Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, Journalism I class and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board pose for a photo in front of the Lizard’s Thicket in Lexington, S.C. on March 5. OMG Managing Editor Peter Atchley appreciated the Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention for the ability to bond with his team. “In the past (at SIPA), I learned more about the people around me,” Atchley said. “You can only do so much in the classroom, but there’s a certain level of bond that comes from being on a field trip and spending all day with people. This year, I’m thinking about what I want to do to show the appreciation I have for everybody.” Photo by Grady Dunston
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, Journalism I class and iliad Literary-Art Magazine attended the Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention in Columbia, S.C., from March 5-8.
Thirty-four members from the ODYSSEY Media Group Production class, Journalism I class and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board attended the annual Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention from March 6-8 in Columbia, S.C.
The SIPA convention serves as an opportunity for student journalists across Southern states to share experiences, collaborate with students from different schools, engage in on-site competitions and learn at workshops. More than 270 attendees were on site representing Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Texas at this year’s convention.
For the ODYSSEY and iliad, the trip began on Thursday, March 5, with team bonding activities upon the group’s arrival in Columbia. Students toured the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina before participating in the annual tradition of going to Frankie’s Fun Park. For OMG Outreach and Alumni Coordinator Gillian Williams, visiting Frankie’s presented various opportunities for team bonding.
“Frankie’s Fun Park was a great experience to be able to play many different games and explore (the) virtual reality experiences that they have inside,” Williams said. “I enjoyed being able to redeem my tickets for many different prizes and being able to play air hockey with (OMG Digital Editor-in-Chief Lea D’Angelo), so it was a really fun experience.”
Friday morning began with more bonding as students toured and participated in a writing activity at the Columbia Museum of Art before being led on a tour through the South Carolina Capitol Building. The tours on this year’s trip were new activities for OMG and iliad staffers.
“(When) we went to the Columbia Museum of Art, that was (one of) our first introduction to being with one another and learning about something,” OMG Business Manager Merren Hines said. “In my group, we had our own little book where we wrote down different things about each art piece (we saw), so it really was helping (us) reflect on what art actually means. It was great to be able to see that even though this trip was journalism-centered.”
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, Journalism I class and iliad Literary-Art Magazine attend a tour at the Columbia Museum of Art on March 6. OMG Variety Staffer Mzée Pavlic’ enjoyed group activities outside of the journalistism convention. “Team bonding is always the highlight of SIPA,” Pavlic’ said. “It’s why people really look forward to and have fond memories of each trip. It’s not, ‘We won so many awards’ (or) doing TOP (Team On-site Production) competitions, but the main thing that’s fun about SIPA is being there with everyone else.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
The convention officially began on Friday afternoon with OMG and iliad students attending Preconvention sessions at the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with topics ranging from biometrics, studio photography, interviewing, storytelling and feature writing. OMG Managing Editor Peter Atchley attended the Studio Photography session, led by USC instructor Britt Hogg.
“(What) I really enjoyed this year was the precon,” Atchley said. “Last year’s pre-con was three hours, then a lunch break and then two (more) hours, (and) I think the 90-minute sessions were the move, because I feel like I got to learn and do stuff, but I wasn’t sitting for hours just listening to (instructors) talk.”
This year, tradition was tested for veteran students and advisers as the SIPA convention was moved from the long-standing setting at the Marriott Columbia Hotel to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center after serving as the host for over two decades.
“I really enjoyed this SIPA, but it was definitely a lot different than any other SIPA we’ve had,” Samaya Ellis, OMG Diversity and Representation Editor, Journalism I Facilitator and 2026 SIPA Student Vice President, said. “Since my freshman year, we’ve (stayed) in the Marriott, so I think for a lot of people, (it) became a nostalgic location. I did have fun, but I think the location shift made things not feel like the SIPA that we all know and love.”
On Friday night, SIPA Executive Committee member Larry Steinmetz, an adviser from Bullitt East High School, welcomed students to SIPA with a call to order and introduced OMG Journalism I Facilitator Grady Dunston, who presented his campaign speech for SIPA Student President. University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor of Instruction Dr. PJ Cabrera followed afterward as the keynote speaker. During his talk, Cabrera recounted his story and how it shaped his career and passion for teaching journalism.
“I really loved (Cabera’s) personality, and I think he was great,” OMG Viewpoints Staffer Sara Stuart said. “When he was talking about everything that he went through, I was heartbroken for him. I think it was so inspirational that he could tie all (his) trauma to journalism. Some of the things he said ( reminded me) why I do ODYSSEY.”
On the morning of March 7, dozens of students engaged in Team On-Site Production (TOP) and individual competitions for photography, online, newsprint, anchor, broadcast and literary-art magazine. OMG Journalism I student Violet Dockery competed with other OMG members in the Newsprint TOP, which she found to be a valuable experience.
“I enjoyed working with my top teammates (OMG Visuals Staffer Miriam Silk), Peter and (Print Editor-in-Chief Liza Larson) because I got to interact with production students I don’t see every day,” Dockery said. “I also thought writing a story, interviewing, taking photos and making a layout in a short window of time would be hard and stressful, but it ended up being fun. I learned more about writing under strict deadlines and got to watch Liza use (Adobe InDesign) to format the story, which was a cool experience.”
Diversity and Representation Editor and Journalism I Facilitator Samaya Ellis speaks on the Southern Storytelling Student panel in the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on March 7. Ellis has attended the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) convention for four years and feels it has become a safe space for her. “(When) I first came to SIPA my freshman year, I was (thinking), ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool,’” Ellis said. “When I was a freshman, SIPA was a lot larger to me than it is now, and over the years, SIPA has just become like school to me. I felt confident (there), but it was also a space where I didn’t feel like I had to change the way I acted. It just became a comforting space for me.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
Following the submission of all TOP projects, students attended journalistic breakout sessions in topics such as film, photography and marketing, as well as a Southern Storytelling panel, where 2026 SIPA Student President Noah Iverson moderated questions on the topic of the 2026 SIPA theme, “Everyone has a Story… What’s Yours?” The panel consisted of student leaders Ellis, Louis Conley, a senior from Tupelo High School, Haylee Donovan, a senior from BEHS and Haylee Langdon, a senior from WHS.
“I really enjoyed being on the Southern Storytelling panel,” Ellis said. “It was my first time speaking on a panel, and I had a lot of fun collaborating with the other members and discussing Southern-themed topics. I feel like a lot of the time, the media likes to distort the portrayal of the South through controversial (ideas). I think it was really important for us to discuss the reality of our history in the South.”
After the panel discussion, four schools participated in the SIPA Quiz Bowl quarterfinals, a competition between publications to display understanding of journalistic knowledge, current events and AP Style. Out of the eight teams that competed, four came from CCHS with a total of 18 OMG and iliad members. OMG News Staffer Sasha Barkan competed in Quiz Bowl this year and at the 2025 SIPA convention as a freshman.
“(My team) went into (Quiz Bowl) with a very purposeful but fun attitude, which I think was really strong, and I knew what to expect,” Barkan said. “Going into Quiz Bowl last year, I was taken aback by the way some of the questions weren’t just journalism or world knowledge-based, and I was a bit more prepared for that this year.”
“People talk about traditions all the time, but for us, it wouldn’t be spring in ODYSSEY and iliad without the shared experience SIPA provides. It’s not the awards, it’s the community and mutual growth.”
— David Ragsdale,
OMG and iliad founder and adviser
On Saturday evening, students attended the SIPA banquet, which included recognition of SIPA All-Stars and Scroggin Award finalists, where the OMG website and newsmagazine were recognized. Later, students engaged in a Student Social to get to know one another and bond further with their own publications.
“I hadn’t expected them to announce any awards Saturday night, so to see the website get recognized as a finalist was a bit of a shock,” D’Angelo said. “It was also really cool to see a lot of the seniors I’ve worked so closely with this year get rewarded for their hard work by being named All-Stars.”
On the morning of March 8, four members from the OMG presented sessions, including OMG News Editor Emlyn McKinney and D’Angelo, who presented the session “Dedicated designing: creating engaging designs for print and web publications”. The breakout focused on how to create accessible and engaging designs for both print and online publications. Atchley presented a session entitled, “What it means to manage” and Ellis co-presented “Y’all lead the way: Five practices of exemplary student leadership” with other SIPA student officers.
“I really enjoy designing and we had a pretty friendly audience, which took off some of the pressure of having to speak in front of a group of people,” McKinney said. “My general consensus was that presenting wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be, and I really want to try presenting in the future, whether it’s at another conference or just in front of our class.”
The final round of the SIPA 2026 Quiz Bowl came down to two CCHS teams, one consisting of D’Angelo, OMG Sports Editor Liya Taylor, McKinney and OMG Senior Copy Editor Cooper Jones, and the other of iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel, Barkan, and OMG Variety Staffers Mzée Pavlic’ and Eloise Luken. The latter team won with a final score of 50-15, making them the 2026 Quiz Bowl Champions.
“Quiz Bowl was actually one of the highlights of my SIPA 2026 trip.Going into SIPA, I wasn’t supposed to be in a Quiz Bowl team, so it was a surprise for me that I had to cover for someone who couldn’t make it,” Luken said. “Something that made Quiz Bowl so fun, besides winning, was getting to bond and work with my team members. They already knew a lot of what was going on, so they taught me how to do Quiz Bowl (and) what most of the questions would entail.”
Sunday’s closing session began with SIPA Executive Committee Chair David Ragsdale, OMG adviser and founder and iliad adviser, delivering closing remarks to the convention.
“(The SIPA closing session) was a really great experience, overall,” OMG Journalism I Facilitator Angel Tejada said. “Seeing Mr. Ragsdale on stage and giving his speech wasn’t anything I’ve not seen from him. He’s always been the person that can captivate a room and really bring in the energy with quips or very inspiring quotes.”
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, Journalism I class and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board participate in staff bonding activities and the beginning of the Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention on March 6. OMG Journalism I Facilitator and Senior Copy Editor Cooper Jones hoped to encourage and support Journalism I students this SIPA. “ My goal for my last (SIPA was) to take away everything I can from it, but also prioritize the younger kid’s experiences more, and make sure they’re getting everything out of it,” Jones said. “My time for the program’s almost up, so I (want the) J1 kids, sophomores and juniors, that are here (to) have the best time that they can.” Photos by Iliana Tejada, Grady Dunston and Miriam Silk
At the SIPA Awards Banquet, the ODYSSEY and iliad received three Scroggins Awards for Best of South Literary-Arts Magazine, Newsprint and Online. The session also announced TOP team awards, Media Awards, Writing Awards and the 2026-2027 Student officers, where Dunston was officially named SIPA Student President.
“I got to talk to and interact with (new people). I’m excited to work with my cabinet (of officers) and try (to) represent the community and make a positive change wherever we can,” Dunston said. “I stressed over talking to people, (but) I got into (the) flow of introducing myself, meeting new people (and) telling them about my campaign. It was less of a big deal than I was expecting it to be.”
For Ragsdale, this year’s SIPA was the 20-year anniversary of his first time bringing students from CCHS to Columbia for the convention.
“In our program, March is special because you know it’s SIPA. With the exception of COVID-19 in 2021, when we attended a virtual SIPA conference, like clockwork, kids from our program descend upon Columbia to learn about journalism, but more importantly, to learn about themselves,” Ragsdale said. “People talk about traditions all the time, but for us, it wouldn’t be spring in ODYSSEY and iliad without the shared experience SIPA provides. It’s not the awards, it’s the community and mutual growth.”
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Staff Awards
Scroggins Award: Best of South: Literary-Arts Magazine: iliad Literary-Art Magazine
Scroggins Award: Best of South: Newsprint: ODYSSEY Newsmagazine
Scroggins Award: Best of South: Online: ODYSSEY Media Group
Best of Show at SIPA
Best of Show: First Place: ODYSSEY Media Group
Best of Show: First Place: ODYSSEY Newsmagazine
Best of Show: First Place: iliad Literary-Art Magazine
Individual Awards:
ODYSSEY Media Group
SIPA All-Star: Peter Atchley
SIPA All-Star: Samaya Ellis
SIPA All-Star: Cooper Jones
SIPA All-Star: Angel Tejada
Best Writing, Online Storytelling Blog: First Place: Samaya Ellis
Best Media, Newsmagazine Feature Package: First Place: Cooper Jones
Best Media, Online Features Package: First Place: Abby Holloway
Best Media, Online Sports Package: First Place: Liya Taylor and Lea D’Angelo
Best Writing, Newsmagazine Investigative Story: First Place: Liza Larson
Best Media, Newsmagazine Table of Contents Page: First Place: Liza Larson
Best Writing: Newsmagazine Investigative Story: Second Place: Janie Ripps and Wyatt Meyer
Best Writing, Online Sports Coverage: Second Place: Liya Taylor
Best Media, News Photography: Second Place: Kye Streetman
Best Media, Club Photography: Second Place: Iliana Tejada
Best Media, Online Storytelling Critical Review: Second Place: Adah Hamman
Best Media, Online Features Package: Second Place: Janie Ripps, Wyatt Meyer and Lea D’Angelo
Best Writing, Online Storytelling Critical Review: Third Place: Sasha Barkan
Best Media, Newsmagazine Entertainment Package: Third Place: ODYSSEY Media Group Staff
Best Media, Online Storytelling Features: Fifth Place: Cooper Jones
iliad Literary-Art Magazine
SIPA All-Star: Margo McDaniel
SIPA All-Star: Finley Sleppy
Best Media, Literary Magazine Table of Contents: First Place: Olivia Hendershot
Best Media, Drama Script: First Place: Wyatt Meyer
Best Media, Fiction Spread: First Place: Janie Ripps
Best Media, Drama Script: Second Place: Izzy Hammock
Best Media, Fiction Spread: Third Place: Peter Atchley
2026 Team On-site Competition winners
Team On-site Competition: Literary-Arts Magazine: Best Written Element: Lucca Fleenor, Jay Braswell and Finley Sleppy
Team On-site Competition: Literary-Arts Magazine: Best Overall: Margo McDaniel and Scarlett Alston
Team On-site Competition: Online: Best Overall: Abby Holloway, Lea D’Angelo, Renn Borger and Maya Pringle
Team On-site Competition: Online: Best Story: Merren Hines, Henry Cain, Singer Brinson and Izzy Hammock
Team On-site Competition: Newsprint: Best Design: Adah Hamman, Sasha Barkan, Liya Taylor and Mzee Pavlic
Team On-site Competition: Newsprint: Best Overall: Peter Atchley, Liza Larson, Violet Dockery and Miriam Silk
Team On-site Competition: Photography: Best Caption: Iliana Tejada and Kye Streetman
Team On-site Competition: Photography: Best Overall: Grady Dunston and Eloise Luken
Team On-site Competition: Broadcast: Best Video: Samaya Ellis and Edie Ash
