Thursday, April 30, 2009
By LAUREN DEPIETRO
Editor’s note: Youngstown State University hosted 300 area high school students Monday at Spring Press Day. As part of the event, 18 students competed in writing a deadline news story about the event. Lauren DePietro, a sophomore at Cardinal Mooney High School, was selected by judges from YSU and The Vindicator as the winner. This is her story.
Pen? Paper? News? Check. High school journalists from across Mahoning Valley gathered in YSU’s Kilcawley Center for Press Day 2009.
Monday’s featured speaker was Karen Crouse, a New York Times sports columnist. Crouse, who covers the New York Jets, spoke about how she got into journalism, what inspires her to write, and the persistence that got her to The New York Times.
“She had a good message about taking small steps to get to the big picture,” said Katie Congemi, a staff member on Cardinal Mooney High School’s newspaper.
Crouse also spoke of journalism as a possible career and the challenge of pulling a story out of an athlete to find out what makes him or her “tick.” The sports reporter then took questions from the 300 students in attendance.
“I thought she was fascinating. Her life experiences are amazing, and I could tell she was passionate about answering the students’ questions,” said Mrs. Peggy Moore, Cardinal Mooney High School’s newspaper advisor.
The day concluded with anticipation and excitement as the awards ceremony began. Students cheered, howled and whistled in recognition of fellow reporters’ excellent work.
The awards for best overall high school newspaper were judged by Todd Franko, editor of The Vindicator. Austintown Fitch High School’s newspaper, The Talon, took this prize in the large division, while Struthers High School’s newspaper, The Student Prints, won in the small division.
Also honored were several schools’ advisers. For Beaver Local High School, this moment was bittersweet.
The adviser of Beaver Local’s newspaper, Erica Flowers, cried as she was recognized with a standing ovation and round of applause in Kilcawley’s Chestnut Room. Beaver Local High School’s newspaper, The Beaver Tales, may not be published next year because school officials cancelled the newspaper class.
Press Day was organized by the YSU journalism program, the Tri-County Journalism Association and Sue Shafer of The Tribune Chronicle.