On Wednesday, Nov. 9, six members of The La Salle Falconer and Journalism adviser Miles Kane left the Portland International Airport for a four day trip to St. Louis, MO for the Fall National High School Journalism Convention (NHSJC). 

In the online news site Best of Show national competition for schools with under 1,800 students, The La Salle Falconer came away with an 8th place finish. Current Editor In Chief Megan Snyder and former Editor Andrew Clair ‘21 won honorable mentions for Opinion Story of the Year, which only 10 students in the nation were finalists for. 

The NHSJC is a biannual event, with a fall and spring convention held in different locations across the U.S. This year, the fall convention returned after a three year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The convention took place in downtown St. Louis at the America’s Center Convention Complex. Participants stayed at the Marriott Hotel across the street, which made for a very convenient commute to the convention each morning. 

The convention is an opportunity for high school students from across the country to come together to learn about journalism, listen to speakers from various schools and professions, and compete in journalism and media related contests. 

When The Falconer staff landed in St. Louis Wednesday night, they settled into their hotel and prepared for the upcoming activities. Thursday consisted of a variety of tourist attractions, such as The Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, and the St. Louis Art Museum. 

On Thursday afternoon, the convention officially began with the opening of the trade show, introductions from the sponsors, board of directors, and a presentation from the keynote speakers. 

This year’s keynote speakers were Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalists Laurie Skriven, Christian Gooden, David Carson, and Robert Cohen from the St. Louis Post Dispatch. They shared photos from their various assignments and gave advice to the young crowd on how to cover tough topics, like their coverage of the Ferguson protests that earned them their Pulitzer Prize. Not only did they share stories from their own jobs, they answered questions that the audience had, giving a unique opportunity for discussion between amateur and experienced journalists. 

On Friday and Saturday, after the introductions and keynote speakers, students and advisers had the opportunity to attend scheduled sessions covering a variety of topics. Experts taught about subjects such as the power of light in photography, to the protected rights students have or lack as student journalists. With sessions ending in the mid-afternoon each day, this left ample time for the Falconer staff to explore the city of St. Louis and debrief on the information they had gathered from each session. 

The convention officially ended on Sunday, but the Falconer staff left St. Louis Saturday evening to catch a late flight back to Portland. This meant they missed the awards ceremony, where they were recognized for their accomplishments as a publication. However, they were informed about the news as they landed in Chicago for a layover flight.

The Falconer staff returned home full of new tips for the publication and excitement for future conventions. The next NHSJC will be held in San Francisco in the spring.