Indian Trail’s The Pulse student newspaper was among this year’s three high school journalism programs that won the General Excellence Award in the state Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s annual competition.
The staff will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the William E. Branen Foundation to support its journalism program. This is the third time The Pulse has received the WNA award and scholarship in the past decade. The 2013-14 and 2018-19 newspaper staffs also each garnered $1,000 to support the paper. Funds were used to help buy reporting equipment and to help offset printing costs.
Individual student reporters, photographers and illustrators also earned recognition in the 2020 competition, capturing an additional 12 awards.
• First Place, General Reporting – Sohi Kang, Angelica Gonzalez; “KUSD launches effort to build more diverse teaching staff”
• First Place, Sports Photography – Elly Herrick; “Flying high on the spike”
• First Place, Infographic/Illustration – Sunny Stevenson; “Virtual vs. In-Person Learning”
• Second Place, General Reporting – Wyatt Garlow; “Climate change, gun control top list of issues important to teens”
• Second Place, In-Depth Reporting – Staff; COVID-19 upends student life, delays treasured traditions, shifts classes online; WIAA cancels spring sports, student athletes lament loss; IT students gain meaningful experience working near frontlines of pandemic
• Second Place, Column Writing – Matt Escalante; “Last of humanity strives to survive the storm in Frostpunk”
• Second Place, Sports Photography – Isabelle Schroeder; “Fumble recovery celebration”
• Second Place, Infographic/Illustration – Alejandro Comstock; “BLM/Kenosha teens recall, define 2020’s summer of unrest”
• Third Place, Column Writing – Sophia Hysaw; “Social media, politics fuel breakdown in willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints”
• Third Place, Infographic/Illustration – Cora Fisher; “Let your voice be heard; Educate yourself, then vote”
• Honorable Mention, Feature Story – Katlyn Marotz; “Lone Homecoming halftime dancer doesn’t miss a beat”
• Honorable Mention, Infographic/Illustration – Sunny Stevenson; “Social media, politics fuel breakdown in willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints”