2018 Newspaper Pacemaker finalists announced

MINNEAPOLIS — Honoring the nation’s best, the National Scholastic Press Association has named 67 scholastic student newspapers and newsmagazines as finalists in its prestigious Pacemaker competition.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” said Laura Widmer, executive director. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The NSPA Pacemaker award has a rich tradition and the association started presenting the award to high school newspapers a few years after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.

The 67 Pacemaker finalists represent 24 states and England. California and Texas set the pace with 14 finalists each.

In all, 260 student news publications from 38 states entered the Pacemaker competition.

Two teams of three judges devoted two days to the judging and studied every entry discussing its strengths and weaknesses.

In the first round of the competition, the news publications competed against those of similar types — tabloid newspaper, broadsheet newspaper, newsmagazine and junior high/middle school.

When the process was finished, the 67 Pacemaker finalists were named. From that group, 28 will earn the Pacemaker award placing those publications in the top 10 percent.

Insights and observations from the judges about the Pacemaker winning newspapers will be posted when the Pacemaker winners are announced along with the names and professional bios of the judges. The judges have provided written summaries about each Pacemaker winner as well as video comments about the process and the entries.

In addition to demonstrating excellence in key areas including coverage, writing, editing, design and photography, the winning newspapers took risks and served as a strong voice for its student audience.

“The best newspapers and newsmagazines delivered relevant coverage that resonated with student readers and the school community with appropriate sourcing, abundant student quotes and consistent journalistic style,” said Gary Lundgren, associate director and coordinator of the competition. “The Pacemakers represent the best in verbal and visual storytelling.”

Even in a digital age, print publications are thriving in high schools across the country, Lundgren said. Most print news publications have shifted to more in-depth coverage and now report breaking news on companion websites.

In this competition, only the print news product was judged. A separate NSPA 2018 Online Pacemaker competition recognized 42 online news sites in April. Several schools earned Pacemaker honors for both their print and online products.

Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners will be announced at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, Nov. 1-4 in Chicago.


JUNIOR HIGH/MIDDLE SCHOOL FINALISTS


The Spectrum

Harvard-Westlake Middle School
Los Angeles, California
Editors: Hannah Han, Laura Kors, Ethan Lachman, Emma Limor
Adviser: Stephen Chae


The Town Crier

Paul Revere Charter Middle School
Los Angeles, California
Editors: Joey Chae, Sofia Farhangnia, Maddie Glenn, Johnny Harvey, Cole Herron, Alexandra Schoettler
Adviser: Eric Wechsler


The Portfolio

Bak Middle School of the Arts
West Palm Beach, Florida
Editors: Isabella Velez, James Walter, Miles Wang
Adviser: Jessica Samons


The Sequoyah Scribe

John Sevier Middle School
Kingsport, Tennessee
Editor: Brianna Galloway
Adviser: David Flanary


Leopard Life

Willow Springs Middle School
Lucas, Texas
Editors: Claire Easley, Ailsa Kokoricha
Adviser: Nicole Sanders


The Scroll

The American School in London
London, England
Editors: Staff
Adviser: Colin Bridgewater


HIGH SCHOOL FINALISTS


CS Press

Cactus Shadows High School
Cave Creek, Arizona
Editors: Kiera Riley, Sara Windom
Advisers: Lori Hart, Robert Adamson


Titan Times the Magazine

Antelope High School
Antelope, California
Editors: McKenzie Cook, Katie Hoedt, Stephanie Lynn
Adviser: Pete LeBlanc


Berkeley High Jacket

Berkeley High School
Berkeley, California
Editor: Nina Price
Adviser: Peter Rodrigues


El Estoque

Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
Editors: Ananya Bhat, Ilena Peng
Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite


The HUB

Davis Senior High School
Davis, California
Editors: Zachary Bergevin, Stephanie Chang
Adviser: Kelly Wilkerson


The Granite Bay Gazette

Granite Bay High School
Granite Bay, California
Editors: McKenna Aram, Katie Cologna, Brayden Johnk, Stephanie Kang, Sabina Mahavni
Adviser: Karl Grubaugh


Verde

Palo Alto Senior High School
Palo Alto, California
Editors: Emma Cockerell, Julie Cornfield, Saurin Holdheim
Adviser: Paul Kandell


High Tide

Redondo Union High School
Redondo Beach, California
Editors: Ben-Ohr Brill, Elizabeth Fauver, Kylie Yorke
Adviser: Mitch Ziegler


The Lowell

Lowell High School
San Francisco, California
Editors: Ella Murdock Gardner, Zahra Rothchild
Adviser: Eric Gustafson


The Broadview

Convent of the Sacred Heart High School
San Francisco, California
Editors: Asha Khanna, Claire Kosewic
Adviser: Tracy Anne Sena


Bear Witness

Branham High School
San Jose, California
Editor: Julia Kolman
Adviser: Fitzgerald Vo


The Chronicle

Harvard-Westlake School
Studio City, California
Editors: Josie Abogov, Danielle Spitz
Adviser: Jim Burns


The Mirror

Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
Editors: Amanda Godfrey, Woo Han
Adviser: Ron Goins


The Arapahoe Herald

Arapahoe High School
Centennial, Colorado
Editors: Maddie Egerton, Becca Schwisow
Adviser: Greg Anderson


The Panther

Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Miami, Florida
Editors: Thomas Martinez, Olympia Rodriguez, Marlowe Starling
Adviser: Laura Aviles


The Eagle Eye

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Florida
Editors: Emma Dowd, Lauren Newman, Rebecca Schneid
Adviser: Melissa Falkowski


The Muse

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
West Palm Beach, Florida
Editors: Marianna Kaimakliotis, Ruby Rosenthal
Adviser: Carly Gates


Odyssey

Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia
Editors: Lucia Bermudez, Aneesa Conine-Nakano
Adviser: David Ragsdale


C&G

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School
Atlanta, Georgia
Editor: Sarah Kallis
Adviser: Danielle Elms


The Tom Tom

Antioch Community High School
Antioch, Illinois
Editors: Jillian Everett, Branden Gallimore, Kaylee Schreiner, Jason Wood
Adviser: Patrick Johnson


The Stampede
Metea Valley High School
Aurora, Illinois
Editor: Hailey Hagemaster
Adviser: Adam Page


HiLite

Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana
Editor: Manahil Nadeem
Adviser: Jim Streisel


West Side Story

Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Editor: Nina Elkadi
Adviser: Sara Whittaker


The Budget

Lawrence High School
Lawrence, Kansas
Editors: Macy Landes, Connor Schmaus, Gary Schmidt
Adviser: Barbara Tholen


The North Star

Blue Valley North High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editors: Connor Clary, Nicole Dolan, Laura Evans
Adviser: Diana Klote


The Express

Blue Valley Northwest High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editors: Lauren Fischer, Gabe Swartz
Adviser: Jim McCrossen


The Harbinger

Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Editors: Grace Chisholm, Robbie Veglahn
Adviser: Dow Tate


The Pylon

Salina Central High School
Salina, Kansas
Editors: Morgan Dolton, Chloe Guillot, Annie Hayes
Adviser: J.D. Garber


On the Record

duPont Manual High School
Louisville, Kentucky
Editor: Alice Deters
Adviser: Liz Palmer


The Harbinger

Algonquin Regional High School
Northborough, Massachusetts
Editors: Paige Morse, Cassidy Wang
Adviser: Lindsay Coppens


Echo

St. Louis Park High School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Editors: Mimi Fhima, Dani Orloff, Annabella Strathman
Adviser: Lori Keekley


The Marquette Messenger

Marquette High School
Chesterfield, Missouri
Editor: Greg Svirnovskiy
Adviser: Emily Jorgensen


The Globe
Clayton High School
Clayton, Missouri
Editors: Noah Brown, Mitali Sharma
Adviser: Erin Castellano


Talon

Staley High School
Kansas City, Missouri
Editors: Haylee Roberts, Leidy Venegas
Adviser: Cherie Burnett


Le Journal

Notre Dame de Sion High School
Kansas City, Missouri
Editors: Lanie Jones, Meg Schwartz
Adviser: Alison Long


The Kirkwood Call

Kirkwood High School
Saint Louis, Missouri
Editors: Camille Baker, Hannah Cohen, Chloe Hooker
Adviser: Mitch Eden


Central Focus

Francis Howell Central High School
St. Charles, Missouri
Editors: Skylar Laird, Emily Mann
Adviser: Matthew Schott


North Star

Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri
Editor: Carolynn Gonzalez
Adviser: Aaron Manfull


The Catalyst

Millard West High School
Omaha, Nebraska
Editors: Trevor Lueck, Craig Sullivan
Adviser: Mark Hilburn


The Grizzly Growler

Spring Valley High School
Las Vegas, Nevada
Editor: Donovan Souder
Adviser: Tara Verderosa


Pilot’s Log

Hasbrouck Heights High School
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Editors: Bharadwaj Chirravuri, Madeline Kalmowitz, Vanita Patel
Adviser: William Thorne


Spark

Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio
Editors: Julianne Ford, Lexy Harrison, Vivian Kolks, Sidney Li
Adviser: Dean Hume


The Spoke

Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Editors: Betty Ben Dor, Eric Xue
Advisers: Susan Gregory, Cynthia Hyatt


Tribal Tribune

Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Editors: Patrick Aherne, Jack Rogers
Adviser: Tamela Watkins


The Lodge

St. George’s Independent School
Collierville, Tennessee
Editors: Carolyn Lane, Annie Murff
Adviser: Margaret Robertson


The Dispatch

James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas
Editors: Mia Barbosa, Violet Glenewinkel, Victoria Newell
Adviser: Michael Reeves


The Shield

McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
Editors: Charlie Holden, Julie Robertson
Adviser: Dave Winter


The Sidekick

Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas
Editor: Amelia Vanyo
Adviser: Chase Wofford


Geneva Quarterly

Geneva School of Boerne
Boerne, Texas
Editors: Carissa Georgelos, Emme Owens, Ruth Wacker
Adviser: Becky Ryden


The ReMarker

St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
Editor: Kobe Roseman
Adviser: Ray Westbrook


Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Editors: Julia Beckel, Kathleen Hobson
Adviser: DiAngelea Millar


The Fourcast

The Hockaday School
Dallas, Texas
Editor: Aurelia Han
Adviser: Ana Rosenthal


The Anvil

Memorial High School
Houston, Texas
Editors: Hannah An, Raymond Zrike
Adviser: Holly Hartman


The Review

St. John’s School
Houston, Texas
Editors: Ashwini Bandi, Gracie Blue, Claire Furse, Dani Yan
Advisers: David Nathan, Shelley Stein, Chuy Benitez


The Torch

Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas
Editors: Ashleigh Hickman, Alexandra Tuberquia
Adviser: Katie Moreno


The Hawk

Hendrickson High School
Pflugerville, Texas
Editors: Alex Fulton, Ileana Perez
Adviser: Kari Riemer


The Edge

Pleasant Grove High School
Texarkana, Texas
Editors: Yates Floyd, Madeline Haak, Samantha Knowles, Abby Sanderson
Adviser: Charla Harris


Tiger Times

Texas High School
Texarkana, Texas
Editors: Colton Johnson, Eleanor Schroeder
Advisers: Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith


tjTODAY

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, Virginia
Editors: Ankit Agrawal, Katherine Du, Angel Kim, Adithi Ramakrishnan, Uzma Rentia, Avni Singh, Christine Zhao
Adviser: Erinn Harris


The Blazer

Timberline High School
Lacey, Washington
Editor: Ashley Wang
Adviser: Chris Groen


The Standard

The American School in London
London, England
Editors: Sourna Daneshvar Jr., Michaela Towfighi
Adviser: Shannon Miller