The 2021-22 ODYSSEY Media Group staff and Journalism One students attend the Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Workshop at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel on April 11. The 2021-2022 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was recognized as a Pacemaker finalist on Oct. 7 by the National Scholastic Press Association. “A Pacemaker finalist designation is rarefied air and a testament to the leadership of our Cabinet last year. I’m incredibly proud of those young women,” David Ragsdale, ODYSSEY Media Group adviser said. ” Photo by Kevin McCage
CCHS’s student-led news magazine, the ODYSSEY, has been selected alongside 38 other publications as a NSPA Pacemaker finalist.
The National Scholastic Press Association’s Pacemaker Award is one of the most prestigious designations for student publications around the world and the ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was announced as a finalist for the award on Oct. 7.
Pacemaker entries are evaluated based on journalistic criteria and judged by a panel of professionals. The panel is revealed after the Pacemaker winners are announced at the 2022 fall NSPA convention.
“The NSPA Pacemaker award has a rich tradition and the association started presenting the award to high school newspapers a few years after the organization was founded in 1921,” the NSPA website read. “Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.”
The ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was named a Pacemaker Finalist in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2018, and 2020, going on to win in 2011. The ODYSSEY Media Group website won in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018 and the iliad Literary-Art Magazine was recognized as a Pacemaker in 2010 and 2021.
A timeline shows the different ODYSSEY Media Group Pacemaker nominations since its first in 2009. ODYSSEY adviser David Ragsdale has overseen the student-led publication since its founding in 2003 but recalls the 2008-2009 staff as one of strong leadership. “The 2008-2009 school year was the first time we had ever been nominated for a Pacemaker. We had an amazing leadership team under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Bryan Barks, Managing Editor Christina Downs, and Senior Copy Editor Caroline Foster,” Ragsdale said. “Those young women were amazing leaders. The ambitious coverage and diversity of stories remain a testament to that generation of students.”
Class of 2022 alumna and former Co-Editor-In-Chief Audrey Enghauser led the full-time print staff during her senior year and oversaw the production of three magazines.
“It feels really good to know that we’ve returned to some of those standards that we were meeting before the pandemic in terms of diversity of coverage, design, photography and just working better as a staff and getting back to normal functionality,” Enghauser said. “So it feels really good to know that that was reflected in a more objective light from NSPA, who doesn’t really know the circumstances of each individual publication.”
ODYSSEY Media Group adviser David Ragsdale recalls the publication’s previous nominations and the expectations of past staffers.
“Back in 2014, our then-Webmaster Fear Churchwell asked me if the ODYSSEY was a one-hit wonder, as the newsmagazine had only been nominated twice before,” Ragsdale said. “Fear was on a staff much like last year’s– hungry to tell great stories, good teammates and a mature leadership team. So, it wasn’t a surprise when his generation of classmates were recognized as Pacemaker finalists in 2016 and it’s no surprise that last year’s staff reached similar heights.”
“Each year’s ODYSSEY is different, but if we hold true to our core values, this generation of staffers and leaders will make their own mark on the program, our community and beyond.”
— David Ragsdale,
ODYSSEY Media Group adviser
To class of 2022 alumna and former Print Managing Editor, Chloe Sears, the recognition serves as motivation for the staff after laborious production cycles.
“It’s just a good reminder for staffers when they’re stressed out and they’re working on magazines to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is what happens when you complete all of this hard work,’” Sears said. “It’s something you can say that you’re proud of, that you contributed to.”
With this recognition, the staff will be taking the time to reflect and use the opportunity to build upon the reputation left by the 2021-2022 staff.
“Like all award recognitions, we’ll celebrate privately– take inventory of where we did well and how we can improve,” Ragsdale said. “Each year’s ODYSSEY is different, but if we hold true to our core values, this generation of staffers and leaders will make their own mark on the program, our community and beyond.”
