are was enough to send us back with the exactly the stimulation we needed to finish out fall.
It is still a strange line to walk at times – being both a student and staff member at UNK. This trip was evident of that. It was unlike any other school sponsored trip or event I had ever been on before. Each day, every session, and every decision – all made at our own discernment and will. It was pleasing to see my fellow editors, as well as our advisor Rob Breeding, get so excited about each breakout session they were about to attend. It was as sure a sign I could ask for, if I were to ever wonder if this newspaper was in good hands. If our fellow staff members were under proper advisement. And if our readers were to ever wonder about the integrity that lies behind the face of The Antelope.
