2009 Newspaper Pacemaker Winners
16 or fewer pages
The Free Press, Gilroy HS, Gilroy, Calif.
Jake Gonzales, editor
Veronica Andrade, adviser
Explorer, Moreau Catholic HS, Hayward, Calif.
Allison Murray, editor
Yoni Fine, adviser
The Epic, Lynbrook HS, San Jose, Calif.
Anna Sheng, Yoona Lee, Eric Liao, editors
Nicole Gordon, adviser
Arapahoe Herald, Arapahoe HS, Centennial, Colo.
Brigid Igoe, Kelsey Schiler, editors
Greg Anderson, adviser
The Surveyor, George Washington HS, Denver, Colo.
Madeline Wolberg, Connor Williams, William Witmer, editors
C.L. Harmer, adviser
The Spartana, Homestead HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Margaret Distler, editor
Rod Kuhn, adviser
Guidon, Hays HS, Hays, Kan.
Thayne Griffin, editor
Bill Gasper, adviser
The Squall, Dexter HS, Dexter, Mich.
Scott Crompton, editor
Rod Satterthwaite, adviser
North Pointe, Grosse Pointe North HS, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Christine Bedway, editor
Andrew Taylor, adviser
The Kirkwood Call, Kirkwood HS, Kirkwood, Mo.
David Danaher, editor
Mitch Eden, adviser
The Eye, Singapore American School, Singapore, Singapore
Jon Cheng, editor
Mark Clemens, adviser
The Connection, John B. Connally HS, Austin, Texas
Courtney Bertke, Shannon Dolan, editors
Kelly Lemons, adviser
Bulldog Print, Yavneh Academy of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Brittney Herson, editor
Sandy Hall Chiles, adviser
Stampede, Burges HS, El Paso, Texas
Jared Burgess, editor
Patricia Monroe, adviser
tjToday, Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & Technology, Alexandria, Va.
Teresa Ventura, editor
Jennifer Seavey, adviser
17 or more pages
El Estoque, Monta Vista HS, Cupertino, Calif.
Alice Lee, editor
Michelle Balmeo, adviser
Redwood Bark, Redwood HS, Larkspur, Calif.
James Faccinto, Sophia Hussain, Sydney Boyar, Max Turner, editors
Tom Sivertsen, adviser
The Chronicle, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood, Calif.
Lucy Jackson, Andrew Lee, editors
Kathleen Neumeyer, adviser
The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East HS, Prairie Village, Kan.
Stephen Nichols, editor
C. Dow Tate, adviser
Silver Chips, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, Md.
David Fegley, Elena Gooray, editors
Anne Cullen, adviser
The Spoke, Conestoga HS, Berwyn, Pa.
Henry Rome, editor
Susan Houseman/Cynthia Hyatt, advisers
Tribal Tribune, Wando HS, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Francie Anderson, editor
Tamela K Watkins, adviser
The ReMarker, St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, Texas
Ryan Constantine, editor
Ray Westbrook, adviser
The Blazer, Timberline HS, Lacey, Wash.
Nathan Morr, editor
Dan Hardebeck, adviser
Jr. High/Middle School
The Scroll, American School in London, London, England
Matt Bentley, editor
Colin Bridgewater, adviser
Newsmagazine
Communicator, Community HS, Ann Arbor, Mich.
A. Halpert, D. Cinti, P. Princen, B. Moreland, S. Schultz-Purves, L. Austin, editors
Tracy Rosewarne, adviser
Spark, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio
Katherine Cooney, Trisha Patel, editors
Dean Hume, adviser
Featherduster, Westlake HS, Austin, Texas
Sarah Adler, editor
Deanne Brown, adviser
Judge’s comments on NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker entries:
- Just because your layout program has 100 fonts, you don’t have to use them all. The best papers stuck to one font on most of their stories and saved the others for special effects.
- Very few papers covered students who are not planning to go to college. Just because the newspaper staff is college bound, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t speak for the students who don’t have college plans.
- Pro and Con columns covered topics like the drinking age, candidates, and other controversial topics of interest to high school students.
- The best photos had a definite focal point and used the rule of thirds.
- Photos should show action or pose portrait subjects in their native environment. Don’t be afraid to get close and go for a high or low vantage point.
- Flashy layouts work to get the reader’s attention, but tight writing with good quotes are what really makes a great publication. Leads should be short and punchy. Keep opinion on the opinion pages.
2009 NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker Finalists
16 or fewer pages
Round Up, Brophy College Preparatory School, Phoenix, Ariz.
Santiago Azpurua-Borras, Matt Stanley, editors
Mica Mulloy, adviser
Accolade, Sunny Hills HS, Fullerton, Calif.
Patricia Lee, editor
Tommy Li, Charlene Dagampat, advisers
The Free Press, Gilroy HS, Gilroy, Calif.
Jake Gonzales, editor
Veronica Andrade, adviser
Explorer, Moreau Catholic HS, Hayward, Calif.
Allison Murray, editor
Yoni Fine, adviser
The Bulletin, El Toro HS, Lake Forest, Calif.
Tamara Philips, Jenna Murrell, editors
Debra Schaefer, adviser
High Tide, Redondo Union HS, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Cassidy Strawn, editor
Mitch Ziegler, adviser
Pen, Palos Verdes Peninsula HS, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Candice Aman, Jack Blackwood, editors
Jennifer Meyer, adviser
The Octagon, Sacramento Country Day School, Sacramento, Calif.
Miles Bennett-Smith, Michael Lewis, Analise Rivero, editors
Patricia Fels, adviser
The Nexus, Westview HS, San Diego, Calif.
Michelle Marshall, Jolene Xie, editors
Jeff Wenger, adviser
Urban Legend, The Urban School of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Justine Palefsky, Alex Roncal, editors
Beatrice Motamedi, adviser
The Epic, Lynbrook HS, San Jose, Calif.
Anna Sheng, Yoona Lee, Eric Liao, editors
Nicole Gordon, adviser
The Stagg Line, Amos Alonzo Stagg HS, Stockton, Calif.
Maly Boonsalat, Erin Lund, editors
Don Bott, adviser
Arapahoe Herald, Arapahoe HS, Centennial, Colo.
Brigid Igoe, Kelsey Schiler, editors
Greg Anderson, adviser
The Surveyor, George Washington HS, Denver, Colo.
Madeline Wolberg, Connor Williams, William Witmer, editors
C.L. Harmer, adviser
Rocky Mountain Highlighter, Rocky Mountain HS, Fort Collins, Colo.
Samantha Hyland, Jill Petrie, editors
Stephen Wahlfeldt, adviser
Oracle, Olympia HS, Orlando, Fla.
Sabrina White, editor
Jeff Moffitt, adviser
The Red & Black, Hillsborough HS, Tampa, Fla.
Marley Jackman, editor
Joe Humphrey, adviser
The Spartana, Homestead HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Margaret Distler, editor
Rod Kuhn, adviser
Owl, Warren Central HS, Indianapolis, Ind.
Adria Stever, editor
Mark Haab, adviser
Guidon, Hays HS, Hays, Kan.
Thayne Griffin, editor
Bill Gasper, adviser
The Squall, Dexter HS, Dexter, Mich.
Scott Crompton, editor
Rod Satterthwaite, adviser
North Pointe, Grosse Pointe North HS, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Christine Bedway, editor
Andrew Taylor, adviser
The Source, Stoney Creek HS, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Sarah Bowman, editor
Gayle Martin, adviser
The Kirkwood Call, Kirkwood HS, Kirkwood, Mo.
David Danaher, editor
Mitch Eden, adviser
The Network, Marian HS, Omaha, Neb.
Bridget McQuillan, editor
Marsha Kalkowski, adviser
The Eye, Singapore American School, Singapore, Singapore
Jon Cheng, editor
Mark Clemens, adviser
The Connection, John B. Connally HS, Austin, Texas
Courtney Bertke, Shannon Dolan, editors
Kelly Lemons, adviser
Bulldog Print, Yavneh Academy of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Brittney Herson, editor
Sandy Hall Chiles, adviser
Stampede, Burges HS, El Paso, Texas
Jared Burgess, editor
Patricia Monroe, adviser
tjToday, Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & Technology, Alexandria, Va.
Teresa Ventura, editor
Jennifer Seavey, adviser
17 or more pages
El Estoque, Monta Vista HS, Cupertino, Calif.
Alice Lee, editor
Michelle Balmeo, adviser
Redwood Bark, Redwood HS, Larkspur, Calif.
James Faccinto, Sophia Hussain, Sydney Boyar, Max Turner, editors
Tom Sivertsen, adviser
The Chronicle, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood, Calif.
Lucy Jackson, Andrew Lee, editors
Kathleen Neumeyer, adviser
The Prowl, Coral Glades HS, Coral Springs, Fla.
Sarah Darville, editor
Jonathan Gordon, adviser
The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East HS, Prairie Village, Kan.
Stephen Nichols, editor
C. Dow Tate, adviser
Tiger Print, Blue Valley HS, Stilwell, Kan.
Mitchell Smith, editor
Jill Chittum, adviser
Silver Chips, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, Md.
David Fegley, Elena Gooray, editors
Anne Cullen, adviser
The Lion’s Roar, Newton South HS, Newton Centre, Mass.
Tom Haskin, Julia Wolfe, editors
Brian Baron/Ashley Elpern, advisers
Stampede, C.M. Russell HS, Great Falls, Mont.
Halley Morrison, editor
Beth Britton, adviser
Lance, Omaha Westside HS, Omaha, Neb.
Sam Taylor, editor
Rod Howe, adviser
The Excalibur, McQueen HS, Reno, Nev.
Matthew Tradewell, Suzanne Duan, editors
Candy Carter, adviser
The Highland Fling, Northern Highlands Regional HS, Allendale, N.J.
Jake Fitzgerald, Tess Pederson, editors
John Wodnick/Lauren Goldberg, advisers
The Spoke, Conestoga HS, Berwyn, Pa.
Henry Rome, editor
Susan Houseman/Cynthia Hyatt, advisers
Tribal Tribune, Wando HS, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Francie Anderson, editor
Tamela K Watkins, adviser
The ReMarker, St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, Texas
Ryan Constantine, editor
Ray Westbrook, adviser
The Royal News, Prince George HS, Prince George, Va.
Chelsea Nave, editor
Chris Waugaman, adviser
The Blazer, Timberline HS, Lacey, Wash.
Nathan Morr, editor
Dan Hardebeck, adviser
Jr. High/Middle School
The Raid, Randolph MS, Huntsville, Ala.
Emily Knowling, editor
Cindy Payne, adviser
The Scroll, American School in London, London, England
Matt Bentley, editor
Colin Bridgewater, adviser
Newsmagazine
Verde, Palo Alto HS, Palo Alto, Calif.
Emily Hamilton, Sara Connolly, editors
Paul Kandell, adviser
Odyssey, Clarke Central HS, Athens, Ga.
Bryan Barks, editor
David Ragsdale, adviser
Paladin, Kapaun Mount Carmel HS, Wichita, Kan.
Max Martin, Rachel King, editors
Ashley Perkins, adviser
Communicator, Community HS, Ann Arbor, Mich.
A. Halpert, D. Cinti, P. Princen, B. Moreland, S. Schultz-Purves, L. Austin, editors
Tracy Rosewarne, adviser
North Star, Francis Howell North HS, St. Charles, Mo.
Jordyn Klackner, editor
Aaron Manfull, adviser
Spark, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio
Katherine Cooney, Trisha Patel, editors
Dean Hume, adviser
Featherduster, Westlake HS, Austin, Texas
Sarah Adler, editor
Deanne Brown, adviser