NSPA names ‘best of the best’

Pacemaker competition recognizes
6 magazines for excellence

April 9, 2022

LOS ANGELES — Honoring the nation’s best, National Scholastic Press Association named six scholastic literary arts magazines as prestigious Pacemaker winners.

The literary arts magazine winners, plus the 2022 Innovation Pacemaker, 2022 Online Pacemaker and 2021 Yearbook Pacemaker winners, were announced for the first time during the closing awards ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention on April 9, in Los Angeles.

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

The NSPA Pacemaker, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association started presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition. The organization is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

“The literary arts magazines selected by the judges reflect both classic and contemporary formats,” said Gary Lundgren, associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition. “The quality of the art, photography, poetry and prose showcased on the pages of these magazines is amazing.”

A team of three judges studied every entry and discussed its strengths. The status of each entry was agreed upon by at least two of the three judges.

Judges included an award-winning collegiate literary arts magazine adviser, a former award-winning scholastic literary arts magazine adviser and an award-winning graphic designer:

Jim Cihlar, University of Minnesota
John Dalke, Jack Cando Design
Laurie Hansen, Stillwater (MN) Area High School

A team of three judges studied every entry, discussing its strengths. The status of each entry was agreed upon by at least two of the three judges. 

When the process was completed, 20 Literary Arts Magazine Pacemaker finalists were named representing the top 30 percent of all entries. The six Pacemaker-winning magazines represent the top 10 percent.

Literary arts magazines from five states earned Pacemaker honors. Texas set the pace with two winners. Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia were also represented.

Reflections Literary & Arts Magazine
Gulliver Preparatory Upper School, Miami, Florida
Editors: Lucie Duchene, Olivia Martin-Johnson
Adviser: Monica Rodriguez

Iliad Literary-Art Magazine
Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia
Editors: Lucy Hines, Natalie Ripps
Adviser: David A. Ragsdale

The Skaldic: Pensive
Geneva High School, Geneva, Illinois
Editors: Sam Ayars, Mariam Mairaj, Cassidy Pihera
Adviser: Heather Peters

Itinerary
The Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Editor: Charlotte Clark
Adviser: Heather Cernoch

Vibrato
The Hockaday School, Dallas, Texas
Editors: Leena Mehendale, Catherine Stidham, Doris Zhang
Adviser: Julia Copeland

The Tartan
McLean High School, McLean, Virginia
Editors: Hyohyun Jung, Marina Qu
Advisers: Lindsay Benedict, Seth LeBlanc