HHS Purple Clarion has big night at high school newspaper contest
HARRISBURG - Harrisburg High School's Purple Clarion hauled home a host of honors from a recent school newspaper contest, and student journalists are proud of the results.
In addition to a long list of individual awards, the publication received the Blue Banner Award from the Southern Illinois School Press Association for the second consecutive year. The Blue Banner recognizes scholastic excellence.
"It was really great. We succeeded individually and as a group, getting the Blue Banner Award," news editor Jack Gulley said.
"We work hard every month and try to represent every group in our school and do it in a great way with our paper. It's good to see someone else appreciates our work and validated our hard work. Some of us have been doing this for three or four years."
Gulley said while he does not intend to become a professional journalist, the experience helps with his intended job choice of teaching English.
"I wouldn't be opposed to helping the student newspaper wherever I teach," he said.
Senior Bradley Frailey won awards for writing and graphic design. He's enjoys working with the imaging software.
"I've been using Photoshop for a long time, and this year I started editing the center page spread," Frailey said. "I wanted to incorporate more into it and do a lot more art work."
Junior Hayley Sullivan, who shot the photo of Gulley raising the Blue Banner Award, said while she's relatively new to journalism, she likes taking photos for the Purple Clarion. "This year, I decided to take Photo and Design as an elective, and with practice, I got better," she said.
She said currently she views taking photos as more of a hobby than a career option.
English teacher Cathy Wall, who sponsors the Purple Clarion, said she's proud of the accomplishments of the Purple Clarion staff.
"I'm just incredibly proud of them. They are such diversely talented individuals, and I'm honored they choose to make time for they newspaper and give it they kind of effort they do," Wall said.
"Our students are in speech, band, drama and sports, a lot of activities. They're all very good students who give a lot of time to academics as well, and I think it's an honor to get to work with them. Our seniors who are leaving, I'm going to miss a whole bunch."
On-site contest winners included:
Copy editing, Kaylee Robinson, second place; Infographic design, Bradley Frailey, second place; News writing, Savannah Hubbs, second place; Newspaper sports, Nolan Davidson, first place; Captions, Kirsten Travelstead, third place; and Review writing, Jack Gulley, first place.
Best Story winners were taken from work produced during the school year. Those winners include:
Advertising, Kole Phelps, third place; Front page layout, Jack Gulley, first place; Sports photo, Jack Gulley, second place; Overall layout, Harrisburg High School, first place; Editorial column, Kole Phelps, third place; Best centerspread story package, "Coffee" by Bradley Frailey, Nick Beckham and Kole Phelps, first place and "There's no place like Homecoming" by Bradley Frailey, Kaylee Robinson and Kole Phelps, third place; Computer graphic, Bradley Frailey, first and second place; Humorous column, Bradley Frailey, first place; Sports column, Savannah Hubbs, first and third places; Review, Jack Gulley, second place; and Headline, Kole Phelps, first place.