2017 SCSPA Fall Conference Awards
October 2, 2017
2017 Bruce E. Konkle Rising Star
Amanda Hajji, Cat’s Paw yearbook, Lexington HS
Best in State Literary Magazine
Voices, Nation Ford HS
Best in State Yearbook
Reflections, Mauldin HS
Most Improved Literary Magazine
The Outlet, Wando HS
Most Improved Yearbook
Highlander, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Literary Magazine Evaluations
- Honor – Thoughts in Time, Boiling Springs HS
- Honor – The Final Draft, James Island Charter HS
- Superior – Revelations, Dutch Fork HS
- Superior – Visions, Northwestern HS
- Superior – Calliope, South Aiken HS
- Superior – Impulse, South Pointe HS
- Superior – First Circle, Spartanburg HS
- All-State – Voices, Nation Ford HS
- All-State – Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
- All-State – The Outlet, Wando HS
Yearbook Evaluations
Class 1
- Honor – Excalibur, Camden Military Academy
- Honor – Wolverine, East Clarendon MS-HS
- Honor – The Highlander, Heathwood Hall
- Superior – The Compass, Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach
- Superior – The Prowl, Stover MS
- All-State – Cougar Pride, Pleasant Hill MS
Palmetto Award – Class 1 – Cougar Pride, Pleasant Hill MS
Class 2
- Honor – The Traveler, Travelers Rest HS
- Honor – Wrenicycle, Wren HS
- Superior – Panorama, Chapman HS
- Superior – Gilbertine, Gilbert HS
- All-State – Swansean, Swansea HS
Palmetto Award – Class 2 – Swansean, Swansea HS
Class 3
- Honor – The Ford, Nation Ford HS
- Honor – The Equestrian, South Pointe HS
- Superior – Aurea Aquila, Eastside HS
- Superior – Borealis, Westwood HS
- All-State – The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
Palmetto Award – Class 3 – The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
Class 4
- Honor – The Chief, Socastee HS
- Superior – The Iliad, James Island Charter HS
- Superior – Kaleidoscope, Lugoff-Elgin HS
- All-State – Sakamow, Riverside HS
Palmetto Award – Class 4 – Sakamow, Riverside HS
Class 5
- Superior – Legacy, Dutch Fork HS
- Superior – Talismann, JL Mann HS
- Superior – Cat’s Paw, Lexington HS
- Superior – The Tributary, River Bluff HS
- Superior – Saga, Spartanburg HS
Palmetto Award – Class 5 – Legacy, Dutch Fork HS
Class 6
- Honor – Aeneid, Northwestern HS
- Superior – Souvenirs, James F. Byrnes HS
- Superior – The Green Wave, Summerville HS
- All-State – Reflections, Mauldin HS
- All-State – Legend, Wando HS
Palmetto Award – Class 6 – Reflections, Mauldin HS
2017 Fall Photography Contest

- 1st – Patrick Baird, Summerville HS

- 2nd – Kelsey Turner, Lexington HS

- 3rd – Rachel Sims, Lugoff-Elgin HS
Literary Magazine Individual Competition
Best Art
- 1st – Desmond Morrison, Visions, Northwestern HS
Judge’s comments: Rich colors and various textures within the painting. Upward lines of eyelashes show movement and subject’s determination to open the eyes that appear to be locked together.
- 2nd – Liesl Juell, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: Distinct lines that make the coat come to life suggesting a fur like quality. Hair is realistic. The contrasting red on her cheeks draws eye to it questioning what is happening. Expression of subject’s face is one that can be read many ways.
- 3rd – Jeanne-Marie Martin, The Outlet, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: Strong colors. Circular design of hair or headpiece stands out and moves eye upward. Nice contrast of the gold lines. Collage pieces of the face fit together nicely creating a realistic face.
Best Article (nonfiction)
- 1st – Madelyne Levassiur, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: Excellent use of research. Effective academic writing. Well organized. - 2nd – Ellen Kettlewell, Impulse, South Pointe HS
Judge’s comments: Excellent use of research and voice. Effective arguments and well organized. - 3rd – Makenna Christensen, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: Smooth transitions. Good student perspective. Addition of opinion on human body is mature.
Best Cover
- 1st – Justin McGuirl, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: Strong art piece that resembles a lion roaring with the red hair and lips. Art suggests the idea of inferno with the open mouth screaming. School information is clear on the cover.
- 2nd – Caroline Williamson, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: Excellent colors that blend together well. Cover suggests the idea of the theme of supernova. Typography of supernova fits theme. School information is clear.
- 3rd – Sara Hart and Layne Barron, The Outlet, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: Red spot color the theme stands out and catches the color of the red rose. Photo suggests subject is waiting for someone special to present the roses. It invites the reader into the rose garden. School information is clear.
Best Photograph
- 1st – Matthew Cao, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: Great focus and clarity. Composition is spot on. Photo tells a story without needing a face.
- 2nd – Jessica Kozodoy, Thoughts in Time, Boiling Springs HS
Judge’s comments: Wonderful play of light, dark and grays. Rule of thirds is slightly off but it works.
- 3rd – Katelyn Helms, Visions, Northwestern HS
Judge’s comments: Colors, depth of field and rule of thirds create a beautifully composed photo.
Best Poem
- 1st – Timiya Carter, Visions, Northwestern HS
Judge’s comments: This poem has strong concrete imagery, effective line breaks, and good alliteration that creates a strong rhythm. Great to read aloud too. - 2nd – Samantha McNeil, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: This poem uses strong diction “pewter clouds” “Creamsicle Sunrise.” It presents a concise story with a beginning, middle, and ending. The message is clear to the reader at the end. - 3rd – Asia Jones, Revelations, Dutch Fork HS
Judge’s comments: This poem uses a creative format, contains good juxtaposition of ideas, and the personas are strong.
Best Review
- 1st – Gracie Boyce, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: Places work in context with author’s other writings and compares/contrasts it to similar types of novels. Written in first person but doesn’t overuse “I.” Great flow in writing and analysis. - 2nd – Kate Leland, Visions, Northwestern HS
Judge’s comments: Analyzes every part of the show – good and bad. Compares to other contemporary musicals and identifies main characters/actors. Flow in writing needs some work but good job! - 3rd – Emily Fancett, Revelations, Dutch Fork HS
Judge’s comments: Great discussion of soundtrack and how it plays a role in the action/experience of the film, something often overlooked in film reviews. Work on transitions and flow and continue to be as astute as the soundtrack paragraph.
Best Short Story
- 1st – Sydny Long, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: This contains a very descriptive setting with defined characters. The dialogue and diction are strong. The plot is effective. - 2nd – Gracie Boyce, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: This has a mysterious setting. The first-person narrative is effective of the character’s thought process. The charm bracelet is a good symbol. - 3rd – Adelle Lacy, The Outlet, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: Has an honest voice with mature ideas. Strong message at the end. Doesn’t sugar coat topic of love.
Best Spread Design
- 1st – Gracie Boyce, Ellie Pobis and Caroline Williamson, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Judge’s comments: Clear full-sized photo for spread. Strong focal point of guitar center. Poem is easy to read. Effective spot color.
- 2nd – Oonagh Kelly and Isabelle Burgin, Impulse, South Pointe HS
Judge’s comments: Art creates good eye-line directly into essay. Colors complement each other and work well with font. Simple yet elegant.
- 3rd – Kat Stiles, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Judge’s comments: Soothing blue background. Art conveys science as in the title. Columns arranged well. Effective typography.
Yearbook Individual Competition
Best Candid Photo
- 1st – Nath Kapoor, Aurea Aquila, Eastside HS
- 2nd – Sara Beaver, Iliad, James Island Charter HS
- 3rd – Maddie Manke, Legend, Wando HS
Best Cover
- 1st – Allison Killinger and Kelly Lifchez, The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
- 2nd – Des Armstrong and Sophie Winnick, Legend, Wando HS
- 3rd – Alli Roberts, Reflections, Mauldin HS
Best Feature Copy
- 1st – May Nguyen, Legend, Wando HS
- 2nd – Alli Roberts, Reflections, Mauldin HS
- 3rd – Grace Ann Martin, Cat’s Paw, Lexington HS
Best Feature Photo
- 1st – Frank Jeffries, Legend, Wando HS
- 2nd – Ashlee Miller, Swansean, Swansea HS
- 3rd – Samantha Bucknam, Cougar Pride, Pleasant Hill MS
Best Sports Photo
- 1st – Nathan Warner, Legend, Wando HS
- 2nd – Izzy Jeffcoat, Cougar Pride, Pleasant Hill MS
- 3rd – Hallie Ridings, Panorama, Chapman HS
Best Spread Design
- 1st – Dawson Smith and Alli Roberts, Reflections, Mauldin HS
- 2nd – Allison Killinger, The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
- 3rd – Anna Perryman, Legend, Wando HS
Best Theme Development
- 1st – Reflections, Mauldin HS
- 2nd – Swansean, Swansea HS
- 3rd – Talismann, J.L. Mann HS