PHS Outlook takes top award at convention

Paige Richmond

of the Gateway

Success didn’t come easy for the staff of The Outlook, Peninsula High School’s student newspaper.

Although the paper took the “Best in Show” last month at a national journalism conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, no one thought the award would be a sure thing.

The paper underwent major changes this year, said Editor In Chief Taylor Buck — partially because The Outlook previously met with criticism from PHS students for being too “elitist” for spending too much coverage on things such as Advanced Placement courses and academics while not focusing on the rest of the student body.

Buck took that criticism to heart and implemented a number of new ideas this year. First, The Outlook changed from a monthly to a bi-monthly newspaper, giving the staff more issues per year and more opportunities to write about the student body.

The Outlook staff members have also taken the initiative to find out what their peers want to read. During lunch period last Friday, for example, each staff member wore a plain white T-shirt and carried a Sharpie permanent marker. They then asked their classmates to use those markers to write on the back of their T-shirts what they’d like to read about in the student newspaper.

The Best in Show award, said Buck, who was also named Washington state’s Journalist of the Year, reflects that kind of dedication to more diverse coverage.

“It just seems completely appropriate,” she said. “Throughout this year, we’ve done a lot of teaching each other.”

PHS journalism teacher Derek Smith agreed. Since he began advising The Outlook staff five years ago, he said he’s seen a shift toward more community-focused writing.

“The most prestigious awards they have won have come from their drive to serve the community,” he said. “They’ve won more awards as they’ve become more authentic in their pursuit of journalism.”

Ten other members of the staff also took home individual awards. Junior Micaela Wakefield, a section editor for the newspaper’s Closer Look centerspread and a member of the school’s yearbook staff, was awarded an “Excellent” ranking in the Yearbook Copy/Captions: Club category.

She credited the newspaper’s success at the national convention on the camaraderie of The Outlook’s staff.

“In some other classes, it feels like you don’t really know really anybody,” she said. “This class is like a family.”

GHHS also wins big

Gig Harbor High School’s student newspaper, The Sound, placed seventh overall at last month’s convention.

“I think it’s really an impressive achievement for such a young staff, especially for not having any senior editors,” said GHHS journalism teacher Ehren Gossler.

Here’s a full list of both high schools’ winners:

Gig Harbor High School

Ivy Gillette — Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Natalie Peyton — Newspaper Layout, Excellent

Ashley Careaga — Computer Design: Photoshop Art, Excellent

Rebekah Blakney — Yearbook Copy/Captions: Student Life, Honorable Mention

Peninsula High School

Travis King — Newspaper Sports Photography: Superior

Micaela Wakefield — Yearbook Copy/Captions Clubs: Excellent

Paula Martin — Review Writing: Excellent

Ian Clark — Commentary Writing: Honorable Mention

Austin Jansen — Computer Design Infographic: Honorable Mention

Hannah George — Copy Editing/ Headline/Caption Writing: Honorable Mention

Gracie Newman — News writing: Honorable Mention

Reno Sorensen — Editorial Writing: Honorable Mention

Taylor Rushing — Editorial Cartooning: Honorable Mention

Brianne Geffre — Yearbook Layout/Inside pages: Honorable Mention

Reach Lifestyles Coordinator Paige Richmond at 853-9243 or by e-mail at paige.richmond@gateline.com.