Academics News
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Governor Holds Teleconference With High School Journalists
By Jeanne Acton | Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:50 PM
Two weeks ago I received a call from the governor’s office. Not exactly a call I was expecting.
But definitely a good call — especially for high school journalists across the state.
The governor’s office wanted to set up a teleconference call with high school newspaper editors and writers.
I blasted all 300-plus members of ILPC about the teleconference, and immediately advisers were excited about the opportunity for their students.
Changes Coming in Fall 2009 for Computer Applications Contest
By | Tuesday, May 12, 2009 1:00 PM
Being a contest directly related to technology, Computer Applications promises to be an ever-changing entity. For the past year, information has been disseminated that the Computer Applications Contest will support only Office 2007 starting in the fall of 2009. Now is the time to be certain that your schools have Office 2007 for competition next fall.
Being directly linked to Microsoft Office, this contest must change as this application package changes. As students graduate into the workplace or into college, they are better prepared to compete with the current skills of Office 2007, which has already been in the marketplace for two years, instead of fettering them to Office 2003. Office 2007 operates in a very different environment than Office 2003, and these changes have impacted the contest. Many elements have changed their appearance and operation. Many have been added, and several elements have been discontinued in this transition. For the past two years, the contest has supported both platforms. This has impacted the tests which have included instructions for both platforms and printouts for both platforms whenever these have varied, and variances in the grading to encompass both platforms.
Journalism Director Wins Paschal Award
By Staff | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:08 PM
UIL Journalism Director and Interscholastic League Press Conference Director Jeanne Acton accepts the James Paschal Award at the the Columbia Scholastic Press Associaton's spring convention in New York City. CSPA honors state or regional school press association officials who have distinguished themselves in the field with with the award named for the late James Frederick Paschal, a former director of the Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association and a former editor of The CSPAA Bulletin.
Nation Chooses Poverty as 2009-2010 Policy Debate Topic
By Jana Riggins | Thursday, January 29, 2009 11:12 AM
The people have spoken. The vote is in. Results from national balloting conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations confirm that cross-examination debaters in 2009 – 2010 will debate the topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.
Ballots were first sent to states, the District of Columbia, the National Forensic League, National Debate Coaches Association and the National Catholic Forensic League last August with five topics included on the ballot: space, healthcare, immigration, poverty, and federal elections. The voting was intensely close with the top two vote getters, health care and poverty, then placed on a final ballot.
Theatrical Design Contest Winners Announced
By Luis Munoz | Friday, January 16, 2009 11:18 AM
Entries for this year’s Theatrical Design Contest exceeded 200 entries. The entries were judged by Kelly Draper, Lamar University; Theresa May, UT Press; Ron Dodson, Austin; Paula Rodriguez, San Antonio College; Tracy Mask Marlowe, Creative Noggin; and Phil Johnson, Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Our thanks to our adjudicators and congratulations to the state qualifiers. State Qualifiers will receive instructions sometime in February. Non-advancing entries will be returned with “critique CD” and certificate(s) in February. Some outstanding Components from non-advancing groups will be exhibited as non-competing entries at state.
STATE QUALIFIERS THEATRICAL DESIGN 2009
GROUP
1. Eastland High School – 2A
2. Harper High School – 2A
3. Henrietta High School – 2A
4. Judson High School – 5A
5. Leander High School – 5A
Texans Earn Top Awards at National Convention
By Jeanne Acton | Tuesday, December 02, 2008 9:56 AM
Texas has a few things to celebrate after the JEA/NSPA fall convention in St. Louis last month.
Former ILPC director and journalism adviser Randy Vonderheid was awarded JEA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to retirees for lifetime dedication to journalism education.
Two Texas newspapers and one broadcast program earned Pacemakers — The Stampede of Burges High School in El Paso and The Liberator of Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin. MHS-1 from McKinney High School won a Pacemaker in broadcast division.
Deadlines Scare the Pants Off…
By Jeanne Acton | Monday, November 10, 2008 10:03 AM
Jack-O-Matic is afraid to go to the mailroom.
If you are unaware of who Jack-O-Matic (JOM for short) is. He is my trustworthy assistant. You know, the guy who does all of the real work.
Anyway, he’s not enjoying the mail these days.
And I must thank you for that.
JOM is getting inundated with Interscholastic League Press Conference membership forms and yearbooks. He’s a little busy and a little scared to check today’s mail.
I say, keep it coming. Scare the pants right off JOM. I think he has good legs.
Q&A with New Current Issues and Events State Director
By Andrea Negri | Friday, November 07, 2008 10:14 AM
Tom Ray from Hays High School is the new Current Issues and Events State Contest Director this year. Last year, former director Bobby Hawthorne retired from the event.
The following is a brief question and answer with the new director:
How long have you been involved with the UIL and at what capacity?
In high school, I joined the UIL debate team as a freshman in 1983 and was involved all 4 years. I advanced to State in cross examination debate my junior and senior years and placed 3rd in 1986 and 2nd in 1987. I judged the CX State meet for years as a paid judge until I took a Speech and Debate coaching
position at Jack C. Hays HS in the fall of 1993. My teams won district each year I coached, and one of our teams won state in 1997. I then became just a teacher for about five years. I became the Academic Coordinator for Hays in 2006.
What are your plans for the CI&E contest?
My plan this year is to continue to balance foreign and domestic news as well as major Texas news and personalities. In the long term, I hope to move to more international events and personalities. The Internet and electronic library databases really level the playing field and make this contests
so interesting. I am looking forward to visiting with the coaches and coordinators around the state and getting their input as well.
Council Approves Crew Change
By 0 | Friday, November 07, 2008 10:10 AM
The Legislative Council has approved the addition of a fifth crew member effective Aug. 1, 2009. The fifth crew member should allow you to more safely execute technical effects and deal with the varying architectural demands of each locale. I want to personally thank the members of the UIL Academic Committee and the Council for their unanimous support.
Legislative Council Approves a Few Changes for 2009-2010
By Peter Contreras | Friday, November 07, 2008 10:05 AM
Having attended some 19 UIL Legislative Council Meetings over the years, this past month’s meeting may have been the quietest yet. There were proposals, ideas and concerns that were discussed, but at the end of the two-day public meeting, minor changes seemed to rule the day.
What has not changed over time is that proposals that were passed by the 28-member committee are an attempt to fix a problem or concern and, at the same time, ensure that the school children of our state continue to have a very positive and educational experience in our school programs.
New proposals were passed for swimming and diving, softball and golf to strength those programs. Please note, none of the proposals passed are effective until the 2009-2010 school year.