National Scholastic Press honors Wa-Hi Journal

Wa-Hi Journal earns national ranking
The National Scholastic Press Association has released its annual “Best of the High School Press” book showcasing student work, including The Wa-Hi Journal, which earned a coveted spot in the Best Cover Pages category.

The book features winners of NSPA contests as well as work selected by judges specifically for the “Best of the High School Press” from more than 6,000 digital files submitted.

Julia Cosma (Wa-Hi class of 2013) designed the featured cover page for the 2013 senior issue, a color page with every name of the senior class sculptured into the word, Finally. The cover page also features purposeful white space, a design concept that Cosma focused on that year with her editors, including current Editor in Chief, Madyson Gabriel.

Journalism programs use the book as a go-to resource for learning. “Frequently, we turn to past editions of the ‘Best of the High School Press’ for newspaper ideas, so it’s really exciting that our publication might be an inspiration for someone else,” Gabriel said.

The book also includes the Honor Roll for scholastic journalism. To be listed, student journalists must have a leadership role, have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.75, and must have completed at least one year of journalism and be currently enrolled. Honored students for the 2013-14 year were Gabriel, Hannah Mitchell (News Editor, Wa-Hi Journal), Jennifer Cho (Editor in Chief, Wa-Hi Journal Online), Ryan Manny (Assistant Editor in Chief, Wa-Hi Journal Online), and Erik Dohe (Wa-Hi class of 2014).

“These student journalists are constantly putting their work out there by publishing online and in their newspaper, so it is great to see them receive some recognition for their hard work,” adviser Gay Buissink said. “It really is an achievement, an honor.”

Gabriel, Mitchell, Manny and Makayla Wagner (Yearbook Editor in Chief), will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete at the JEA/NSPA Fall Convention in November, where the “Best of the High School Press” book will be on display.