NSPA honors innovation

New Pacemaker competition encourages out-of-the-box thinking and rewards student media for the courage to take chances to improve service to their school community

March 3, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS — Student media programs from eight high schools and a middle school have been honored by the National Scholastic Press Association in the inaugural year of its Innovation Pacemaker competition.

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 Innovation Pacemaker is designed to encourage out-of-the-box thinking and reward student media for the courage to take chances to improve service to their customers, readers and communities.

“Student media is rapidly changing and top programs are finding innovative ways to deliver content to their readers while building unified and converged teams,” associate director Gary Lundgren said. “Print is now just one component — there is far more to a successful student media program than publishing the campus newspaper and yearbook.”

“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.

Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School, Belmont, California
Leader: Grace Wu
Adviser: Justin Raisner

Reflections
Brighton High School, Brighton, Colorado
Leaders: Jenaya Ripko, Zoey Stanley, Rose Weidemann, Jespyn Bishop, Madison Ruser
Adviser: Justin Daigle

Central Times
Naperville Central High School, Naperville, Illinois
Leaders: Cameron Rozek, Calvin Comstock-Fisher, Daniel Wu, Brian Lu
Adviser: Keith Carlson

North Central Student Media
North Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
Leaders: Gabe Chambers, Carsyn Christoffel, Sophia Grueninger, Sawyer Husain, Libby Ochs, Davis Olson, Gus Osborn, Liam Parsons
Adviser: Tom Gayda

Lawrence High School Journalism
Lawrence High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Leaders: Tessa Collar, Cuyler Dunn, Kenna McNally, Kate O’Keefe, Andrew Phalen, Arien Roman Rojas
Adviser: Barbara Tholen

Seamless Productions
Maize Career Academy, Maize, Kansas
Leaders: McKenna Ellis, Andrew Percival, Eli Staver, Lakin Zamorano
Adviser: Spencer O’Daniel

The City Voice
City High Middle School, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Leaders: Declan Bradley, Jonathan Hoffman, Maya Oeverman, Sparsh Aiyar, Vishnu Mano
Adviser: Philip Beckwith

FHN Media
Francis Howell North High School, Saint Charles, Missouri
Leaders: Kyle Button, Marina Williams
Adviser: Aaron Manfull

Melodrama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School, Saint Louis, Missouri
Editors: Rhea Patney, Oviya Srihari
Adviser: Sarah Kirksey