2023 WSU Fall Conference

We will not be distributing paper programs for this event, both to save paper and to give attendees the most up-to-date schedule of events. But come say hi before the opening remarks outside the ballroom of the Rhatigan Student Center, 1845 Fairmount St #56, Wichita, KS 67260 on the campus of Wichita State University.

Welcome

KSPA executive director Eric Thomas will welcome students and teachers to the event in Beggs Ballroom on the third floor.

Keynote: Homegrown journalists a force in Wichita

Kylie Cameron, KMUW, 89.1

Kylie Cameron (she/her) is a reporter for KMUW 89.1, Wichita’s NPR affiliate. Previously, Cameron was editor in chief of Wichita State student newspaper The Sunflower. She’s been involved in student journalism for more than six years beginning in high school at Shawnee Mission North.

Celia Hack, KMUW, 89.1

Celia Hack is a reporter for KMUW, where she covers housing and environmental issues. Before KMUW, she covered local government at The Wichita Beacon and worked as a freelancer for The Shawnee Mission Post and the Kansas Leadership Center’s The Journal. She is originally from Westwood, Kansas, but Wichita is her home now.

Matthew Kelly, The Wichita Eagle

Matthew Kelly covers city and county government for the Wichita Eagle. Kelly is a 2020 graduate of Wichita State University where he worked for The Sunflower for four years, serving as editor-in-chief his junior year.

On-Site Critiques

Gridley Room: RSC 301

Please see the section, near the bottom of this page, titled “On-Site Critique Information” for a schedule of when each publication will be reviewed. (On-Site critiques are only available to schools that registered for them on our website.)

Advisers Social Meeting

McKay Room: RSC 319

A chance to gather with your fellow advisers to talk about teaching and publications — plus, hear from the KSPA board members about ongoing projects and plans for the year. Refreshments served as well!

“Anatomy of a good opinion piece”

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We’ll talk about how to make your point in a column or editorial for your own publication — or in an op-ed or letter to the editor that you could submit to any publication. The goal is to change how people think about an issue. The key is to grab and hold readers’ attention as you make your case.

PHILIP GRAY, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Philip Gray is a deputy Op-Ed editor at the Los Angeles Times. As an editor of columnists and op-ed writers, he has experience and expertise on a huge range of topics, including politics, economics, national security, science and law. Previously, he was at Bloomberg and the New York Times as an opinion and news editor. Prior to those jobs, he was an editor at the Washington Post and the Wichita Eagle. Gray is from Kansas and is a proud Wichita State Shocker. He also has a master’s degree from Union Theological Seminary.

“DSLR nuts & bolts”

Lucas Room: RSC 265

In this session, you’ll learn about — maybe get a refresher, if you need it — how your DSLR camera works, exploring settings that control exposure, depth of field, image quality and more for both still photos and video. Bring your camera with you if you can.

JESSICA NEWMAN, WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

Jessica Newman is a digital media professional and a full-time faculty member in the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University. She teaches classes in the Journalism & Media Production emphasis area. Jessica has taught at the Elliott School since 2018. She also maintains her own creative endeavors through freelance, part-time and contract work in the Wichita area and has worked professionally as a videographer since 2009. Throughout her professional career she discovered that storytelling and relationships drive her passion. She intentionally seeks out creative connections and the ability to engage with and learn about interesting people.

“Covering the hard stuff”

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Covering the most newsworthy and important topics means asking the right questions, finding the right information and knowing why what you’re doing is important. Join veteran education reporter Suzanne Perez for a discussion about what student journalists should be covering in their schools/districts, and learn tips for getting the information you need.

SUZANNE PEREZ, KMUW 89.1

Suzanne Perez is a longtime journalist covering education and general news for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. Before coming to KMUW, she worked at The Wichita Eagle, where she covered schools and a variety of other topics.

“They need to know you before they trust you”

Herman Room: RSC 262

Connecting with a generation that doesn’t see news media as trustworthy or necessary to their lives requires radical experimentation around building trust through face-to-face relationships. The editor of The Wichita Beacon explains what this looks like.

POLLY BASORE WENZL, THE WICHITA BEACON

Polly Basore Wenzl is the editor of The Wichita Beacon. A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, she worked as a reporter in Washington, D.C., before coming to Wichita in 1998. She is the author of the 2021 book about her family’s experience in Wichita during the pandemic, “Apocalyptic Polly: A Pandemic Memoir.”

“Beyond high school journalism”

Herman Room: RSC 262

Getting ready to graduate, but not ready to leave yearbook or newspaper? You don’t have to. Whether or not you pursue journalism as a degree, you can work for your campus publications. Come talk with a group of current Sunflower staff members about what it’s like to work for a campus publication. Other questions about college? These would be the people to ask!

MIA HENNEN, SUNFLOWER EDITOR IN CHIEF, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

Mia Hennen is the current editor in chief for The Sunflower. Before becoming editor, Hennen was the news/managing editor. They are a junior at Wichita State majoring in English and minoring in communications and Spanish, hoping to pursue any career involving writing or editing. Hennen uses they/them pronouns.

On-Site Critiques

Gridley Room: RSC 301

Please see the section, near the bottom of this page, titled “On-Site Critique Information” for a schedule of when each publication will be reviewed. (On-Site critiques are only available to schools that registered for them on our website.)

“One Pill Can Kill:” covering drugs and other issues at your school

Beggs Ballroom

We’ll talk about how to make your point in a column or editorial for your own publication — or in an op-ed or letter to the editor that you could submit to any publication. The goal is to change how people think about an issue. The key is to grab and hold readers’ attention as you make your case.

KYLIE CAMERON, KMUW

The phrase ‘One Pill Can Kill’ is often heard in high schools in reference to fentanyl-laced substances. This session will help newsrooms better inform their schools on drugs and drug policy affecting them.

“Leadership 101 through 601”

Pike Room: RSC 266

Leading your peers, especially under the pressures of producing a publication, is hard. Tom Shine has been editing and leading for a few years (some might say decades), and he knows the ropes (some might say he’s one of the best). Bring your leadership questions and an open mind to gain some insight, tips and strategies.

TOM SHINE, KMUW 89.1

Tom joined KMUW in 2017 after spending 37 years with The Wichita Eagle where he held a variety of reporting and editing roles. He came to Wichita from Michigan in 1980 to work for the morning Eagle and afternoon Beacon. The Beacon, through no fault of his own, folded a month after he got there.

“Interviewing for a Sports Feature”

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A great interview lays the groundwork for a great story. Come practice in this hands-on session featuring a veteran sports reporter and a WSU athlete.

JOANNA CHADWICK, DERBY HIGH SCHOOL & CALEB ANDERSON, WSU BASEBALL

Joanna Chadwick is the adviser at Derby High School. Chadwick became a teacher after 20 years as a high school sportswriter for the Wichita Eagle. She is passionate about journalism overall and especially the importance of teaching it to high school students.

“Creating a well-crafted, professional student podcast”

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Everybody wants to make a podcast, but making a GOOD podcast is a real tall order. In this session we will talk about how structures separate the best from the rest and finding your X factor!

JAKE WILKEN, WICHITA HIGH SCHOOL WEST

Wilken is the Wichita West High journalism teacher of 5 years, student the Kent State University Journalism Education graduate program.

“Headlines & captions: Everyone reads them, no one wants to write them”

Herman Room: RSC 262

Come learn strategies for writing these important and heavily read elements of any good story/photo.

IAN TENNANT, WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

Ian Tennant is an assistant professor at the Elliott School of Communication. He teaches reporting and writing classes, as well as communication theory and history. Tennant is a former reporter, photographer and editor for weekly newspapers in Canada and England, and daily newspapers in Texas.

“Stop the scrolling! Publish photos people will stop to look at.”

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We are inundated with visuals. Many of the images are ho-hum photos that anyone can take and post. Instead, we want to publish photos that make readers stop, look and even study. Longtime photojournalist Jaime Green will show you how make photos that interest and delight.

JAIME GREEN, THE WICHITA EAGLE

Green is Visual Editor of the Wichita Eagle. Green is a multimedia photojournalist with 20 years experience in visual storytelling. 

On-Site Critiques

Gridley Room: RSC 301

Please see the section, near the bottom of this page, titled “On-Site Critique Information” for a schedule of when each publication will be reviewed. (On-Site critiques are only available to schools that registered for them on our website.)

“Editor and Adviser, Oh My!”

Beggs Ballroom

Creating a quality publication is a big task, and a quality working relationship between editor(s) and adviser(s) can make this task easier and more fun. In this session, editors will hear stories and ideas about making this relationship work to support the staff and the publication as a whole. Come with questions.

JULIE BARKER, AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL WITH ASPEN MAGRUBER

Julie Barker Advises the Wings yearbook, Oriole Newspaper and Brick A Productions Broadcast at Augusta High School. She has been advising award-winning publications for a total of 27 years.

Aspen Magruder is a senior at Augusta High School and the Editor-in-Chief of the Wings yearbook and has been on the yearbook staff for three years. Last year she worked as the assistant editor.

“Not with a 10-foot poll”

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Student publications are often lured in by the idea of creating their own polls, about every thing from teen sex to school lunches. But how trustworthy are those polls? How useful are they for readers? Should we be using them at all? This session will provide ways to find the vital facts to back up student reporting on controversial stories.

ERIC THOMAS, KSPA

Eric Thomas began work as KSPA executive director during the summer of 2014. He works with the board to program excellent events for KSPA schools and to support student journalists with ambitious projects.

“Beyond scores and quarterback quotes — elevate your game coverage”

Lucas Room: RSC 265

Do people read game stories?” is a long-running debate. Where does that leave a reporter? Reporters need to look harder, plan wisely, ask more questions and do more advance work in these circumstances to find stories that readers aren’t getting other places.

PAUL SUELLENTROP , WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

Paul Suellentrop joined Strategic Communications in 2017 after 17 years at The Wichita Eagle, 12 of them covering Wichita State athletics. At Wichita State, he writes stories about interesting people and newsworthy events around the university.

“101 new story ideas”

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Are your story brainstorming sessions flat? Do you feel like you’re covering the same people and topics over and over again? In this session, Wichita Eagle service journalism reporter (and two-year Sunflower editor-in-chief) Lindsay Smith will share a slew of story ideas and lead some brainstorming sessions to help you come up with some fresh ideas.

LINDSAY SMITH, THE WICHITA EAGLE

Lindsay Smith is a service journalism reporter for the Wichita Eagle. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of Wichita State University’s student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. She graduated from WSU in December 2022 with a degree in journalism.

“Beyond stills: Creating pictures that move”

Herman Room: RSC 262

For this session we will go over creative applications for photography and some of the options that are available when you choose to cross over into animation and video: timelapse, GIF animations
and the parallax effect. We will touch upon the basics slide shows created in Adobe Premiere, as well as the timeline function in Photoshop.

CARY CONOVER, ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL

Cary Conover is a photographer and educator based in Wichita, Kansas.

“Check out the Elliott School of Communication & The Sunflower”

Olive Room: RSC 261

Interested in The Elliott School at Wichita State? Tour the school, talk to faculty and students, ask questions and visit The Sunflower newsroom. (First 25 students)

KEVIN HAGER & ELLIOTT SCHOOL AMBASSADORS

On-Site Critiques

Gridley Room: RSC 301

Please see the section, near the bottom of this page, titled “On-Site Critique Information” for a schedule of when each publication will be reviewed. (On-Site critiques are only available to schools that registered for them on our website.)

“Do you really know exposure?”

Pike Room: RSC 266

Many photography teachers explain exposure all wrong (sorry, it’s true). They explain depth of field in
a way that complicates and confuses. They obsess about stopping action, when that might be
perfectly wrong for your approach. They bang the table about ISO because it was so vital way-back-
when. Come hear some of the myths of photographic exposure — while we also review the basics.

ERIC THOMAS, KSPA

Eric Thomas began work as KSPA executive director during the summer of 2014. He works with the board to program excellent events for KSPA schools and to support student journalists with ambitious projects.

“Get ready for college applications & scholarship interviews”

Spencer Room: RSC 264

You spend your days telling other people’s stories, but now it’s time to get ready to tell your own. In
this session, you’ll learn about preparing a professional resume and hear tips for handling
scholarship interviews like a pro.

JACK BRAND, WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

Before becoming a full-time educator, Jack Brand worked primarily in the area of non-profits in the fields of animal welfare and health care. He believes in the power of effective communication to make the world a better place, and loves all things related to storytelling.

“Reeling in readers: Writing leads that hook the audience”

Herman Room: RSC 262

Your first sentence creates the first impression. It’s the gateway, the lure, the reason someone keeps
reading. In this session, students will discuss what goes into a compelling lead, rewrite example
leads, and work on improving their own leads — so students should bring a couple of their stories.

CARRIE RENGERS, THE WICHITA EAGLE

Carrie Rengers has been a reporter for more than three decades, including more than 20 years at The Wichita Eagle.

“Check out the Elliott School of Communication & The Sunflower”

Olive Room: RSC 261

Interested in The Elliott School at Wichita State? Tour the school, talk to faculty and students, ask
questions and visit The Sunflower newsroom. (First 25 students)

KEVIN HAGER & ELLIOTT SCHOOL AMBASSADORS