ODYSSEY wins George H. Gallup Award
Members of the 2024-25 ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine pose in front of the ODYSSEY Media Group Trophy Case on Feb. 14. The ODYSSEY Media Group received a comprehensive critique from the Quill and Scroll Honor Society on Aug. 30, in which it was recognized as a George. H. Gallup Award winner for receiving a Superior evaluation on all five categories. “We’ve received the News Media Evaluation from the Quill and Scroll Honor Society since the mid-2000s,” ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale said. “I’ve always appreciated the level of metacognition the application requires of our team as we process how we approached the coverage of our school community.” Photo by Jennifer Tesler
The ODYSSEY Media Group was recognized with a George H. Gallup award from the Quill and Scroll Honor Society on Aug. 30.
For the 14th year since 2006, the ODYSSEY Media Group received the George H. Gallup Award on a media critique from scholastic journalism organization Quill and Scroll Honor Society on Aug. 30.
The evaluation service offers publication staffs and advisers the opportunity to receive comprehensive comments and suggestions for improvement before issuing a rating based on certain criteria within the critique. To earn a Gallup Award, publications must receive a Superior evaluation in all five categories. The ODYSSEY received a Superior in General Practices, Coverage, Writing and Editing,
“There are so many voices included in each of the published stories, across all of the opinion columns, in social posts, photo galleries, and podcasts. The newsroom works hard to be inclusive of all viewpoints and demographics, and it shows in the published content,” Quill and Scroll’s judge wrote in their critique. “Stories published by the OMG run an appropriate gamut for a student-run newsroom.”
“There’s not too many opportunities to tell meaningful stories as a high school journalist, but when important events happen, it’s our job to tell them.”
— Wyatt Meyer,
2024-25 OMG Editor-in-Chief
The OMG was commended for its commitment to coverage representative of their community, in particular with the use of a Diversity and Representation Editor, a position pioneered by now-Managing Editor Peter Atchley during the 2024-25 school year.
“I am extremely grateful that they appreciated my work as the DEI Editor. As the first in OMG history, it was very important to me to start something impactful and beneficial to our publication,” Atchley said. “I hope my work as the DEI Editor encourages more publications to further refine and define their own DEI policies and positions.”
ODYSSEY also received compliments on its in-depth reporting, both as a whole and for individual stories, such as 2024-25 Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer’s “After Apalachee.”
“Making an impact on the community is something incredibly important to me; there’s not too many opportunities to tell meaningful stories as a high school journalist, but when important events happen, it’s our job to tell them,” Meyer said. “I’m proud to have worked on so many stories in that vein, and further proud that the Quill and Scroll has recognized our efforts.”
The OMG has entered the News Media Evaluation competition since 2006 and OMG founder and adviser David Ragsdale enjoys the reflection required to compete.
“I’ve always appreciated the level of metacognition the application requires of our team as we process how we approached the coverage of our school community,” Ragsdale said. “Our team gelled well last year and it’s reflected in the constructive feedback.”
ODYSSEY Newsmagazine named NSPA Pacemaker finalist
The 2024-25 ODYSSEY Media Group staff poses at the 2025 Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Workshop and Awards Ceremony on March 24. The 2024-25 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was recognized as a 2025 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker finalist on Sept. 11. “Finalist is a great accomplishment and indicative of everything we accomplished as a staff last year. The impact of the work we produced was on full display and I hope to see it rewarded with the big prize in November,” 2024-2025 Editor-in-Chief and CCHS Class of 2025 alumnus Wyatt Meyer said. Photo by Grady Dunston
The 2024-25 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was recognized as a 2025 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Finalist on Sept. 11.
The National Scholastic Press Association recognized 41 high school newspapers, newsmagazines and specialty magazines, including the 2024-25 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine, as 2025 Pacemaker finalists on Sept. 11.
The ODYSSEY is among 29 newspaper and newsmagazine finalists split into two categories based on school population, 17 of which will earn Pacemakers, the NSPA’s highest award.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” NSPA Executive Director Laura Widmer stated in a Sept. 11 press release. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
Consideration for the award is open-entry to all NSPA member publications, which are judged based on excellence in coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography and graphics. The announcement recognizes the 2024-25 staff, who published four magazines under former Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, a Clarke Central High School Class of 2025 alumnus.
“Finalist is a great accomplishment and indicative of everything we accomplished as a staff last year. The impact of the work we produced was on full display and I hope to see it rewarded with the big prize in November,” Meyer said.
“When I heard that we were a (Pacemaker finalist), I was really excited. It was really rewarding to see all of the work we do culminate in something so large-scale.”
— Liza Larson,
2025-26 Print Editor-in-Chief
Meyer passed the baton and leadership responsibilities for the final issue to then News Editor and current Print Editor-in-Chief Liza Larson, a junior. Larson, under Meyer’s guidance, compiled a 48-page magazine featuring a cover story written by Meyer and then-Managing Editor Jane Ripps, also a Class of 2025 graduate.
“When I heard that we were a (Pacemaker finalist), I was really excited. It was really rewarding to see all of the work we do culminate in something so large-scale,” Larson said. “It shows that all of the work we do is worth it and valued outside of Room 231.”
The 2024-25 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine was recognized as a Pacemaker Finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association on Sept. 11. OMG adviser David Ragsdale commented 2024-25 Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer and Managing Editor Janie Ripps for the work they put in to make the award possible. “If you don’t have Wyatt Meyer and Jane Ripps at the top of the leadership tree, we have a totally different outcome in productivity, staff pride and commitment to telling important stories,” Ragsdale said. Timeline by Cadence Schapker, Wyatt Meyer and Lea D’Angelo
20 2025 NSPA Pacemaker winners will be announced on Nov. 15 at the NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, the Newsmagazine was named a Pacemaker finalist in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022, while the ODYSSEY website was honored with online finalists in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2025.
For OMG adviser David Ragsdale, being recognized as a Pacemaker Finalist is a return to form for the student journalists in Room 231. He attributes the success to Meyer and Ripps for their professionalism and lead-by-example approach to managing the staff.
“If you don’t have Wyatt Meyer and Jane Ripps at the top of the leadership tree, we have a totally different outcome in productivity, staff pride and commitment to telling important stories,” Ragsdale said. “For those two to go out with such a powerful story and to set up Liza to take over the magazine was rewarding to see.”
ODYSSEY’S gold medal
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group staff pose in the CCHS Competition Gym during Fall Media Day on Aug. 23. The OMG earned a Gold Medal score of 935.5 out of 1,000 from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, recognition that showcases excellence in Overall Coverage, Verbal Quality and Visual Elements. “It was really rewarding to see the work I’ve put into the website over the past year pay off, but I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of (ODYSSEY Media Group adviser David Ragsdale) and the 2024-25 Leadership Team, especially (2024-2025 OMG Editor-in-Chief) Wyatt Meyer,” ODYSSEY Media Group Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo said. “The ODYSSEY staff, as a whole deserves recognition for the amount of quality content they’ve produced over the past year.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association recognized the ODYSSEY Media Group as a Gold Medialist, CSPA’s top honor.
The ODYSSEY Media Group received its evaluation by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association on Sept. 11, with a final score earning the program a Gold Medalist rating.
CSPA’s Gold Medalist award dates back to 1984, and is meant to recognize superior student publications in print and online media. The OMG’s recognition falls under the hybrid division, which means that its overall coverage, individual writing, and visual components on both print and digital were all scored.
“I wanted to emphasize every staff member’s ability to contribute — whether through writing, editing, photography, or staff morale. Receiving this distinction just validates what all the (2025) seniors already know: that every person on staff contributed to our success,” ODYSSEY Media Group 2024-25 Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, CCHS Class of 2025 alumnus, said.
““As I’ve continued to say, our team members stand on the shoulders of those who came before them.”
— David Ragsdale,
OMG adviser and founder
The OMG earned an essential score of 396.85, which measures the foundational aspects of the publication’s newsmagazine and news website. This scoring comes from the publication’s coverage depth, interactivity for online stories and the presentation of important information.
“(Seeing ODYSSEY earn the Gold Medal) feels weird honestly. I was handed this website a year ago with no knowledge of how to manage it or even post the simplest story, so to see us get recognized for the fact that it provides interactivity and coverage was cool to see,” 2025 ODYSSEY Media Group Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo, who served as Digital Editor during the 2024-25 school year, said.
Final scores are composed of the essential category, as well as writing and editing in the verbal category and photos and illustrations in the visuals category. With a verbal score of 300.5 out of 312.5 and a visual score 238 out of 250, the OMG earned a total of 935.5 out of 1,000.
“As I’ve continued to say, our team members stand on the shoulders of those who came before them,” ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale said. “Last year’s Cabinet members were deeply influenced by the leadership, caring and vision of the many diverse and talented leaders this program has produced and nurtured.”
ODYSSEY recognized in NSPA’s Clips & Clicks
Clarke Central High School Principal Dr. Sawde Huff, former iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editor-in-Chief and Class of 2025 alumna Olivia Hendershot, ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale, former OMG Editor-in-Chief and Class of 2025 alumnus Wyatt Meyer and OMG Managing Editor Peter Atchley, a senior (from left to right), attend a Clarke County School District Board of Education meeting on May 8. The OMG was recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association in the organization’s bi-annual Clips & Clicks contest, an award Ragsdale attributed to the support of the CCSD. “We’re a very fortunate school in that both our school administrators and school district support students’ freedom of expression,” Ragsdale said. “That level of freedom allows students to take on the stories that impact their community the most.”
The ODYSSEY Media Group placed third in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Spring 2025 Clips & Clicks contest.
The 2024-25 ODYSSEY Media Group earned recognition in individual awards and third place overall in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Spring 2025 Clips & Clicks contest, announced Sept. 12.
Since its launch in 2020, Clips & Clicks has become one of NSPA’s most competitive programs, highlighting individual student work in reporting, design, photography, multimedia and social media. The ODYSSEY staff received honors in multiple categories, reflecting the coverage created during the fall semester of the 2024-25 school year.
Entries are evaluated by professional journalists and educators, who judge submissions based on writing quality, visual storytelling, technical execution and overall impact. For ODYSSEY, recognition in multiple categories reflects not just individual talent but also the collaborative effort in the newsroom.
“From the time we first entered Clips & Clicks, it provided a mid-year and end-of-year checkpoint to gauge how our students were progressing not just in regard to our own media group, but in a national context,” ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale said.
The recognition comes on the heels of the staff publishing four issues under 2024-25 Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer. The final issue was compiled under the leadership of then-News editor and current Print Editor-in-Chief Liza Larson, who stepped into the role to close out the publishing cycle.
““From the time we first entered Clips & Clicks, it provided a mid-year and end-of-year checkpoint to gauge how our students were progressing.”
— David Ragsdale,
OMG founder and adviser
Clips & Clicks is a bi-annual contest, awarding publications recognition in both the spring and fall each year. The OMG placed first in the fall and, despite not re-submitting in the spring, earned third place in the contest.
“The fact we finished third on the Clips and Clicks podium despite only submitting for the fall contest proves the quality of our work across a variety of sections, forms, and contests. It’s truly a testament to the work ethic of last year’s staff,” Meyer said.
The acknowledgment adds to ODYSSEY’s history of national recognition through NSPA, including multiple Pacemaker finalist designations. Clips & Clicks, though focused on individual entries, offers another chance for the staff’s work to be seen and celebrated.
The full list of winners is available on the NSPA website.
ODYSSEY, iliad named NSPA Individual Awards finalists
ODYSSEY Media Group Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo holds News Editor Emlyn McKinney’s award for the 2024 National Scholastic Press Association Podcast of the Year on Nov. 9, 2024 at the 2024 Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia. McKinney and D’Angelo were both named finalists in NSPA’s 2025 Individual Awards, with several of D’Angelo’s multimedia packages recognized. “The three packages that were recognized were all ones where we were trying new things for the first time in terms of design, so to see them get recognized is amazing, especially considering the amount of roadblocks we ran into,” D’Angelo said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine had 13 finalists recognized for National Scholastic Press Association Individual Awards on Sept. 11.
The National Scholastic Press Association announced its Individual Awards finalists on Sept. 11, with 13 going to the ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine.
The publications have finalists in five of 11 individual award categories, including Design of the Year, Digital Story of the Year, Story of the Year, Portfolio of the Year and Best Use of Social Media.
Current News Editor Emlyn McKinney was named a finalist for Feature Story under Story of the Year for their co-byline with 2024-25 Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, a current Harvard University student, on “The Weight of the Scale,” which was the cover story for the OMG’s first issue of Volume 22.
“It was kind of startling, but ‘The Weight of the Scale’ was so much fun to write with Wyatt, and it taught me a lot about writing techniques I use today,” McKinney said. “When I first joined ODYSSEY, I never imagined winning awards, so I am very grateful for this honor.”
Additionally, current Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo, who served as Digital Editor during the 2024-25 school year, was named a finalist for Multimedia Journalist of the Year.
“To find out I’m a finalist was a shock, even more so because of how steep the learning curve in multimedia has been for me from last year to now,” D’Angelo said. “I’m extremely grateful to the OMG staff for trusting me to package and create multimedia for their stories and to (ODYSSEY Media Group adviser David Ragsdale) for trusting me with the website.”
Former OMG Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, a Class of 2025 alumnus, was named as a contributor to six of the OMG’s finalists. For Meyer, being a finalist in Social Media Reporting under Best Use of Social Media and Multimedia Story of the Year for the “2024 Election Package” was a career capstone.
“I’ve spent the entirety of my high school journalism career trying to improve the ODYSSEY’s social media presence, but only in our last year — with big credit to (2024-25 Social Media Coordinator Liya Taylor) — did we get that finalist in reporting during my time as an editor. I’m proud to have contributed to each of these pieces, which show our reporting and design acumen at the highest level,” Meyer said.
“When I first joined ODYSSEY, I never imagined winning awards, so I am very grateful for this honor.”
— Emlyn McKinney,
News Editor
The Individual Awards winners will be announced from 468 nationwide finalists on Nov. 15 at the 2025 Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville. This convention will be the tenth ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale will attend with a delegation of student journalists.
“The award show is always a treat. Win or lose, seeing the best of scholastic journalism commended together with a highly motivated group of kids and advisers from across the country is special,” Ragsdale said. “What makes it even more memorable is when our team members cheer for their classmates and mentors when they are recognized on the big screen.”
ODYSSEY Media Group
Writer of the Year: Wyatt Meyer
Multimedia Journalist of the Year: Lea D’Angelo
Story of the Year: Feature Story: Emlyn McKinney and Wyatt Meyer: “Weight of the Scale”
Story of the Year: Feature Story: Wyatt Meyer: “After Apalachee”
Story of the Year: Sports Story: Wyatt Meyer: “CCHS vs. Apalachee High School varsity football”
Story of the Year: Opinion: Wyatt Meyer: “Letter From the Editor”
Digital Story of the Year: Multimedia News Story: Kimberly Sanabria-Amya, Mzee Pavlic, Wyatt Meyer, Janie Ripps, Liza Larson, Andreas Dillies, Jesse Dantzler and Lea D’Angelo: “2024 Election Package”
Digital Story of the Year: Multimedia News Story: ODYSSEY Media Group and Lea D’Angelo: “Looking Back on Black History Month”
Digital Story of the Year: Multimedia Feature Story: Wyatt Meyer and Lea D’Angelo: “After Apalachee”
Best Use of Social Media: Social Media Reporting: Edie Ash, Peter Atchley, Liya Taylor and Lea D’Angelo
Best Use of Social Media: Social Media Promotion: Peter Atchley, Wyatt Meyer, Lea D’Angelo and Liya Taylor
iliad Literary-Art Magazine
Design of the Year: Literary Magazine Cover: Olivia Hendershot: “Sound & Color”
Best Use of Social Media: Social Media Promotions: Margo McDaniel
