Quill and Scroll and Missouri Interscholastic Press Association and recognized ECHO staff members for their journalistic contributions.
The ECHO website received the highest All-Missouri Rating overall, and the ECHO newspaper received a superior rating overall.
The MIPA judge for Newspaper Overall said, “There’s a certain advanced maturity level among these writers—they write with more confidence and authority than the typical high school journalist. I wish I would have had that ability at this age.”
Cristina Vasques-Muniz was declared a National Winner in the 2013 International Writing and Photo Contest for her Review Column “Indie Film Tells Story.” This makes her eligible to apply for one of the Quill and Scroll Scholarships in Journalism. Twenty-four National Winners were chosen in her category of 184 entries.
Four students received five of the Show-Me ratings, MIPA’s highest rating: sophomore Bret Waelterman for Individual Photojournalism: Sports Action “Football Team Breaking Banner,” senior Cristina Vasquez-Muniz for Regular Column, Sports Column or Review Column “Indie Film Tells Story of Youth”/”Spielberg’s Latest Film Portrays Lincoln in New Light,” senior Addie Conway for Regular Column, Sports Column or Review Column “’Legitimate Rape’ Can’t Lead to Pregnancy”/”Self Injury Not Discussed in School” and News Story (“Healthy Vending Machines to be Available,” and senior Kevin Killeen for Individual Photojournalism: Academic Photo “Motherhood and Mathematics.”
Six students received 12 superior ratings: Killeen for Individual Photojournalism: Creative/Artistic “Thespians Rehearse ‘Into the Woods,’” Sports Action “Head Coach Bikes Along Side Team,” Portrait/Personality “Senior Kevin Redmond Gives Blood” and News Photo “Bungee Run” and for Feature Story “Uzbek Chess Champion,” Waelterman for Individual Photojournalism: Sports Action “Football# 3 Breaks Through Tackle,” sophomore Aerin Johnson for Individual Photojournalism: News Photo “Community Battles Cold for MLK Day Parade,” Conway for Diversity Awareness “Self-Injury Not Discussed in School,” Diversity Awareness “Teen Pregnancy in High School,” In-depth Article/Series “Student Pregnancy,” Killeen and senior Nathan Grobe for In-depth Article/Series “District ‘Rebrands’ Look,” and Killeen and senior Austen Klein for Editorial “Expensive District Logo Seems Excessive.”
