Deep within the Philadelphia Marriott on Saturday at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, The Sidekick adviser Chase Wofford, KCBY-TV adviser Irma Lazos-Kennedy, Round-Up adviser Katrina Hester and five staff members eagerly await the commencement of the awards ceremony.
As awards flash across the screen, the nervous energy and anticipation were palpable.
“When we got there there was that butterfly feeling when you’re sitting in the audience, I was just waiting for the moment,” The Sidekick staff writer Elizabeth De Santiago said. “I would watch the school in front of us get awards and I was wondering, ‘When is ours going to come up?”
This year, The Sidekick and KCBY-TV were up for a total of 10 awards, one of which was an NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker and the others being individual and staff Best of Show awards. The Sidekick finished as a Pacemaker finalist, while receiving fifth place in Best of Show for its newspaper.
The Sidekick sports photography editor Kayla Nguyen finished second in Best of Show Sports Photo and executive news editor Sahasra Chakilam finished 10th in Best of Show News Story Reporting.
“I was right next to my dad when it happened,” said The Sidekick executive news editor Sahasra Chakilam, who did not attend the convention. “When I got the message, I was like, ‘Oh my God dad. Look, I got 10th place.’ It was such an honor to get that, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I know that story meant a lot to me, especially living here for the past 10 years and seeing the culmination of events happen. It’s an honor to know that my work was received well and people were impacted by it.”
KCBY-TV finished second in Broadcast Best of Show, while taking first place for Best of Show Broadcast News Story.
“I was very proud of that segment,” KCBY-TV project director Jack Mancuso said. “I have won a couple awards before, but this is the first major award I have won so it’s very exciting. It’s cool to be recognized on such a big scale, to win an award like that. It proves to me that I can make a good segment and that our whole team has the skill to keep going and make even better stuff for the rest of the year.”
Though KCBY-TV collected six awards, Lazos-Kennedy said the program had been a Broadcast Pacemaker finalist for nine consecutive years prior to 2024.
“When you’re not included in the best of the schools that are out there it makes you stop and think,” Lazos-Kennedy said. “We took a step back, but I see the continued growth and clearly, from my perspective, looking back at the shows last year, I felt we deserved to be on that list. It’s getting tougher every year, but I think that the individual awards gave us a much needed shot in the arm.”
Both programs have a history of success, however they are always looking to improve. For KCBY-TV, it means a greater emphasis on storytelling and overall segment quality.
“By the end of the year, our show is going to be even stronger and having other students see that certain students that have been working hard, placed at the national level so early on in the year, it only helps others who want to do the same,” Lazos-Kennedy said.
For The Sidekick, the program looks to improve holistically.
“Use it as a way to improve, that should always be the goal,” Wofford said. “How can each paper get better?’ Everyone worked incredibly hard and if we keep doing that the site is going to do great things, the papers are going to do great things and we’ll have a great year.”
“We’re just getting started and this year’s staff is still telling its story,” Wofford said. “It’s not the end of what they are going to do.”
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