‘The Mountain Laurel’ Receives Honors
Posted on: March 12, 2021
Tigerville, SC (November 19, 2018) The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) recently announced the winners from its 35th Gold Circle Awards program. This year, these categories attracted 4,979 yearbook and digital media entries and 6,514 print news and magazines for a total of 11,493 entries submitted in 166 categories.
These entries came from publications produced by students at colleges, universities, and secondary schools through the United States and abroad who follow an American education plan.
NGU’s 2017-2018 literary magazine “The Mountain Laurel” (TML) titled “Voices” earned a gold medalist rating along with All-Columbian honors for overall design. Two students’ submissions won individual recognition from CSPA by earning Gold Circle Awards for their pieces. Will Paul McDonald (’18) was awarded first place in the photo illustration category, a first for TML. Also, Caleb Willingham won an honorable mention in the closed form poetry category.
Entries for print newspaper and magazines published from June 13, 2017, to June 11, 2018, were eligible for consideration in the 51 newspaper and 35 magazine categories.
Judges cited a total of 655 winners for yearbook and digital media and 720 for print newspaper and magazine for either first, second or third place or for certificates of merit for those deemed worthy of honorable mention in a category. Entry categories included those for yearbooks and digital (online) media, in its annual competition for individual achievement by student writers, editors, designers, and photographers.
“‘The Mountain Laurel’ is certainly a labor of love, and our students work diligently and faithfully to produce a quality literary magazine. We appreciate the support of the administration as another year of production is underway,” said English Instructor and Adviser to TML Sarah Bailey.
Also, the Associated College Press (ACP) honored the nation’s best by naming 34 student-produced collegiate magazines as finalists out of 104 entered in its annual prestigious Pacemaker competition. NGU was named as a finalist.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” said Laura Widmer, executive director. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
A team of four judges, with extensive magazine editing experience, studied each entry discussing its strengths and weaknesses.
Gary Lundgren, the ACP associate director, and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition noted that the quality of the winning collegiate magazines rivals those produced by professionals.
