The National Scholastic Press Association has recognized Clarke Central High School’s ODYSSEY Online among 42 news sites as finalists in the 2018 Online Pacemaker competition.  Lucia Bermudez and Aneesa Conine-Nakano are Co-Editors-in-Chief of The ODYSSEY Online under the direction of faculty advisor David Ragsdale. 

“This is a wonderful example of the fantastic work our students are creating in CCSD high schools,” said Dr. Demond Means, superintendent of Clarke County Schools.   “The ODYSSEY Online consistently produces award-winning journalistic content and this recognition is well deserved.”

To select the 42 Pacemaker finalists, judges carefully studied approximately 200 sites submitted from 30 states and four countries. The online sites competed in two different categories based on school population.

Winners selected in this prestigious competition will be selected in April.  “In an exciting change in the process, the judging teams will now continue to visit the sites named as Pacemaker finalists on almost a daily basis,” said Gary Lundgren, associate director. “The Pacemaker winners will be selected shortly before they are named on April 14, so for the 42 schools we are naming as finalists today, the competition is really just heating up.”

According to a news release from the NSPA, The Pacemaker award, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association began presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, literary magazines, online news sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.

The Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners announced at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, April 12-14, 2018 in San Francisco.