In the darkness of the morning on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, a crowd of 20 Communicator journalists gathered just inside door three of the McNamara terminal at the Detroit airport. The day before had been spent flipping between news channels, pacing back and forth as presidential election results rolled in.
Tired eyes and heavy hearts clashed with excited smiles and anticipatory fidgeting. Ahead was a day of digging into democracy: visits to the Constitution Center and the Liberty Bell, all while digesting breaking news in real time.
And yet, the show must go on. After a 100-minute flight, the wheels touched down in Philadelphia right on time. Student journalists quickly awoke from naps, took their earbuds out and stowed away their math homework as excited whispers wiggled their way down the aisle.
Ahead were four days of team bonding, fruit-flavored water from the machine in the gym, “hitting the woah” and, of course, conference sessions. Ranging from ethical uses of AI to broadcast basics to in-depth editing seminars, they returned home with a plethora of new journalistic knowledge.
Thanks to motivation from advisor Tracy Anderson, the group made haste and was quickly off the plane and headed for the train. After a slightly longer-than-expected wait at the station, students boarded the train and made their way to downtown Philadelphia. They dropped their bags off at the hotel and were released into Reading Terminal Market for lunch. The sprawling food court — comparable to a mini-mall — would be the source of most of their meals over the course of the next four days.
Once fed, Anderson led the group to the Constitution Center. They learned about the signing of the constitution in Signers’ Hall followed by a strikingly relevant one-man show on the value of democracy in our country. Wednesday, Nov. 6, was no ordinary day in American history, and in this group of journalists, First Amendment rights — especially freedom of the press — were at the forefront of everybody’s minds.
“It was crazy being at the birthplace of democracy at that moment when I felt like democracy was at risk,” said senior editor Claire Lewis. “But it was a good reminder of the places we’ve been before and the challenges that we’ve overcome.”
After exploring an additional exhibit, the group was treated to a walking tour guided by an array of new experts (students adopting new personas reading from a Google doc.) From Liberty Bell expert “Ring-a-ding-ding” to resident President’s House specialist “Indie Pendance,” it’s safe to say that the group was adequately informed about the city’s famous landmarks. They ended the night with a meal of the city’s iconic sandwich, the Philly Cheesesteak.
Following dinner, they skipped, speedwalked and raced their way back to the hotel for a pool night. Spirited games of Marco Polo, rounds of chicken fights and underwater handstands filled the natatorium with sounds of laughter and the pool deck with water.
The next morning, journalists flooded downstairs to the lobby for bagels and a wide variety of cream cheeses before heading to either an online or print-specific all-day session. As those sessions came to a close, some editors spent the remainder of the afternoon applying that knowledge in order to improve their respective publications. After a trip to the market for dinner, the group split up for an evening of homework, time in the gym, exploring the hotel or a combination of all three.
“I know these moments we spend together are special, and I think that I didn’t necessarily recognize that in the moment,” said sophomore photographer Daniel Jacob. “But now, looking back on the trip, I’m really glad we got to make those memories and I can really appreciate it now. I think that’s the beauty of life being found in small moments.”
The next day was a busy one: critiques for all publications, individual competitions, all followed by the classic Communicator “fancy night.” After a long day of learning, the crew donned their classiest outfits and made their way to Alice, an Italian restaurant. The meal provided lively conversation, pasta, pizza, plenty of digital camera photos and desserts ranging from gelato to creme brulee to key lime tarts.
Their final night was spent making friends from across the country, telling stories, and simply enjoying each other’s company.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, (their final day in Philadelphia) the young journalists scrambled to meet the 11 a.m. check-out time. That day, journalists attended their final few sessions, explored downtown Philadelphia and some even stopped for freshly baked cookies.
Once through airport security and at the gate, Anderson gathered the group for an exciting announcement: NSPA competition results. Last year’s social media and literary magazine placed fifth and seventh, respectively; this year’s website placed seventh. Last to be announced were results regarding the first edition of the year’s newsmagazine, which won best in show — the top prize available at this national conference.
Our Communicator journalists returned home proud of their achievements but not yet satisfied; there is still work to be done.
