On April 3rd,we made our way to Penn State University to compete in the PSPA SJC Finals. We had to drive through the pouring rain, and taking a boat honestly would have been a better option. After we had registered and got settled, we got to enjoy a delicious breakfast from Panera. They had countless options, but of course I went with the famous cinnamon crunch bagel. Soon more school newspapers filled in and the room was full.
Sarah Higgins is the Assistant Athletic Director For Creative Content and Branding. She was the person being interviewed in the press conference we attended. She told us her story about how she ended up at Penn State, and how her dad was a big contributor to her path. Her job involves bringing people towards Penn State that may not have grown up in the sports or Penn State world. She communicates with the world and recruits through journalism; she tells stories and advertises to grasp people’s attention. “Consistency and equity throughout all sports is super important to us,” Sarah said, “each athlete and team deserves to have a big appearance.”
Competitors were then able to ask Sarah questions for their stores and allowed her to open up further about the projects she has worked on, traveling with the different teams, along with comparing what she does now to her previous position she had at Notre Dame.
When the press conference concluded, some competitors were taken into a room to write their piece for the competition. Others that did not have to write at that moment were taken outside to the quad to take pictures and look at the beautiful scenery at Penn State, and then were taken to observe the writing competitors. After the competition, everyone had about an hour to go eat lunch and explore the campus.
Our first stop was to Raising Canes to eat lunch. We couldn’t miss out on one of the most popular places to eat in State College. After we were done eating we went to look at the most popular sights at Penn State. We went to the nittany lion, Old Main, and then the Palmer Museum of Art to take pictures. It was pouring rain the whole day, so by the time we got back to the hub, we were soaking wet. We didn’t let the rain “dampen” our moods and still had an amazing time the entire day.
After we returned from our sightseeing around Penn State’s campus, the PSPA leaders guided the competitors into circle discussions about how to improve your newspaper writing skills.
We then listened to Keynote speaker Ashlie Crosson. She told us about her journalism and teacher paths and the struggles she had with both of them along the way and how she overcame those struggles.
After the Keynote speaker we moved on to the award ceremony. Awards were handed out for the first place winner of each category, along with the journalism student of the year and the journalism teacher of the year awards.
This concluded our day at Penn State University for the PSPA SJC Finals. With it still raining, we headed back to the van to make our way home.
