Student journalists scoop up honors

     By Judy DeLoretta
     View staff writer
      The Review-Journal held its 24th Journalism Awards to recognize high school students for their contributions in journalism.
      Nearly 500 journalism students and their advisors from 22 area high schools were invited to the luncheon, held at the Rio on May 5.
      Recognition came in the form of a plaque for specific submissions of work published in students' school newspapers.
      "We're honoring all high school journalism staff today," said Charles Zobell, Review-Journal managing editor. "These students, whether they're in the competition or not, are here so we can encourage them to stay in journalism."
      Review-Journal Editor Thomas Mitchell and photographer Gary Thompson also addressed the students and staff, encouraging the students to continue with journalism as a career.
      "I love to write," said Ryann Ferguson, editor of Green Valley High's first place InvestiGator. "I want a career as a journalist or in public relations."
      Best Newspaper/Reduced Format honors went to the Durango Citizen, Durango High, Diana Sagas editor, first place; Pony Express, Meadows School, Max Leinwand editor, second place; The Desert Breeze, Las Vegas High, Audrey Brandin and Lisa Ball editors, third place; and The Devil's Advocate, Eldorado High, Amanda Sims editor, honorable mention.
      Best Newspaper/Standard Format winners are The InvestiGator, Green Valley, Ryann Ferguson and Brandon Blackwell editors, first place; Panther Print, Palo Verde High, Mark Boyd editor, second place; Cheyenne Drumbeat, Cheyenne High, Stacie Taniyama and Eddi Kellerman editors, and Accolades, Las Vegas Academy, Maggie Tabach editor, tied for third place; and The Bulldog Barker, Centennial High, James Strasser, Brandon Stewart and Christina Cassell editors, and The Silverado Star, Silverado High, Nadia Fakih editor, tied with honorable mention.
      Winners for Best Feature Photo are Stacy Underhill of Durango, first place; Samantha Clemens of Green Valley, second; Lu of Durango, third; and MaNessa Downey of Eldorado, honorable mention.
      Winners for Best News Photo are Lauren Milby of Palo Verde, first place; Clemens of Green Valley, second; and Charlotte Pippin of Eldorado, third.
      Those honored for Best Sports Photo are Alison Schwertfeger of Palo Verde, first place; Diana Bernard of Green Valley, second; and Lauren Heinle of Palo Verde, third.
      Receiving top honors for Best Advertisement are Mark Boyd of Palo Verde, first and second place; Kiersten Hall of Las Vegas Academy, third; and Sagas of Durango, honorable mention.
      Best Features, Arts or Entertainment Page Layout/Reduced Format awarded Amanda Miller of Basic High, first place; Joe Forsythe of Advanced Technologies Academy, second; and Brandin of Las Vegas, third.
      "It's a shocking surprise," Miller said. "Last year, I didn't do so good. I'm glad to win this year. As a senior, I hope it will help me in the future."
      Winners for Best Features, Arts or Entertainment Page Layout/Standard Format are Boyd of Palo Verde, first place; Ryann Ferguson of Green Valley, second; and Sagas of Durango, third.
      Best Sports Page Layout/Reduced Format awards went to Katie Taylor of Boulder City High, first place; and Bell of Las Vegas, second.
      Best Sports Page Layout/Standard Format winners are Greg Siqueiros of Palo Verde, first place; Marianna Baker of Silverado, second; and Dawn Hoffman and Lu of Durango, third.
      Honored for Best Page One Layout/Reduced Format are Joe Forsythe of Advanced Technologies Academy, first place; Brandin of Las Vegas, second; and Don Broetzmann of Horizon West High, third.
      Best Page One Layout/Standard Format accolades went to Boyd of Palo Verde, first place; Stacie Taniyama of Cheyenne, second; Ferguson of Green Valley, third; and Lu of Durango, honorable mention.
      Winners in the Best Feature Story category are Ferguson of Green Valley, first place; Stephanie Rubin of Palo Verde, second; Nicole Zabriskie of Basic, third; and Hoffman and Dara Massey of Durango and Brandin of Las Vegas, honorable mention.
      Best News Feature Story awards were given to Ferguson of Green Valley, first place; Lu of Durango, second; J. Danny Lairamore of Palo Verde, third; and Ferguson and Carli Webster of Green Valley, honorable mention.
      Those winning for Best News Story are Stacy Underhill and Sagas of Durango, first place; Boyd of Palo Verde, second; Jennifer Hoover of Basic, third; and Desiree Zimmerman of Chaparral High, honorable mention.
      Best Sports Feature winners are Ronnie Taylor of Chaparral, first place; D.J. Ayers of Green Valley, second; Ryan Looney of Las Vegas, third place; and Megan Chambers of Green Valley, honorable mention.
      Those honored in the Best Sports News Story category are Brian Woolard of Durango, first place; Camille Calimlim of Bishop Gorman, second; Woolard, third; and Stephanie Rubin of Palo Verde, and Dan Burris of Basic, honorable mention.
      Best Editorial Artwork or Cartoon recipients are Aaron Miller of Green Valley, first place; Jamie Cichon of Meadows, second; Lindsey Fitch of Basic, third; and Chien Lam of Clark, honorable mention.
      Best Opinion Column/Serious winners are Michelle Abercrombie of Boulder City, first place; Tiffany Boone of Las Vegas, second; Lynn Workman of Green Valley, third; and Jacqueline Almeida of Las Vegas and Boyd of Palo Verde, honorable mention.
      Best Opinion Column/Humorous winners are Gabrielle Rizzo of Palo Verde, first place; Jake Corn of Silverado, second; Ferguson of Green Valley, third; and Calimlim of Bishop Gorman High, honorable mention.
      Best Editorial plaques were awarded to Hoffman and Lu of Durango, first place; James Strasser of Centennial, second; Maggie Tabach of Las Vegas Academy, third; and honorable mention to Lindsey Horvath of Meadows, Sagas of Durango and Kimberly Ferido of Green Valley.
      Youth Spotlight Correspondent of the Year was awarded to Priya Batra of Meadows School and Calimlim of Bishop Gorman.
      Most Valuable Staffer Awards honored Amy Pascalide of Advanced Technologies Academy, Dan Burrus of Basic, Katie Taylor of Boulder City, Amber Gold of Chaparral, Stacie Taniyama of Cheyenne, Maria Archer of Clark, Sagas of Durango, Eric Urry of Eldorado, Nicki Chidester of Foothill High, Ferguson of Green Valley, Calimlim of Gorman, Katie Stemen of Horizon West, Maggie Tabach of Las Vegas Academy, Brandin of Las Vegas, Melissa Young of Moapa Valley High, Siqueiros of Palo Verde, Fakih of Silverado and Chloe Whitney of Western High.
      The Review-Journal also honored its inaugural R-Jeneration team of writers and photographers. The students, together with Review-Journal editors and staff members, produce a weekly R-Jeneration teen page in the newspaper's Sunday Living section.
      The R-Jeneration team includes Kaaveh Akbari and Tara Hoyt of Valley High; Farnaz Athari of Silverado; Boyd of Palo Verde; Emily Montgomery and Calimlim of Bishop Gorman; Emily Macy, Aaron Miller, Clemens, Ferguson and Webster of Green Valley; Lu, Underhill, Woolard and Lauren Fitzgerald of Durango; Horvath of Meadows; Christina Hynes, Christian Sweeten and Casey Johnson of Western; Eric Urry and John Lopez of Eldorado; and Emmanuel Ortega of Community College High.
      Awards were judged by Review-Journal staff members.