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#PartyLikeAJournalist

  • Rafa Farihah
  • September 14, 2018
  • 2 minute read
Irving Washington, executive director for the Online News Association, addresses ONA18 conference participants during the opening reception at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. (Photo: Violet Wang)
Irving Washington, executive director for the Online News Association, addresses ONA18 conference participants during the opening reception at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. (Photo: Violet Wang)
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Jamila Robinson of the USA Today Network makes a picture of herself at at a selfie booth at the opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. (Photo: Violet Wang)
Jamila Robinson of the USA Today Network makes a picture of herself at at a selfie booth at the opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. Photo by Violet Wang

Fried cinnamon donut holes, hummus bites and ahi tuna-topped tortilla chips.

Hard-to-find at points, these tasty treats were much in demand at ONA18’s opening reception at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater on Thursday night.

Lines wrapped around the outside of the venue as ONA attendees eagerly waited to reunite with friends, enjoy some good food, and get their drink on.

People were so hungry after a long first day that they went as far as hovering around the kitchen door to snag hors d’oeuvres while they were fresh.

Aside from the fleeting fancy food, live music performed by a local country band called The Lost Pines kept the crowd’s energy levels up. The group opened with their popular song “How Mountain Girls Can Love,” and partygoers at the front of the hall line danced. The rest of the crowd, however, didn’t hear much of the music over all of the laughter and conversation.

In the music hall, dimmed lights, free drinks and a photo booth set the mood for reunions among former colleagues and friends.  

“Walking around here is like a constant reunion,” said Danny Gawlowski from the Seattle Times. “Every corner I turn, I run into someone else I haven’t seen in 10 or 20 years. OK, not 20. I’m not that old,” he joked.

For many of the journalists interviewed, ONA18 is either their first or second conference and they said they fully intend to return in the future.

“My favorite part about this party was the opportunity to meet so many different people and to have so many robust conversations about things I’m interested in and they’re interested in,” said Tamer Abouleinein from Newswhip.

Andrew Weil, left joins in for a group selfie during the opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. (Photo: Violet Wang)
Andrew Weil, left joins in for a group selfie during the opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. Photo by Violet Wang
Kristyn Wellesley, of the USA Today Network, center, joins friends for a group photo during the ONA18 opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater. (Photo: Baidi Wang)
Kristyn Wellesley, center, of the USA Today Network, joins friends for a group photo during the ONA18 opening night reception at Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater. Photo by Baidi Wang
Several thousand people filled the Moody Theater at the Austin City Limits Live venue for the opening reception for ONA81. (Photo: Jinqi Wang)
Several thousand people filled the Moody Theater at the Austin City Limits Live venue for the opening reception for ONA81. Photo by Jinqi Wang
Drew Berry, of the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) and Linda Waller Shockley of the Dow Jones News Fund, right, network with friends on a balcony at the Austin City Limits venue during the opening night reception for ONA18. (Photo: Violet Wang)
Drew Berry, of the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) and Linda Waller Shockley of the Dow Jones News Fund, right, network with friends on a balcony at the Austin City Limits venue during the opening night reception for ONA18. Photo by Violet Wang
ONA18 conference attendees take advantage of a break in teh rain to get an overhead view of downtown Austin from a balcony at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. (Photo: Violet Wang)
ONA18 conference attendees take advantage of a break in the rain to get an overhead view of downtown Austin from a balcony at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. Photo by Violet Wang
Helga Salinas,left, and Michael Grant have a conversation overlooking downtown Autin during the opening night reception for ONA18. (Photo: Violet Wang)
Helga Salinas,left, and Michael Grant have a conversation overlooking downtown Austin during the opening night reception for ONA18. Photo by Violet Wang
After forming a line that temporarily stretched more than a block, several thousand ONA18 participants squeezed into Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater for the opening night reception. (Photo: Violet Wang)
After forming a line that temporarily stretched more than a block, several thousand ONA18 participants squeezed into Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater for the opening night reception. Photo by Violet Wang
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Rafa Farihah

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