The Best and Worst CMA Sessions
In the last three years I’ve seen all kinds of sessions – the good, the bad and the just plain terrible. I know how irksome it is to read a session description and get all excited, then moments later realize you’ve made a terrible mistake. And it’s too late…you’re stuck up front and your exit is blocked. To save you the aggravation, I’ve compiled a list of the best and worst sessions of the convention.
THE BEST
The Eyes Have It
Verdict: Freud meets Mr. Rogers – that alone is worth your time.
Not your average 5 Ws-and-H discussion. In fact, it has nothing to do with words at all. Nils Rosdahl from North Idaho College, with an odd mix of humor and stoic sensibility, interprets people just by looking at their clothes. Highlight: when he picks a volunteer from the audience and makes them do silly non-verbal things.
Can’t You Just Add a Pull Quote or a Chart or Something?
Verdict: It's funny, snarky and you learn something, too.
Perhaps I’m a little biased because the guy leading it is my adviser, but the list wouldn’t be complete without this session. But don’t take my word for it, talk to the students who’ll show up. Two things make this session worth your time. First, it’s 50 minutes of real student designs being made over. And second, he usually hands out shiny gold dollars to students who asked him questions.
Here, Queer & on Deadline: Covering LGBT issues on campus
Verdict: There's lots of talking, and it’s a good thing.
Although the rhyming title may sound a little corny, the session is anything but. The guy who presents it is very knowledgeable, and the students actually participate in discussion during this session. (What a novel development!) It’s 50 minutes well spent for anyone, because its lessons go beyond the scope of LGBT issues.
Bringing Your Web Site Into the Future
Verdict: It can be confusing but very cool.
The best part of this session starts when it’s over. The folks from College Publisher – who are usually close to our age – will answer all your Web site problems. In fact, they’ll pull up your site and fix it right in front of you. This session is a great opportunity to learn something new about College Publisher that can benefit your site. And if you are a CP hotshot you can still get something out of it, because most of the discussion is started by questions from the audience.
Other Sessions Worth Your Time:
Layout: The Basics and Beyond
Talk to Me: The ABCs of Interviewing
Entertainment Editors are Journalists, too
THE WORST
Writing Good Headlines and Cutlines
Verdict: It's amusing but not every educational.
You’ll see a lot of really bad (but really funny) headlines. However, if you want to actually learn how to write a good headline or cutline, this is NOT the session for you. The guy spends most of the time showing botched headlines (which are mostly the same every year) and does offer a few pointers at the end, but they’re not worth waiting 45 minutes for. The one redeeming quality is the guy’s ability to be funny on accident. Last year, his session was packed, so if you plan on attending, get there early. He uses slides that are hard to see if you aren’t sitting in the first few rows.
Say What? A Workshop on Dialogue
Verdict: It’s like a 50-minute English Class.
This session is definitely geared towards students with more literary pursuits. While Michael Ray Taylor from Henderson State University is an articulate guy, the subject matter isn’t very exciting. After being lectured about split infinitives, the evils of being wordy and the deadly sin of using an exclamation point, you’ll have a flashback to high school English class.
The Myth of Objectivity
Verdict: It requires talking…and thinking.
Be ready to participate in this session: 80 percent of the time is set aside for peers to discuss their opinions on the issue. In theory, this session should make for interesting debate, but it doesn’t live up to the excitement you’d expect. In the end, it becomes too much theory and not enough journalism.
Investigative Journalism and Large Projects for Daily Newspapers
Verdict: For the serious muckraking journalist only.
This session seems as long as its name. If you go, be prepared for a lot of information. This is nuts-and-bolts investigative journalism – right down to the discussion of how to get the mountains of paper trials you need to do it. If you don’t find the idea of pouring through rooms full of paper for months appealing, beware. One positive about this session is the lady running it. Tracy Everbach from University of North Texas speaks with a lot of energy and poise. She sticks around after her session to answer all kinds of questions, too.
Others to You Can do Without:
Any session on job preparation and career development. I’ve been to several. They’re always boring and rarely informative.
Just Your Type