“Hey, do you want to be in my TikTok?” junior Loriana Mannino asked as she approached a group of students. Over the summer, senior Savannah Ruiz and juniors Gracie Wetherington, Loriana Mannino, and Natalie Garwood took a trip to Michigan State University for Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s summer journalism workshop.
“I knew working at journalism camp with other students would help me and my classmates,” Mannino said. “It helped improve my interviewing and creative skills. It showed me different ways to approach posting on Instagram.”
Mannino took a Social Media journalism course; Wetherington took The Hawthorne Method, an advanced writing course; Ruiz took Best Theme Ever, a class to develop the theme of the next yearbook; and Garwood took InDesign for Publications to further her knowledge of their design software.
“It was awesome getting to know Loriana better because I knew we would be working together this year,” Wetherington said. “Mrs. Smale suggested I go to help improve my writing skills even more. It helped me become a stronger writer.”
Not only did they get to know friends from their own publications better, but they met people from other schools and even other states.
“I met the editor-in-chief of Eisenhower’s yearbook and got to collaborate with him to create a portfolio of social media content,” Mannino said. “My favorite part was going around and interviewing people.”
Ruiz used this trip as a chance to get a taste of the college life.
”It was nice exploring MSU’s campus and living the college life,” Ruiz said. “Getting up early was annoying, but as the day went on after spending most of the day on the computer, a walk outside to meet with friends was a perfect time to reset.”
While the MIPA experience was new for Mannino, Ruiz, and Wetherington, it nothing new for Garwood. She had attended the program the summer before her first year of yearbook in eighth grade.
“MIPA actually gave me my start in yearbook. I took Yearbook Kickstart the summer before my first year of yearbook and now I’m going into my fifth year,” Garwood said. “It was awesome that I had the same instructor for both years. He was absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t be in the position I am now if it wasn’t for him.”
