St. Paul’s journalist wins a full ride to Loyola

By Christine Bordelon, Clarion Herald

Loyola University New Orleans hosted the one-day, Louisiana Journalism Education Association (JEA) Conference and annual Tom Bell Silver Scribe Contest Feb. 1.

“The conference is designed as an opportunity for high school students to build professional skills and begin envisioning a possible future in journalism and communications,” said Albert Dupont, Louisiana JEA president and instructor in the Loyola School of Mass Communication.

For the first time, JEA named a state “Journalist of the Year” from approximately  80 participating high school students from Jesuit High School, Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Paul’s School, St. Charles Parish Satellite Center, Hahnville High School, Destrehan High School, Archbishop Chapelle High School, SummerStone Academy and the New Orleans Junior Journalism Program.

St. Paul’s School’s senior Luc Hebert was named the high school “Journalist of the Year” and received a four-year academic scholarship to study mass communications at Loyola University New Orleans worth approximately $160,000. He will represent Louisiana at the JEA National Conference in San Francisco in April 2018, competing against representatives from approximately 40 states.

“Louisiana has never had a state representative because we’ve never had a state conference,” Dupont said.

The conference offered high school students interested in journalism insights from local professional journalists, educators  and publications specialists about sports broadcasting, magazine journalism, social media storytelling, yearbook design tips, international sports journalism and crisis communications for nonprofits, Dupont said. The Louisiana Journalism Education Association had held its first fall conference last September on Loyola’s campus.

“The School of Mass Communication at Loyola University New Orleans is happy to serve these young journalists as they begin their careers and plan their paths to college,” said Sonya Duhé, director of Loyola’s School of Mass Communication.

The Journalism Education Association supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, by promoting professionalism, by encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement and by fostering an atmosphere that encompasses diversity yet builds unity. The Spring 2018 conference was co-sponsored by the Loyola University New Orleans School of Mass Communication, Louisiana Journalism Education Association and the Press Club of New Orleans.

Those who participated in the 2018 Tom Bell Silver Scribe contest submitted their entries ahead of the conference for judging. They were presented with their awards at the conference’s conclusion.

Winners included:

Broadcasting Categories

News: “ACT Prep,” Maria Haar and Raneen Badr, Riverdale High School, first;  “Flooded High School,” Meagan Holdridge, St. Amant High, second; “Don’t Text and Drive,” Ray Burgess, Riverdale High, third.

Sports: “Destrehan Cross Country Runner,” Sage Blackledge, St. Charles Satellite Center, first.

Feature: “History of Guerrilla Wolves,” John Meyers, St. Paul’s School, first; “Jordan’s Special Night,” Jordan-Kay Gros, St. Charles Satellite Center, second.

Entertainment Video – Music Video, Skit, etc.:  “The Life of a Dollar,” Ashley Deshotel, St. Charles Satellite Center, first; “Left Lefty Snip,” Carson Caulfield, Joel Fernandez, Brandon Gallego, St. Paul’s School, second; “2018 Lib Dub Video,” ATVB Team members, St. Charles Satellite Center, third.

PSA, 30 seconds or shorter: “Litter PSA,” Vigneer Reyes and  Vincent Nguyen, Riverdale High School, first; “Sign Language Pack,” Jessica Waldrop, Riverdale High School, second.

PSA, longer than 30 seconds: “ARC of St. Charles,” Robert “Korbin” Bryan, Sage Blackledge, Tyric Johnson, Jyia Joseph, St. Charles Satellite Center, first; “I Give Catholic,” Joel Fernandez and Brandon Gallego, St. Paul’s School, second; “ARC of St. Charles,” Ashley Deshotel, Brooke Whitaker, Mikayla Noto and Bracey Darensbourg, third.

Weekly Sports Show: “Destrehan On the Prowl Week 12,” ATVB PM Team,  St. Charles Satellite Center, first; “Hahnville On The Prowl Week 12,” ATVB AM Team members from St. Charles Satellite Center, second.

Daily News Show: “STA Gator Nation News December 1, 2017,” Carley Oakley and Victoria Gardner, St. Amant High, first; “WRHS News, Newscast December 15, 2017,” WRHS Newsteam from Riverdale High School, second; “STA Gator Nation News, Sept. 29, 2017,” Caitlyn Little and Blake Nunez,  St. Amant High School, third.

Weekly News Show: “Guerrilla Wolves, Season 1, Episode 1,” St. Paul’s School, first; “Guerrilla Wolves, Season 3, Episode 3, St. Paul’s School, second.

Live Sporting Event:  Destrehan vs. Barbe Football Playoff, Advanced Television Broadcasting Team Members, St. Charles Parish Public schools Satellite Center, first ; Hahnville vs. Covington Football Playoff, ATVB Team Members, St. Charles Satellite Center, second.

Live – Non-Sporting Event:  St. Paul’s Senior Graduation,  Brandon Gallego, Joel Fernandez and John Meyers, St. Paul’s School, first.

Online or hard copy newspaper, yearbook

Editorial Writing: John Howell, Jesuit Blue Jays, first; Luc Hebert, The Paper Wolf, St. Pauls, second; Forge Mathes, the Paper Wolf, third.

Feature writing: Lester Guttso, The Paper Wolf, first; John Howell, second, and Blaise Bonura, Jesuit Blue Jays, third.

Newswriting: Ashton Van Deventer, the Paper Wolf, first; Donald Barrett, Jesuit Blue Jay, second; Carson Caufiled, The Paper Wolf, third.

Headline: The Paper Wolf,  first; the Jesuit Blue Jay, second.

Sportswriting: Carson Caulfield, the Paper Wolf, first; Dresdan Moore, The Gata Data from St. Amant high school, second; Reed Darcy, Jesuit Blue Jay, third.

Sports Photo: Brandon Gallego, The Paper Wolf, first

Feature Photo: Brandon Gallego, The Paper Wolf, first; RayVan Bellazer, Jesuit Blue Jay, second.

Compiled by Christine Bordelon, [email protected].