The staff of Traverse City Central High School's Black & Gold newspaper returned from a Michigan Interscholastic Press Association conference last month with a fistful of awards and honors.
In addition, the school's publications advisor, Missi Yeomans, received Advisor of the Year recognition and former school principal Mike Murray was honored as Administrator of the Year.
Attending the Spring Conference on April 17 in Lansing, 18 students brought home awards from the event for their writing, photography, graphics or layout and design, spanning the range from first place to honorable mention. The school's paper also took second place in the Spartan contest, a complete publication contest that this year pitted 74 student newspapers against each.
Black & Gold co-editor in chief Lynden Baesch termed the awards and recognition "icing on the cake” for the diverse and talented staff.
"Our staff is amazing,” said Baesch in a statement. "I have never seen so many unique and different people come together so well.”
The students' efforts were judged against work from similarly sized schools as the competition splits entrees into four groups based on school population. This year, 85 schools entered the individual newspaper event and Traverse City Central competed with about 20 papers in the second to the smallest size division.
"It all just came together for them, that can happen occasionally and it did for them this year,” said Cheryl Pell, director of MIPA, which is based at Michigan State University school of journalism.
Yeomans acknowledged mentors at the school, "amazing” students and a supportive administration as the foundation of her honor. The other Black & Gold co-editor in chief, Maureen Stych, nominated her and included a portfolio of work plus letters of support submitted by both peers and students. Past winners of this award, known as the Golden Pen, plus other teachers from around the state selected Yeomans for the recognition.
"We're looking for advisors who make a difference in the student lives with the publication,” noted Pell.
Murray, now superintendent of the Suttons Bay School District, served as principal of Central High School for three and a half years. The veteran educator, who has also been a teacher and junior high school principal, worked closely with the Black & Gold staff.
"It caught me totally by surprise,” said Murray of the award.
Murray's philosophy as principal was one of respect for the students as they pursue stories or discuss issues that many an administrator would squash. He held a press conference with every issue to answer questions from the students and let them decide what was newsworthy.
"I find that if you treat students with respect and the highest expectations, they generally rise up to respond to that level frequently,” he said.
"I approach it as a good lesson in citizenship,” Murray added of a student newspaper. "To me citizenship is an open exchange of ideas and being able to look at issues with depth, breadth and balance — and we used to say objectivity but I don't think there's anything such as objectivity.”