Konkol, a writer at-large at the Sun-Times, was part of a team that examined the “immersive documentation of violence in Chicago neighborhoods, probing the lives of victims, criminals and detectives as a widespread code of silence impedes solutions.”

A 1995 graduate of Western Illinois University, Konkol’s specialty is writing about Chicago — its government, neighborhoods and people.

Konkol and other Chicago area journalists will lead sessions for students throughout the two-day conference.

ICPA members should make hotel reservations as soon as possible and register for the convention with secretary-treasurer John Ryan.

Room reservations must be made by Feb. 2 to get the convention rate of $118 a night up to quad occupancy. Reservations can be made by phone, 312-787-6100; Fax, 312-787-6259; and online at www.doubletreemagmile.com and using the group code, ICP. Parking at the City Centre currently runs $41 a day for self park.

ICPA members should also register for the convention by filling out the form included in this newsletter and sending it in with registration fees. ICPA members could Fax the form in care of Ryan at 217-581-2923 and then send their registration fees in. The information also could be sent by e-mail, jmryan@eiu.edu.

Checks should be mailed to Ryan in care of Student Publications, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, Ill. 61920. Registration is $45 per person if made before Feb. 9. It will cost $90 per person after Feb. 9.

Each member newspaper also may have one photographer sign up for the “Shoot Chicago” contest. Photographers will spend part of their day Friday taking photographs of Chicago and have their work judged by Tribune photographers and editors. Details will be sent to advisers via email.

Convention-goers are asked to pick up programs and name tags at the convention registration desk, beginning at 11 a.m. The convention will get under way at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. Four general sessions will be run each hour from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and from 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. on Friday, said Lola Burnham, ICPA president.

A keynote address will be held at 4 p.m. Friday. On Saturday a continental breakfast will be served, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The ICPA Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 a.m. for their annual membership meeting. All members are invited. Each student newspaper has a vote at the meeting.

From 9:50 to 10:40 a.m. Saturday and again from 10:50 to 11:40 a.m. four sessions will be held followed by a break for checkout. At noon Saturday, the awards luncheon will be held. Winners of the 2011 ICPA Editorial and Advertising Contest will be announced.

Richard Moreno, editorial adviser of the Western Courier, is the first vice president in charge of programming.

Members must pay their dues by Dec. 1 or at least send in a membership form on page 4 of this newsletter and have the check in the mail.

Membership dues are $125 per year for schools with an enrollment of less than 9,000 students and $200 per year for schools with an enrollment of more than 9,000.

Dues along with a copy of the membership form printed on page 4, should be sent to John Ryan, ICPA secretary-treasurer, in care of Student Publications, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Ill. 61920.

Ryan can be contacted at 217.581.7939.    Materials may be faxed to him at 217.581.2923. He can be reached via e-mail at jmryan@eiu.edu.

“Sending in the membership form will be considered akin to paying dues,” Ryan said. “The check can be sent later. I will assume you are going to pay.”

Contest materials will be e-mailed out Nov. 4 and contest entries will be due back by Dec. 6.

The entries will then be sent to judges and must be returned by early January.

ICPA President Lola Burnham will be running the contest again this year.

She can be reached at 217.581.7143 and at laburnham@eiu.edu.  Winners will be announced at the annual awards luncheon during the annual convention.

The convention will be held Feb. 17-18 at the DoubleTree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, 300 E. Ohio St.

Room rates for the convention will be $118 a night for up to quad occupancy.

At the annual convention journalists from the Chicago media will lead two days of sessions on everything from advertising to the World Wide Web.

More information on the convention will be sent to members at the first of the year.

Rich Moreno, editorial adviser of the Western Courier at Western Illinois

University, is the first vice president and will be in charge of running the convention.

The Illinois College Press Association has a Facebook page where students and advisers can speak with other student media across the state, asking one another for feedback, promoting key stories on individual newspaper web sites, debating issues, bragging about awards or focusing attention on challenges to First Amendment issues. Click here to go to our Facebook page. Or simply type in ‘Illinois College Press Association’ on Facebook.

Brock Brake, Columbia College / Construction continues on St. Clair Street and Grand Street between restaurants Volare and Mary's Cafe.

Columbia College’s Brock Brake won the Shoot Chicago photography competition during the Illinois College Press Association’s annual conference held Feb. 18-19. Brake was among 18 student-journalists searching for photos connected to the theme ‘work.’

Brake’s photo, above, shows a construction worker working between St. Clair and Grand streets, where restaurants Volare and Mary’s Cafe remain open.

Knox College’s John Williams took second for his photo of an employee tossing out large cardboard boxes, which can be seen below, along with the work of the other award winners – Columbia’s Brent Lewis, who took third, and both Colten Bradford of UI-Springfield, Aaron Nielsen of Robert Morris University, and Columbia College’s Tiela Halpin, who each earned honorable mention.

The Chicago Tribune’s Chuck Berman and free-lance photographer Steve Kagan judged the competition, offering critiques of every participant’s work during a Saturday morning session with students.

John Williams, Knox College/ Joe Brow, an employee at Mr. David's Flooring International Ltd., works on throwing out empty boxes Friday, Feb. 18, in the alleyway behind the Embassy Suites Hotel Chicago-Downtown on 600 N. State St. Brow works on carpentry, but still has to take out the trash at the end of the day.

Brent Lewis, Columbia College/ Ricardo R., a k a Frankie F., is a walking billboard for Astrology Reading by Natalie. Ricardo works 6-7 hour days on the cross sections of Michigan and Erie. Ricardo says he is "sure happy about the winter warming up."

Colten Bradford, UI-Springfield/ Iron worker Michael Loftus works at a construction site on the corner of Erie and Michigan.

Tiela Halpin, Columbia College/ Jovon Toremorro, first mate on the "Spirit of Chicago," tosses a line to fellow first mate Gavin Emig. The crew is preparing to take the cruise ship to dry dock before busy season at Navy Pier begins.

Aaron Nielsen, Robert Morris University/ Chicago businessman Larry Doody (center) is approached by a panhandler.

Warren has been a local, national political, congreesional, U.S. Supreme Court, foreign and war correspondent.  Warren pioneered the Tribune’s first political blog with her coverage of the 2004 presidential race. She’s also been a metro and features columnist and, early in her career, was the first woman legman for the late, great Chicago columnist Mike Royko.

ICPA members should make hotel reservations as soon as possible and register for the convention with secretary-treasurer John Ryan.  Reservations must be made by Feb. 3 to get the convention rate of $115 a night up to  quad occupancy.

Reservations can be made by phone, 312-787-6100; Fax, 312-787-6259; and online at www.doubletreemagmile.com and using the group code, ICP.   Parking at the City Centre currently runs $41 a day  for self park.

ICPA members should also register for the convention by filling out the form included in this newsletter and sending it in with registration fees.   ICPA members could Fax the form in care of Ryan at 217-581-2923 and then send their registration fees in. The information also could be sent by e-mail, jmryan@eiu.edu.

Checks should be mailed to Ryan in care of Student Publications, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, Ill. 61920.   Registration is $45 per person if made before Feb. 8. It will cost $90 per person after Feb. 8.

Each member newspaper also may have one photographer sign up for the “Shoot Chicago” contest. Photographers will spend part of their day Friday taking photographs of Chicago and have their work judged by Tribune photographers and editors.

Convention-goers are asked to pick up programs and name tags at the convention registration desk, beginning at 11 a.m. The convention will get under way at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18.

Four general sessions will be run each hour from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and from 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. on Friday, said Joe Gisondi, ICPA president.

A keynote address will be held at 4 p.m. Friday.  On Saturday a continental breakfast will be served, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The ICPA Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 a.m. for their annual membership meeting. All members are invited. Each student newspaper has a vote at the meeting.  Election of officers will be the main order of business. ICPA officers include the president, first vice president, second vice president, past president, secretary-treasurer and four at-large directors.

From 9:50 to 10:40 a.m. Saturday and again from 10:50 to 11:40 a.m. four sessions will be held followed by a break for checkout.    At noon Saturday, the awards luncheon will be held. Winners of the 2010 ICPA Editorial and Advertising Contest will be announced.

We’re currently lining up convention speakers and tallying all the winners of the annual editorial contest, which will be announced at the convention.

What we need members to begin doing is to register for the convention by faxing or e-mailing the attached form to John Ryan, ICPA secretary-treasurer (217.581.2923/jmryan@eiu.edu) and begin reserving your rooms at the Double Tree.

Our convention room rate is $115 a night for up to quad occupancy. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel, 312-787-6100, or by going to the hotel’s Web page and register using our group code, ICP. The hotel’s URL is www.doubletreemagmile.com.

Reservations must be made by Thursday, Feb. 3. So get going.

A newsletter with more convention details will be sent out later this week.

Shootout winner. Streetwise salesman Ron Collins (right) shakes hands with a man he introduced as his manager. Selling Streetwise allowed Collins to move off the streets with the money he made./Andy Keil

Andy Keil of the Columbia Chronicle took first place in the ‘Great Chicago Shootout’ held Feb. 19 as part of the annual ICPA conference. Student photographers were told to find images that portray contrast Friday afternoon in Chicago.

Photographer Chuck Berman of the Chicago Tribune and free-lance photographer Steve Kagan judged the contest entries during a critique session Saturday morning.

2nd place. Luis Arteaga, a valet for Reliable Velet Parking, waits for customers outside Mike Ditka's Steakhouse on Chestnut Street in Chicago. "It's a pretty nice job," said Arteaga, who receives a discount on food at the restaurant when he works./Ned Mulka

3rd place. L.T. is a Chicago street musician who has traveled all over the United States making money on the streets of big cities. He has been to Los Angeles, New York and Detroit. "Chicagoans are the worst," he said. They don't tip, but even worse, they don't notice you exist. They don't have to give. Just take what I'm giving."/Brent Lewis

Honorable mention. Elana Poltorff, 30, from Atlanta gets her makeup done at Mac in Water Tower Place by Chad Michael Trojanek, who has been a makeup artist for eight years./Rachel Bujalski

Honorable mention. Kaylee James, 7, of Lincoln Square, latches onto the 25-foot sculpture "God Bless America" by J. Seward Johnson. The Sculpture Foundation will rotate the "American Gothic" tribute piece in October of this year./Andrew Macnider

Luke Runyon, editor-in-chief of The Journal, the student-run newspaper at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been named a 2010 recipient of the University of Illinois Alumni Association Student Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding student leadership. Runyon will be recognized at a student awards luncheon in May.

Runyon, who holds close to a 4.0 grade-point average, has print, broadcast, and online media experience. He rose up through the ranks at The Journal, starting as a reporter and photographer and later becoming copy editor and editor-in-chief. He held an internship in summer 2009 with WUIS-FM Public Radio. In addition, Runyon is vice president of a communication student academic honors society at UIS, spent his 2009 spring break helping victims of Hurricane Katrina with lingering construction projects, and is a mentor to new college students at UIS. He is graduating in May from UIS.