Eagle Eye Takes First In State

by Danielle Woo April 23, 2015March 11, 2022 436

Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Eagle Eye news staff took home 25 awards as well as placed first in state overall at the 2015 Hawaii High School Journalism Awards.

Every year the Hawaii Publishing Association, Star Advertiser, and Midweek hold an awards luncheon for journalism students in both public and private schools. The banquet was held at the Pagoda Hotel on April 22, 2015, where students gathered inside the hotel’s ballroom awaiting awards for their schools’ news publication.

This year, the competition did not have a separate judging category for online and print as it usually does. All submissions, whether digital or print, were judged in one combined system. The Eagle Eye placed 19 times in the private school division and 6 times in the state division. Both divisions were divided by category, such as News Writing, Feature Writing, Editorial Cartoon, etc. There was a first, second, and third place winner for all 21 categories. Junior Kylie Yamauchi’s news article concerning a triumphant dog rescue placed first in the private school division.

The Eagle Eye also took first in state, as well as first in the private school division, with seniors Jaryd Sugihara and Danielle Woo’s homework policy editorial. This year was the first year that a category for an overall themed poster was added. Students were eligible to submit an illustration representing this year’s theme: Web and Ink. Mililani High School took the victory of having the winning illustration.

The best overall in state was also comprised of three schools: Kamehameha Schools Maui in third place, Mililani High School in second place, and HBA in first place. Along with a spot on the competition’s perpetual plaque, HBA was also awarded a $200 check for their publication. Francesca Weems, sports anchor for Hawaii News Now, delivered a speech preceding the awards ceremony as this year’s keynote speaker.