In the print competition, the school placed third. Out of the 12 entries submitted in six contests, the school won eight awards, four of them in the top 10. In photojournalism, the school placed ninth. Finalists are the six first-place winners in monthly writing competitions and the two who placed highest in their top two scores. Students will be given rigorous assignments and compete for additional awards.
Judges are prominent newspaper, television and radio professionals from non-Hearst media.
Dean Richard Cole chairs the National Steering Committee that sets the rules and oversees the contest each year. Associate Professor Jan Yopp coordinated the school's selections in the writing competition and Professor Rich Beckman in photojournalism. Doty won first place in spot news for a story on President Clinton's visit to North Carolina after the flooding from Hurricane Floyd. Other students who placed in the top 20 this year were senior Leigh Ellen Martz, who tied for15th place in personality profiles and was 20th in in-depth reporting, and senior Stuart Crampton, who tied for 13 th place in profiles. Brady Dennis also placed 14th in editorials and signed opinion pieces.