Newsletter: Summer 2016 |

NESPA hosts 68th Annual Conference

Students and teachers from around the region attended 40 sessions at the New England Scholastic Press Association’s 68th Annual Conference at Boston University’s College of Communication Monday, May 2.

Jason Tuohey, the editor of BostonGlobe.com, gave the keynote speech: “Focus in a Time of Upheaval: How to Navigate the Rapidly Shifting Journalism Landscape”
Among other session topics were blogging, science reporting, jobs in journalism, investigative reporting and high school journalism, how to sell advertising, what it’s like to study journalism in college, yearbook trends, student press freedom and state laws, how to optimize news content for the Web, profile writing, step by step design, infographics, student privacy, finding interesting stories for a high school news show, and breaking into the TV news business.

Speakers included College of Communication faculty, journalism professionals from the New England region, and high school advisers and staff members.
In the afternoon, publications and productions received all New England Awards. Complete listings of these awards, Special Achievement Awards and Localizing Contest winners appear in this posting.

Also in this posting are the 68 suggestions the Board of Judges has offered on how staffs can improve their work.

Excellent journalism crucial, editor says

Despite huge changes in technology, excellent journalism is as crucial today as when newspapers started in this country, according to Jason Tuohey, editor of BostonGlobe.com.

“It’s such a tumultuous time in journalism,” Tuohey said. “There is so much technological change.”

During Tuohey’s keynote speech and in the question-and-answer session that followed, he addressed journalism’s history and current state and also made predictions about the future.

Looking back to the 1770s, Tuohey noted that some newspapers, such as The Hartford Courant, are still publishing.

Radio news began in the early 20th century, and it became especially important to listeners during World War II, Tuohey said.

Then came TV.

But the three were stable and coexisted, Tuohey said.

It used to be that as a journalist, you’d pick one medium and stay with it, Tuohey said, mentioning Woodward and Bernstein, Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.
Then came the Internet, with Google in 1998.

“As of 2013 there were 5 billion searches,” Tuohey said. “It’s everywhere.”

Facebook was founded in 2004 at Harvard in a dorm room, Tuohey noted.

Since then platforms including YouTube have drawn more than 1 billion, and users consume more than 1 million hours of video per day, Tuohey said.

When he asked how many had used the Internet that morning, most in the auditorium raised their hands.

“Ad revenue for newspapers is way down,” Tuohey said.

“But there are more opportunities for journalists now than ever.”

Using data driven explanatory journalism, Tuohey said, journalists produce some of the best stories using new media including investigative nonprofits, newsletters, data bases and niche websites like Elite Daily.

Tuohey has been editor of BostonGlobe.com since 2011. During that time he has overseen its editorial coverage on the Web and mobile and social media.

Since starting his career, he said, he has observed a large-scale shift in how media exist online.

This idea was central in Tuohey’s presentation as he described how networks have changed journalism, while noting the practices and new publications that have thrived in the changing landscape.

Tuohey called particular attention to sites including NowThis and AJ+, which operate solely on social media.

He added these outlets to a list of new media publications that included such names as Quartz App (which delivers news through text message), and theSkimm (which delivers news as an email to subscribers).

Tuohey also marked, in his speech, the growth of popular social media networks like Facebook and Twitter and how journalists have been able to use these platforms to tell stories.

“Twenty years ago, none of these businesses existed,” Tuohey said. “Now they are replacing print, radio and TV. The best stories are the ones that are told on all these platforms.”

He said that as journalism has changed, some outlets including The Boston Globe have struggled.

In contrast, he cited the success of “niche” publications like Refinery 29, and watchdog, non-profit, organizations like Pro-Publica and The Marshall Project.

“None of these platforms could have existed in the old years,” Tuohey said. “But now they are thriving in this culture.”

Tuohey showed a picture of a crowd using cell-phone apps to light up the dark.

Divided horizontally into thirds there were three sections: “2005,” “2013” and “2021” with a big question mark at the bottom.

“When you graduate, you will have apps that are unknown now,” Tuohey said. “What should you focus on?

“Focus on being a journalist because while the technology may change, the hallmarks of strong journalism never do.

“Learn how to tell a story. Learn how to get people to trust you, how to write and edit, how to write a good headline, how to scour public resources. Double check, triple check.

“Yes, learn the technology too.

“Give voice to the voiceless.

“If you focus on being a good journalist, you’ll do just fine. You might just bring stability to our industry when we need it.”

Dakota Antelman, an editor of The Big Red at Hudson High School in Hudson, Mass., and Riya Pujari, an editor of The Harbinger at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Mass., contributed to this story.

Keynote session includes Q and A

Q: “Is print journalism dead?”

A:“ It’s not dead. There are still hundreds of thousands who read a newspaper every day. Long-form articles—5,000 or 10,000 words— can be some of the most read on the Web.”

Q: “What is hurting print journalism the most?”

A: “YouTube and Facebook are hurting many aspects because of the need to play catch-up.”

Q: “What do you suggest to improve the quality of features?”

A:” Find interesting topics. There’s a huge audience. Add emphasis with graphics, multi-media and video.”

All-New England Awards for 2016

Broadcast

Class I

First place:: Mustang Magazine and NHS Update, Norwood High School, Norwood, Mass.
Second place:: Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.

Magazines

Class III

First place:: The Halyard, Norwell High School, Norwell, Mass.
Second place:: Voice, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Mass.

Newspapers

Class I

First place:: Winnachronicle, Winnacunnet High School, Hampton, N.H.
Second place:: The Little Green, Manchester High School Central, Manchester, N.H.

Class III

First place tie:: The Veritas, Rockland High School, Rockland, Mass., and Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
Second place:
: The High School View, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Oak Bluffs, Mass.

Online

Class I

First place:: Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass.
Second place:: Eagle Times, Bonny Eagle High School, Standish, Maine

Class II

First place:: The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.

Print/online

Class I

First place tie:: The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass., The Sagamore and thesagamoreonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass., and The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
Second place:: The Rebellion and whstherebellion.com Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

68 suggestions from NESPA judges

Judges who evaluated this year’s Special Achievement entries gave their comments and suggestions.

Considerations judges emphasized include the importance of making the most of each medium. As always, they noted that good, strong style matters. So do clarity, consistency and variety.

Medium by medium and category by category, judges also noted that it is important to follow directions in submitting entries.

Entries are divided into categories and then distributed to judges. Therefore, it’s important to use only one entry form per printed page. Do not submit one printed page with more than one entry form attached to it.

Follow the directions for online materials at blogs.bu.edu/nespa using the Submit to Contests tab.

Make sure that every individual online entry is easily accessible and stays available until at least the day after the annual spring conference.

Writing and editing

Avoid beginning stories with a date or day of the week unless they are historically significant, and the When is much more important than the other Ws and H.
Leads should be at the tops of stories, not several paragraphs down.
Use clear leads that localize the angle and accurately indicate the key points in the coverage.
For attribution use name, then said.
Online, attribute before a quote or paraphrase; in print, attribute with the first sentence of a multi-sentence quote.
Avoid long paragraphs online and in news print. Use grafs—one- to two-sentence units—not paragraphs in news, features, sports and opinion.
Vary lengths of news, features, sports and opinion according to their newsworthiness. Do use news and sports briefs.
Label opinion as such. Differentiate explicitly among bylined columns, reviews and editorials.
Never sign editorials.
Keep editorials to a maximum of 400 words.
Use commas after introductory adverb clauses.
Use full first and last names on first reference for both students and adults. On second and subsequent reference for adults, be consistent about using Mr., Mrs., and Ms. with their last names, or, as you do with students, just last names.
Somewhere in the story include students’ classes and faculty members’ departments.
Follow standard style with apostrophes, especially with teams. Make it boys’ track, not boys track or boy’s track.
Be accurate with subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent agreement.
Eliminate spelling errors prior to publication.
Do not use exclamation points, especially in headlines.
Be sure headlines have clear subject/verb combinations.
Put subjects and verbs together in headlines’ top lines if possible.

News media content

Answering What happened? Who did it? Why? How? and So what? questions should be the heart of a news story.
Be sure to include all crucial news sources for balance and thoroughness.
Do not bother to describe the process of coverage: “After interviewing the principal, I learned. . .”
Avoid too much reliance on anonymous sources. The need for use of an anonymous source should be apparent.
Do not overuse Q and A. Prefer stories that include more than one source so as to show different perspectives.
A quote must be compelling for it to be long.
Localizing means more than just students and faculty giving their opinions. Show how the events affect individuals in the school community.
Feature stories rarely work with first-person references.
Don’t clog up articles themselves with long lists. Instead, use sidebars for listings of supplementary facts and numbers.
In sports news about teams, lead with the most important game or meet, and use inverted pyramid form for stories about games.
If covering a sport or athlete outside of school, provide fresh perspective with a local angle.
Avoid editorializing in sports unless the story is labeled opinion.
Keep sports story lengths appropriate to the newsworthiness of their information.
Cover all the school teams at least once per season, including freshman and JV teams, which may work best as briefs.
Bylined columns’ messages need to be relevant to your high school readership.
Include a staff list, statement of purpose and contact information in each edition.

Design

Vary elements’ sizes and placements according to their relative appeal and importance.
Don’t let weak visual presentation compromise—or overwhelm—great content.
Strike a balance among text, headlines, illustrations and white space. Use subheads to break up the gray.
Avoid making the reader jump over a picture in order to get to a story or jump over a pull quote to keep reading a story. Instead, let the body type form a U- or L-shape around an illustration and/or a pull quote.
Use photos that illustrate or illuminate the text.
News, feature and sports photos need to tell stories in themselves. They need to convey emotion.
Run a caption and a credit with every picture.
Crop tightly.
If pictures are in color, make them crisp and bold saving subtlety for the art gallery.
Use maps to provide contexts on opinion pages.
Illustration in an informational graphic that is simple and understated can have the strongest impact.
Decrease headlines’ sizes and degrees of boldness down the page so as to show priorities.
Avoid butting headlines, including across facing pages.

Broadcast

Audio is half your package. Make it crisp and clear.
Be careful when using background sound that the noise—or the music—does not overpower the voiceover.
Don’t have a speaker stand against a blank wall.
Do speak directly into the camera.
Use a tripod.
Avoid panning quickly (if at all).

Magazines

Let the emotions show in artwork.
Use consistent typography, avoiding overly wide columns.
Simple black and white designs, done with attention to detail, seldom miss.
Careful use of color can be resonant.

Newspapers

Cartoons’ messages should be instant. Make the words stand out, and arrange words left to right.
In ads, aim at students and make sure the type is crisp.
The best pages, spreads and special sections have a mutually reinforcing relationship between image feeling and text thought.

Online/multimedia

Make sure the home page is easy to access.
Every online story needs links.
Include slide shows and videos that tell stories in themselves.
Slide shows need voiceovers or captions or both.
In slide shows, do not post every photo you took. Instead, pick the best.
Video music should not overpower voices. It should be appropriate to the subject matter.
Blogs need to stand as units. A single post does not make a blog. Pick a topic and stick with it.

Looking ahead to the coming year

Fall workshop Friday morning, Oct. 28, 2016
Deadline for localizing contest Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
68th annual conference Friday, May 5, 2017

To arrange for a site visit call 617-353-3478

Special Achievement Awards 2016

Broadcast

“41 Closets,” Lindsey Rogers and Lauren Diana, The Pulse, Manchester High School, Manchester, Conn.

Documentary

“John Franklin Stevens visits NFA,” Aleysha Rivera Bocachia and Shea Gendron, Red&White/Wildcat News Network, Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, Conn.
“Homeless in America’s Home town,” Cam Smith, Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.

Feature story

“Eagle Shoe Repair,” Julia Higgins and Kathryn Ryan, Mustang Magazine, Norwood High School, Norwood, Mass.

News series

Morgan Keyt, Noah Richards, Isabella Harris and Greg Lucas, The Pulse, Manchester High School, Manchester, Conn.
“The New South,” Cam Smith, Laura Francis, Ben Gaffey, Jacob Jobe, Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.

News story

“St. Baldrick’s,” Myles Hurley and Kailey Feshler, The Pulse, Manchester High School, Manchester, Conn.
“Battle of the Books,” Myles Hurley, Lauren Diana and Will Menasian,
“Miss MHS,” David Mazzotta and Dominique Mohamed, The Pulse, Manchester High School, Manchester, Conn.
“Potholes,” Bridgette Sullivan, Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.
“Campaign Stop,” Cam Smith, Jacob Jobe, Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.

Sports story

“Greg Lucas,” Isabella Harris and Greg Lucas, The Pulse, Manchester High School, Manchester, Conn
“Carina’s Knee,” Sadie Krall and Danny Sullivan, Mustang Magazine, Norwood High School, Norwood, Mass.

Magazine

Artwork

“Hospital,” Dan Nguyen, Voice, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Mass.

Bylined column

“A New Face,” Bailey Gillis, Voice, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Mass.

Cover design

“Thayer as Oz,” Nick Croffey, Maren Mellen and Jonathan Stern, Voice, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Mass.

Nonfiction

“A Juice Cleanse For the Brain,” Annie Henry, The Link, ConVal Regional High School, Peterborough, N.H.

Photography

“High Above Fenway,” Braden Joe, Voice, Thayer Academy, Braintree, Mass.

Newspaper

“Bail Loans,” Mahalia Anderson, The Eagle Flyer, Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Conn.

Artwork/cartoon

“Bullying,” Cassie Meservey, Tech Talk, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich, Mass.
“Masthead,” Sophie Bonneau, The High School View, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Oak Bluffs, Mass.
“The ‘drug’ everyone is now ardently addicted to,” Leah Cretella, The Masuk Free Press, Masuk High School, Monroe, Conn.
“MHS girls’ cross country,” Anne Marie Grudem, Elephant in the Room, Milton High School, Milton, Mass.

Bylined column

“I ran from college,” Astrid Grover, The Graphic, Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, Amherst, Mass.
“Time for soccer to embrace an equal playing field for women,” Kelly Ford, The Graphic, Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, Amherst, Mass.
“Politically Korrect,” Jacob S. Potts, Insight, Barnstable High School, Hyannis, Mass.
“What happens to our humanity after terrorism?” Almesa Sabovic, The Eagle Flyer, Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Conn.
“Confidence in spending time alone,” Francesca Gallo, The Forum, Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Sudbury, Mass.
“Paris,” Kate Weiler, The Forum, Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Sudbury, Mass.
“Ignorance and conceit: fatal flaws of the older brother,” Connor Senay, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“Parents on Power School,” Megan Cunninghame, The Masuk Free Press, Masuk High School, Monroe, Conn.
“Is Milton Just That Boring?” Meredith McGroarty, Elephant in the Room, Milton High School, Milton, Mass.
“It’s not just the Academy, it’s the culture,” Callaghan Bartlett, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“March for Life devoid of facts, reason,” Maggie Toole, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Diversity (Or Not),” Khadija Hussain, The Proclamation, Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven, Conn.
“Stereotyping Serena,” Quincy Ponvert, The Proclamation, Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven, Conn.

Cover design

October, 2015, Staff, The Proclamation, Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven, Conn.

Editorial

“Combatting the Poverty Around Us,” Marcello Sardinha, Tech Talk, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich, Mass.
“Banned books teach lessons, expose important issues,” Madeline Conway, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“Take action against hate speech,” The Newtonite editorial board, The Newtonite, Newton North High School, Newtonville, Mass.

Feature page design

“Cast Your Vote” Emma Childs, Insight, Barnstable High School, Hyannis, Mass.
“Teachers—They’re Just Like Us,” Charlotte Freed, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“Top 10,” Alexa Valenzisi and Sydney Caparaso, The Masuk Free Press, Masuk High School, Monroe, Conn.

Feature photo

“Bernie Sanders,” Michael Wyatt, Elephant in the Room, Milton High School, Milton, Mass.
“Winter whiteout,” Nat Alden, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Snowday sledding,” Nat Alden, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.

Feature story

“Sophomore Donnelly competes in Extreme Mustang Makeover,” Abigail Fitzgibbon, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“Standardized testing: Pass or fail?” Olivia Jacobs, The High School View, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Oak Bluffs, Mass.
“The ‘drug’ everyone is now ardently addicted to,” Leah Cretella, The Masuk Free Press, Masuk High School, Monroe, Conn.
“Island rallies for Nepal after earthquake,” Mia Silverio, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Growing controversy over Common Core and PARCC,” Emily Moss, The Newtonite, Newton North High School, Newtonville, Mass.

Informational graphic

“Gender data contradicts concern,” Valeria Dountcheva, The Newtonite, Newton North High School, Newtonville, Mass.

News page design

“Page 1, April,” Sophie Davies, Mia Silverio, Nate Goss, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.

News story

“School consolidation a real possibility,” April Weintraub and Ben Jackson, The Graphic, Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, Amherst, Mass.
“NHS assembly speaker uses questionable language,” Callaghan Bartlett, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Newton teachers seek pay equity,” Emily Moss, The Newtonite, Newton North High School, Newtonville, Mass.

Personality profile

“Guardian of the Hallway,” Tatiana Kiss-Coviello, Tech Talk, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich, Mass.
“Pregnant Cows, Angry Bulls, and Beauregard’s Teaching Journey,” Joshua Moorehead, Tech Talk, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich, Mass.
“The nurse will see you now, “ Casey McAndrews, The High School View, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Oak Bluffs, Mass.

Photo illustration

“Senior Dress Up Day 2015,” Kate Weiler, The Forum, Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Sudbury, Mass.

Review

“Horror-comedy ‘Scream Queens’ keeps its tongue firmly in cheek,” Fritz Spofford, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“’Adam Ruins Everything’ comedically, effectively exposes flaws in society,” Amber Paré, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“’The Revenant’ tops ‘Hateful Eight’ in battle of wintry westerns,” Zack Even, The Independent, Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester, Mass.
“Virginia’s Venues,” Virginia Bullington, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Movies of the Month with Max,” Max Dunham, Winnachronicle, Winnacunnet High School, Hampton, N.H.

Special section

“’Cruz, the Zodiac Killer?:’ A Satire on a Surprisingly Serious Campaign Issue Killer,” Benjamin Novak, The Heartbeat, Sacred Heart High School, Kingston, Mass.

Sports photo

“Boys lacrosse crowned Cape & Islands League champions,” Nat Alden, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.

Sports story

“Czech Her Out!” Sarah Carlon, Insight, Barnstable High School, Hyannis, Mass.
“Girls’ basketball team wins league title,” Adiza Alasa, The Veritas, Rockland High School, Rockland, Mass.

Online/multimedia

Artwork/cartoon

“Remembering Craig Fairweather,” Melina Illinger, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“Justice may be blind…” Abby Hile, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Bylined column

“Scalia’s death adds fuel to political war,” Carey Davis, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Stars and stripes should reject false stereotypes,” Asma Ali, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Shootings leave students scared,” Megan Friel, The Roar, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Maine

Editorial

“Conservative students deserve a voice,” The Sagamore and thesagonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.
“Walpole alcohol education programs need reform,” Jaimie Ferguson, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Feature page design

“Food: What we eat, what we don’t, what we should,” Jen Fox, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
”PROM,” Kathryn Packard and Delaney Cavanaugh, The Lion’s Roar, Lincoln High School, Lincoln, R.I.
“Memories in Ink,” Kaitlin Brown, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Feature photo

“Ed Wiser desk feature,” Sofia Tong, The Sagamore and thesagonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.

Feature story

“Compliments gain supporters and smiles,” Jen Fox, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Girls under pressure,” Riya Pujari, Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Program Gives Students ‘A Better Chance,” Sydney Bergan, Warrior Weekly, Andover High School, Andover, Mass.
“In Hudson, stress starts young,” Dakota Antelman, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Portraits on wall, first step in promoting all,” Malissa Christie, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“High Way Driving: Newton teens increasingly take on roads under the influence of marijuana,” Daniel Rosenzweig-Ziff, Denebola, Newton South High School, Newton Centre, Mass.
“Early College Applications on the Rise as Students Strive for Acceptance, Relief,” Brian Yoffe, Denebola, Newton South High School, Newton Centre, Mass.
“Gulliver shares his tragic concussion story,” Andrew Friel, W.A. Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass.
“Cook molds minds at WA,” Kayla Chavier, W.A. Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass

Home page design

Alok Ganguly, Ellie Smith and Kai-Lou Yue, W.A. Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass.

Informational graphic

“Presidential candidates on nation’s issues,” Carey Davis, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.

News photo

News photo, “Man attends Paris vigil,” Petra Henry, The Sagamore and thesagonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.

News story

“Need for weed: medical marijuana facilities authorized for construction in district,” Max Donahue, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Johnson reacts to Hoey’s theft of district funds,” Jen Fox, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“The ‘Tampaign’ to collect tampons,” Cassidy Wang, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Saluting Dick Walsh,” Riya Pujari, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Waterhouse Field renovation changes tradition,” Noah Gagne, The Roar, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Maine
“Pronoun introductions offer greater range,” Jake Brodsky, thesagonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.
“Espresso Yourself at the new coffee bar,” Lindsay Guenther, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.

Opinion page design

“Heritage or Hate,” Ellie Hilty, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.
“World news: Terrorism,” Ellie Hilty, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Personality profile

“Walsh: 61 years, still counting,” Annie Campbell, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Dev Ostrowski: The Man Behind the Smile,” Paul Chang, The Viking Saga, East Lyme High School, East Lyme, Conn.
“Life of a three sport varsity athlete: Nick Donelly,” Nate Gaw, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“Ten Years of Angels,” Shea Robinson, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.

Podcast

“Claire Shea: A shy girl with a big voice,” Kayla Chavier, W.A. Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass.

Review

“Deluxe Depot Diner does not disappoint diners,” Kate Kalinowski, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Bruce Springsteen tour rocks through Boston,” Paige Morse, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“’The Life of Pablo’ lives up to its lengthy release schedule,” Conor Battles, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“’Batman v. Superman’ does no justice,” Isaac Owens, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.

Slide show with photos

“Wind walkers raises money for Edward Little,” Noah Libby, The Eddies Echo, Edward Little High School, Auburn, Maine
“Gymnastics vs. Westboro meet,” Sophia Togneri, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.

Sports page design

“Concussed,” Ellie Hilty, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Sports photo

“Swim dives into new waters,” Kelly Slovin, The Algonquin Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Hudson celebrates,” Tess McDonald, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Rebsoc dominates Durfee in first playoff game,” Julia Adams, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Sports story

“Soccer player suffers from concussion, but refuses to be knocked down,” Taylor Turgeon, The Roar, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Maine
“Tigers Win 28-13 Over Westbrook,” Alex Keely, The Roar, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Maine
“Committed Athletes,” Noah Dalzell and Sergei LeFaure, The Sagamore and thesagonline.com, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.
“Mental game fails Hawks,” Dakota Antelman, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Haley Gaffney commits to Ithaca,” Dakota Antelman, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Junior finds place on indoor track team,” Dakota Antelman, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Haley Gaffney thrives after career threatening injury,” Brian Twomey, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Tommy Stanley makes his comeback on boys varsity soccer,” Nate Gaw, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“Senior quarterback sidelined with broken leg,” June Granmer, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“Unified basketball plays less for the glory, more for the ‘passion of the sport,’” June Granmer, The Lancer Spirit, Londonderry High School, Londonderry, N.H.
“Second appearance at Nationals for girls’ relay,” Delaney Murphy, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.
“Burchesky shines at international curling championship,” Lucy Lynch, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.

Yearbook

There were no special achievement awards for yearbooks this year.

Winners of localizing contest 2015

“Teachers on leave desire career, family balance,” Dana Fishman, The Harbinger, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
“Administrators and Police Chief hold private meeting with students involved in altercation on Back to School Night,” Haley Bayne and Sofia Tong, The Sagamore, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.
“Community gathers after local mosque vandalized,” Gina Anastasiades, Olivia Celeste, Meenal Khandaker and Katrina Mastracci, The Devil’s Advocate, Burlington High School, Burlington, Mass.
“Tackling the Bullying Problem,” Samantha Lynott, Tech Talk, Cape Cod Tech, Harwich, Mass.
“Governor kicks off ‘Say Something’ and ‘Start with Hello’ campaigns,” Renee Cunningham, The Hatters’ Herald, Danbury High School, Danbury, Conn.
“Economic Struggles Put Strain on Band Programs in Hudson,” Dakota Antelman, The Big Red, Hudson High School, Hudson, Mass.
“Beyond the Border: How the November Paris Attacks Affect Milton,” Joshua Kery, Elephant in the Room, Milton High School, Milton, Mass.
“Nantucket High School updates lockdown procedures,” Stefan Silverio, Veritas, Nantucket High School, Nantucket, Mass.
“Drinking and Driving,” Nai Abelenda, Spencer Checkoway, Michael Gresser and Will Marsh, Newton North TV, Newton North High School, Newtonville, Mass.
“Social Media and the Birth of Slacktivism,” Ava Morollo and Robin Medoff, Denebola, Newton South High School, Newton Centre, Mass.
“French-American students, faculty reflect on Paris attacks,” Jacob Maguire, The Current Wave, North Kingstown High School, North Kingstown, R.I.
“John Franklin Stevens visits NFA,” Aleysha Rivera Bocachia and Shea Gendron, Red&White/Wildcat News Network, Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, Conn.
“Gym for all,” Sam Cutler and Sean Mellen, Mustang Magazine, Norwood High School, Norwood, Mass.
“Shocking Diagnosis” Amber O’Keefe, Panther TV, Plymouth South High School, Plymouth, Mass.
“Is technology too much of a good thing for teens?” Victoria Bergstrom, phspatiotledgers.com, Newport Daily News, Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, R.I.
“The Scituation Takes the Field,” Taylor Belval and staff, The Scituation, Scituate High School, Scituate, Mass.
“Concussed—Walpole’s youth starts exploring ways to avoid head injuries in the future by joining the new flag football league,” Andrea Traietti, The Rebellion, Walpole High School, Walpole, Mass.
“The need for caffeine,” Ellie Smith, The Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, Mass.