Event Coverage: Southern Interscholastic Press Association
Above: BRAND NEW PERSPECTIVE: iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board members and iliad adviser David Ragsdale stand on the University of South Carolina campus on Feb. 29. iliad Editor-in-Chief Olivia Hendershot felt the meaning of the trip changed with her new leadership role. “This year’s SIPA was so much different than last year’s. Because I’m an upperclassman now, I felt like I had a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders,” Hendershot said. “I'm thankful the convention was so well organized with the help of our adviser, Mr. Ragsdale. It made going to sessions a lot easier.” Photo by Aza Khan
ODYSSEY Media Group staffers and editors, Journalism 1 students, and iliad Editorial Board members attended the 2024 Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention in Columbia, South Carolina, between Feb. 29 and March 3.
ODYSSEY Media Group staffers and editors, Journalism 1 students, and iliad Editorial Board members attended the 100th annual 2024 Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) Convention in Columbia, South Carolina, between Feb. 29 and March 3.
The SIPA convention consisted of a variety of activities for journalism students to expand their skills. Pre-convention workshops provided students with an opportunity to go in-depth on one journalism concept, educational breakout sessions covered various journalistic topics for students to learn from, and on-site competitions offered students a chance to compete and show their skills. The event was completed with an awards ceremony to recognize students’ work in their programs and for on-site competitions.
Breakout sessions covered a range of journalistic topics, including broadcast journalism, layout and spread design and leadership. SIPA’s goal is for students to take advantage of these sessions, incorporating what they learn into their programs and encouraging growth. It’s also an opportunity for students to connect with journalists and students from other schools.
“I mainly went to photography sessions. It was cool to be able to learn from so many different photographers and the different techniques and methods they use,” iliad Visuals Coordinator Flannery Ragan said. “I feel like my photography skills will improve a lot taking into account all the things I learned.”
Above: FIRST TIME AROUND: ODYSSEY Media Group staffer Maggie Monk (left) and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Visuals Coordinator Flannery Ragan (right) sit in Lizard’s Thicket Restaurant on Feb. 29. The 2024 SIPA convention was Ragan’s first with the program, and they describe experiencing a rewarding social aspect of the trip. “During SIPA, I got the chance to hang out with lots of different people, some of which I had never really interacted with before,” Ragan said. “It was so nice to get to know more people in the ODYSSEY and further connect with the iliad staff.” Photo by Aza Khan
Attending iliad Editorial Board members competed in team on-site production competitions (TOP) for literary magazines. After being given a prompt, teams had a limited amount of time to produce a spread that consisted of an original creative writing piece and a visual piece. One CCHS team that competed, consisting of Olivia Hendershot, Niles Flath, Flannery Ragan, and Jazlyn Gonzalez-Alvarez, was awarded Best Written Element for their TOP piece. The other participating CCHS team, consisting of Victoria Garland, Margo McDaniel, Sam Harwell, and Lea D’Angelo was bestowed Best Overall for their spread. iliad Editor-in-Chief Olivia Hendershot thought the TOP competition to be a positive learning experience for her and her teammates.
“We were all able to compete in the TOP competition for lit-mags so everyone was able to use their strengths and even try things outside of their comfort zone,” Hendershot said.
Above: A CENTURY OF SIPA: iliad Literary-Art Magazine adviser David Ragsdale gives a speech at Marriott Columbia Hotel on March 3. This year was Ragsdale’s 17th year attending SIPA, and he commented on the importance of the 100th anniversary of the convention. “It’s a transition year for SIPA for a myriad of reasons, but it was a pleasure to be on site for SIPA’s birthday,” Ragsdale said. Photo by Izzy Duncan
“It was an honor to be named the Leslie Dennis Heart for Diversity Award winner for 2024,” Ragsdale said. “It’s special to know our commitment to these issues is recognized in our region.”
The iliad won several awards, including the Scroggins Award: Best of South for literary magazines and first place for Best of Show among literary magazines at SIPA. The iliad was also awarded third place for its website in the Online Media category. Hendershot takes pride in the award and her team’s efforts towards the website.
“It felt really good to have won third place for our website because, at the beginning of the year, it was kind of our goal to increase our activity within it,” Hendershot said. “Winning third was like an award to the entire editorial board because everyone’s work is compiled in (the website) somewhere.”
Above: COMMEMORATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: iliad Editor-in-Chief Olivia Hendershot accepts the Scroggins Best of South Award at SIPA on March 3. Hendershot reflected on the iliad’s achievements at SIPA this year and the positive impact it had on the iliad Editorial Board. “I was happy to see my team genuinely celebrating the iliad program’s victories during the awards ceremony,” Hendershot said. Photo by Izzy Duncan
In reflecting on the convention, Hendershot has high hopes for the future of the iliad and their participation in SIPA.
“I hope we continue making changes and progress within our program so our publication can reach broader audiences like (at) SIPA,” Hendershot said.
Story by Margo McDaniel
Margo McDaniel is a sophomore at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and is the Writing Director for the iliad literary-art magazine. This year, she hopes to help creativity flourish at Clarke Central. McDaniel also hopes to give writers opportunities to express themselves and to get published. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, playing guitar, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.