The four newspapers of Dallas College won 76 total awards at the annual Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention, or TIPA. The Brookhaven Courier received 23 of them, including three for live contests.
At TIPA, students participated in workshops taught by individuals in the field of journalism ranging from freelance photojournalists to investigative reporters. Peppered across the schedule were 30 live contests, which required students to work with tight deadlines, hunt for newsworthy stories and practice the various skills required in newsrooms.
Brandon Mendoza, the web editor at The Courier, said, “At times it can be overwhelming and kind of scary,” Mendoza participated in a News Photo and Magazine Design contests. He said his favorite part was getting to meet staff from other universities and Dallas College campuses.
During the convention, students from 51 schools across Texas got the chance to exchange their newspapers and experiences. “There are people in different roles, and everybody manages their newsroom differently,” The Courier’s managing editor, Aliya Ibrahim, said. “Getting to talk to them, see how they work, see how they operate, was very helpful.”
Ibrahim also said enjoyed the writing pre-convention workshop, where participants gave each other feedback on stories they had previously written. “I got to read a lot of stories that I don’t think I would have otherwise,” she said.
Joe Torres, a contributing writer for The Courier, had never been to a journalism convention previously and participated in a Print Sports Writing contest. He said, That definitely stretched me more than I thought it would.
“Outside of me having been in the military, it’s very rare to ever feel that level of the pressure without your life being on the line.” Torres said the networking opportunities were his favorite part.
The convention started March 18 with pre-convention workshops at the University of North Texas and ended with an awards ceremony on March 21 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center.
