Paypal for Convention

It is now possible to pay online for the convention next month in Chicago. And you don't even need a credit card! All you have to do is forward money through Paypal to the Chicago Headline Club, the SPJ chapter putting on this event. The website is here. Chicago Headline Club

If you don't want to pay through Paypal, you can still bring the registration fee to the convention.

Brian Kennedy,
Secretary, USI SPJ

Sunshine for USI

Sunshine Week is officially upon us, and for us, that means seeing the release of the FOIA audit from last Novemeber. For those that don't know, SPJ, Shield, AM820, the advanced reporting class, and others helped out in the audit, which meant obtaining records deemed on the record by the Indiana Open Records law. Unfortunately, the audit showed that there were some organizations that didn't hand the information over, and some didn't even know what the record was, or didn't know about the Open Records law. That is just sad.

Read more about it in The Shield.

Brian Kennedy
Secretary, USI SPJ

Info for Region 5 Conference...

I have received an e-mail from Richard Roth about the Region 5 Conference, scheduled for April 15 and 16 at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago.

The e-mail contains registration information. Basically, it's this: Pick when you're going to be at the convention, then send the e-mail back to Roth. You will pay the registration fees when you arrive at the convention.

If are planning on going to the convention and do not have the e-mail, please post a comment here. I will send you the e-mail. Everyone have a good day!

Brian Kennedy
Secretary, USI SPJ

Preliminary Las Vegas convention information

This is the preliminary schedule for the Las Vegas SPJ convention in October. Obviously, this will undergo changes in the next few months. Once that information becomes available, you can expect to see that info here!

SUNDAY -October 16th
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Registration
1- 5:00 p.m. Pre Convention Sessions
2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
3:45 - 5:00 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Ted ScrippsLeadership Institute Reception
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Opening Night Reception (Wear something comfortable)

MONDAY -October 17th
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration
9:00 - 10:15 a.m. Keynote Address
9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Legal Defense Fund Silent Auction
10:15 - 10:45 a.m. Journalism Expo Break
10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Critique Sessions for Students
10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Professional Development Sessions
Noon - 2:00 p.m. Mark of Excellence Luncheon (Business casual dress for this event)
2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
6 - 7:30 p.m. Legal Defense Fund Reception/Live Auction

TUESDAY -October 18th
8:00 - 3 p.m. Registration
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Keynote Address
9:30 - 10 a.m. Journalism Expo Break
10 - 11 a.m. Professional Development Sessions
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Critique Sessions for Professionals
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
12:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Journalism Expo Break/Lunch on your own
2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Professional Development Sessions
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Diversity Reception
7:30 - 10:00 p.m. President's Installation Banquet (Attire for banquet is business)

In case you didn't know...

Dan Rather will be signing off as anchor of CBS News tomorrow night. There's going to be a show "Dan Rather: A Reporter Remembers" at 8 p.m. Like him or hate him, he was an incredible influence in plenty of journalists' careers.

Brian Kennedy
Secretary, USI SPJ

Meeting Minutes, March 3, 2005

Sunshine Week is the week after Spring Break (March 13-20). Shield, AM 820 and possibly AccessUSI (I’m going to try and contact Jen, the news director.) will be releasing stories relating to last semester’s FOIA audit. That will take place on Thursday.

For Sunshine Week on Thursday and Friday, we will be setting up a table in the LA building. SPJ is launching a campaign called “Tell Me Where to Go.” The goal of this campaign is to educated students about FOIA, what information is available to the public and, of course, where to get that information. We will be handing out buttons and flyers at the table. SPJ members are expected to work the table on Thursday or Friday. More details about this to follow.

Also, at the same table, we may have people write down what information they want to know and where to get it. A top 10 list will be printed in the Shield the following week.

We are setting up a roundtable discussion for April 6 at 7 p.m. in Kleymeyer Hall. Among the guests were considering are Sherrianne Standley, Barry Hart, members of the student press as well as the Courier and Press, and, possibly, some members from state organizations.

Induction for new SPJ members has been changed. We are aiming for Thursday, April 14, one day before the regional convention.

Next meeting is TBA. Take care!

Brian Kennedy,
Secretary, USI SPJ