Introduction
This past weekend, January 31 to February 2, 2025, I was given the amazing opportunity to attend the Southeast Journalism Conference. SEJC is a conference designed to bring journalism students together from the Southeast. The states who attend are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is a yearly conference held at a different college every year. This year it was held in Starkville, Mississippi at Mississippi State University. At SEJC, students can compete in on-site competitions, attend panels and sessions, listen to influential speakers and win various awards for their work. According to their website, sejc.org, “SEJC was created to encourage greater interest in student journalism and to form closer ties among journalism schools in the Southeast United States.”
Key Moments
It is hard to narrow down my experience to a particular thing I enjoyed, but I had a great time on Saturday night at the Best of the South awards. It was held in the Colvard Student Union Ballroom. All of our staff members got to dress up in formal attire and were served a nice meal. During the meal, we were social and enjoyed talking with one another and sharing stories. I am very grateful for the new friends I made from other colleges, as well as my friendships that have grown with The Pacer staff because of SEJC!
Another key moment, and super surprising moment, was how chaotic everything felt. Chloe Kent and I were tasked to interview an artist… except we were assigned to do it in a tavern. The atmosphere was very loud, bright and full of color: not necessarily the place for an interview. People were lined up to talk to her! Despite this, we were able to interview our artist outdoors, get to know her and successfully complete our assignment. Even though this part was very chaotic, I look back on it today and laugh.
We were able to overcome our challenges and work through obstacles as they arose. We seemingly chased one another around the tavern with a camera, trying to get the best shots we possibly could. We filmed, edited and put together this entire reel in the span of about four hours! Although we did not win, I am still very proud of our hard work. I had a great time filming, editing, working together with Chloe, and overall having the ability to create something awesome.
Reflections
The overall environment of SEJC was very welcoming. I was greeted by many of the staff members who worked so hard to bring the event together. Every member I spoke to was absolutely thrilled with the number of students who were able to attend the conference. The keynote speakers for Saturday night and Sunday morning were chosen with care. They were Ross Dellenger, a sportswriter for Yahoo, and Isabelle Taft, a New York Times reporter. I am typically not the person who enjoys listening to long speeches, but I thoroughly enjoyed these.
Both speakers had wonderful advice and ideas to share about being a journalist. They shared some of their personal tips and tricks. My favorite piece of advice from Isabelle Taft was to use social media to your advantage. Instead of looking at it with so much negativity, journalists can use it as a tool. Because of Facebook, Taft was able to learn about a riot before it happened and help protect citizens of Picayune, Mississippi. My favorite advice from Ross Dellenger was, “Don’t be a writer. Be a reporter.” I left both speeches feeling empowered and motivated that I can make a difference in the world if I set my mind to it.
Conclusion
Overall, I am grateful for my first experience at Southeast Journalism Conference. The Pacer staff members are always excited for SEJC, and I am thankful I finally got to experience what they love so much. I left SEJC feeling excited to come back to UT Martin with the new knowledge I gained. I am proud of the friendships that were created or expanded upon and made memories that I will remember forever. If you are a communications major, publication student, journalist or writing enthusiast, the Southeast Journalism Conference is the place for you.
