Students capture record number of awards at TIPA
Rose Pulido, left, and Ashley Smith, both communication majors, take part in a staged event for TIPA. On cue, accusations of cheating flew and attention quickly shifted from the announcer to the brawl on the carpeted flooring. Staged security guards pried the women off one another and lifted them to their feet, as photographers’ strobes lit up the room. Both are handcuffed and escorted out of the news conference on-site competition. Photo by Tonya Torres: The Signal.
Tonya Torres
The Signal
More than 500 students from 60 schools around the State of Texas traveled to Fort Worth to attend the state conference for the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
While there, students completed in journalism contests and attended workshops geared to focus on evolving issues and trends in media.
“The Texas Intercollegiate Press Association is the oldest and largest state collegiate group in the nation,” said Fred Stewart, the executive director of TIPA.
Beginning in 1909 on the campus of Baylor University, TIPA was created with nine schools competing in only three categories. Nearly a decade later, there are more than 100 categories for prepubished work in newspaper, magazine, radio, television, yearbook, online, blogs, and more than 25 on-site competitions.
This year UHCL was in charge of creating a live scenario that was used for six on-site competitions.
“Our students wrote the script and acted it out,” said Taleen Washington, faculty adviser for student publications.
Corey Benson, communication major and vice president of the executive student council for TIPA, hosted the event with a rehearsed agenda for the news meeting.
“Since this is my third year at TIPA I knew what to expect and I was really excited to participate,” said Ashley Smith, a communication major and TIPA event participant.
The competition events were followed by a full day of workshops focused on improving knowledge and skills in the field of journalism.
An awards ceremony was held on the last day of the conference. The Signal took home 29 awards.
“Each year I am in awe of our students’ accomplishments,” Washington said. “UHCL student publications are not published by a paid staff. The newspaper and magazines are produced through classes offered in the Communication program, so our students are learning as they go; yet every year they compete against top universities and hold their own.”
This year marked the debut of UHCL’s new general news magazine, The Signal Relay.
“Its first publication has already won five awards at state,” Washington said.
TIPA provides much more than recognition for students in the journalism field. It is also a tool to connect students.
“I would like to keep TIPA a community year-round so we can communicate with each other to share our work and get feedback,” said Natalie Casanova, newly elected president of the executive student council for TIPA.
“I’m going to get people talking online,” Casanova said. “I want to get people connected and communicating outside the conference.”
Casanova has constructed a website to provide information and keep students communicating about TIPA at www.reddit.com/r/tipa. Fore more information about TIPA, visit www.texasipa.org.
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