Student Publications Earn National Acclaim

Student publications at St. Mark’s have a long history of not only providing insight, perspective, and information for our community but also receiving accolades beyond 10600 Preston Road. The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) recently recognized 22 Pacemaker Award finalists from St. Mark’s 2020-2021 student publications, far surpassing the previous single-year record of six. The Pacemaker Award is the highest award given by the NSPA, and one of the most prestigious awards given to high school publications nationwide.

 

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment for St. Mark’s publications and for the editors, writers, photographers, and designers who have been recognized nationally by the NSPA,” said Ray Westbrook, publications advisor, and Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair. “They were committed to telling stories that matter, from covering the aftermath of the George Floyd killing to evaluating the importance of single-sex schools; from covering sports seasons that were decimated by the pandemic to finding ways to tell the story of the year when so many school traditions were re-imagined.”

 

The recognized student publications include The ReMarker student newspaper, Focus special interest magazine, and The Scientific Marksmen science journal. The publications are student-led, with an editor-in-chief directing his team through all phases of production, including story development, writing and reporting, layout and graphic design, and photography.

 

“I found out that The Scientific Marksman made the finalist list when I was in the middle of a Zoom meeting—I had to mute and try to contain my excitement, but my peers definitely knew that something was up,” said Varun Trivedi ’21, former editor-in-chief of The Scientific Marksman and currently a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

“We had to navigate some pretty difficult situations because of the pandemic,” said Robert Pou ’21, editor-in-chief of the 2020-2021 ReMarker and currently a freshman at Georgetown University. “I could not be happier with how my guys responded and adapted to everything thrown their way.”

 

“St. Mark’s journalism gifts its participants much more than the ability to write journalistically,” said Cristian Pereira ’21, editor-in-chief of the 2020-2021 Focus magazine and currently a freshman at Yale. “The program develops skills in experience, communication, leadership, time-management, and work efficiency, among an unparalleled community of passionate storytellers. All of this is a testament to the incredible work the teachers have put into the program to place it into the national spotlight.”

 

On November 13, the NSPA will announce Pacemaker winners and ranked finalists from all of the various award categories.