NSPA names ‘best of the best’

Pacemaker competition recognizes
20 magazines finalists for excellence

March 3, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS — The nation’s top scholastic literary arts magazines were recognized today by the National Scholastic Press Association, which announced 20 finalists in its annual Pacemaker competition.

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

Pacemaker finalists will be honored and will receive plaques during the opening ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Los Angeles.

Pacemaker winners will be announced for the first time at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the convention’s awards ceremony.

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, 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 finalists were named representing the top 30 percent of all entries. In April, six magazines will earn Pacemakers — representing the top 10 percent.

Literary arts magazines  from 11 states earned Pacemaker-finalist status. Florida set the pace with four finalists, followed by Arkansas, Illinois and Texas with three finalists each. To reflect trends in scholastic publishing, a specialty magazine category was added to the Pacemaker competition in 2018 to recognize niche magazines devoted to in-depth reporting on a single topic. Three 2021 Specialty Magazines Pacemaker winners were announced in November.

Brophy Literary & Arts Magazine
Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix, Arizona
Editors: Ryan O’Hanrahan, Nathan Zonn
Advisers: John Damaso, Ashley Doud

Connotations
Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Editors: Celeste Moses, Sterling West
Adviser: Katie Stueart

Footnotes
Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Editor: Emily Flesher
Adviser: Karen Henry

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

Artifex
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
Editor: Lybah Haque
Adviser: Melissa Falkowski

Pawprint
H.B. Plant High School, Tampa, Florida
Editor: Kate Bernstein
Adviser: Christina Porcelli

Seeds in the Black Earth
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
Editor: Emma Cantrell
Adviser: Brittany Rigdon

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

Phantasm
St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois
Editor: Lulu Goldman
Advisers: Teegan Ness, Rachel Turkowski, Katie Haviland

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

The Wit
Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois
Editor: Madeline Mitchell
Advisers: James Barnabee, Robert Zagorski

Colophon
Towson High School, Towson, Maryland
Editors: Kayla Yup, Rebecca Kleeman
Adviser: Nick Busselman

Voice
Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Editors: Madison Bell, Leah Dewey, Laurel Peterson, Felicity Rosa-Davies
Advisers: Tracy Anderson, Steve Coron, Beth Portincasa

Mindprints
Jackson Preparatory Junior High School, Flowood, Mississippi
Editor: Mason Deas
Advisers: Kimberly Reedy, Kathryn Shuff

Earthwinds 50
Jackson Preparatory School, Flowood, Mississippi
Editor: Ainslee Johnson
Adviser: Paul Smith

Roars and Whispers
Providence Senior High School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Editors: Maggie Christopher, Aiden Kaplan, Ella Rasmussen
Adviser: Marva Hutchinson

Marque
St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, Texas
Editors: Alam Alidina, Sam Morgan
Advisers: Lynee Schwartz, Geoffrey Stanbury

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