Joanne Miller

Journalism wins awards at State competition. Back: Anna Samuels, Chase Zagurski, Robert William Baker III, Dalton Heller, Zoey Buthorne, Shelbly Neeley. Front: Ella Erickson, Christine Kaldahl, Margaret Smith, Alexa Leiting.

State journalism is an intense NSAA competition that happens every year between schools with qualifying entrants, and this year there were 25 Class A schools who had qualifiers..

At State, there is onsite competition where students compete in live timed writing to be placed. MSHS had five onsite competitors this year.

“I had to write three  headlines in 90 minutes,” senior Zoey Buthorne said. “I was given six different stories and I had to pick three to write headlines for. Before I started I was kind of nervous, but once I got in the room, the headlines came naturally to me,” said senior managing editor Buthorne who placed second in her event.

“I was really surprised when I placed because prior to the event I was not aware that the headlines were scored on spelling. I am a terrible speller and was not allowed to use any spell check,” Buthorne said. “I was shocked when I got second because I did spell something wrong.”

While State is something exciting to participate in, sometimes there are difficulties in such a big competition.

“It’s idiotic that they would take us away from the environment that we typically write in,” senior Chase Zagurski said. “We have to write in an hour and fifteen minutes and we only go to listen to [the media we have to write on] twice,” said entertainment write Chase Zagurski who placed third in his event.

Zagurski was competing in the entertainment review writing, which he qualified for with his Willie Nelson music review.

Zagurski also placed third in state swimming.

“Two separate third place medals in NSAA activities is funny,” he said.

State is just one of the big competitions that Millard South participates in every year. NPW, Nebraska Press Women, is a contest that South also did very well in.

In Depth editor Alexa Leiting got first place in the competition for Double-Truck Layout.

“The women love me. They liked my work a lot last year and they liked my work this year. Other competitions don’t tend to like my work as much, but I can always count on the women,” Leiting said.

Leiting also got first place at state for her infographic.

“I was so shocked because it was an infographic with my own handwriting, not with data or any computer aspect. I was happy because it was really cool that I won in something that wasn’t a layout,” Leiting said.