PRESS PASS PRIVILEGE: THE JOURNALISM CONFERENCE

THE ANCHOR AND CLEAR CREEK AMANA HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK STAFF AT THE IHSPA CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 23RD; PHOTO BY RAVEN TYREE

The Experience

The annual fall Iowa High School Press Association Conference is held on the campus of the University of Iowa for high school newspaper and yearbook teams from across the state. On Thursday, October 23, forty eight high schools were represented by over nine hundred students who attended the conference. 

After checking in, students received their press passes and schedules. Shortly after, everyone gathered in the Main Lounge in the Iowa Memorial Union and received a warm  welcome by Michelle Sillman, the Recruitment, Internship, and Placement Coordinator and  Adjunct Instructor at Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Following, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor, Brett Johnson, spoke and introduced the Keynote speaker MaryKate Walling, a Social Media Content Specialist. Walling gave an inspiring speech about all of the amazing opportunities and growth that can come from stepping outside of your comfort zone. 

Iowa newspaper and yearbook students attended three sessions with a total of forty nine options covering different aspects of journalism. This  included writing, photography, leadership, networking, use of AI, sports, social media, and broadcast. 

News reporter for The Anchor, Callista West liked all of the different options for the workshop sessions. She attended a session called How to Write a Winning In-Depth News Story where she “learned about incorporating more student voices as well as getting more sources and interviews.

Gwen Dao, Design Editor for Clear Creek Amana High School’s yearbook felt that it was a “very educational experience”.

She sharpened her photography and writing skills and learned more about the field of digital media management and creation, which she is considering for her future career.

Brooklyn Merten, Editor-in-Chief for yearbook loved the opportunity to explore journalistic careers. She felt that   it “definitely opened my eyes” and made her “really think” about pursuing a career in the field as she hopes to build websites.

Editor-in-Chief of The Anchor, Lili Nandell, appreciated not only what there is to learn during the sessions but also the sense of community at the conference. She gushed, “It’s more than just a wonderful opportunity for learning, but it’s a chance for team bonding. Getting to go out downtown for lunch and win awards together is incredibly fun!”

Nandell especially loved the student-led session, Letting students Lead: Student Panel Discussing Editorial Leadership which was led by members of The Little Hawk’s staff, from City High School. She felt that seeing everyone working together and learning from each other to improve their publications is “beautiful”. 

Following the three one-hour long sessions, students and advisors ate lunch then returned for the long-anticipated awards ceremony.

Awards and Recognition

Last year, for the 2024-2025 school year, The Anchor won a total of twenty five awards which placed us in the top fifteen IHSPA all-Iowa news team finalists for the year 2025. 

Awards were won across eleven categories. Some notable first place awards include: News Magazine - Multiple Page Design (Kalli York), Newspaper - Multiple Page Design (Jaidyn Calkins, Julieta Ortiz, Lily Janecek), Ads (Lili Nandell), Magazine - One Page Design (Julieta Ortiz), Interactive Graphic (CCAHS News Staff), and Multimedia Story - News (Julieta Ortiz).

News reporter Benjamin Brenner won two awards last year, his first year part of The Anchor. He earned second place for his Staff Editorial, AI in Education, and third place in the category of Magazine - One Page Design for Tristan und Isolde. He reflected, “I was pleasantly surprised that the first thing I wrote for The Anchor won second place.”

Advisor of The Anchor, Mrs. Moore commented on awards won by the staff. She beamed, “I am just super proud of all of the hard work of every member of The Anchor staff. Just a few years ago we weren’t even printing a newspaper and it’s amazing to see the growth and improvement. I also love seeing all of the recognition for the hard work that the students put into it.” 

Additionally, the Clear Creek Amana High School’s yearbook team was recognized for the cover of the 2024-2025 school yearbook, Back to Square One. Yearbook advisor Mr. Zorn said, “I'm very, very happy with how the yearbook staff represented themselves and their school. I’m always so proud of their work.”