NASH 2010

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to travel with the editorial staff of The Fulcrum newspaper to Edmonton for a national journalist conference. Once a year, member student newspapers of CUP, the Canadian University Press, get together for a mass conference consisting of seminars, workshops, critiques, and of course, social events.

I came away from this conference completely inspired, and I'm positive that there are other students out there that feel the same way. The keynote speakers were Andrew Potter, Jan Wong, Adrienne Arsenault, and Jesse Thorn -all amazing journalists, and reporters who were able to capture the minds and hearts of everyone in the room. I even was able to meet up with Andrew Potter at the Lions Head Pub inside the hotel and talk shop. By the end of the night, I was still in awe that I had the nerve to walk up to him and say 'Hi, my name is...'.

What I loved most about this conference, besides the learning aspect, was the networking. Although I will never admit it, my dad was right. For the past five years he has been telling me to take advantage of the people I meet and to network the crowd. Of course, I hated the idea of walking up to someone I didn't know, but now, that fear seems silly. I was able to meet some great people from Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Quebec, as well as professional journalists. These professionals were completely understanding of the student journalist life, and were comfortable giving us contact information and advice that we could use in the future. The camaraderie created between complete strangers was mind boggling and was strengthened only by our common love for journalism.

I had an absolute amazing time, and I highly suggest any student journalists out there to get involved with their papers and go to the NASH conference next year. It is an opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to meet a lot of smart and intriguing people, talk with some of the greatest journalists of the decade, and drink a few beers with my fellow Canadian journalists. What could be better?