For many students, spring break is a time for rest and relaxation: a week to recharge so they can finish the semester out strong. For a handful of intrepid Hatter Network staffers, however, spring break was a chance to expand our student media knowledge and skill sets to become, as one presenter put it, “true journalism gods.”

Over break, a team of Hatter Network’s designers, writers, photographers, and Touchstone editors attended the Spring National College Media Convention in New York City. Over the course of four days, these staffers attended a plethora of conference sessions, critiques, keynotes, and media tours, all in the hopes of gaining new insights into the incredibly diverse aspects of student media. All together, these sessions have not only expanded our understanding of the elements and processes of running a successful media network, but also inspired us. We’ve brought back with us a renewed motivation and a wealth of new ideas to improve Hatter Network. We hope to push the organization to do all it can to serve the Stetson community.

Of course, our expedition wasn’t all work. Ask anyone on the trip, and they’ll tell you that the four days we spend in NYC felt more like four weeks. From exploring Times Square at two in the morning to tracking down the best ramen spot in Chinatown, we squeezed as much into our free time as possible. We tracked down some monstrous milkshakes at the insta-famous Black Tap Brewery, meandered through Grand Central Station, and mastered the subway system. Between exploring the city, taking in a Broadway show, and flying through one of the winter’s worst storms, this trip was truly an unforgettable experience.

More than anything, though, we took from this journey a strengthened sense of comradery and an understanding that in order for our organization to grow and perform to the best of it’s ability, we have to become a well oiled, well-integrated media machine. To us, that means working hard and working together, uniting all of Hatter Network’s departments to produce eloquent and transparent content. So stay tuned, because we’re taking everything we’ve learned and putting it to good use, working harder than ever to bring the Stetson community top-notch student-produced media.

Photographs provided by: Kaitlyn Kocsis and Jacob Mauser