2019 SIPA’s Best Writing Contest
March 3, 2019
Broadcast
Academic Script
- First Place – Courtney Smith, “The Buzz TV,” Fort Mill HS
- Second Place – Grayson Smith, “The Buzz TV,” Fort Mill HS
- Third Place – Gabrielle Greenley, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
News Script
- First Place – Cassidy Burns, “The Buzz TV,” Fort Mill HS
- Second Place – Grayson Smith, Cassidy Burns and Courtney Smith, “The Buzz TV,” Fort Mill HS
- Third Place – Rashaun Tobias, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
PSA
- First Place – Caleb Daniels and Wade Fletcher, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
- Second Place – Jamie Collins and Rashaun Tobias,”RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
- Third Place – Yasmin Lee, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
Sports Script
- First Place – Caleb Daniels and Wade Fletcher, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
- Second Place – Kirslyn Gunter, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
- Third Place – Kevin Mueller, “RNE-TV,” Richland Northeast HS
Literary Magazine
Drama
- First Place – Darius Adamson, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
- Second Place – Chloe Grant, Catharsis, Coral Gables Senior HS
- Third Place – Angie Villalobos, Catharsis, Coral Gables Senior HS
Poetry
- First Place – Chloe Grant, Catharsis, Coral Gables Senior HS
- Second Place – Gracie Boyce, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
- Third Place – Raegan Craddock, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Prose Fiction and Narrative
- First Place – Claude Hejl, Voices, Nation Ford HS
- Second Place – Allyson Turino, Catharsis, Coral Gables Senior HS
- Third Place – Gracie Boyce, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
Prose Non-Fiction
- First Place – Preston Lyerly, Voices, Nation Ford HS
- Second Place – Ana Rodriguez, Catharsis, Coral Gables Senior HS
- Third Place – Tristin Holley, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Review
- First Place – Gracie Boyce, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS
- Second Place – Emily Nagel, Voices, Nation Ford HS
Newspaper
Editorial Column
- First Place – Katie Grace Upchurch, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Second Place – Gaby Paez, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS
- Third Place – Franklin Wei, Northwest Horizons, Northwest Guilford HS
Staff Editorial
- First Place – Nighthawk News Magazine staff, First Flight HS
- Second Place – Olivia Watts, The Shield, McCallum HS
- Third Place – The Dispatch staff, James Bowie HS
Entertainment/Feature Column
- First Place – Morgan Carpenter, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
- Second Place – Haley Havelock, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
- Third Place – Claudia Martinez, Crimson Crier, Sparkman HS
- Honorable Mention – Angela Seo, Northwest Horizons, Northwest Guilford HS
Feature Story
- First Place – Sophie Ryland, The Shield, McCallum HS
Judge’s comments: “It’s not a “sexy” topic, but this piece on Community College is so well-written and researched. The story is personal with excellent quotes and yet informative with expert sources and national stats to give the big picture. With rising costs of college, this story is a real service to readers. This journalist knows how to do the legwork, pack a story with valuable information, and also how to tell a story – not just write an article – which is tricky sometimes with a topical feature. Nice job on AP style as well. It’s this attention to detail and a feel for how to grab a reader and make them care about the topic that sets this story apart. Very professional.” - Second Place – Abby Ong, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS
Judge’s comments: Freedom of the press and free speech is, of course, a critical topic – especially today, and especially for all of us in scholastic journalism. This well-researched article could be used as a primer for teaching press law in classrooms. Well-written, this piece does an excellent job of informing readers in an in-depth and broad way on the topic. The journalist addresses both national issues and localizes the story, and the subheads are definitely needed. A lot of hard work went into researching this piece. Impressive. Suggestion: Because it begins almost like a textbook or with what is likely to be common knowledge, you might grab readers to begin with an overall lead – more of a delayed (feature) lead, perhaps even a quote – to hook readers with the promise of why this story affects the reader right away. Then go for the subheads. This topic has plenty of drama and conflict to grab readers (as opposed to the review of First Amendment law.) Hook, then back up and explain, then get to the conflict and drama of real lives being affected by prior review. - Third Place – Max Nevins, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS
Judge’s comments: The story is an eye-opener, and a source willing to go on the record speaks to the trust this reporter can engender in sources. This story is more than a profile, however, and it focuses on the issue and how the school both is and is not aware of the problem. At least three sources and the article also tells a dramatic story of the real challenges of a young person without painting her in a solely positive light – she’s real, bravery and blemishes, perseverance and pain. Homelessness as a topic can seem like a list of stats, but this story makes it real and personal. Well-written, though there is an opportunity here for a more dramatic delayed lead. Nice job – and a service to the community.
News Feature
- First Place – Madison Olsen, The Shield, McCallum HS
Judge’s comments: A wide variety of student perspectives and personal connections to the issue make this story stand out. - Second Place – Rosemary Delamater, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: The opening personal story and other anecdotes humanize the topic well. - Third Place – Cooper Lockett, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: This interview with the brother of a school shooting victim shows an emotional side to this national story.
News Story
- First Place – Sophie Ryland, The Shield, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Molly Archer, The Charger, Oxford HS
- Third Place – Katie Holme, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS
- Honorable Mention – Aidan Downey, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS
Personality Feature
- First Place – Haley Havelock, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
- Second Place – Maddy Rice, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS
- Third Place – Elena Gilbertson Hall, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
Review
- First Place – Anya Lomsadze, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS
- Second Place – Eva Chillura, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
- Third Place – Bonnie Zhang, The Eagle, East Mecklenburg HS
- Honorable Mention – Camryn Teder, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
Sports Column
- First Place – Julie Robertson, The Shield, McCallum HS
Judge’s comments: You do a nice job here of diving into a complicated issue with a great scene-setter style of lede that explains WHY what you are about to argue about is so important. Great job! - Second Place – Mackenzie Caudill, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Third Place – Steven Tibbets, The Shield, McCallum HS
Sports Feature
- First Place – Gabby Norman, Kingwood Park Times, Kingwood HS
- Second Place – Alexander Robinson, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Third Place – Will McFarlane, Nighthawk News, First Flight HS
Sports Story
- First Place – Rosemary Delamater, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS
Judge’s comments: Despite some little things in this story, you told an interesting story with a lot of different perspectives and had a really fun lede, and that put you over the top! - Second Place – Alexander Robinson, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Third Place – Andrea Matta-Castillo, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
Online
Alternative Storytelling
- First Place – Hannah Miller, hhsmedia, Harrisonburg HS
- Second Place – Charlie Holden, The Shield online, McCallum HS
- Third Place – Hannah Elliott, Panoptic online, Lee County HS
Blog
- First Place – Mackenzi NierDuffy, Tribal Tribune online, Wando HS
- Second Place – Nicole Prus, PHS News, HB Plant HS
- Third Place – Edwin Gately, Tribal Tribune online, Wando HS
Features
- First Place – Addie Robey, PHS News, H.B. Plant HS
- Second Place – Tyler Jones, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS
- Third Place – Sophie Ryland, The Shield online, McCallum HS
Investigative Story
- First Place – Sophie Ryland, The Shield online, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Tanya Raghu, Coppell Student Media, Coppell HS
- Third Place – Kelsey Tasch, The Shield online, McCallum HS
News
- First Place – Ana Aldridge, ODYSSEY Media Group, Clarke Central HS
- Second Place – Haley Medeiros, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS
- Third Place – Sydney Thompson, Northwest Horizons online, Northwest Guilford HS
Personality Feature
- First Place – Bella Russo, The Shield online, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Maddie Moats, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS
- Third Place – Liz Hipes, Tribal Tribune online, Wando HS
Reviews
- First Place – Audrey Enghauser, ODYSSEY Media Group, Clarke Central HS
- Second Place – Mackenzie Caudill, ODYSSEY Media Group, Clarke Central HS
- Third Place – Anthony Cesario, Coppell Student Media, Coppell HS
Sports
- First Place – Julie Robertson, The Shield online, McCallum HS
Judge’s comments: “This is a wonderfully detailed story with tons of quotes that let people tell the story about the coaching change.” - Second Place – DayOnna Carson, The Central Digest, Chattanooga Central HS
- Third Place – Maya Waid, Juju Butler and Lucia Gable, hhsmedia, Harrisonburg HS
Photo Cutlines
Feature Cutline
- First Place – Kelly Fulford, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Second Place – Avery Householder, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Third Place – Abby Hunsinger, Beacon, Calvary Day School
News Cutline
- First Place – Madison Olsen, The Knight, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Preston Rolls, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS
- Third Place – Krista Shumaker, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
Sports Cutline
- First Place – Kelly Fulford, ODYSSEY newsmagazine, Clarke Central HS
- Second Place – Shelby Foster, The Prowler News, Starr’s Mill HS
- Third Place – Austyn Keelty, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS
Yearbook
Academic Copy
- First Place – Haley Burke, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Second Place – Avery Householder, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Third Place – Editorial board, Trojan, Lee County HS
Ads/Community Copy
- First Place – Grace Brady and Olivia Watts, The Knight, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Gracie Boyce, The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
- Third Place – Kelsey Tasch, The Knight, McCallum HS
Groups Copy
- First Place – Georgia Boutot and Celeste Montes de Oca, The Knight, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Ella Irwin and Abby Robison, The Knight, McCallum HS
- Third Place – Emily Duncan, Trojan, Lee County HS
People Copy
- First Place – Taylor Bandy, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Second Place – May Nguyen, Legend, Wando HS
- Third Place – Addison Scarbrough, Beacon, Calvary Day School
Sports Copy
- First Place – Taylor Bandy, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Second Place – Nicole Crowley, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Third Place – Lindsey Ethridge, Trojan, Lee County HS
Student Life Copy
- First Place – Delaney Carter and Audrey Sayer, The Knight, McCallum HS
- Second Place – Haley Burke, Beacon, Calvary Day School
- Third Place – Ella Jane Larrimer and Karel Tinkler, The Knight, McCallum HS
Theme Copy
- First Place – Gracie Boyce and Laurel Davis, The Archive, Richland Northeast HS
- Second Place – Elena Henderson Kennedy Schuelke and Madison Olsen, The Knight, McCallum HS