2011 Contest Overview & Rules
CONTESTS
Thursday, Feb. 24
Kansas State University Kelly Furnas, Director 1A-2A, 3A-4A, 5A-6A contests 785-532-7822 Entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 28 Sub deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 22 - Wichita State University Amy DeVault, Director 1A-2A, 5A-6A contests 316-978-6052 Entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 28 Sub deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 22 - Fort Hays State University Marcella Marez, Director 1A-2A, 3A-4A contests 785-628-4337 Entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 28 Sub deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 22 - Pittsburg State University Gerard Attoun, Director 3A-4A contest 620-235-4809 Entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 28 Sub deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 22 - Emporia State University Max McCoy, Director 3A-4A contest 620-341-5544 Entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 28 Sub deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 22 -Friday, Feb. 25
University of Kansas Jeff Browne, Director 3A-4A, 5A-6A contests 785-864-0605 Entry deadline: Monday, Jan. 31 Sub deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 23 - –Registration forms and carry-in contest information be e-mailed to all members between Dec. 17-21, 2010. Non-members may get e-mails, but will also be sent information via U.S. Postal Service, addressed to “Publications Adviser.”
Information also will be posted online at http://www.kspaonline.org on Dec. 17, 2010. Go to the “Regionals” tab. Click and you will find the page with registration information and links, as well as all the carry-in contest PDF files.
Some regional contests (KSU, WSU, FHSU) will feature online registration; the others (PSU, ESU, KU) require a writable PDF that can be e-mailed or mailed. Please check with your regional contest coordinator if you aren’t sure how to register for your contest.
Contest Divisions
KSPA competitions are divided into three classifications for competition: 1A and 2A schools will compete at the same sites, as will 3A and 4A schools, and 5A and 6A schools.
A minimum of four schools must compete in each division at each regional to have a valid contest. The executive director is authorized by KSPA’s executive committee to assign schools as necessary to equalize competition and to ensure that at least four schools compete in each division at each site. Please be sure to check with KSHSAA classification to confirm your school is entered in the correct division.
Carry-in Contests
Ten carry-in contests will be offered: Advertising, Headline Writing, Infographics, News Page Design, Photo Illustration, Yearbook Layout, Theme Development and Graphics, Student Life Photography, Academics Photography, and Sports Photography. The Broadcast contest will be at the state level only. Specific carry-in topics will be posted on the KSPA Web site.
Carry-in contests must be hand-delivered by the close of registration on the contest date, or they may be mailed directly to the contest site 48 hours before the contests begin. No faxes, please. Advisers are encouraged to FedEx carry-in entries to avoid delays at the registration table and to ensure on-time arrival.
On-site contests
Nine on-site contests will be offered: Editing, Editorial Cartoon, Editorial Writing, Cutline Writing, Yearbook Sports Writing, Yearbook Copy Writing, Feature Writing, News Writing, and News Sports Writing. On-site rules and information are included at the end of this letter.
Entries
Advisers are urged to complete their entry blanks as quickly as possible and to return them to the director of the contest site where their students will complete. Contest locations and directors are listed below.
Kansas State University Kelly Furnas School of Journalism Kedzie Hall 103 Manhattan, KS 66506 785-532-7822 furnas@ksu.edu - Wichita State University Amy DeVault Elliott School of Comm. Campus Box 31 Wichita, KS 67260 316-978-3006 amy.devault@wichita.edu - Fort Hays State University Marcella Marez Comm. Studies Dept. Malloy Hall 201C Hays, KS 67601 785-628-4448 mmarez@fhsu.edu - Pittsburg State University Gerard Attoun 1701 S. Broadway 220 Whitesitt Pittsburg, KS 66762 620-235-4817 gattoun@pittstate.edu - Emporia State University Max McCoy 1200 Commercial Campus Box 4045 Emporia, KS 620-341-5544 mmccoy2@emporia.edu - University of Kansas Jeff Browne 317 Stauffer-Flint 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 785-864-0605 jeffbrowne@ku.edu -Each school may enter two entries in each contest. Each student may enter up to five contests; however, no more than two contests entered may be on-site. In the Theme Development and Graphics competition, schools may elect to have two teams of two individuals per team, two individuals, or one team and one individual compete. The broadcast competition will take place only at the state level.
Contestants will compete by number. If a student identifies him/herself or his/her school by name or location, or uses the wrong number, the entry will be disqualified. Contestants will be given labels with their numbers printed on them. These labels should appear in the upper right-hand corner of the student’s entry.
Substitutions
If an adviser needs to make emergency substitutions, there will be a limit of two changes per school. No category changes may be made. The director of the regional contest must be notified of substitutions at least 48 hours prior to the contest, or 9 a.m. two days before the competition.
Fees
The fee for each entry remains $10, and a $10 per school entry fee will also be assessed to cover the cost of postage to return entries following the competition. Although it is better if payment can accompany the form, rather than delay submission of the entry form itself, please forward it and send the payment to the site in a later mailing. Payment must be made, however, prior to the time of the competition. Checks should be made payable to KSPA or Kansas Scholastic Press Association regardless of the site where the school competes.
Student Supervision
Students must remain on the contest premises where they are competing throughout the day. Advisers must accompany students to the contest site. At the regional level, KSPA will not provide any scheduled activities for carry-in entrants. As a result, unless these students are also competing on the site, they need not attend the contest.
Lunch
In addition to the entry fee, each student will be responsible for his/her lunch. Food service is available on each campus and will be explained by the host school when the entry is acknowledged.
Check In
Upon receipt of your entry, the director of the contest site where your students will compete will send you additional information on parking, food facilities, location of registration, and contests.
Regulations
The director of each regional contest is authorized to enforce the rules approved by the KSPA executive committee. If any adviser violates the rules, his/her students will be disqualified and the principal of the school involved will be notified. Advisers are prohibited from entering the rooms where entries are being judged.
Advisers are not to give advice or suggestions on carry-in contests. Student questions should be directed to the KSPA executive director.
Awards and Judging
Certificates will be awarded in regional contests to the first-, second- and third-place winners as well as to three honorable mentions. Award winners are then eligible to compete in the state competition Saturday, May 7, at the University of Kansas.
Judges will be journalism faculty members, former high school advisers no longer employed by a school district, and professional journalists. Whenever possible, critique forms will be provided with each entry. Judges are encouraged to make comments on all entries. Judges volunteer their services without pay.
Students with Special Needs
Please be advised that handicapped persons will be given an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all contests sponsored by KSPA and the cooperating institutions that act as hosts. If you or any of your students need to be so accommodated, please let the appropriate contest director know what these accommodations are before Monday, Jan. 25, 2010.
On-site Contest Rules and Tips
Two entries per category per school are allowed.
- Cutline Writing: Students will write cutlines for five photos provided at the contest site. Students may write in pen or pencil. Paper will be provided at the contest site. Students may use dictionary, thesaurus and AP Stylebooks. Personal listening devices, recording devices and personal computers are prohibited during the contest.
- Writing Contests: (Yearbook copy, yearbook sports, feature, news, sports and editorial writing contests). Students will write a story based on information provided on a fact sheet. Students may write in pen or pencil. Paper will be provided. Students may use dictionary, thesaurus and AP Stylebooks. Personal listening devices, recording devices and personal computers are prohibited during the contest.
- Editorial Contest: Students will design a cartoon relevant to the topic provided on the fact sheet. The final entry should be submitted in black ink. Don not place your signature anywhere on the entry. Paper will be provided. Students may use dictionary, thesaurus and AP Stylebooks. Personal listening devices, recording devices and personal computers are prohibited during the contest.
- Editing: Students will edit a news story. Students should edit for AP style, accuracy, libel, attribution, correct paragraphing, grammar, spelling and redundancy. Correct copy editing symbols must be used. Students should edit in pencil. Students may use dictionary, thesaurus and AP style manuals. Personal listening devices, recording devices and personal computers are prohibited during the contest.
Additional KSPA Awards
At the KSPA Web site under links, you will find the High School Journalist of the Year application, the Administrator of the Year application, the Engel Award application, the Hall of Fame application and the T-shirt competition information. These will be posted on or before Jan. 17, 2010.
Inclement weather
The snow policy to be followed states that the decision to hold the contest during inclement weather is up to the discretion of the contest director. It is then left to the discretion of each individual school’s district to determine whether it is sufficiently safe for the students to travel to the contest. The KSPA executive board has instituted a NO REFUND policy if the contest is held, but the individual school is unable to attend. It is necessary to do this because our costs are still incurred if the regional is held.
KSPA sincerely appreciates your support of the organization and our activities. The on-the-spot contests organized for the regional and state are special, in that most state organizations do not offer this kind of learning activity. Last year, approximately 2,200 young journalists competed at six regional sites. We anticipate having your school’s students among those who will compete this year.
Sincerely,
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Jeff Browne, KSPA Executive Director
