Receiving a total of 11 awards, Orange High School publications performed well in their first ever entrance into the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s media competition. The NCSMA critiques media from across the entire state, and recognizes excellence based on the expert judges' comments on the required criteria. Both the newspaper (Den Echoes) and the yearbook (Reflections) received the Honor Award, as well as several overall and individual awards. Winners were revealed on June 17, 2012 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
In addition to the Honor Award, the Den Echoes staff had two individual winners. Rising Sophomore Maddie Norwood was awarded First Place in Review Writing for her review of John Hart’s novel The Last Child. When notified of her win, Norwood said, “Wow, that is really cool!” Norwood will serve as an assistant editor on next year’s new online version of the newspaper. Secondly, recent graduate Brittany Neems received Honorable Mention for News Photography for her coverage of “The Mousetrap” theater production. Neems worked on both the newspaper and yearbook this year.
The Reflections yearbook staff was honored with eight awards, including the Honor Award, Second Place in Theme, and Third Place in Cover Design. Individual awards included:
- Second Place, Theme Copy: Viviane Feldman
- Third Place, Theme Spread Design: Erica Hicks
- Third Place, Sports Photography: London Satterfield
- Honorable Mention, Sports Photography: Emily Vaughan
- Honorable Mention: Sports Spread Design: Kaitie Burton
In her first year at the publications adviser at Orange, Brooke Smith encouraged her students to enter into the NCSMA competitions in order to receive professional critiques to improve each medium. “Hopefully, the critiques will help us to improve both the paper and the yearbook for the coming year,” says Smith. “We have high hopes for denechoes.com as we go online for the 2012-2013. The yearbook is also working on a special 50th Edition of Reflections. NCSMA’s advice will help tremendously.”
The 2011-2012 Den Echoes staff was led by Editor-in-Chief Timothy Sheridan who said the recognition was, “very good for us! Glad I was able to help contribute.”
Sheridan’s editorial staff included: Assistant Editor/ Incoming Editor for 2013 Sarah Vassello, Copy Editor Sidra McAdoo, Business Managers Kisherra Day and Katherine Kirkman, and Photo Editors Brianna Hales and Brittany Neems. The reporting staff included: Tyler Blalock, Parker Bradsher, Zack Dees, Daizha Garner, Samantha Herrera, Grace Huskins, Devin Johnson, Megan Joyner, Alexander Lipford, Matt McLaughlin, Issac Nance, Maddie Norwood, Jessica Paschall, Jordan Ray, Amanda Tavares, Hunter “Jack” Tunstall, and Hayley Ware.
The 2011-2012 Reflections staff was led by Co-Editors Erica Hicks and Travis Jones; Hicks commented that she was “so proud” of her staff when she heard of their accomplishments. That staff included: Kaitie Burton, Jessica Cook, Laney Copley, Sasha Downey, Viviane Feldman, Olivia Huff, Hallee Hocutt, Jamie Lea, Dayna Mack, Kristen Nida, Kirsten Owens, Tori Poole, London Satterfield, Kandace Taylor, Mariah Thacker, Emily Vaughan, Kayla Ward (incoming editor), and Kathryn Womack.
0 comments