Publications Win National Awards

Two St. Mark’s publications, The Marque and The Scientific Marksmen, recently received national recognition. These accolades are even more impressive considering both were published in the spring of 2020 and during the initial stages of the pandemic, presenting unique coordination and production challenges.

 

The 2019-2020 issue of The Marque literary magazine received the prestigious Pacemaker Award, the preeminent honor given by the National Scholastic Press Association. The Marque, established in 1962, serves as the yearly collection of literary and artistic pieces created by Upper School students to summarize the academic year’s artistic expression. The Marque is an after-school extracurricular activity that works independently from the St. Mark’s journalism program.

 

“I couldn’t be prouder of our staff for putting together a magazine under the most difficult conditions last year and winning not only the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Crown Award but also the NSPA’s highest accolade, the Pacemaker,” said Lynne Schwartz, Trustee Master Teaching Chair, who serves as The Marque’s faculty advisor. “Editors-in-Chief Neal Reddy ’20 and Kasen Roberson ’20 and their entire staff have done amazing work and bring honor to the School.”

 

“I think it’s a testament to the whole staff’s resilience and creativity to produce this edition during extraordinary circumstances,” Neal said, who is currently a freshman at Princeton. “The Marque taught me how to appreciate the role of art and literature at St. Mark’s and in communities everywhere — which I think is the most important takeaway.”

 

Additionally, the 2019-2020 issue of The Scientific Marksman won several CSPA Gold Circle Awards, which recognize superior work by individual student journalists. The Scientific Marksman is a journal that showcases notable endeavors and discoveries in the STEM fields, both in and outside of the St. Mark’s community.

 

“When it was clear that lockdown was not going to end after a few weeks, I told the team that it was okay if they couldn’t get it done, that we’d use the stories next year so that nothing was wasted. But they wouldn’t accept failure,” said biology teacher Dr. Bonnie Flint, who serves as The Scientific Marksman’s faculty advisor.

 

Students working on The Scientific Marksman brought home first- and second-place awards for every category in which they were recognized, including:

 

“I feel like these students deserve all the awards, and when others recognize their talent and skill, it just feels great that the professionals in the field also agree,” Mrs. Flint said.