Congratulations to the winners of NSPA’s Pacemaker, Individual and Best of Show contests announced Saturday, Nov. 19 in Minneapolis:
The Dow Jones News Fund is broadcasting Saturday’s adviser luncheon from the JEA/NSPA Minneapolis convention. The DJNF High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, Aaron Manfull, will speak at the event. Watch it below:
Minnesota Public Radio: Civil War Kids
NAA Foundation: High School Journalism Matters
You can get to the downtown hotels easily via the Hiawatha Line light rail. Cost at peak hours is $2.25 and off-peak is $1.75 per person. It travels between downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America. So, signs read either “Downtown Minneapolis” or “Mall of America.”
What to do of you arrive at Terminal 1 – Lindbergh (every airline but Southwest/AirTran, Sun Country and Icelandair): From the Baggage Claim level, take the escalator down one more level. You will see a Delta counter on your right and a news stand on your left. Walk past both, and then past the info booth to the tram. There are two tracks with trams but they both go back and forth to the same place. So, get on one when the doors open and get off when the train stops.
The tram will announce that you are arriving at the stop for “Buses, blue and red parking, light rail and Humphrey Terminal.” Follow the sign for Light Rail. Go through the automatic sliding doors and down a long escalator (past pictures of various Minnesota scenes).
You will need to buy a ticket at one of four available machines. The regular fare (option A) is $1.75. Go down another escalator to the train platform.
As you come down the escalator, the train you want is on your left and marked “Downtown Minneapolis.” The other train goes to Mall of America. Get on the train (no need to punch or present a ticket). There is typically more room in the forward cars, so move down the platform.
(NOTE: If you are on one of the airlines mentioned above at Terminal 2 – Humphrey, take the Skyway to the parking ramp second level. Look for directional signs indicating the light rail station, which is in the parking ramp. The airport website says this walk will take five minutes. Take the escalator down, buy a ticket and get on the train for Downtown Minneapolis.)
The light rail downtown travels generally along Hiawatha Avenue and downtown along Fifth Street. You want the stop at Nicollet Mall (which is a street for bus/bike/taxi traffic only). The Hilton is at 10th Street and then one block east to Marquette Ave. The Hyatt is at 12th Street and Nicollet. Light rail operates every 7-10 minutes during the day and less frequently later in the evening. Once you board the train at the airport, it should be about 25 minutes to get to Nicollet Mall station and another 10-15 minutes to walk to your hotel.
An excellent map is here (unfortunately, unavailable for download). Blue lines are streets. Yellow lines are Skyway. Magenta type indicates restaurants at street level.
There is a free bus that runs up and down Nicollet Mall (#18). Or, your light rail ticket will act as a transfer — just get on almost any bus going south. You can also walk at street level (wide, safe sidewalks) or take the Skyway (a bit more complicated but enclosed and potentially warmer than street level).
The Hiawatha Line light rail is easy to use, clean and will take just as long to get downtown as a shuttle or taxi. If you have a large group with luggage, make sure everyone spreads out along the platform so that you can all get on and no one gets left behind.
You can also reserve a Super Shuttle in advance. Just call 1-800-BLUE-VAN. You’ll need all your flight info. If you have a small group, you could share a taxi.
Dear convention attendee,
You’re all signed up for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, which starts in Minneapolis next week. We hope you’re ready for hundreds of learning sessions, wonderful keynote sessions and unique networking opportunities — as well as career advice, contests, critiques and awards ceremonies. We wanted to give you a few reminders to ensure a smooth convention. The info in this e-mail can also be provided to parents to assist with communication.
CONVENTION BLOG HAS WHAT YOU NEED
A lot of convention information, including a PDF of the program and an archive of the Jump Starts, can be found here at the official convention blog.
The program tells you where and when to show up. Planning ahead is helpful to know where to go. A program update will be supplied on-site with any last-minute changes.
CONVENTION LOCATION
All convention sessions are at the Minneapolis Convention Center, connected by Skyway to the official hotels. Wireless Internet is available for no charge for 30 minutes in the public areas of the MCC. Do not expect that the signal will be available in the meeting space.
FOR A SMOOTH CHECK-IN AT REGISTRATION DESK
Convention check-in opens at 1 p.m. Thursday in Hall A (lower level) at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Check-in and the exhibits are open until 7 p.m. Thursday. Hours for check-in/exhibits are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Check-in is available Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. IN addition to the organizations with exhibits, the trade show is also where you will check in for JEA Write-offs, NSPA Best of Show, sign up for ticketed hands-on computer classes, pick up T-shirts you ordered and experience the quick sessions in the Learning Lab (a new feature in Minneapolis).
NO REFUNDS BUT SUBS ALLOWED
If you realize someone cannot attend, be sure to get a substitute. JEA and NSPA do not allow refunds for the convention registration, but we do allow substitutions. Additional students or advisers may also register on site at the standard registration rates.
PLEASE PAY ON TIME
Most people coming to Minneapolis have already paid. Help us avoid a lot of invoices and reminders by sending in your payment or bringing a check to the convention. It really does help!
PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOPS
If you have registered for the pre-convention workshops on Thursday, just look in the program for the location and go directly to that room to check in. The instructor will have a list.
We still have spots available in some of our pre-convention workshops on Thursday. If you have not signed up and want to, contact Jackie Flaum in the NSPA office at (612) 625-1857 or jackie@studentpress.org and she will add that to your registration.
FOR A CHANCE AT AN AWARD
Pre-registration has closed for JEA’s Write-Off contests on Friday. More information about the contests can be found at http://www.jea.org. Winners will be announced Sunday at the closing awards ceremony, which begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Auditorium.
NSPA membership is required to enter Best of Show contests, and high schools must have students attending. Bring the publication, broadcast or Web URL to the convention. Please note that all work must be from the 2011-12 school year. Deadline to enter Best of Show contest is 4 p.m. Friday. Winners will be announced Saturday at the awards ceremony, which begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Pages 10-11 of the convention program highlight the many special events. However, a few are unique to the Minneapolis convention, so we want to draw your attention to them.
+ On Friday, Minnesota Public Radio will broadcast “Midmorning” with host Kerri Miller live from the convention center’s Auditorium beginning at 9 a.m. Those wishing to attend should be seated by 8:45 a.m. The topic is “The high cost of college,” and guests will be the presidents of Macalester College and Saint Paul College. A brief Q&A will follow the broadcast, and participants will be released in time for the 11 a.m. session.
+ Daniel Radcliffe will participate in a press conference live via satellite at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Auditorium. Two tickets will be with each publication’s registration (with students). Tickets are required for admission.
+ NSPA invites friends to stop by its 90th Anniversary celebration beginning at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in Room 102 A-C. Light refreshments, historical displays and a photo booth are included.
+ Saturday night, “Newsies” will be shown in the Auditorium from 8-10:30 p.m.
MEALS/SNACKS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER
Meals and snacks are not included with convention registration, but many food outlets of varying price points are nearby. The Minneapolis Convention Center will also have its concession areas open.
+ Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop: Main lobby, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., gourmet hot and cold drinks, pastries, sandwiches, yogurt, soup.
+ Build Your Own Breakfast/Lunch: Main lobby, open at 7 a.m. Friday, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, oatmeal, boiled eggs, cold cereal. At 11 a.m., the stand will have options to create a burrito, nachos or burrito bowl.
+ Mill City Grill: Across from the 101 Rooms, open at 11 a.m. with burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza and soft drinks.
QUESTIONS?
Give us a call at (612) 625-1857 or send e-mail to info@studentpress.org and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
Since the double-bedded rooms at the Hyatt and Hilton hotels are sold out, JEA and NSPA have reserved a block of rooms at the Millennium hotel. The Millennium is across the street from the Hyatt and is on the route (Skyway or street level) from the Hyatt to the convention center. This is a safe and comfortable location with many other convention attendees nearby.
The room rate is $129 per night plus all applicable taxes (about 13%).
If you need just king-bedded rooms, please book at the Hyatt since we have those rooms available. We want to save the king rooms at the Millennium for advisers who need to stay near the double-bedded rooms their students will use.
To reserve at the Millennium, call the hotel directly at (612) 332-6000 and ask for reservations, or call the central reservations line at (800) 522-8856. Identify yourself with the National High School Journalism Convention and make sure you get the correct rate. The hotel staff is also prepared to handle your purchase order for reservation (you still need to pay by check or credit card before you get room keys).
You can also reserve online at this link: http://bit.ly/mplsHSJmill
Only a limited number of rooms are available online at one time, so if you have problems, just call one of the numbers above.
At the Millennium, about half of the 331 rooms have been remodeled in the past few years, while the others have not. The remodeled rooms are called “superior” rooms. The first 50 rooms in the JEA/NSPA block are “superior” rooms. After that, the hotel will assign a superior or non-superior — whatever is available. These rooms are fine, but they are just not as up to date, which you should know before booking.
If you experience problems or have questions, please contact Logan Aimone (logan@studentpress.org) or Kelly Furnas (furnas@ksu.edu).
When JEA and NSPA reserve room blocks at hotels, we work directly with the property to handle the logistics of how our attendees make reservations. Unfortunately, that information does not always filter down to the national reservations agents whom you are calling to book rooms.
If you have had problems booking a room at either of the official convention hotels, please email Logan Aimone and Kelly Furnas and give as detailed of an account as you can about the problem you’re having. Are you being quoted the wrong rate? Are you being told there are no more rooms available? Are you being asked to have an adult in every room you’re booking? We might be able to help you sort through some of these issues.