About Us
The Alabama Scholastic Press Association seeks to empower K-12 newspaper, yearbook, newsmagazine, literary magazine, website and broadcast staffs in Alabama.
ASPA hosts The Long Weekend, a summer journalism camp in Tuscaloosa, Alabama each year, holds a State Convention in Tusaloosa, Alabama each spring, and presents a series of Fall Regional Workshops in various Alabama cities each September. ASPA also works in conjunction with and in support of the Multicultural Journalism Program and its summer workshop.
ASPA participates in events with the Southern Interscholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the National Elementary School Press Association, as well as coordinates an annual critique of publications and broadcasts and offers individual contests and on-site competitions. ASPA stands ready to assist K-12 journalists and advisers.
ASPA Board of Directors, 2019-2021
President: Capri Day, Brookwood High School, Tuscaloosa
Vice President: Barbara Bateman, Daphne High School, Mobile
Secretary: Silvia Scaife, Auburn High School, Auburn
Immediate Past-President: Renee Quaife, Sparkman High School, Harvest
Members at Large
Birmingham: Connie Nolen, Pelham High School, Pelham
Montgomery: Gina Aaij, LAMP High School, Montgomery
Huntsville: Michelle Sisson, Lee High School, Huntsville
Mobile: Lindsay Koen, McGill-Toolen High School, Mobile
Auburn: Vacant
ASPA Schools
Below is the list of schools ASPA partners with across Alabama. We wipe the slate clean each school year and start over. Don't see your school on our list or want to become an ASPA member? Fill out this form!
Banks Middle School, Bobcat news broadcast, Birmingham
Bayside Academy, Admiral TV, Broadcast; Azimuth Circle literary magazine, Daphne
Bob Jones High School, The Eclectic literary magazine; Patriot Pages website, Madison
Brookwood High School, Panther Talk broadcast; The Mind's Eye literary magazine, Brookwood
Clay-Chaklville High School, CCN-TV broadcast, Pinson
Covenant Christian School, yearbook, The Eagle
Daphne High School, Palladium yearbook; DNN broadcast; Oracle newspaper, Daphne
East Limestone High School, Natives' News newspaper, Athens
North High School yearbook, Evansville, Indiana
Florala High School, newspaper, Wildcat Wednesday broadcast, Florala
Hale County College and Career Academy website, Greensboro
Hillcrest High School, PATS TV, Tuscaloosa
Louis Pizitz Middle School, literary magazine, Vestavia Hills
Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP) High School, The Torch yearbook, Montgomery
Lee High School, Harmonius Lee literary magazine
Madison County High School, Word Riot literary magazine, Gurley
McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, Vespidae yearbook; McT Live broadcast, Ingenium literary magazine, Mobile
Montevallo High School, Spotlight website, Montevallo
Mountain Brook High School, Olympian yearbook, The Sword and Shield newspaper, Mountain Brook
Murphy High School, The Mohian yearbook, Mobile
New Hope High School The Indian yearbook; The Arrow Newspaper, New Hope
North High School, Compass yearbook, Evansville, Indiana
Northridge High School, blueprints yearbook; The Northridge Reporter, Tuscaloosa
Oak Mountain High School, Eagle's Eye newspaper; Esse literary magazine; Paragon yearbook, Birmingham
Oak Mountain Middle School, OMMS News broadcast; The Talon yearbook, Birmingham
Opelika High School, Zig Zag yearbook, Opelika
Pelham High School, The Pinnacle yearbook; More Than Words literary magazine; Panther Playback broadcast, Pelham
Riverchase Career Connection Center (RC3) literary magazine, Hoover
Sparkman High School, Silhouette literary magazine; The Senator yearbook; The Crimson Crier newspaper; Crimson Crier online website, Harvest
St. Clair County High School, St. Clarion yearbook
Sylacauga High School, Aggie News Network broadcast, Sylacauga
Thompson High School, THS-TV, Alabaster
Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy, BCN-TV broadcast, Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa County High School, CATS TV, Tuscaloosa
UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Mind's Eye Literary magazine, Mobile
Westlawn Middle School Falcon's Nest newspaper, Tuscaloosa
Past ASPA Directors and Coordinators
1958-80 James L. Nisbet, director, High School Service, Division of
Continuing Education
-1976 William F. O’Connor, director, Field Services, School of
Communication
1976-81 Charles Arrendell, chair, Program in Journalism/AHSPA-AJEA
liaison
1980- John K. Conroy, director, Office of Campus Programs
1981-82 Rita Oates, professor of journalism/AHSPA-AJEA liaison
1981-85 Charles Self, chair, Journalism Department, AHSPA liaison
1982-84 Marian Huttentine, professor of journalism/ASPA coordinator
David Heggem, Office of Campus Programs
1984-92 Marie Parsons, graduate assistant and journalism
instructor/ASPA director
1985-87 David Sloan, acting chair, Journalism Department
1987-91 Jay Black, chair, Journalism Department
1991-92 Ed Mullins, chair, Journalism Department
1992-94 Kathy Lawrence, director, Student Media Programs/ASPA
director
1992-93 Suzanne Cambell, graduate assistant/ASPA coordinator
1993-94 Jimmy McCollum, graduate assistant/ASPA coordinator
1994-01 Monica Hill, external relations specialist, Division of Student
Affairs/ASPA director
2002-04 Andy Duncan, assistant director, Office of Student
Media/ASPA
director
2004-05 Deidre Stalnaker, assistant director, Office of Student
Media/ASPA
coordinator
2005-07 Amanda Al-Betar, program coordinator, UA College of
Continuing Studies
2007 Marissa Reeves, instructor, journalism/public relations, liaison
2006-07 Loy Singleton, acting chair, Department of Journalism
2007 Jennifer Greer, chair, Department of Journalism
2007-2008 Marie Parsons, emeritus, ASPA interim director
2008-present Meredith Cummings, journalism instructor, ASPA director