NSPA announces winners
of fall 2023 Clips & Clicks contest

Feb. 2, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS — Congratulations to the winners of the Clips & Clicks contest for the fall 2023 semester — and to the NSPA-member student media outlets competing for this year’s Sweepstakes.

The competition, open to all NSPA members, honors current work among student journalists, and the fall-semester winners feature work produced from May 4, 2023, to Dec. 13, 2023.

There were 889 submissions in the fall competition, marking an increase of 239 submissions over fall 2022. Judges were collegiate professors, student media advisers and professional journalists.

“The judges consistently said they were very impressed with the quality of the entries submitted,” associate director Gary Lundgren said. 

In all, 127 entries, approximately 14 percent of those entered, were recognized. The number of winners in each category was determined by the judges based on the quantity and quality of the entries. When calculating Sweepstakes, the following points are assigned —

First Place: 10
Second Place: 9
Third Place: 8
Fourth Place: 7
Fifth Place: 6
Honorable Mention: 5

The 2023 spring-semester contest encompasses work published/broadcast from Dec. 14, 2023, to May 8, 2024, in an NSPA-member broadcast, publication or website. The BetterBNC submission site opens in February with a contest deadline of May 8, 2024.

Fall 2023 leaders

Here are the top winners from the fall competition. Sweepstakes rankings are by NSPA-member student media outlets, not by school.

When spring results are added in June, we’ll announce the winner of the Clips & Clicks Sweepstakes trophy.

First
Bonding Or Breaking
Parker Reynolds
Eagle Nation News
Prosper High School
Prosper, Texas

First
From maintenance man to musician
Staff
CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida

Second
Temple Beth Am: Community in Comfort
Bibi Eichenberg, Desmond Howard, Carmen Kavalekas, Daniel Lipof
RaiderVision
Gulliver Preparatory School
Pinecrest, Florida

Third
Ryder Barr Profile
Madi Koepp, Christina Krasnova
Eagle Nation News
Prosper High School
Prosper, Texas

Fourth
German Class Surprises Senior Student
Jack Favazza
The Messenger
Marquette High School
Chesterfield, Missouri

Fifth
Jocy Nerey Profile
Emily Bobadilla
OLLA TV
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
Miami, Florida

Honorable mentions

Student profile: Victoria Tsou lands passion for taiko
Alexandra Chan
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

Strother Field: Rocking Palo Alto
Vincent Wong
InFocus
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California

Sara Gonzalez
Gabriela del Cerro, Natalia Rodriguez
OLLA TV
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
Miami, Florida

Les Couleurs: Giving Back in Spirit
Bibi Eichenberg, Carmen Kavalekas, Matilda Ohana, Sarina Smith
RaiderVision
Gulliver Preparatory School
Pinecrest, Florida

Shoot For the Stars
Madi Barns, Libby Hearst, Ava Klemme, Lauren Pancic
KLHS
Liberty High School
Liberty, Missouri

First
Dual Threat: Coach & Barber
Nirav Budhrani, Dylan Fischer, Chris Sanchez
RaiderVision
Gulliver Preparatory School
Pinecrest, Florida

First
Artificial Intelligence On Campus
Staff
CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida

First
Can Texas beat the heat?
Mira Patel
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

First
Ballet Folklorico: Un club historico y educacional
Alice Scott
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

First
Reaching Towards Each Other
Serena O’Brien
The Communicator Magazine
Community High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

First
Zip Odes
Mia Carrasco
Reflections
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida

Second
Living through Lulu’s
Vincent Hsiao, Madeline Awad, Mason Eastman
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Third
Making the melody
Janie Ripps
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

Fourth
The Digital Demand
Emily Liu
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Fifth
The Connection With Culture
Isabella Jacob, Janaki Nallamothu
The Communicator Magazine
Community High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

First
Cold Case
Anna Cruz, Sophia Fernandes Kingston
Raider
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida

Second
Know your voice
Brian Bech, Ivan Guerra
Adelante
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida

Third
Going for the Win
Francisca Binello
Raider
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida

Fourth
Back and Better
Paige Eskra, Ariella Zecchini
Raider
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida

Fifth
High Spirit
Andrea Malpica Alcala
Raider
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida

Honorable mentions

Check Mate
Anna Cruz
Raider, Gulliver Preparatory School, Miami, Florida

AI IRL
Loren Blumenfeld, Monica Kamel
The Oviedian, Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida

Enjoy the Ride
Kathryn Hagen, Paige Zweber
Whigrean, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota

Around the World in 86 Days
Kathryn Hagen
Whigrean, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota

Bring the Heat
Abigail Dwiggins, Reese Smith
The Spectator, Liberty High School, Liberty, Missouri

First
By the Slice
Emily Liu
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Second
Student Readers
Mazzy Warren
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas

Third
Mental Health Statistics
Jadyn Fleckal
The Bell
Liberty High School
Liberty, Missouri

Fourth
Update: Review the Results with Post-Election Day Information
Aditya Khanolkar
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Fifth
Drilling Down
Renee Crotty
Veteran
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas

First
Senior Sunrise
Olivia Kortman
The Trinity Voice
Trinity Preparatory School
Winter Park, Florida

Second
Blinded by the Light
Aiden Velez
The Marquee
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
West Palm Beach, Florida

Third
Graduation joy
Aza Khan
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

Fourth
Demanding Action
Caroline Martucci
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Fifth
Dance
Vicki Krupica
OHS Now
Oviedo High School
Oviedo, Florida

Honorable mentions

Passionate speaker
Aza Khan
Odyssey, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia

Blood Drive
Grace Carlson
Whigrean, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota

First
Leaping for Lancer Day
Riley Scott
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Second
Glowing Gameday
Samantha Atkins
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Third
Skol ‘Cers
Abi Limbird
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Fourth
Bubbles
Alyssa Bish
Highlander
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

Fifth
Music to my Ears
Nikhil Krishnaswamy
The Prospector
Cupertino High School
Cupertino, California

Honorable mentions

USS Leprechaun
Samantha Atkins
Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas

Ho Ho Ho
Samantha Atkins
Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas

Cheer or Go To Jail
Molly Miller
The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas

Uplifting Spirits
Mason Sajna
The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas

Steady hands
Elizabeth Yowell
The Dispatch, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas

First
Out of water
Vincent Hsiao
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Second
Jump for Joy
Quinn Barton
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Third
State Champs
Aly Klug
North Nation Media
Liberty North High School
Liberty, Missouri

Fourth
Weather the storm
Grace Carlson
Whigrean
Edina High School
Edina, Minnesota

Fifth
Feeling Blessed
Daniya Yousuf
Raccoon Rambler
Frisco High School
Frisco, Texas

Honorable mentions

Jump Ball
Olivia Amoedo
Eye of the Phoenix, Doral Academy Preparatory, Doral, Florida

Beat Rock
Maggie Wells
Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas

Leading the pack
Karter Gress
Whigrean, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota

All Smiles
Vincent Hsiao
Panorama, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri

Tug of War Showdown
Xavier Rolston
Tower, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York

First
Joining the Fight: From trainees to reservists, Shalhevet alumni suddenly called to war against Hamas
Sophie Katz, Tali Liebenthal
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

Second
Student Readers: Shoved Off the Shelves
Mazzy Warren
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas

Third
From Israel to Pico, Hamas terror flipped the switch on happiest holiday of the year
Arieh Elad
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

Fourth
Community Unites Against Hate: A Call for Education, Empathy, and Advocacy
Amelia Bowman
The Gator
Brimmer and May School
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Fifth
Mac community takes a stand against hate group agitators
Francie Wilhelm
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

Honorable mentions

A day hike in East Maui saves Shalhevet parents from fatal blaze
Sophie Katz
The Boiling Point, Shalhevet High School, Los Angeles, California

Sophomore alleges non-consensual recording, distribution of sex video by football player
Radian Hong
The Flash, Rocklin High School, Rocklin, California

Tornado Touches Down in Highlands Ranch: Damage Done and How the Community is Recovering
Claire Bauer
The Rock, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Israel-Hamas War: School Calls for Compassion
Amalia Bowman
The Gator, Brimmer and May School, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Alum’s open letter entreats SJS community to protect trans children
Elizabeth Hu, Lucy Walker
The Review, St. John’s School, Houston, Texas

First
Henson’s helping hand
Jesse Dantzler, Maya Shrivastav
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

Second
Student entrepreneur builds her brand, while benefiting pediatric cancer patients
Aien Du, Aila Jiang
The Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas

Third
Drumming up a storm: After 41 years, Drum Corps is still the heartbeat of school spirit
Katharine Yao
The Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas

Fourth
Be-Leafing
Lourdes Hernandez Peraza
Veteran
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas

Fifth
Building Master PCs
Connor Vogel
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Honorable mentions

From stage to school
Ella Braig
Panorama, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri

Horton and Pichardo bring their beats down South
Matthias Jaylen
Tower, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York

597 days later, Austin Ukrainians keep fighting
Lanie Sepehri
The Shield, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas

A Summer of Passion and Excellence
Alyssa Fox
The Wolfpack, Cedar Park High School, Cedar Park, Texas

A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night
Lucy Walker
The Review, St. John’s School, Houston, Texas

First
What makes athletes great
Alyssa Bish, Franklin Kuo, Isabella Rice
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

Second
Leaving a legacy
Adah Hamman
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

Third
Fueling Up
Aubrey Lacavich, David Moss
The Messenger
Marquette High School
Chesterfield, Missouri

Fourth
Pray to Play
Katherine Dale
Veteran
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas

Fifth
Mac athletes adjust to practice, game guidelines amid Texas heatwave
Maya Tackett
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

Honorable mentions

Climbing Her Way to the Top
Elly Brooks
The Rock, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Get Your Name in the Game
David Hull
The Trinity Voice, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida

Rowing Against the Current
Mahir Soofi
The Communicator Magazine, Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Double trouble featuring Cedric Walls
Sam Vane
The Dispatch, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas

Triple Threat: West Just Wants to Win
Bella Dodig, William Liang, Katherine Yao
The Review, St. John’s School, Houston, Texas

First
Editorial: Make or Break Vote Takes Place This Tuesday
Claire Bauer, Elly Brooks, Sanaa Sow
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Second
Editorial: A Call for Core Values
Staff
The Gator
Brimmer and May School
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Third
What the Israel-Hamas war means for journalism
Celeste Eckstein
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Edina, Minnesota

Fourth
Automated Discrimination
Greyson Imm
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Fifth
Our planet needs a plan
Alice Scott
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

First
More Than Just a Comment
Luciana Mendy
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Second
Column: Sleepless nights and random tears
Temma Kirshbaum
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

Third
Anti-LGBTQ attacks in Texas need to stop
Asher Hagan
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas

Fourth
Vote. Somebody’s next meal depends on it.
Dalia Sandberg
The Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas

Fifth
A Modern Twist
Marley Page
Veteran
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas

Honorable mentions

Judge Janie
Janie Ripps
Odyssey, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia

Editorial: Time for Healing After Racist Incident
Staff
The Gator, Brimmer and May School, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Silent pandemic
Serena Liu
Pathfinder, Parkway West High School, Ballwin, Missouri

Commemorating Our Cultures
Aisha Rashid
Veteran, Vandegrift High School, Austin, Texas