Margaret Tinker, Nikki O'Farrell, Kenya Palla and Mikala Klein pose with me to show their Second Place award and a copy of the 2010 Details.

It’s always funny to see what type of souvenirs my students choose to bring home from our trips to national conventions.

Our recent trip to Kansas City for the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention involved daily trips to Cosentino’s Market, where we gorged on desserts (one student ate an entire chocolate turkey!) and loaded up with touristy items, umbrellas and trinkets. The rainy excursion to Country Club Plaza yielded tons of glittery girl wear from Forever 21, a light-up Santa hat and a mug for a favorite teacher. Trolling the exhibit hall brought “nerdy” but cute pins, pens and imitation Silly Bandz from convention vendors. Almost all of my students shopped in the airport, too, to buy cow-tipping sweatshirts and assorted magnets. I wasn’t sure how they’d manage to get it all home.

There was one other item tucked into a suitcase, too — flat and lightweight but oh, so special for those who earned it: the Second Place certificate from NSPA’s Best of Show Competition for the 2010 Details. Congratulations to last year’s staff for this special recognition.