“We love the first amendment.” Hundreds of student journalists shouted in unison at the beginning of the final awards ceremony that took place at the Fall 2024 College Media Association National Media Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana on Nov. 2, the final day of the convention. 

“I felt a lot of emotion when we all said we loved the first amendment together at the awards ceremony,” Z Morris, lead graphic designer of The Observer, said. “I feel like I’m so blessed to be a part of the press during this time.”

Six members of The Observer and one member of PULSE Magazine were sent to New Orleans last week to learn, showcase and compete amongst the nation’s other student journalists. In the Best of Show showcase, The Observer placed third for a newspaper on a four-year campus of 15,000 or fewer, and PULSE Magazine placed fourth for a feature magazine on a four-year campus. 

Beyond the conference, the members of Observer and PULSE also got to experience the city of New Orleans. The hotel was right off of Canal Street and Bourbon Street, providing the optimal location to experience the heart of the city.

The Conference

“My biggest takeaway from the conference is that I really want to look and get more inspiration from other student media and other student papers,” Astor Powell-Pederson, news editor for The Observer, said. “I really want to take some time and look at some of the winners from those competitions.”

One of the most important impacts of attending the conferences is coming back with added drive and motivation to expand our journalism pallets, and getting out of our comfort zones. 

“I would really like to get out and do more community based journalism, not just the stuff that the President [of CWU] sends out emails about,” Powell-Pederson said. “I really want to get more on the ground and do investigative, real-time journalism.” 

Lee Beck, copy desk lead and scene editor of The Observer, echoed those statements and stressed the importance of student journalists in today’s political climate. 

“I think that right now it’s incredibly important that there are people out there looking for news, and people out there who want the truth and believe in facts and believe in evidence,” Beck said. “It was so inspiring to talk to people who had been searching for that their entire lives, who had been digging for the truth and didn’t want to let that go when there was backlash on finding the truth.”

The Award

“It makes me so happy,” Z Morris, lead graphic designer of The Observer said. “I’m lead graphic designer in a paper that won third nationally in our category, that personally means a lot to me. I’m ecstatic that I get to work in an environment that promotes creativity as well as integrity in our work.”

The Observer also placed third best in show at the 2024 spring CMA conference in La Jolla, California. Placing third two times in a row is extremely affirming for the staff, and they feel good being recognized by professionals in their field. 

“I think proud is the word of the day,” Beck said. “We all see the work that goes into this paper day in and day out. Everyday we’re thinking about The Observer. My roommates can attest, they’re like ‘Everyday Lee’s just thinking about Observer, Observer, Observer.’ So it’s just really incredible to see all that hard work pay off.” 

The Observer’s sister publication PULSE Magazine also received recognition at the awards ceremony, placing fourth in best of show for a feature magazine on a four-year campus. 

“I’m incredibly proud of both us and the PULSE staff for showing what we’re made of, and showing that we are student journalists that are proud to be student journalists,” Beck said.

“So happy that PULSE got fourth,” Morris said. “Proud of the designs that come out of that thing, it has a lot of people that I work with on it and it’s really cool to see them shine.”

The City

“It was amazing in New Orleans,” Powell-Pederson said. “It felt like being pulled out of my actual life for a TV episode special.” 

With the JW Marriot being right on Canal Street, and right off of Bourbon Street, it provided the students a prime location to get out and explore New Orleans. Being on Bourbon Street on Halloween, visiting Jackson Square, the Mississippi River, the French Quarter, the Cathedral and attending a New Orleans Pelicans game and a Lil Wayne concert at Smoothie King Arena were all highlights for the members of student media. 

“I really loved seeing the Mississippi River,” Beck said. “I’m a huge water person, and there was just something that was so relaxing and so beautiful about sitting by the water and just watching it. It was so vast.” 

This wasn’t the first time some had been able to visit the Bayou. Morris had been to New Orleans before, and enjoyed returning to the state. 

“I’ve had the fortune to go to New Orleans before, and I was even more fortunate to go with my friends a second time,” they said. “I think that if I were to go back with the same people, I would love to do a good food tour of the city where we just go and try tons of stuff.”