Spoke heads to Washington

WASHINGTON — About a dozen Spoke staffers arrived here today for the annual Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association's fall conference. Editors will have the opportunity to take seminars from award-winning journalists in areas from writing to design to photography. Also, current and former staffers will accept, and are finalists in, national awards that will be presented on Saturday night.

COURAGE IN STUDENT JOURNALISM AWARD. Friends of The Spoke founders Henry Rome and Seth Zweifler will accept the Student Press Law Center’s “Courage in Student Journalism” award for their work in defending student press rights at Conestoga. Click here for the press release.

Click the "Awards" tab to read about the finalists:

• FINALIST, NATIONAL DIVERSITY STORY OF THE YEAR. "Coming out in the classroom." December 2008 - The Spoke takes an inside look at the lives of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) high school students--at their struggles, their hopes and their courage--and at how sexual orientation influences our school as a whole. By Seth Zweifler.

• FINALIST, NATIONAL FEATURE STORY OF THE YEAR. "Carrying Hope." March 2009 - The Spoke takes an inside look at the life of one 17-year-old mother, and explores how the issue of teen pregnancy plays a role within the Conestoga community. By Seth Zweifler.

• FINALIST, NATIONAL NEWS STORY OF THE YEAR. "Obligation to Report." June 2009 - When an elementary school custodian was arrested in connection with two local bank robberies, The Spoke began examining court documents, police records and district employment logs, piecing together a picture of a system that state and local officials say need changing. By Henry Rome.

• FINALIST, NATIONAL MULTIMEDIA STORY OF THE YEAR. "On the streets." Multimedia category - June 2009 - A behind-the-scenes look at a Saturday morning patrol with Tredyffrin police, from vehicle stops to a retail theft in progress, along with exclusive photos and video. By Henry Rome.

• FINALIST, NATIONAL NEWS PHOTO OF THE YEAR. "Phillies World Series Victory Parade." By Henry Rome.

• FINALIST, NATIONAL CARTOON STRIP OF THE YEAR. "Snow Day." By Gabriela Epstein.

We'll update this site on Saturday with the results.