Each year the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association (NCSMA) presents the top journalism awards in a variety of different categories from state high school literary magazines. The contest is open to all public and private high schools. The Tarheel Award is the top award given every year to the two best overall publications in the state. For nine out of the last ten years, Gaston Day School’s Blutopia has won the Tarheel Awardand many individual awards in other categories. This year is no different. We won the Tarheel Award again and a slew of individual honors.
Winning the Tarheel Award this year and for nine out of the last ten years is a remarkable accomplishment and suggests we have the finest writing and visual arts programs in the state. The strength of those programs begins in lower school and builds with each grade. Congratulations to all the gifted student writers and artist who contributed to our Tarheel-Award-Winning Blutopias. Congratulations to all the Gaston Day Schoolfaculty members who taught their students to write, paint, and draw so well. Special congratulations to Hazel Foster, upper school English teacher and Blutopia advisor. No other North Carolina high school has come close to Gaston Day’s winning string of Tarheel Awards.
One of the questions I ask myself with each additional Tarheel Award is this: “Do our parents and students recognize just how remarkable it is to win so many consecutive Tarheel Awards?” After a while, does the significance of the accomplishment become lost with the routine of victory? I hope not.
More questions. How can Gaston Day School consistently win the Tarheel Award against the best high schools in the state? What does this say about how Gaston Day School compares to the best schools? Are there any better writing and fine arts programs than ours? What does it mean for all of our students to learn to write exceptionally well? If writing is the mother discipline, necessary for successful expression in every subject, do our students enjoy a huge advantage in college?
Below is the list of this year’s award recipients. Please read it carefully and consider how our writers and artists stack up against the state’s best. We should all be very proud.
