The Pirates’ Hook was named an All-North Carolina newspaper in the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s (NCSMA) annual student media contest.
The Hook earned the NCSMA’s highest rating for the second consecutive year and eighth time in school history. Recipients “demonstrate excellence in all areas of journalism, combining effective writing and design with broad and diverse coverage,” according to its website.
Riverside student journalists also won the following individual awards:
First Place
Tate Gasch (review): Riverside’s Stage Brings a Far Away Kingdom to Life
Tate Gasch (sports photo): 3v3 basketball tournament
Isaac Janiak Stein (sports column): You still don’t understand how great Serena is
Isaac Janiak Stein (personality profile): From the Olympics to the River: Coach James Carter describes championships, pro career, coaching
Dunya Omar (graphic): Black History Month
Dunya Omar (cartoon): Did a robot write this article? ChatGPT raises concerns for teachers
Second Place
Taliyah Cooper (front page design): November 2022
Tate Gasch (news photo): Destino 5v5
Tyler McLean (review): Anime review: Yasuke’s promising, but underwhelming
Marcus Prewitt (feature photo): Athletic director Robert Duncan
Eden Richman (editorial): Every student deserves Ms. Schmaltz
Piper Winton (news article): AVID returns to Riverside for the first time since 2010
Piper Winton (inside spread design): Spring sports captains, in their own words
Piper Winton and Nellie Purdy (sports article): Sparse crowds, low participation: Women’s Basketball’s tough season reflects national trend
Third Place
Ethan Haine (sports column): This year feels different: Looking ahead to the Canes’ season
Sadie Irby (cartoon): Dear Lenny, spring edition
Sadie Irby (front page design): April 2023
Lana McIlvaine (inside page design): Riverside and Homecoming: It’s complicated
Piper Winton (general/editorial column): The $18 million solution: Increase access to mental health resources
Piper Winton, Charlotte Holloway and Isabelle Abadie (feature article): “Of course I’ve experienced sexualization”: New era brings same challenges for female athletes
Honorable Mention
Taliyah Cooper (inside spread design): All too real (p12-15)
Sadie Irby (general/editorial column): The $18 million solution: Increase arts funding
Tobias Rangel (sports column): My experience in Qatar for the World Cup
Collin Phillips (sports column): Pirate Athletics Media: How we got here
Eden Richman & Taliyah Cooper (feature article): Sex-Ed at Riverside: Some students are only being taught abstinence. They’re not the only ones.
The awards were announced during the North Carolina Scholastic Media Institute, a 3-day summer camp for high school journalists in June at UNC-Chapel Hill. Full contest results are available at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s website.
