BHA’s Journalism Club competed at the 77th annual Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) State Convention held at the University of Texas at Austin during the weekend of April 15th – 17th. In its first year of competition, the Journalism Club far exceeded peoples’ expectations. Not only were they the first ever Islamic school to compete in the ILPC State Convention, but they also received two awards. In the overall newspaper category, the BHA Post received an Award of Honor (3rd place) in their division. Staffer, Anam Bakali, 9th grader received an Honorable Mention in the Computer Art category for her “Mad Science Show” collage.

Since its inception, ILPC is now the United States’ largest state high school press association with a combined membership of more than 600 newspapers and yearbooks. This year’s conference had approximately 1,600 students and advisors attending about 100 instructional seminars that were offered. Numerous high schools statewide submitted their school newspaper to be critiqued by professionals in the field and be given awards based on outstanding journalism.

Journalism Club adviser, Ms. Natalia Suleiman, had advised her club members not to expect too much. She told her members that most schools, public or private, do not usually place in their first or second years in competitions of such caliber. “The main reason for attending this convention was to let BHA students get a taste of what it feels like to compete against other high schools, and more importantly, to attain valuable knowledge about journalism by attending workshops and sessions offered by journalism professionals,” said Suleiman.

Upon the club’s arrival at the UT campus, Suleiman received an envelope from event organizers which she simply took as a welcome packet. As she opened the envelope, one could see that she was overwhelmed. She burst with excitement and reached for the blue ribbon inside. As the club members gathered to see what the commotion was all about, they found Suleiman crying. With tears running down her cheeks, she proudly announced Bakali’s Honorable Mention award. Heads turned from all directions as the club cheered for their well-deserving staff member. “My intern, my assistant and I were so moved to watch BHA’s staff win their honorable mention,” said Jeanne Acton, ILPC Director. “It reinforces to me as to why I do this.”

(NEED A QUOTE FROM ANAM ABOUT HER WINNING!!!!!!

FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, THOUGHTS, ETC.)

One of the highlights of the convention was the opening presentation done by keynote speaker John Moore, this year’s Pulitzer Prize winner as a photojournalist. His presentation included photos taken during his high school years as a photographer and later as he began to travel around the world as a professional photojournalist. His Pulitzer Prize winning photo was one from a collection that he recently took while covering the conflict in Iraq. Club members also attended sessions throughout the weekend comprised of the different aspects of journalism. Topics included photography, layout, broadcast, yearbook design, and newspaper production. Club members gained professional advice that they can apply to the production of a better quality newspaper in the future.

“They (club members) will show that they’ve got what it takes to compete against other schools and win,” said Suleiman. “The Board of Directors, administration, and student body will expect a better publication year after year. It puts BHA in a higher standard than other Islamic schools in the DFW area.”

“As an Islamic school, we’re pioneers. BHA is the first Islamic school to represent at the ILPC. Anam’s winning and BHA POST receiving an Award of Honor are not only accomplishments, but also testimonials to the potential that Muslim students who attend private schools possess,” stated Suleiman. Even though there were several other Muslims participating in the convention from various public schools, no one represent Islam and Muslims more than BHA did.

“This is an incentive to continue with the Journalism Club’s future plans and with the plans of other clubs. I hope the success of the Journalism Club is contagious to the others. Maybe they too will win awards, Inshallah,” said Principal Dr. Adnan Omran.

Last year when Suleiman established the club, she knew that she was bringing more than just a club to the school. Even though all club members may not intend to become professional journalists, the club provides an opportunity for members to explore the different and diverse aspects of the communications field.

As a final note, special congratulations go out to Anam Bakali for her outstanding achievements at the ILPC State Convention. The Journalism Club must also be commended for their commitment to excellence, hard work, and dedication to producing a quality newspaper with such limited resources. The achievements of the club reflect the effort the adviser and members put into it. Inshallah, next year they will far surpass this year’s accomplishments and come back from the conference with even more to be proud of.

“The future….. is really in the hands of these high school journalists,” said Acton. “After meeting so many this weekend, I think the future is in good hands.”