MIPA is putting a plan into action to extend our contest deadlines due to the large number of snow days schools statewide have been forced to use in the past few weeks. The deadlines listed below are designed to give you as much additional time as possible while still allowing us the time we need to prepare entries for judging.
Unfortunately, the risk for additional snow days continues, but these extensions are as far as we can push things without creating other significant problems. I hope this added time provides a small amount of relief to you and your students during this stressful time.
Extended contest deadlines:
- Individual Category Contest: Tuesday, Feb. 19. Work entered into the contest should be published or broadcast by this new date. Work published after the extended deadline would be eligible for next year’s contests.
- Spartan Critique for newspapers/newsmagazines, video productions and news websites: Tuesday, Feb. 19. The late deadline remains March 15. Work submitted for critique can be published or broadcast up to the late deadline when paying the higher late critique fee – but we cannot guarantee late deadline critiques will be completed by the awards event (especially if we receive significantly more late critiques than normal).
- Student Journalist Staff/All-MIPA: Friday, Feb. 22
- Golden Pen Award: Thursday, Feb 28
- Administrator of the Year: Thursday, Feb. 28
- John V. Field Award: Thursday, Feb. 28
It may take us a day or two to update contest deadlines across MIPA’s website and contest systems. All contest systems will close to new entries at 11:59 p.m. on the deadline. Late entries will not be accepted (except for critiques paying the late entry rate).
Here’s how you can help us keep things running smoothly:
- Plan ahead and submit as much as you can as soon as you can. Don’t wait for the deadline if you don’t have to.
Carefully count your entries. The most common problem we deal with is over-payment and under-payment of contest entries due to errors in counting. - Make arrangements now for entry fees. Payment for your contest entries is due by the contest deadline. Plan ahead so that you have all the paperwork you need to make credit card payments or get checks issued by your business office.
- Help us by being a judge! There are two opportunities detailed below. I hope you’ll consider both!
Judging Individual Category Contests on March 2
Judging day remains Saturday, March 2, in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building at Michigan State University. Please sign up to join us.
Advisers who attend often tell us this is one of their most valuable PD experiences of the year because they get to see so much great student work (and great ideas to borrow) and because they get to connect with so many other advisers! We also welcome your former students and anyone else with an interest or passion for student media to join us.
Be a Student Journalist Staff portfolio judge!
Help judge Student Journalist Staff portfolios! Judges work remotely to evaluate portfolios between the Feb. 22 extended deadline and March 1. Judges are assigned to one of six committees: news writing & reporting, news design, multiplatform, photojournalism, video and yearbook. Judges may not work in an area in which they have a student competing. If you’re interested, please let me know.