Written and media by Kelsey Neier.
[divide]
The plane touched down Wednesday, October 28th in Dallas, Texas. My legs felt a little bit like jello as I grabbed my luggage and headed out of the terminal. I had survived my first flight and was ready for an incredible experience in a new state. My advisor Deloy Cole, Papyrus co-editor-in-chief Kaylee Summers, social media editor Madison Moran, The Vista editor Kirsten Norsworthy and I were ready to take over Texas. Our days were filled with adventure, food, music and retaining lots of information. It was an incredible experience that I was blessed to be a part of.
All of us were going on this trip for a big conference. The conference was conveniently located in our Hilton hotel in Austin, Texas. The conference had their own mobile app called ACP/CMA 2015 which stood for Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association. Design students and journalists from all over the world came to listen to professional writers and designers give advice about many different topics. We all were able to choose from a variety of different sessions that lasted fifty minutes each. Workshops in our hotel would start around eight a.m. and last until five p.m.
[divide]
I attended many sessions that taught me some tips and tricks for using Photoshop, InDesign and Final Cut Pro X. I also attended some sessions about typography, Twitter and media related programs that offered internships to study abroad. The Papyrus and the Vista were critiqued and we were given some great advice on how to improve the flow of our online newspaper and printed magazine. It was a great networking experience that allowed college students to make connections with employers for potential jobs after graduation. I really enjoyed being surrounded by journalists and media students who share the same passion for technology and writing that I do.
I made sure to take plenty of notes and I learned quite a bit of information that will be useful to my major and helpful when I graduate and look for work. All of the speakers were very professional and knowledgeable. They were more than willing to set aside plenty of time for questions that students had. We even had time after our busy workshops to go see a screening of Suffragette and have a Q & A with the screenwriter Abi Morgan. We walked around the capitol and took many pictures as we ate at Voodoo Doughnut and many Mexican restaurants while we explored 6th Street. I am so thankful to have gotten to spend this time with wonderful people and I can’t wait to go another conference.
