The Brookhaven Courier ventured to San Marcos for the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association annual convention from April 10-12, held at the San Marcos Embassy Suites. The Courier earned a total of 20 awards, four from the 2025 live competitions and 16 from the 2024 previously published.
The Courier’s Editor-in-Chief Shehzil Imran won first place in live critical review and honorable mention in live print news writing, and Managing Editor Jacqueline Sastre who won first place in live PR crisis management and honorable mention in live editorial writing.
The convention held a variety of workshops, such as ones about press freedom, storytelling and photojournalism.
“My favorite workshop was the workshop about community photojournalism by Josie Norris,” Contributing Writer Dmitri Zul said. “They put on a rather great workshop about photojournalism and presented it in such a unique way by demonstrating their photos taken throughout the years of being a photojournalist… It was a really unique workshop.”
In addition to the workshops, students participated in different live journalism competitions in the hotel, such as headline writing, critical review or editorial illustration.
Students also had the opportunity to participate in live competitions off-site, such as going to Texas State University for a live news event or to Downtown San Marcos for a live two-person photo essay.
“It was fun, I got to explore an area I’ve never been to, especially for how secluded San Marcos is,” Staff Writer Danni Lainez said. “It was a little difficult because I had just learned how to use the camera that day… but it was fun, we pulled through… and I would 100 percent do it all again now that I have more knowledge.”
In between workshops and competitions, students had the opportunity to attend the TIPA Career Fair & Trade Show, in which they had the chance to visit all the booths and enter a draw for a Sony A7IV camera. Since the fair was sponsored by Sony, attendees were also able to get a headshot photo taken for free.
“I’m not great at talking to new people so the event gave me the push I needed to get out of my shell,” Contributing Writer Bashi Ramos said. “It was exciting to see if me or anyone I know would win the camera, [and] it made me realize how many jobs and opportunities there are in areas I didn’t realize. There are so many people wanting to recruit and hire students right off the bat.”
The conference concluded with an awards brunch, where students from two and four year colleges awaited to hear about the out comes of the competitions they took part in. Students also entered a competition to create a hype video, recapping the convention, and the top three were shown during the brunch.
“The trip was super unique for me, it was something I had never experienced,” Zul said. “[I] had a good time getting to be with my peers. Even meeting new people from all different backgrounds and campuses was a great experience.”
