Walking into the the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) spring conference for the first time, I had high expectations for the lessons and networking to come. While some moments lived up to that expectation, others left me frustrated and questioning the events organization.
Top 3 highlights from the ACP Conference:
1. Keynote Speaker Dilan Gohill:
Dilan Gohill is a freshman at Stanford University and campus life desk editor for the Stanford Daily.
He was the final keynote speaker for ACP and talked about his experience with a violation his first amendment rights while covering a pro-Palestine protest event on the Stanford campus. His message was clear and impactful. I liked Dilan because of his passion and willingness to push out the truth about news on his campus. He mentioned that in order to succeed, you have to take the small stories first in order to get the big ones.
2. Great Hotel Location:
One undeniable highlight was the hotel’s location. Situated at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, the venue was within walking distance of restaurants and shops, making it ideal setting for attendees. We took the easy option and ordered DoorDash a couple of times, but exploring for food was always an experience. Morning walks outside watching the sunrise on hotel property was a good way to start the day.
3. ACP and JACC Awards Ceremony:
Despite not winning an award at the ACP Awards, it was an amazing opportunity to peek into the method of top performers at four-year universities and two year. The fact that community colleges are winning at ACP where four-year’s mainly dominate it proves that if they can, so can The Telescope. The Telescope staff winning 9 awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) was another level of excitement.
Top 3 flaws of ACP
1. Inadequate Time for Breaks:
One of the things I faced was not having enough time for breaks, whether it was for food, going to a different session, or for quick run to the bathroom. We would have to miss a session for food. I found myself having to leave mid-session to go to a restaurant to eat as it was less expensive than the food served at the hotel. This scheduling oversight forced many of us to skip sessions or scramble for alternatives.
2. Confusing Sports Game Access:
Alden Jacobs spikes the ball against Santa Barbara City College. The Vikings went on to defeat Santa Barbara City College 3-1 on March 7 in Long Beach, Ca. (Hector Flores)
It came to our attention that thirty students from the 800 attendees were interested in attending the Long Beach State University volleyball game as part of the on-the-spot spots photo competition. We later found out that JACC only had reserved space for 10 photographers, while the rest had to go to a different game. I wonder why, of the ten chosen, only the Bay Area and Los Angeles schools were the ones able to go. This contest was particularly frustrating for the Telescope sports writers and photographers. As a team, it was difficult to watch an opportunity be taken away from them.
3. Inconsistent Session Scheduling:
Throughout the three days of ACP, sessions were either getting canceled or presenters pulled a no-show. Frequent cancellations and missing speakers made it difficult to plan our schedules and get full value of the conference. Students were left in the dark about the updates on sessions like “The Columnist: The Original Influencers” which had me and other editors excited to go, just to be met with a jammed-packed room with no speaker.
My overall expectations for the conference itself weren’t met, but having the opportunity to grow closer to the Telescope Staff members and make new memories in a new place made those three days invaluable.
