Renton High School Students Staff Collect Awards, Volunteer At Journalism Convention

Thirty-two scholastic journalists for Renton High School’s Illahee yearbook and Arrow newsmagazine worked behind the scenes at the JEA / NSPA National High School Journalism Convention April 12-15, volunteering over 275 hours at the Seattle event. Sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, the convention drew over 3,000 high school journalists.           

Reporters, designers, photographers, and artists worked to organize individual competitions, sell convention shirts, set up and take down equipment, and assist visiting writers, artists, reporters, anchors, yearbook and publishing representatives with a variety of tasks and needs.

Additionally, Renton High School’s ARROW newsmagazine walked away with a 3rd place award in the JEA / NSPA Best in Show journalism competition.

Judges awarded the 3rd place trophy to ARROW in the special edition category for their work on an issue that focused on 98118, the “most diverse zip code in the country,” according to the 2010 Census. Judges evaluated ARROW on its quality of design, content, photography and editorial leadership. A front page PDF file of the winning issue is attached to this message.

“Our field trips to the 98118 area code were not only culturally informative but also taught us more about how to be investigative journalists,” editor-in-chief Queenelle Gazmen said.

For Gazmen, the work this year has been simultaneously energizing and tiresome.

“I like my staff’s energy. They make the longest weeks worthwhile. They once sang karaoke in the corner of the journalism room to keep me awake while I exported the last few pages of an issue.”

Five Arrow reporters earned individual awards: Ksenia Ivanova (Excellent in Computer Design: Infographic), Abigail Cetino (Honorable Mention in Review Writing), Alex Kalinin (Honorable Mention in Editorial Cartooning), Rafael Agas (Honorable Mention in Sports Writing), and Joseph Varnadore (Excellent in Literary Magazine: Layout).

ARROW is one of many student publications in Washington state that won awards

*Editor's Note: Information provided by Renton High School ARROW Advisor Derek Smith.