University of Tennessee students attended the Intercollegiate Online News Network conference this past Thursday and Friday. The conference focused on how technology can be used to improve teaching online journalism in a changing world.

Kristen Jewell, a journalism student, said that she mainly attended the conference because it was required for her Journalism 200 lab and lecture class.

"I probably would have attended this conference even if it wasn't required for me to attend," Jewell said, "I am planning on working with TNJN, the university's online newspaper, so this conference really perked my interest."

Adam Deitz, who described himself as being a non-journalism student, said that he was also required to attend this conference.

"The future with journalism is undoubtedly online," he said. "With today's technology you can access your email account from your phone, whereas even ten years ago you couldn't. I think the same can be said with online journalism; with today's technology if a story breaks you can put it online as it happens. It's really safe to say that newsprint and print media is not absolute."

Harry Montevideo, the treasurer and publisher of the University of Georgia's online newspaper Red and Black, said that journalism students needs need to be focused on new technology and new ideas.

"Journalism students today need to be quasi-professional, so that what they have learned in the classroom can be used in the work-place aspect as well," he said.

Megan Foster, also a journalism major, said that her main reason she attended the conference was so that she could learn what is up-and-coming in the field of Journalism.

"I almost wanted to see exactly what I've gotten myself into by picking Journalism as my major," she said. "I'm not a huge 'techie' so I really found this conference inspiring especially with the new programs that are being developed. I think it's really cool that our University is privileged to have this conference here."