BluePrints Magazine attends both Georgia Scholastic Press Association (GSPA) conferences in Athens, Georgia, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) conference in Columbia, South Carolina annually. The following are awards that BluePrints and its members have won through these conferences.
At the 2023 Georgia Scholastic Press Association spring awards ceremony, our publication’s students and adviser earned three individual achievement awards. All three staffs earned “Superior” ratings across the board. Finally, individual students earned a total of 12 “All-Georgia” recognitions (judged best in state) and 14 “Superior” awards.
Achievement Awards
Georgia Champion Journalist of the Year, Runner-up – Melanie Frick
Enterprising Award – Freddrell Green for his work on the Education Matters radio show
(recognizes a student who achieves success in publishing significant, quality journalistic work outside of school in local, regional or national outlets)
First Amendment Essay Contest
1st place – Ruby Calkin
2nd place – Eva Lucero
3rd place – Tumelo Johnson
Adviser of the Year – Mr. Marc Ginsberg
Publication ratings
BluePrints Magazine – Superior
BluePrints online – Superior
WJAG-TV – Superior
Individual Awards
Social Justice Reporting
All-Georgia – Tumelo Johnson and London Moore – “Rises in rent leave tenants distraught”
Superior – Ikeoluwa Ojo – “A circle of justice”
Broadcast – News Package
All-Georgia – Melanie Frick – “Youth day at the West Broad Farmer’s Market”
Broadcast – Feature Package
All-Georgia – Aliyah Adams – “Making music with Jaylen Stringer”
Broadcast – Sports Package
Superior – Sabriyu Adams – “The new and improved Lady Jags”
Podcast
All-Georgia – Freddrell Green and Alyssa Weiszer – “Inside info on the college decision process”
In-Depth News Story
All-Georgia – Violet Calkin – “No easy solutions”
Feature Story
Superior – Ellie Crane – “Shelving a safe space”
All-Georgia – Ikeoluwa Ojo – “Slayed”
Feature Profile
Superior – Ikeoluwa Ojo – “A labor of No Love”
Column Writing
All-Georgia – Marcus Welch – “Crypto Crisis,” “Representing the right way,” “Managing a mixed mindset”
Critical Review
Superior – Mia La – “Mochinut comes to Athens”
Sports News Story
Superior – Marcus Welch – “Lady Jags soccer ends losing streak”
Superior – Megan Wise – “Region realignment”
Sports Game Coverage
Superior – Gabe Holcomb – “Jaguars shutout in Classic City Championship”
Sports Feature Story
Superior – Kylie Toney – “Both sides of the ball”
Editorial Cartoon
All-Georgia – Ava Maddox – “My journey to accepting my culture”
Sports Photograph
Superior – Kylie Toney – “Jaguar soccer”
News Photograph
Superior – Isabella Morgan – “Dr. Hooker”
Information Graphic
Superior – Aiden Dowling – “Fast Fashion”
Illustration
All-Georgia – Eva Lucero – “Managing a mixed mindset”
Superior – Mia La – “Feelings of Helplessness”
Double Truck Layout/Design
Superior – Megan Wise – “Raiders reign”
All-Georgia – Aiden Dowling – “Fast Fashion: accelerating unethical clothing production”
Social Media Storytelling
All-Georgia – Alyssa Weiszer, Melanie Frick and Ikeoluwa Ojo – “Jags in the Jungle”
Social Media Promotion
All-Georgia – Ikeoluwa Ojo, Ellie Crane, and Melanie Frick – “Magazine Promos”
The Cedar Shoals BluePrints Magazine, WJAG-TV, Little Blue Book and yearbook staff traveled to Columbia, SC for the 2023 Southern Interscholastic Press Association conference March 3-5. Students participated in sessions, workshops, on-site competitions and a journalism quiz bowl. Cedar Shoals students earned the following recognitions for their continued success and hard work.
Quiz Bowl – First Place: Aiden Dowling, Gabe Holcomb, Tumelo Johnson, and Marcus Welch
-This team defeated two teams from Clarke Central to win first place. Other Cedar Shoals participants on two other teams included Ellie Crane, Kira Law, Ethan Greene, Mallory Huntsman, Emma McElhannon, Isabella Morgan, Tory Ratajczak, and Megan Wise
On-site competitions – Teams compete against other students in different mediums and categories to produce original media stories and packages. BluePrints and Little Blue Book
Literary Magazine winners included:
Literary Magazine
Best Visual Elements and Best Overall: Mallory Huntsman, Ava Maddox, and Samantha Mifflin
Newsprint
Best Design: Ethan Greene, Kira Law, Chloe Smith, and Megan Wise
Online Media
Best Story: Melanie Frick, Ikeoluwa Ojo, Tory Ratajczak, and Zaya Roberson
Photography
Best Gallery: Delia McElhannon and Isabella Morgan
Publication ratings and awards
BluePrints Magazine – All-Southern (highest tier)
BluePrints Online – Superior; 2nd place Best in Show
WJAG-TV – Excellent
Individual Awards
SIPA Best Writing Contest
Feature Captions – Second Place: Anna Schmidt
News Captions – Second Place: London Moore
Sports Captions – Third Place: Megan Wise
Literary Magazine, Fiction – Third Place – Ava Maddox
Newsprint – Editorial Column – Honorable Mention: Ruby Calkin
Newsprint – Investigative Story – First Place: Violet Calkin
Newsprint – News feature – First Place: Ellie Crane
Newsprint – News Feature – Third Place: Tumelo Johnson and London Moore
Newsprint – Personality Profile – Third Place: Ikeoluwa Ojo
Newsprint – Personalilty Profile – Honorable Mention: Melanie Frick
Newsprint – Review – Third Place: Marcus Welch
Newsprint – Sports Column – Second Place: Jacob Weiszer
Newsprint – Sports Feature – Second Place: Michael Niedzwiecki-Castile
Newsprint – Sports Feature – Third Place: Ethan Greene
Newsprint Portfolio – Third Place: Ikeoluwa Ojo
Online – Column – Second Place: Marcus Welch
Online – Features – Third Place: Melanie Frick
Online – Reviews – Third Place: Luz Bazarte
Online – Sports Column – Third Place: Gabe Holcomb
Online – Sports Feature – Honorable Mention: Megan Wise
Online – Sports News – First Place: Ikeoluwa Ojo
SIPA Best Visuals Contest
Newsprint – Infographic – Third Place: Ellie Crane
Newsprint – Entertainment Package – Second Place: Ellie Crane
Newsprint – Feature Package – Second Place: Kira Law
Newsprint – Headline package – Third Place: Ellie Crane
Online – Features Package – Second Place: Melanie Frick
Online – Sports package – Third Place: Ruby Calkin
2022 Georgia Scholastic Press Association Spring Awards
Publication Awards
Superior News Website- BluePrints
Superior New Magazine- BluePrints
Individual Awards
Superior Illustration- Eva Lucero “Fallen Arch”
Superior Photo Essay- Ikeoluwa Ojo and Zaya Roberson “Tatted Up”
All-Georgia News Photograph- Melanie Frick “Getting Vaccinated”
All-Georgia Commentary- Violet Calkin “The World is Crumbling Why Even Apply?”
Superior Commentary- Ikeoluwa Ojo “My Dark Truth: Navigating a Color-Struck World”
Superior Feature Story- Isabella Morgan “Odhiambo’s Odyssey”
Superior Feature Story- Kira Law “Hustling Heredia”
Superior Feature Story- Ava Maddox “The Dead Rise in Athens”
All-Georgia In-Depth News Story- Jackie Wright “CCSD bus drivers cooperate and sacrifice to transport students”
Superior In-Depth News Story- Melanie Frick “Growing Gifted: CCSD Program Evolves to Become More Inclusive”
All-Georgia News Story- Savannah Duncan-Barnett “Local educators protest anti-critical race theory resolution”
Superior News Story- Ikeoluwa Ojo “Right to pads”
All Georgia COVID-19 Reporting- Lilly McGreevy “Distrust causes low vaccination rates”
Superior COVID-19 Reporting- Jackie Wright “Tracing Trials”
Superior Social Justice Reporting- Lilly McGreevy “Abolitionist teaching brings a new perspective to education”
Superior Sports Photograph- Megan Wise “On the Mat”
All-Georgia Sports Column- Jacob Weiszer “At long last, Dawgs on top”
All-Georgia Sports Feature Story- Megan Wise “Slamming the Standard”
Superior Sports Feature Story- Jacob Weiszer “From Whit to Wofford”
Superior Sports Game Coverage- Jacob Weiszer “Cedar Shoals drop third consecutive Classic City Championship 42-21”
Superior Sports Game Coverage- Gabriel Holcomb “Jags clinch playoff spot in 27-20 win over Chestatee”
Superior Sports News Story- Gabriel Holcomb “Injuries hamper Lady Jags softball season”
Broadcast
All-Georgia Sports Package- Alexander Holland “Preparations underway for baseball season”
All-Georgia Feature Package- Violet Calkin “30×30: restoring green spaces to Athens”
Superior Feature Package- Melanie Frick and Lilly McGreevy “Think Before You Move”
Superior News Package- Ruby Calkin and Aissatou Sarr “Counseling office opens news clothes closet”