Rae Weimer spent a lot of money on gas. He didn't suffer from the ridiculous gas prices of today, but he filled up his tank at an unusual rate. In the fall of 1950 Rae Weimer traveled all over Florida to high school campuses giving one-day seminars on journalism. Interest in journalism among high school students began to grow, and in 1961 SJI was formed. In the past half-century the Summer Journalism Institute has essentially stayed the same, except updates to keep up with the times.

The newspaper editors class was this year's largest. (Max Wolson photo)

   For 40 years, high school students from all over Florida have come to UF for one week during the summer. In this week they take classes and lectures on everything from writing, editing, ethics, the laws of journalism and interviewing tips. Advisors also get a chance to become students themselves at a class where advisors learn about running a school newspaper
   SJI, though, has had to roll with the times. Weimer introduced SJI for more reasons than to teach students about journalism. He hoped when students came home from UF that they would have an interest on attending the university. Now instead of using SJI as a recruiting tactic, the Summer Journalism Institute helps students learn writing and editing skills.
   Students also seem to be changing over the years. "Mostly students seem to be more serious," said SJI co-director Dr. William McKeen. When students are not listening to lecture or taking a class, R.A.'s keep them entertained by taking them swimming or to the game room in the Reitz Union. Students also compete in contests such as "Karaoke Night."
   Classes have also become more updated. The SJI program now offers classes on broadcast and Web journalism. Around 1988, computers were introduced at SJI. Lectures included issues such as "How do you raise money for computers?" Once the World Wide Web was introduced, lectures focusing on "Finding Facts Online" began to surface as part of the curriculum.
   The small ratio of students to teachers enables students to have a better one-on-one relationship at SJI. Over the years the amount of students attending SJI has fluctuated, with the number of students reaching more than 100 to falling in 2001 to about 80 students. Company-sponsored yearbook camps and a decrease in newspaper classes can be partially blamed for the decrease in students at SJI.
   Recently SJI has had a dramatic increase in out-of-state students. According to Roy Mays, assistant director for student life, last year there was only one student from out of state. In 2001, eight students are from out of state. This rise is because of information on the University of Florida homepage leading people to find out about the workshop.
   UF's Summer Journalism Institute is advertised and co-sponsored by the Florida Scholastic Press Association in its monthly newsletters. The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication also sponsors SJI. Scholarships helping to pay student costs come from some Florida newspapers, including: The Gainesville Sun, The Ledger, The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, The St. Petersburg Times, The Tallahassee Democrat, The Tampa Tribune and The Vero Beach Press Journal.
   Since Weimer's conception of the Summer Journalism Institute in 1961 to the classes of 2001, SJI has evolved while keeping some things the same. Members of SJI still get to experience college life at UF and they still learn valuable information on journalism and mass communication.
   Chloe Holdren, a senior at Lincoln Park Academy who has been to SJI twice, agrees it can be a great experience. "SJI gave me the background information to land an internship at a local paper."