On April 15 and 16, a number of Outlook staff members attended self-chosen collections of classes and workshops to learn more deeply about everything from photographic and graphic design techniques to methods for covering local, national, and international topics. Students chose which sessions they attended and spent much of the Friday and Saturday learning about their specific topics of interest, all while taking in the city-like atmosphere of the Westin Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles.

Several sessions featured keynote speakers from the LA Times and other high-profile news outlets.

The famed LA Times sports writer and columnist Bill Plaschke spoke passionately about the importance of seeking out and telling the fascinating stories of players and people in “the shadows.” Linda Deutsch (also from the LA Times) enthralled students with stories of her roles in covering the O.J. Simpson, Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, and Michael Jackson trials and offered insights about the interplay between journalism and the modern justice system. Yet another great from the LA Times, the Pulitzer Prize winning Pat Morrison, gifted her audience with accounts of the important lessons that her illustrious career has given her.

Other fascinating sessions discussed journalist safety in a time when kidnappings, arrests, and executions are becoming great risks; applications of computer science to journalism; the creation of literary magazines; and ways to make important national and international news relevant to school news coverage.

Overall, the chance to gain exposure to so many experienced professionals and veterans in the journalism field was extremely beneficial to Outlook students because it allowed them to clarify their specific areas of interest within the world of communications. The Outlook staff looks forward to applying so many new lessons and ideas to its coverage system.