Nixa High School journalists are taking big strides in their careers as the advanced journalism groups take on a couple journalism events. During the last weekend in October, there was a trip to Drury University’s campus for the Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting  competition. During the weekend of Nov. 11, students took a trip to St. Louis for JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. While both included learning about journalism, they shared different purposes. The Drury event was a competition and had journalists competing with each other. The St. Louis event was a learning experience and gave journalists a chance to go to workshops.The competitions contained fierce competitors, which included Nixa, each working to win. At the Drury event the journalists were given a deadline for a big piece they had just pulled together, but missed it by two seconds. Nixa Journalists ran all over the place to complete and turn in a story to a competition. 

   “Getting the story in was stressful,” sophomore Ryan Viscioni said. “I ran all the way and back to the gym to help get the story in on time.”

   During one of the competitions a few of the journalism students had to memorize their script. They had to discuss sports and  put as much personality and humor into it as possible. They had to be prepared together as a team. They thoughtfully planned out what they were going to do and how they were going to do it.The Nixa journalists placed second in the sports round table discussion but had some advice for future competitors. 

   “My advice would be to work as a team and make sure you are all on the same level going into it,” Viscioni said. 

   The St. Louis JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention included professional speakers, college fairs, free merchandise, contests you could pay to enter in and different class sessions you could sign up for. There was plenty of free time for the students to go to lunch, play games together and bond with one another. Trips like these have brought journalists closer to their work and each other. 

   “It was great group bonding,” senior Justice Jones said. “Being able to go to lunch together and play card games as a group in our free time brought us all closer together.”

   Although the group was able to bond together they also had to think about themselves and what they wanted to do in the future. The convention offered lots of opportunities that can prepare a journalist for the future and the career they may have ahead of them. While they were thinking about what may help the group as a whole they were able to think about themselves as well. 

   “You have to self prioritize why you are there,” Jones said. “I had to make sure I was separating myself while some more Nixa students went to one session. It would have been pointless for us all to go to the same classes.”