Washington storms California, returns with plenty of hardware

It was a successful weekend for the Washington schools at the annual NSPA/JEA spring national convention in Anaheim, Calif., over the weekend, as seven different publications placed in Best of Show competitions and 94 students came back with individual awards.

The Best of Show competition was highlighted by the first place finish by The Peninsula Outlook in the newspaper of eight pages or less category, led by editor Taylor Buck, the 2008 WJEA Future Journalist of the Year, and adviser Derek Smith.

The other Best of Show placers:

• The Sound, Gig Harbor HS - Seventh Place, Newspapers 1-8 pages
  Arianna Thornton and Catherine Van Zimmerman, editor
  Ehren Gossler, adviser
• The Hawkeye, Mountlake Terrace HS - 10th Place, Newspapers 13-16 pages
  Ji Mun, editor
  Vince DeMiero, adviser
• Viking Vanguard, Puyallup HS - Fourth Place, Newspapers 17+ pages
  Matt Anderson, editor
  Sandra Coyer, adviser
• The Apple Leaf, Wenatchee HS - Fifth Place, Newspapers 17+ pages
  Claire Mueleman, editor
  Jeff Nusser, adviser
• The Academy Times, Charles Wright Academy - Seventh Place, Newsmagazines
  Emily Rome, editor
  Steve Matson, adviser
• WaWa, Wenatchee HS - Eighth Place, Yearbooks 275-324 pages
  Madeleine Warner, editor
  Jeff Nusser, adviser

As for individual awards, the following students earned superior ratings in their contests. Just 6 percent of all entries earned that designation:

• Dallas Welker, Emerald Ridge HS - Newswriting
• Megan Albert, Emerald Ridge HS - Sportswriting
  
• Alex Gratzer, Kentwood HS - Review Writing
• Maria DeMiero, Mountlake Terrace HS - Newsmagazine Layout
• Ji Mun, Mountlake Terrace HS - Advertising
• Kellen Ray, Wenatchee HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports
• Elise Utterback, Franklin Pierce HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports
• Laura Livingston, Charles Wright Academy - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics
• Katie Wheeler, Deer Park HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics
• Elsy Pawelak, Gov. John R. Rogers HS - Yearbook Layout: Theme
• Sara Chemodurow, Gov. John R. Rogers HS - Computer Design: Infographics
• Mike Ake, Puyallup HS - Computer Design: Photoshop Art
• Travis King, Peninsula HS - Newspaper Sports Photography
• Cody Gibbons, Wenatchee HS - Two Weeks' Work
• Rebecca Perry, Emerald Ridge HS - Video Commercial/PSA

The full results of the Best of Show can be found here, while the full results of the write-offs can be found here. Congratulations to all the winners!

Reminder: Deadlines loom

Don't forget, there are some deadlines coming up for journalism-related recognitions.

First, the deadline to apply for WJEA scholarships is Friday. Most of the awards require some amount of preparation, so if a student is planning on applying for one, they need to get on it.

Second, the deadline for NSPA Honor Roll applications is Friday as well. Any student who has been on the staff of an NSPA member publication for at least a year and has a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or greater is eligible. Seniors who apply and submit some additional information are eligible for $1,000 scholarships.

Do you have a great administrator in your school or district?

In all the talk of censorship that often can permeate the discussion of advisers, WJEA knows that there are, in fact, many administrators in our state who actively support students' First Amendment rights through publications.

We want to make sure they get recognized for the great work they do.

Got one at your school or in your district? Nominate them for the WJEA administrator of the year award. You can download the award application here, or you can click on the image to the right and print it out. Any administrator at the school or district level is eligible for the award, and nominations can come from either advisers or students.

Applications should be mailed by May 15, so you've got two weeks to get your act together!

By the way, last year's well-deserved winner was Brian Lowney of Emerald Ridge High School -- my principal. If you have any questions, contact me here.

Washington fares well at national conference once again

The NSPA/JEA spring (I hear that term was used loosely) national conference in Denver, Colo., wrapped up this past weekend, and, as usual, a number of Washington schools brought back plenty of hardware.

Here's a list of all of the honorees, according to the NSPA and JEA Web sites. (If I've forgotten anyone, please let me know ...)

NSPA Yearbook Pacemaker finalists:
Tenas Coma, Mt. Si HS
WaWa, Wenatchee HS

NSPA Best of Show winners:

• Wright in the Middle, Charles Wright Academy
  3rd Place, Middle School Newspaper
• The Phoenix, Peninsula HS
  9th Place, Literary Arts Magazine
• The Commoner, Gov. John R. Rogers HS
  8th Place, Newsmagazine
• The Sound, Gig Harbor HS
  1st Place, Special Edition
• The Apple Leaf, Wenatchee HS
  5th Place, Newspaper (17+ pages)
• The Peninsula Outlook, Peninsula HS
  7th Place, Newspaper (17+ pages)
• WaWa, Wenatchee HS
  4th Place, Yearbook (275-324 pages)
• The Sound, Gig Harbor HS
  2nd Place, Newspaper (13-16 pages)
• The Viking Vanguard, Puyallup HS
  5th Place, Newspaper (13-16 pages)
• Tenas Coma, Mt. Si HS
  3rd Place, Yearbook (225-274 pages)
• Cat Tales, Mt. Si HS
  8th Place, Newspaper (1-8 pages)
• InView, Auburn Mountainview HS
  10th Place, Newspaper (1-8 pages)

All told, 61 students came home with awards in the JEA Write-off competitions (remember, no more than 10 percent of entrants in a contest receive a superior rating):

• News Writing -- Excellent: Andrew Talevich (Mount Si High School), Jordan Dieckmann (Richland High School); Honorable Mention: Sharon McClintock (Mountlake Terrace High School), Natalie Bryant (Wenatchee High School)
• Editorial Writing -- Excellent: Sara Chemodurow (Gov J R Rogers High School), Katy Verwest (Kamiakin High School), Ashley Thompson (Puyallup High School), Matt Little (Richland High School); Honorable Mention: Alex Fisher (Timberline High School)
• Feature Writing -- Superior: Katie Potasky (Gov J R Rogers High School); Excellent: Mackenzie Helgerson (Auburn Mountainview High School), Jenny Draper (Kamiakin High School), Katie Webster (Richland High School)
• Sports Writing -- Honorable Mention: Chris Stocke (Gov J R Rogers High School), Jordan Gisler (Mountlake Terrace High School), Brittany Ward (Puyallup High School), Kara Mcmurray (Richland High School)
• Review Writing -- Excellent: Janelle Jordan (Oak Harbor High School), Ingrid Jans (Wenatchee High School); Honorable Mention: Mary Rose Breskovich (Peninsula High School), Kasey Eickmeyer (Richland High School)
• Editorial Cartooning -- Excellent: Megan Harris (Auburn Mountainview High School)
• Commentary Writing -- Superior: Taylor Buck (Peninsula High School); Honorable Mention: Quinn Hopkins (Mount Si High School)
• Copy Editing/Headline/Caption Writing -- Superior: Kristen Suver (Timberline High School); Excellent: Danny Serna (Puyallup High School), Tim Seguin (Wenatchee High School); Honorable Mention: Corina Cheever (Mountlake Terrace High School), Larissa Miller (Peninsula High School)
• Newspaper Layout -- Honorable Mention: Claire Meuleman (Wenatchee High School)
• Newsmagazine Layout -- Excellent: Kendra O'Halloran (Mountlake Terrace High School), Abby Williamson (Peninsula High School); Honorable Mention: Summer Yates (Emerald Ridge High School)
• Advertising -- Superior: Ji Mun (Mountlake Terrace High School), Nicole Pinto (Peninsula High School); Excellent: Danny Canham (Emerald Ridge High School); Honorable Mention: Stephany May (Puyallup High School)
• Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports -- Excellent: Caylene Castagno (Mount Si High School), Naomi Lindsey (Peninsula High School); Honorable Mention: Caity York (Emerald Ridge High School), Tommy Lammert (Wenatchee High School)
• Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics -- Superior: Bruno Shilot (Mount Si High School)
• Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs -- Honorable Mention: Avery Hutcherson (Mount Si High School), Allison Bangs (Wenatchee High School)
• Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life -- Excellent: Xandy Evans (Mount Si High School), Hannah Schultz (Wenatchee High School)
• Yearbook Layout: Theme -- Excellent: Kate Gruver (Emerald Ridge High School)
• Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages -- Superior: Daniel Langager (Wenatchee High School)
• Literary Magazine: Layout -- Honorable Mention: Hannah Leahy (Oak Harbor High School)
• Computer Design: Infographics -- Excellent: Sarah Hiraki (Peninsula High School)
• Computer Design: Advertising -- Superior: Patrick Renie (Peninsula High School); Excellent: Breanna Stanek (Oak Harbor High School)
• Newspaper Sports Photography -- Excellent: Elaine Olbertz (Peninsula High School)
• Yearbook Student Life Photography -- Superior: Brandon Knapp (Gig Harbor High School)
• Newspaper News/Feature Photography -- Honorable Mention: Mackenzie Knapp (Gig Harbor High School), Ian Ostericher (Peninsula High School)
• Photography Portfolio -- Superior: David Kasnic (Wenatchee High School)
• Video Feature Story -- Superior: James Luce (Peninsula High School), Travis King (Peninsula High School); Excellent: Caitlin Ulvin (Mountlake Terrace High School); Honorable Mention: Stephen Dold (Edmonds-Woodway High School)
• Video Commercial/PSA -- Honorable Mention: Kaytie Henson (Oak Harbor High School)
• Videography -- Excellent: Daniel Gilmore (Oak Harbor High School)
• Video Commentary -- Excellent: Nathan Yaffee (Edmonds-Woodway High School)

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Check out WJEA's annual awards

We'll just go ahead and file this under the "better late than never" category.

WJEA handed out a number of awards at its annual state conference on March 10 at Gov. John R. Rogers HS in Puyallup, and although they've already been listed on wjea.net, it bears repeating the recognition here.

• Leading the way was Future Journalist of the Year Nick Feldman from Wenatchee HS. The editor in chief of The Apple Leaf was awarded $750 and is Washington's entrant into the Journalism Education Association's national journalist of the year competition.
• Peninsula HS's Cassandra Kapp was the winner of the Lu Flannery Outstanding Journalist Award, which also carried a $750 award to be applied to the college or university of her choice.
• Dan Hardebeck, adviser of the Timberline HS newsmagazine The Blazer, was named Adviser of the Year. It is the second time Hardebeck has won the award.
• WJEA President Kathy Schrier won the Fern Valentine Freedom of Expression award for her unbelievable work on behalf of House Bill 1307. Schrier spent countless hours of her own time coordinating and disseminating information for advisers and students seeking to pass the bill. The honor comes with a $500 cash award.
• Advisers Laurie Bender of Kamiakin HS and Gay Buissink of Walla Walla HS each received $750 study grants to attend summer workshops.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and be looking for the Administrator of the Year award application that will be available this spring.