2017 SCSPA Fall Conference Awards

The artist's passionate heart is bellowed out in one harmonious note.

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

During an intense rivalry game, students came and packed the stands to watch the intense game. Jessica Blackburn, a player on the junior varsity volleyball team, joined the crowd and cheered on the team. “It was a great environment, I have never seen so many people excited to see a volleyball game, it was an amazing experience,” Jessica said.

2nd – Kelsey Turner, Lexington HS

With seconds left on the clock, we are about to beat Camden, our rival, for the first time since 2010. We have one more play left until we are the new champions of “The battle across the river”. This is the moment it all comes down to, the moment we’ve been waiting on for years now, this is the new us, this is Lugoff-Elgin.

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.