Two Views of the 2005 Summer Journalism Visitation Program at the University of Florida

Is Journalism Right for You?
By Edwina Exilus, 10th grade

I was chosen from three students at my school to go to this program because our teachers thought that journalism is our “thing.” They were right. Journalism is my “forte,” and I am thankful that I got the chance to go.

We started with a great breakfast, greeting new faces and laughing with old, to the tour of Weimer Hall, which was quite fascinating, but the real ice breaker started with the introduction ceremony at the Gannett Auditorium.

We had a great discussion led by Robyn Blumner (editorial writer and columnist for St. Petersburg Times,) and Bill Maxwell (founder/publisher of Role Models Today and associate professor of journalism at Stillman College) about rights the Constitution bestows upon us, as well as the rights we believe journalists and reporters should have.

A lot of tension existed between some of the parents and students attending, but I found it to be very enlightening to see where people were coming from, especially if they have different views. I mean, it’s more about why we believe or support the things we do, not which one of us is right or wrong.

We then spilt up into our workshop sessions and began our projects that were to be presented at day’s end. I was scheduled to be a part of the Photojournalism Reporting session with one of the most amazing mentors, Kat Fowler, who is, in fact, a graduate student at UF and receiving her Masters from the School of Art and Art History.

Kat had us look at some amazing photos she took on her trip to Honduras, as well as other controversial photographs from Iraq and Pakistan that were very raw and gruesome.

The best part of the workshop was our project. Kat sent us out in teams to walk around the campus and take at least three photos of complete strangers just being natural and get some basic information about our subjects. I was frightened to go up to a total stranger and ask to take a picture, but I got over it quickly and it turned out to be so much fun.

We then presented our photos to everyone in the Gannett Auditorium, and it felt really good to see people applauding my team’s work.

It was amazing—spending a day, learning from and conversing with people who are involved in journalism. I thought it was really cool to have our mentors who are current teachers or students at UF.

Attending the Journalism Program at the University of Florida was a huge step toward my future goals. I got to meet new people, to see different views, and overall, to have fun doing it. I hope to have the opportunity to attend a similar workshop in the future and would recommend it to my fellow peers.

Many newspapers choose not to reveal the identities of rape victims, while they publish the names of the accused offenders. Is this fair?

In some cases, especially in matters of national security, the government can force reporters to disclose confidential sources. Is this justified?

Stories have surfaced – and many others float under the radar – concerning high school administrators censoring high school publications. Is this legal?

During the annual Summer Journalism Visitation Program, student journalists from around Florida gathered in University of Florida’s Gannett Auditorium to debate these questions.

This year’s theme -- What Are Your First Amendment Rights? A Perspective for Journalists of All Ages -- instigated plentiful debate between the students and panelists, Robin Blumner and Bill Maxwell.

In addition, students explored First Amendment issues in workshops, which were divided into media areas (newspaper, television, internet, etc). The students in the newspaper workshop discussed whether or not a high school principal had the right to ban a pro/con editorial about waiting to have sex. Coached by St. Petersburg Times education writer, Donna Winchester, the students wrote articles based on this example.

View the Summer Journalism Visitation Program from previous years:
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

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