By MARCHELLE PAYNE
Adviser Editor
FALL 2004 The Adviser

The Maryland Scholastic Press Association is continually seeking opportunities to assist scholastic media programs. Over the summer, the Association oversaw a successful summer program that attracted over 115 participants for six course offerings. Many of the program's participants were local to College Park while others traveled from neighboring states. Outstanding instructors like Jon DeNunzio and Matthew Sheehan of The Washington Post, Robert Matthews of The Wall Street Journal and Penny Bender Fuchs of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, coupled with great keynote speakers like Gary Bender of Fox 5 and Ellen Cornelius of the Carroll County Times, made the experience unforgettable.

The Association is preparing for the upcoming Fall Convention scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004. In the coming weeks the Board and I anticipate that many advisers and students will register for the event. Representatives from media outlets such as AOL, USAToday.com and The Washington Post are scheduled to conduct sessions.

The Fall Convention makes is a great opportunity to share information and exchange ideas. The cost for early registrants is a mere $7 for students and $30 for advisers. Students and advisers registering after Oct. 31, 2004 can attend the convention for $15 and $45 respectively.

Many of the entries from the 2004 Publications Contests and from the 2004 Individual Writing and Editing Contests have been returned. This year's event promises to be an opportunity to showcase winners, highlight achievements, and provide a forum where some of the top scholastic publications can be recognized.

The Fall Convention is definitely an event you will not want to miss.

Visit, www.journalism.umd.edu/mspa to obtain the latest information about MSPA and MSPA's activities.