Idaho High Schooler Named Student Journo of the Year by International Group

In its first worldwide journalism contest, Youth Journalism International (YJI) named a Boise, Idaho high school newspaper editor as its student journalist of the year.

 Megan Mizuta was honroed for what YJI called “stellar work for The Borah Senator (that) showed off her courage, her nose for news and her range of talent.”

A high school journalism advisor in Darien, Conn., Stacey Wilkins, won Journalism Educator of the Year for her exemplary work with both her school’s paper, Neirad, and her efforts to create the Connecticut Academic Press Association, YJI said.

Genoa, Italy’s Eugenia Durante won the Jacinta Marie Bunnell Award for Commentary for writing the best piece giving voice to an important issue.

In her commentary about Harper Lee’s book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Durante wrote with sensitivity about the way ignorance and fear of those who are different hurts everyone, said Jackie Majerus, YJI’s executive director.

The Frank Keegan “Take No Prisoners” Award for News went to Caroline Nelissen of Ermelo, The Netherlands, for a piece examining the Dutch Christmas tradition of “Black Pete,” a black helper for Santa Claus who strongly resembles the Sambo character of old-time Dixie in the United States.

The contest covered work published in English between Jan. 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 in any format. Results were announced June 16, 2010.

Here is the list of winners as provided by YJI:


STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner, Megan Mizuta, The Borah Senator, Boise, Idaho

Finalist, Maxine Frendel, Mahwah, New Jersey

 

JOURNALISM EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

 

Winner, Stacey Wilkins, Darien High School, Darien, Connecticut

Finalist, Scott Dalton, Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, Massachusetts

Finalist, Sarah Platanitis, Holyoke High School, Holyoke, Massachusetts

Finalist, Mark Ionescu, The John Carroll School, Bel Air, Maryland

 

JACINTA MARIE BUNNELL AWARD FOR COMMENTARY

Honors an individual who gave voice to an important issue in a single opinion piece or a series of opinion pieces devoted to the same topic. Bunnell, who was severely disabled, died in 2009 at the age of 26. Among her legacies is a commitment by those whose lives she touched to focus on that most crucial question: “What do you think?” It is a fitting tribute to Jacinta to honor one of the many young people who have tried to answer that question during the past year.

 

Winner, Eugenia Durante, “In hope that we will kill no more mockingbirds,” Genoa, Italy

Finalist, Yumna Baloch, “IBSeriously Censored,” Warsaw, Poland

Finalist, Tasman Anderson, “Q Youth with Tasman Anderson,” Queensland, Australia

Finalist, Lim Zhi Quan, “Art vs. Graffiti - Paint vs. Scrawls,” Singapore

Finalist, Megan Harrigfeld, “Con: Ada County website violates privacy,” Boise, Idaho

 

FRANK KEEGAN “TAKE NO PRISONERS”AWARD FOR NEWS

Honors an individual who showed the nose for news exemplified by longtime newsman Frank Keegan, whose love of journalism and determination that it has a future helped give birth to Youth Journalism International.

 

Winner, Caroline Nelissen, “Dutch Debate Sinterklaas’ ‘Black Pete,’” Ermelo, The Netherlands

Finalist, Jackie Jin, “Plastic Bags Banned,” San Jose, California

 

NEWS

 

News Team Reporting

First Place, Julia Lang and Kimberly Michels, “Students Moonstruck, The Mystery of the Middlesex Lagoon,” Darien, Connecticut

Second Place, Tiffany Chien and Michelle Deng, “Only school within 40 mile radius without performing arts center,” Saratoga, California

 

ENTERPRISE

 

First Place, Suzanna Quiring, “Sexual content invades teen paradigms,” Fresno, California

Second Place, Tiffany Chien, “The end or the means: how much honor matters,” Saratoga, California

Honorable Mention, Jacqueline Wang, “Writing on Hands,” Los Altos Hills, California

 

FEATURES

 

Features Team Reporting

First Place, Shreya Nathan, Nayeon Kim and Alisha Mayor, “Five Families,” San Jose, California

 

Individual Reporting

First Place, Justin Kirkham, “Students experience foreign culture,” Boise, Idaho                      

Second Place, Alisha Mayor, “San Francisco gives Harrison Ford the red carpet treatment,” San Jose, California

 

FIRST PERSON ESSAY

 

First Place, Eroll Yabut, “Filipinos blend cultures for festive Christmas,” Castillejos, Zambales, Philippines

Second Place, Yelena Samofalova, “My first time trick-or-treating,” West Hartford, Connecticut

 

PROFILE

 

First Place, Andi Cara, “Santa’s in Town Early,” Darien, Connecticut

Second Place, Shreya Nathan, “Scuba diving,” San Jose, California

Honorable Mention, Samantha Whittaker, “Ellen Hopkins: Famous author visits school,” Boise, Idaho

 

REVIEWS

 

 Music

First Place, Daniel Gallen, “Polar Bear Club strives to return to perfection,” Bel Air, Maryland

Second Place, Chris Janson, “Young Delivers Old Style on Owl City,” Darien, Connecticut

Honorable Mention, Justin Brown, “New Gaga Video Rings in Message for Viewers,” Hartford, Connecticut

 

 Theater/Film

First Place, Caroline Nelissen, “Love, shame and shattered lives in The Reader,” Ermelo, The Netherlands

Second Place, Jenna Potter, “Nine is impossible to forget,” Ontario, Canada

Honorable Mention, Samantha Hoffman, “Surrogates,” Palo Alto, California

 

General Reviews

First Place, Michelle Deng, “Windows 7: A remarkable change for the better,” Saratoga, California

 

 SPORTS

 

Sports News

First Place, Emily Close, “Ivy Dreams Take Root in Squash Court,” Darien, Connecticut

Second Place, Ayla Washam, “No spots in weight class for regulars,” Boise, Idaho

 

Sports Opinion

First Place, Parker Simmons, “Team free falls into a 0-9 ring of fire,” Boise, Idaho

Second Place, Clare Hern, “A-Rod isn’t a ‘true Yankee,’” West Hartford, Connecticut

 

Sports Team Reporting

First Place, Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins, “Behind the scenes at ESPN,” West Hartford, Connecticut

 

CARTOONS

 

First Place, Lisa Garrard, “Prince, I’m Leaving You for Snow White,” Boise, Idaho

Second Place, Elahn Santiago, “Graduation Day,” Holyoke, Massachusetts

Honorable Mention, Michelle Deng, “The sea of causes,” Saratoga, California

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

 

News Photo

First Place, Caroline Nelissen, “Kurdish demonstrators take to the streets in Istanbul,” Ermelo, The Netherlands

Sports Photo

First Place, Megan Mizuta, “Borah High senior Adam Bunch,” Boise, Idaho

 

Feature Photo

First Place, Eugenia Durante, “Genoa's enchanting Christmas,” Genoa, Italy

 

Photo Illustration

First Place, Emily Brady, “Harassment,” Holyoke, Massachusetts