Shield staff ranks third in nation in fall NSPA individual entry contest

With nine winning entries—including a first place, three second and one third—MacJ places in Clips & Clicks top three for the third autumn in a row

Shield staff|February 27, 2023

For the third year in a row, the Shield staff has placed in the top three nationally in the National Scholastic Press Association’s fall semester individual entry contest.

The NSPA’s Clip & Clicks competition awards individual journalists recognition for top work done each semester in a variety of writing, design, photography and broadcast categories.

The contest also awards sweepstakes awards for schools who earn the most points for their total of individual awards earned.

A first-place individual award is worth 10 points, and a second-place award is worth nine and so on. Each category awards a top five and honorable mention beyond that. A fifth-place award earns six points, and honorable mentions earn a staff five.

In 2021-2022, the Shield earned first place nationally, and in the 2020-2021, the inaugural year for the competition, MacJournalism finished tied for second. In that year, sweepstakes points were awarded to all of the publication at each school. Last year and this year, only the awards earned by a single school publication count in the sweepstakes competition.

CCNN Live, the broadcast program at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami leads the competition after the fall contest. CCNN Live won the inaugural sweepstakes award in 2020-2021.

The competition, open to all NSPA members, honors current work among student journalists, and the fall-semester winners feature work produced from May 28-Dec. 8 2022.

Ingrid Smith led all Shield staffers in this year’s competition with two writing awards, a first-place in news writing for her story, “Budget constraints force Mac orchestra directors to take over Lamar Middle School program,” and a third place for her concert review, “Harry Styles is ‘Golden’ during Austin residency.”

The other Shield winners are listed below with links to the piece that was chosen as a winner.

There were approximately 635 submissions in the fall competition. The judges were collegiate professors, student media advisers and professional journalists.

“The judges consistently said they were very impressed with the quality of the entries submitted,” NSPA associate director Gary Lundgren said.

In all, 105 entries, approximately 17 percent of those entered, were recognized. The number of winners in each category was determined by the judges based on the quantity and quality of the entries.

The grand sweepstakes winner for 2022-2023 will be announced as the spring semester Clips & Clicks winners are announced. The deadline for entry to the spring competition is May 3.

INDIVIDUAL NSPA CLIPS & CLICKS WINNERS

FIRST PLACE

News Story

“Budget constraints force Mac orchestra directors to take over Lamar Middle School program,” Ingrid Smith

SECOND PLACE

A SWEET SURPRISE: Senior art society officers Amaya Collier and Claire De Silva-Yost smear cake on their advisor, Sara Massey. The students thought it’d be funny to cover Massey, who was dressed as the Mona Lisa, with cake, because the famous work was recently vandalized with the dessert. “I liked seeing all our efforts being enjoyed by everyone in school,” De Silva-Yost said. “I saw so many smiles.” De Silva-Yost found the stunt to be extra exciting considering that the acts of vandalism are still currently happening, with the most recent occurrence being last Thursday, targeting the painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer. Although it isn’t certain that the defacing of the Mona Lisa corresponds with the more recent outbreaks, De Silva-Yost wouldn’t be surprised if the two were linked. “I support the protests’ message to stop using oil,” De Silva-Yost said, “but I think they executed it in a way that lacks a clear message to the public.” Caption and photo by JoJo Barnard.

Feature Photo

“A sweet surprise,” JoJo Barnard

Newspaper Page/Spread

“Seeing these stars,” Sophie Leung-Lieu, Naomi Di-Capua, Alice Scott

Sports Story

“Volleyball program savors its championship season,” Naomi Di-Capua and friends

(JoJo Barnard, Morgan Eye, Jolie Gabriel, Caroline Owen, Ingrid Smith, Francie Wilhelm and Dave Winter)

THIRD PLACE

Opinion

“Harry Styles is ‘Golden’ during Austin residency,” Ingrid Smith

FIFTH PLACE

Sports Story

“Families that play together stay together,” Lanie Sepehri

HONORABLE MENTION

PINK WEEK REVENGE SERVED: Anderson Zoll exacts his revenge on fellow PAL Josie Bradsby. Moments earlier Bradsby and math teacher Carly Kehn pulled a surprise on Zoll. When Bradsby was supposed to pie Kehn, Kehn ducked leaving a path for Zoll to receive Bradsby’s pie. When it comes to pep rally pies during Pink Week, generally what goes around, comes around. Photo by Charlie Partheymuller.

Feature Photo

“Pink Week revenge served,” Charlie Partheymuller

News Story

“Breaking down the bond,” Francie Wilhelm

BERGER OVERCOMES: McCallum may have lost decisively to Anderson in its opening wrestling match of the season, but there were some highlights to build on. Winning his match by pin, senior Corgan Berger said he was able to overcome his emotions and enjoy success.
“I fought and I never gave up,” Berger said. “I went into the match, and I was terrified, but it’s not about being afraid: it’s about what you do when you are afraid.” Although Berger walked away with a win, he felt that he could have left more on the mat. “I think I could’ve done a little bit better.” Berger said. ”I mean, some might say if you look at the scoreboard it was 11-4 some might say I was ‘killing it,’ but personally I think that there were a few things that I could’ve done better.” Photo by Lillian Gray.

Sports Photo

“Berger overcomes,” Lillian Gray

NSPA CLIPS AND CLICKS Sweepstakes

standings at halfway point

FIRST PLACE, 119 points

CCNN Live (broadcast), Christopher Columbus High School Miami, Fla.

SECOND PLACE, 110 points

The Harbinger (news magazine), Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kan.

THIRD PLACE, 66 points

The Shield (news magazine), McCallum High School, Austin, Texas

FOURTH PLACE, 57 points

Panorama (news magazine), Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Mo.

FIFTH PLACE, 48 points

Veteran (yearbook), Vandegrift High School, Austin, Texas

SIXTH PLACE, 40 points

Odyssey (news magazine), Clarke Central High School, Athens, Ga.

SEVENTH PLACE, 27 points

Scot Scoop (website), Carlmont High School, Belmont, Calif.

EIGHTH PLACE, 26 points

Eagle Edition (newspaper), Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, Texas

NINTH PLACE, 24 points (three-way tie)

The Communicator (news magazine), Community High School, Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Dispatch (newspaper), James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas
OneMaize Media (broadcast), Maize Career Academy, Maize, Kan.