Enhancing students enthusiasm in journalism

Byline: Jon Calamateos

Times Staff

The Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention is an opportunity for junior college undergraduates to network, compete in contests and attend workshops. The event took place in Burbank, Calif., where San Jose City College Times students took home two awards and learned skills to apply towards the newspaper.

The JACC convention is a yearly opportunity for junior college undergraduates to network, compete in contests, and attends workshops. Awards are given through on the spot contests, which are time intensive tests that are a mock-up in how Journalists research, prepare, and write a story.

Many talented and enthusiastic college students talk about choosing a major. 400 college students from the State of California, attended at statewide journalism convention to learn about a career in journalism

The workshops were full of slideshows and statistics that helped students realize there was more to this convention than writing for a school newspaper. One workshop provided students the best times to post on social media sites, which sparked the student’s attention. They began to take pictures and notes as the information rolled out.

Each presentation had knowledgeable speakers that were informative. There was so much to go over yet students still seemed to be intrigued. Some students who attend the convention weren’t Journalism majors, but it created space where students grew a deeper appreciation of the craft, and of the field. It was also a place where students had to reflect about aspects of life, how to be consistent and how catch an audience.

Students cheered for their peers and colleges, and everyone was supportive of all the winners. San Jose City College’s own Patrick Huaranga and Brennon Dixson won fourth place award for Informational Graphic.  San Jose City College Times Staff also won a fourth place award for Student Designed Advertisement.

If you would like to attend the next journalism convention, please contact us at [email protected]. If you would like to learn more about upcoming opportunities, please feel free to see the San Jose City College Associated Student Government. They have weekly meetings in the Student Center, room SC-204, from 2 p.m to 4 p.m.