Best of Colorado 2012Newspapers/Newsmaga

zinesTop PROFILE, LIFESTYLE

FEATUREand LIFESTYLE COVERAGE

entries, comments from judges and support materials

Profile Writing (4A)Arvada HS – The Crimson ReportJoe Tiner

The judge wrote: The best entries in this category go beyond the obvious (“This athlete is a great student, too!” “Meet our principal, he’s a swell guy.” “Hey, ya’ll, we have a new foreign exchange student!”) and delve into the life of a person who has faced adversity, is doing something unusual or unexpected or has something inspiring that’s worth telling people about. The best stories in the category weren’t just gloss-overs of the star football player or the girl who got the lead in the school play. They were about a blind girl who is an accomplished musician (but who faces struggles in the hallways), a long-time football manager who has undergone numerous surgeries, but is beloved by the community and a girl who wants to be a boxer, even though that choice has brought negativity from her peers. When you’re choosing subjects for personality profiles, look for students or faculty who have interesting stories to tell. It takes a lot of interviewing and thoughtful questions. Maybe that star volleyball player faces challenges at home or that kid covered in tattoos has an amazing blog. Everyone has a story to tell – it’s up to you to find it!

Profile Writing (4A)Arvada HS – The Crimson ReportJoe Tiner

Published online, this profile tells the riveting story of a counselor at Columbine HS who was a 16-year-old student there when the shooting occurred in 1999.

The write simply tells her story, as a narrative, and then brings readers back to how the events have influenced Noel.

Readers are hungry for great stories.

Profile Writing (5A) George Washington HS The SurveyorClaire Trainor & Allison DeSarroNOTE: An evocative design complements a strong profile of a blind student and what her daily life is like as a student.

Profile Writing (5A) Arapahoe HS The HeraldMaggie Hurlbut – 2nd Place

NOTE: So who is that guy I see down on the sidelines at Littleton Public Stadium every football game? The answer is the beginning of a great story.

It is amazing how many people are in our community with stories to share about overcoming adversity. We just need to ask.

Profile Writing (5A) Fort Collins HS Spilled InkBrooke Benton – 3rd Place

NOTE: Another great story about a student overcoming obstacles, and in this case engaged in a sport the school doesn’t really know much about.

These sorts of stories grow out of simply keeping our eyes and ears open in classroom and hallways, on bus trips and waiting to go to a show.

All we need is a name and even the hint of angle, and we can do the rest!

Lifestyle Feature Writing (5A) Rock Canyon HS The RockMegan Boyles, Danielle Burrage & Maddie Whitten

The judge wrote: The best entries in this category took topics or issues that are current in today’s news and pop culture cycles and presented them in comprehensive way that included good reporting and quote gathering, fine writing and packaging that elevated the story.

NOTE: The following lifestyle feature goes in-depth on bullying and how social media can play into that. It combines a lengthy piece of text with multiple sources with several sidebars / quick reads.

Although not strictly part of this category, the photography and design enhance the coverage. It is never easy to create images that add to this kind of sensitive reporting, but the editors did a nice job here of creating universal images that don’t embarrass anyone yet carry emotional weight.

Lifestyle Feature Writing (5A) Castle View HS The View Sianna Elmanouzi – 2nd Place

Lifestyle Feature Writing (5A) Arapahoe HS The Herald Paul Albani-Burgio & Hannah Tschumper– 3rd Place

Lifestyle Coverage (4A) Englewood HS The PirateerVeronique Barbour, Sannah Pham, T. C. Scaggiari, Elida Schultz & Rebeccah Sheppard

Castle View HS The ViewCassie Thompson, Ethan Wood, Ronan Kirwan & Sianna Elmanouzi

Eaglecrest HS The Eagle QuillErin O’Donnell & Jessica Dankenbring – 2nd Place

The judge wrote: The best entries in this category took a closer look at issues that mean something to a high school student’s life – finding work, dealing with civil rights issues, body image, stress. This category is about packaging a story –and the schools awarded did that – they used writing, reporting, sidebars, photos, graphics and page design to offer a thoughtful approach to story telling.