Newer World

The staff of George Rogers Clark High School's student newspaper.

The Smoke Signals’ staff’s theme song is “We’re All in This Together,” from the “High School Musical” soundtrack. But it could be Queen’s “We Are the Champions.”
That’s because the George Rogers Clark High School student newspaper is the 2009-2010 Award of Excellence winner in its division of the Kentucky High School Journalism Association’s state contest.
The staff won first place for general excellence in the 4A schools division.
As managing editor of Winchester’s daily, the Sun, it gives me pleasure to know that there are up-and-coming young journalists here in my own hometown whose work has been recognized for excellence.
Congratulations to Executive Editor Mercedes Trent and her staff, faculty adviser and journalism instructor Shanda Crosby (who was my editor on the staff of The Eastern Progress at EKU so many years ago),  and the 17-member school newspaper staff who made it possible for  GRC to win this award.
Those receiving individual recognition in the state contest were Madison Roe, second place for news writing; Courtney Leggett, third place for feature writing; Austin Lanter, second place for review; Mercedes Trent, third place for review; Lanter, third place for sports writing; Roe, first place for column; Robert Hatton, second place for column; and Brad Stephens, third place for column; Christian Calvert, first and second place for cartoon; Rachel Everman, third place for single page layout; Leggett, first and third place for two-page layout; and Calvert, third place for illustrations/graphics.
A big thumbs up to the GRC journalism program and the staff of Smoke Signals!