CHAPEL HILL — Kinston High School journalism students received the highest award from the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association Thursday night.
About a dozen students participated in the four-day Summer Institute, sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications on the UNC Chapel Hill campus. The instructional program culminated in an awards presentation.
Michael Moon, journalism and yearbook advisor and English teacher, said the participation increased about four times the number that previously attended.
KHS was selected as one of six schools in the state to receive the Tar Heel award for its print newspaper. It was the first time in five years. The school had previously received two Tar Heel awards for its online newspaper content in the past five years.
“It shows that Kinston High School students are really capable of doing great things,” Moon said about the Tar Heel award.
The Viking Press was selected out of all the winners of the All North Carolina newspaper awards, which is the highest award for similar-sized schools.
In addition, the school won Distinction awards for its yearbook and Viking Press website — the second highest award for similar-sized schools.
“We’re a strong program,” Moon said, “and it’s a testament to the school.”
Students also won numerous individual and section awards in newspaper, yearbook and online, including placing in all categories of newspaper sections.
The school’s newspaper staff earned first place in newspaper inside page design. Other first place newspaper wins include the sports section and a feature story by Anna Hill.
Hill, a rising senior, started on the newspaper staff in her sophomore year and also works on the yearbook. She was named editor of The Viking Press this past year.
“My main role is to listen to the ideas of the staff,” she said. “… It’s my job to put it all together in one publication.”
Her feature story was a question and answer piece based on an interview with a history teacher, Nader Odeh, a second-generation Palestinian.
Hill said she learned about the stereotyping that Odeh has faced since the terrorist attacks on 9-11.
“It’s cool the way he deals with it,” she said. At first, he experienced anger, but eventually he turned his anger into educating people about his culture.
The story was published in April 2012.
“It’s honestly so amazing,” she said, “to see that our hard work paid off. (The Odeh story) made people all over Kinston hear about it.”
The yearbook cover received honorable mention with its shiny positive words overlaying the school’s Viking mascot, Hill said.
Students who attended the Summer Institute could choose instruction in newspaper, photojournalism, television news or yearbook, as well as create an edition of the Rush newspaper in the institute’s 20th year of publishing it.
Dymond Mumford, a rising senior, chose to help create the eight-page Rush in two-and-a-half days.
“It was pretty fun,” she said. Mumford interviewed officers of the NCSMA and learned about deadline writing.
She won third place for a news article, as well as for a review, at Thursday’s award presentation. The news article brought out the issue of the school’s new dress code and ban on hoodies.
“It was, like, the most-read article,” Mumford said. It was published in the first issue of the past school year.
Mumford was instrumental in changing the design of the website, which received a Distinction award.
Moon said at least four KHS students went on to earn journalism-related degrees from universities in the five years he has been advising. One, Resita Cox, became the 2012 Rachel Rivers-Coffey North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year.
Moon will no longer be teaching at KHS, as he will be working on a master’s degree in school administration.
“I am really excited about the direction scholastic journalism is headed at Kinston High School,” he said, “which makes it all that much harder for me to step away.”
Both Hill and Mumford expressed admiration for the teacher who brought journalism back into the school after a number of years. Hill said she sees Moon as a mentor.
“He is definitely more than a teacher,” she said. “… He finds a unique thing about you to help you. I guess he’s an inspiration and a strength. He brings out the best in you.”
Hill said the publications couldn’t have won without Moon’s leadership and guidance.
Mumford said Moon motivated her to talk to the school superintendent for her first article.
“Mr. Moon is an awesome advisor,” she said. “This year, he pushed me a lot.”
Savannah Sharp, an English teacher, will be taking over as journalism advisor.
“She has a lot of ideas for next year,” Mumford said of Sharp. “She’s very excited, so that’s good.”
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Overall awards
Newspaper — Tar Heel Award (highest award of al school size categories)
Newspaper — All North Carolina (fourth consecutive year)
Yearbook — Distinction
Online — Distinction
All-N.C. is the highest rating for a school in the same school size category. Distinction is the second highest.
Individual newspaper awards
Inside page design (first place): Staff
Sports article (second place): Jeremy Taylor
News article (third place): Dymond Mumford
Feature article (third place): Anna Hill
Front page design (third place): Staff
Cartoon (third place): Abby Sargeant, Emily Benson
General/Editorial column (Honorable Mention): Eliza Deaver
Review (Honorable Mention): Dymond Mumford, (Honorable Mention): Melissa Glen
Individual yearbook awards
Feature copy (first place): Anna Hill
Sports spread (second place): Janay Boone and Erin Stewart
Theme copy (Honorable Mention): Janay Boone
Newspaper — Section awards (awarded in every category)
Sports (first place)
News (second place)
Editorial (second place)
Photography (third place)
Advertising (third place)
Graphics (third place)
Features (third place)
Design (Honorable Mention)
Yearbook — Section awards
Cover design (Honorable Mention)
Online — Section awards
Sports (first place)
News (second place)
Design (Honorable Mention)
Photography (Honorable Mention)