WEST HARTFORD, Conn., U.S.A. – Young writers, photographers and artists from nine nations captured awards in the Youth Journalism International 2014 Excellence in Journalism contest.
“It’s inspiring to see so much promise from young journalists around the world,” said YJI’s Executive Director Jackie Majerus. “We’re excited to be able to recognize it with this contest.”
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Maureen Langley |
Indiana, is the 2014 Student Journalist of the Year.
school next fall, said she likes every aspect of journalism – the design, the
photography, the editing, writing and interviewing.
ask them questions,” Langley said.
Langley the best in a long line of top-notch students.
is never satisfied with simply getting material completed, and lives every day
under the philosophy of ‘Good enough is never good or enough,’“ said Gunterman.
“She’s not a student journalist. She is a journalist.”
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Teacher Michelle Harmon,
right, with Brazilian exchange
student Beatriz Lanfranchi
|
High School in Boise, Idaho, is the 2014 Journalism Educator of the Year.
next fall in Harmon’s program, said Harmon, who has taught journalism at the
school for a decade, advocates for students in journalism and in life.
I’ve ever met in my entire life,” said Wilson. “She knows what she’s doing.
It’s an honor to work under her.”
Frank Keegan “Take No Prisoners” Award for News, went to Emily Muñoz of
Pflugerville High School, Pflugerville, Texas, for an in-depth piece she wrote
about rampant cheating in her school.
the Jacinta Marie Bunnell Award for Commentary, went to Nawall Hassan, a
student at Jeddah International School in Saudi Arabia. A Boston native, Hassan
wrote about the grief she felt when terrorists bombed the Boston Marathon.
year, recognized student writing and reporting, art, photo and multi-media skills
in more than two dozen news, sports and opinion categories.
“As in past years, this year’s
judging was not easy,” said Wendy Riling, a Florida photographer who donates
her time each year to review entries. “The photos submitted were fresh and
insightful.”
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Emily Muñoz |
Journalism International, an educational non-profit organization with students
around the world, a diverse group of nearly two dozen judges from several
continents carefully evaluated the hundreds of entries that poured in from
around the globe.
South Africa, said she looked at the content, impact and style in each piece
and found it challenging because of the high quality of the work submitted.
review the work of so many talented students, said Lynn Abrahamson of Maryland,
another judge.
going to 74 teens from 12 U.S. states and the countries of Scotland, Vietnam,
Egypt, Pakistan, Japan, Kenya and Saudi Arabia.
been educating the next generation of news professionals and talented teens
since 1994. Formally incorporated in 2007, it is a 501(c)(3) educational
non-profit public charity. Its website can be found at www.youthjournalism.org.
English between Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 20132. Those
eligible must be 19 or under and not working professionally.
Jackie Majerus, Youth Journalism International’s executive director, at (860) 523-9632 in Connecticut or write to jmajerus@youthjournalism.org.
with judges’ comments in italics, is below and also posted online at www.youthjournalism.org.
photographer, graphic designer and webmaster. She found a way to make the
Boston Marathon bombings resonate with readers faraway in Indiana when she
tracked down former students from her school who were in Boston that day and
captured their stories. Her photos are stunning, her web design impressive. The
personal essays she wrote are thoughtful and probing. She is a terrific example
of a promising young journalist who represents the future of the profession. We
look forward to seeing what Maureen does next with her considerable talents.
Hillsboro, OR
Redwood City, California
Maryland
Michelle Harmon, Borah High School,
Boise, Idaho
students at Borah High School make her an excellent choice for Journalism
Educator of the Year. She shows compassion for and trust in her students while
holding them to high ethical and performance standards. Year after year, her journalism
students tackle tough subjects and produce a school paper of consistently high
quality. They also maintain a solid online presence. Her work with her students
would be enough to warrant this honor, but Ms. Harmon goes beyond the classroom
and is actively involved in the Journalism Education Association, ensuring that
she stays on the cutting edge of her profession. This and other outreach in the
journalism education world makes her a leader in the field and an incredible
source of support not only for her young journalists but for other teachers as
well.
Justin Raisner, The Highlander, Carlmont
High School, Belmont, CA
Recognition: Yannick Florest, Supervising School Aide, Beginning with Children
Charter School, Brooklyn NY
AWARD FOR NEWS
story about rampant cheating in her Texas high school pulled no punches. She
snagged interviews not only with teachers who had a range of views on academic
dishonesty, but with students, including one who admitted to cheating. She
didn’t stop at the high school door, but pursued university officials and
college students at two Texas universities. Going that extra distance served
her high school readers. Her story educated them about how differently cheating
is viewed and handled at the college level compared to what they see in their
high school. Emily’s story represents the kind of tough journalism espoused by Frank Keegan, for whom this award is named.
COMMENTARY
Nawall Hassan, “From Saudi Arabia, Boston Born American Muslim Grieves Marathon
Bombing Victims,” Jeddah International School, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, Boston Born American Muslim Grieves Marathon Bombing Victims,” Nawall Hassan writes movingly about the cherished memories she has of
growing up in her hometown of Boston and the grief she felt after the Boston
Marathon bombings. At the time of the bombings, Nawall was living in Saudi
Arabia, watching the story unfold from afar. Her poignant work wrestles with
her own struggle to come to grips with the attack, deftly balancing her role as
part of two distinct countries and cultures as she hopes and prays that the
terrorists are not fellow Muslims.
Pelham Memorial High School, Pelham, New York
Series, New York, Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY
subject and well as her ability to explain complicated diseases in a way anyone
could understand.
lives in Fort Lee, NJ for “Who Wore it Best? Not Trinity Students, Apparently”
dress code, including the gender politics angle.
of Kenya, Nairobi, “Kenyans bracing for election”
byline)
PLACE: Mary Majerus-Collins, Celeste Kurz, Erez
Bittan, Kiernan Majerus-Collins, Hall
High School and Conard High School, West Hartford, CT, for “Nobel Peace PrizeWinner Archbishop Desmond Tutu Believes in Young People“
PLACE: Teo Armus-Laski, Melissa Rodman, Horace
Mann School, Bronx, NY, “Alumni Urge School to Investigate Abuse Charges”
PLACE: Sophia Slater, The American School in Japan, “Tibet freedom struggleseries”
interviews with leading Tibetan luminaries shed light on their hope, courage
and creativity. She asked good questions and solicited insightful answers.
PLACE: Anisha Datta, Glencoe High School, Hillsboro, Oregon, “Controlling
Contraceptives”
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First Place in the Enterprise
team reporting category went to this data spread in The Phillipian. |
PLACE: The Phillipian staff, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., for News Data
Spread, “State of the Academy”
informative graphic spread the “State of the Academy” is! The Phillipian and
its staff have every reason to be proud of putting together a well-researched
portrait of their school, done with style and simplicity. A very professional
effort.
PLACE: Brittany Kriegstein, Will Duke, Olivia Fine and Cameron Hellerman, Friends
Academy, Locust Valley, NY, “Cheating at Friends Academy: An Expose”
MENTION: Kailash Sundaram and Ryan Brigden, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, “Adapting
to Diversity Within Diversity: CAMD Meets Needs of Changing Student
Demographics”
PLACE: Janine Ko, Phillips
Academy, Andover, Mass., for “Frank Stella Profile”
in a logical way. Overall, it was well written and interesting to read.
PLACE: Nandi Blanchard, International School of Kenya, Nairobi,
Kenya, “Nairobi Football Team’s Biggest Loss Was When Terrorists Killed An
Exceptional Girl.”
the student. Key details provided interest and texture.
MENTION: Daniel Rich, Roslyn High School, Roslyn Heights, NY, “Alumni
Spotlight: Darren Rovell”
and interesting description of Rovell’s career. Overall, the piece is well constructed
and organized.
Belmont, Calif., “Flushing out the gender separation”
an impressively written and well researched article that calls attention to an
often ignored problem in public schools. Her command of language and ability to
create an engaging and informative piece of journalism is commendable.
School, Silver Spring, Maryland, “Bus Drivers”
people who most students see every day but ultimately know very little about.
In addition to providing a great deal of insight, Leigh demonstrates a strong
command of language and truly engages the reader by bringing them into a world
that usually lies out of the public eye.
Academy, Hartford, CT “Light is the New Black”
insight into a unique cultural phenomenon, tactfully providing opposing
viewpoints and engaging the reader.
PLACE: Emily Munoz and Alyssa
Newman, Pflugerville High School, Pflugerville, TX, “Uprooted”
community and audience and addresses the important face of immigrants and
refugees in the USA. The interviews give good depth to the article and make for
a gripping read. The writing style is well-rounded and allows the subjects to convey
their story.
PLACE: Simran Arjani, David Heller, Anna Radakrishnan, Ana Song, Joanna Kim,
Serena Tharakan, Lexi Lerner, Ji-Sung Kim, Lucia Tu, Joshua Meier, Sarah
Joseph, Esther Lee, Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, New Jersey, “AcademyScientific Space Issue”
on a grand scale, this was executed beautifully, and difficult concepts were
relayed to the reader in an understandable and interesting fashion. Definitely
the way forward to making science features not only accessible but enjoyable to
younger audiences.
MENTION: YJI staff, “Wigwam Takes Shape At Bristol Preserve”
local history in journalism. Good writing in a crisp voice that still paints a
coherent picture to the reader’s mind.
publication)
maturity in handling the subject, as well as having a solid pulse on the
student body and its interests, makes this editorial stand out from the rest.
The writing is solid, the argument convincing. Its clear call to action and the
supporting argument the team made would be hard for its readers, students, parents
and school administrators to disregard.
PLACE: The
Lawrence, “A Necessary Measure,” The
Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
courageous stance calling for discipline of members of the student
body. The writing is clear and concise. The argument is well made and
supported. Nice job.
MENTION: Horace Mann Record, “Complexities of competitive reputation,” Horace
Mann School, Bronx, New York
newspaper team provides a calm voice over a subject that hit close to home. Its
last paragraph connects with the reader without being overly emotional.
PLACE: Michelle Chavez, “Concerns
About Under-Reported Rapes at UMD,” University of Maryland, College Park,
Maryland
finding a diverse group of students, health care and university officials to
discuss the issue of under-reported rape on campus.
PLACE: Chloe Chaobal, “Suicide Prevention at West High“, West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, Alaska
examination of a serious, important issue.
radio report, Arina shared the music and the story behind the local band
Gerygone & Twig, doing an excellent job of capturing the band’s sound and
personality.
Freshmen Faces,” Sage Hill School, Newport Coast, California
a Wigwam,” Connecticut
PLACE: Barae Hirsch “Sex, drugs and classical music in Town Square,” West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, Alaska
young people in the context of a ridiculous municipal proposal to drive
misbehaving teens from town square by blasting classical music. Great idea and
some hilarious snippets from teens. A fun report.
Hern, “Keyshawn
Johnson Talks About NFL with YJI”, Bristow Middle School, West Hartford,
Connecticut
different context, doing his job at ESPN. Justin’s knowledge of football came
through.
PLACE: Lily Grossbard, Phillips Academy,
Andover, Massachusetts, “Putting the ‘T’ in LGBTQ”
Lily
tackles a taboo subject within a taboo subject and does it elegantly.
Acknowledging her readership is left of center, she goes beyond preaching to the
choir for a deeper dive into gender identity than even many gay and lesbian
students and their allies might find comfortable. She also deftly marries
stats, a personal story and perspective from the author of the study she cites
to create something more effective than the typical teen polemic on a divisive
social issue.
PLACE: Kai Lawson-McDowall, International School
of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya “Coming Kenyan Election Triggers Memories of 2007Violence and Worries About What’s Next“
Kai gives
a strong run-down of the issue’s history and asks the reader to acknowledge
their position of privilege, from which the discussion is largely academic, and
consider the position of the less fortunate.
Brightest,” Horace Mann School, Bronx, New York
This
was well written, and thoroughly thought out. Good introduction and a good
concluding statement.
School, Silver Spring, Maryland, “Montgomery County’s Math Masquerade”
had a strong introduction, lots of supporting facts and a strong
conclusion. Well done.
School, Pflugerville, TX, “Your Confederate Pride is My Pain”
column was well constructed and heartfelt. It is clear the writer
was speaking to others and encouraged their attention and
response. Well done piece.
Roslyn Heights, NY, “9/11 – Today”
this column was a bit wordy, it covered a huge topic and multiple events. It
was well constructed and conveyed the author’s feelings and opinion. Well done.
he lives in Fort Lee, NJ, for “North Korea and American Exceptionalism”
column stated the position of the writer in a clear and concise manner. It had
a good introduction, good content and a strong conclusion.
byline)
PLACE: Sophia Slater, The American School in
Japan, Tokyo, Japan, “Helping
After the Great East Japan Earthquake: When Money May Not Be Enough,”
PLACE: Britta Fischer, American School of Kenya,
Nairobi, Kenya, “To
Nairobi Student, The Westgate Mall Attack In Kenya Is ‘The Scariest Thing In The
World’”
MENTION: Dina El Halawany, Riada Language School,
Alexandria, Egypt, “Egypt
Rises Again, For ‘Safety and Freedom’”
High School, Roslyn Heights, New York, “Rags
to Riches”
more refined graphic design programs, but MS Paint has a special place in this
judge’s heart. The pixelation and elementary look emits a
lightheartedness to a serious transition in the subject’s life. To change from
a teacher to a pope is quite the jump, but the combination of digital
photography, MS Paint and text creates for a straightfoward, yet humorous
portrayal of such an exciting situation.
an effort to render specific images to communicate the issue at hand. In this
case, the presentation of shortages of essentials creates a somber message that
can be clearly understood.
Strokes Album Rivals the Band’s Best”
He sounds authoritative and expresses sound critical judgment in his writing.
Cook and Kenyetta Whitfield, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring,
Maryland, “Ending 2013 with a whole new music scene”
Khalid, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan, “Pakistani
Girls Rock Out At Campus Concert”
THEATER, TELEVISION REVIEWS
for Women, Lahore, Pakistan, “Burka Avenger Is Perfect Superhero For Pakistan
And Great Role Model For Girls”
succinct appraisal of this fascinating children’s show is impressive for putting
the program in its cultural context. The review acknowledges the
potential controversy of putting a woman in a burka in some corners of the
world, but offers a cogent defense. I’d watch this show and I’m a
45-year-old male!
Massachusetts, “Lincoln Deserves A Dozen Academy Awards”
review of ‘Lincoln,’ a movie I wasn’t crazy about, shows how the reviewer has a
strong viewpoint and backs up his assertions. The review may veer a bit
too close to fawning, but it manages to be passionate and savvy.
Hanoi, Vietnam, “Magic Falls Short In Now You See Me”
“Under Review: ‘Now You See Me’”
sides of the same coin! Shows how two people could see the same movie and have
differing opinions. Nice!
PLACE: Arielle Schwartz, Roslyn
High School, Roslyn Heights, New York, “Cronut Craze”
with implications for the future (+1) for why it’s first place. Includes diverse
opinions.
Hillsboro, Oregon, “Game ON“
that grabs the reader. Yet the review does not have diverse viewpoints or offer
any indication of where the fad will go in the future.
Texas, “C’est Magnifique: The French Cultures Festival”
real singular moment that makes the piece stand out. It could have been
anywhere in the U.S.A., so why is it special that it was in Texas? What’s the
connection to France, if any? But it captures the moment and spirit of the
event well.
the best.
Learning Center, Bloomfield, Connecticut, “ESPN President Brings Vision,
Direction”
PLACE: Jean Cho, Seoul International
School, Seoul, South Korea, “New Attitudes Help Gamers Enjoy Athlete Status”
facts and quotes to make a narrative.
PLACE: Kim Brenneisen, Juan Diego Catholic High School, “Martinez
Aims for Target”
family while laying out the many facts and challenges involved.
MENTION: Tea Nelson, Borah High School, Boise, Idaho, “Senior Excels at
Thailand sport takraw”
Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland, “Our Mascot’s Going Down in a Blazeof Glory”
out loud funny… clever… witty… snarky… full of cynicism… uses all kinds
of cool, hip ways to make a point… even brings in a third person’s opinion and
similar situation to support his case. I was disappointed when the piece ended
– although it gave me a chance to look for a hippogriff!
Diego Catholic High School, Draper, Utah, “No Pay for Play”
offers an extremely strong opinion on a serious issue and presents similarly
strong opinions on smaller issues within to support her larger opinion.
High School, Roslyn Heights, New York, “Homosexuality in Sports”
researched and studious, showing actually more work and effort than opinion.
This well-conceived New York Times-type piece was more case study than op-ed.
But Spencer’s lofty approach was hurt by some lazy writing – repetitive phrases
and clichés – which could certainly be improved.
PLACE: Dina Halawany, Riada
Language School, Alexandria, Egypt, “Egyptians Filled With Hope As
Deadline Nears”
action and creativity with the flag motion.
Khalid, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan, “Pakistani
Women Study Heart Health”
simpleness of the people on stage.
lighting and composition. The photos would have been better if you had waited
for a subject to walk or run along the path. Even a dog would add to the
picture.
Xuan, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, “Boys Water Polo”
image has plenty of energy and excitement. With regards to positioning, get
closer. It will fill the frame better.
Rich, Roslyn High School, Roslyn Heights, New York, “Girls Varsity Tennis Gets
Historic Win”
job in demonstrating movement.
out different shutter speeds to minimize the blur when capturing movement.
PLACE: Alex
Arrouchdi, International School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, for “Summit
of Mt. Kenya”
magazine. Very well done.
Nielsen, Borah High School, Boise, Idaho, Music
Man
have like to have seen a photo prominently featuring Harold Hill and the
townspeople singing from a wider view, this still tells the story.
the Wigwam
great visual on the teamwork required to build a shelter.
Hall Academy, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Drops
of Ice
pretty image.
of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, Sunrise/Sunset
pretty image.
PLACE: Tom Vaughn, Terryville, Connecticut,
attending Waterbury Arts Magnet School, Windmills of Portugal
The photos are well-composed and tell a story about the
area. The article is filled with facts and is very informative about the
history of both the windmills and the area. It gave enough information for the
reader to want to learn more, but provided enough information that one feels
more knowledgeable after finishing the article. The photos are well-lit,
colorful and the windmill model photo has interesting scale, enough that it is
a surprise when one finds out it is only a model.
paints an interesting picture for the reader. The cultural differences that the
writer experienced were highlighted throughout the piece. Including more technical
information about the places visited would have made a stronger piece.
MENTION: Yelena Samofalova, Hall High School, West Hartford,
Connecticut, Boston Marathon Bombing
bombings and shows what is left after the event.
PLACE: Alan Burkholder, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, Mark Twain
drawing