Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, iliad Literary-Art Magazine and Journalism I class pose at the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Spring Workshop and Awards Spring Conference on March 24. Before attending the awards ceremony, staffers attended sessions, one of which GSPA Student Ambassador and Diversity and Representation Editor Peter Atchley, a junior, led. “I got to work with my fellow ambassadors in running the Editor’s Roundtable which was really cool. In the session, we drew papers that people wrote their struggles on (and) then (we) read them out loud and discussed solutions,” Atchley said. Photo by Grady Dunston
Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group, iliad Literary-Art Magazine and Journalism I class attended the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Spring Workshop and Awards on March 24.
The ODYSSEY Media Group received numerous awards for their website and newsmagazine at the Georgia Scholastic Press Association Spring Workshop and Awards on March 24.
Both the 2024-25 ODYSSEY Newsmagazine and ODYSSEY Media Group received a rating of Superior for General Excellence. Additionally, both the platforms were named All-Georgia, recognizing them as best in the state.
“Over the years, the significance of All-Georgia has increased as the prestige of GSPA has increased. Coming in as a freshman, it felt normal to win, but as scholastic media has improved in Georgia, the honor has only gotten greater,” OMG Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer, a senior, said. “I’m incredibly proud of our staff’s commitment this year and having it culminate in another high honor is extremely rewarding.”
Additionally, Meyer was recognized as the Georgia Champion Journalist with Managing Editor Jane Ripps, a senior, as the runner-up. Diversity and Representation Editor Peter Atchley was recognized as Georgia Champion Junior Journalist.
Atchley also served as a GSPA Student Ambassador for the 2024-25 school year. Part of his duties as an ambassador included leading an Editor’s Roundtable during the conference.
“I had a great time being a GSPA Student Ambassador. It was a great experience and I definitely want to apply to be an ambassador again next year,” Atchley said. “I am still so surprised I was chosen as the Georgia Junior Champion Journalist of the year. It’s a testament to my hard work and dedication, but it still feels so shocking that I won.”
In total, the OMG received six All-Georgia ratings and eight Superior ratings for individual photos and stories. Of the 14, Meyer contributed seven and Ripps two.
“Over the years, the significance of All-Georgia has increased as the prestige of GSPA has increased. Coming in as a freshman, it felt normal to win, but as scholastic media has improved in Georgia, the honor has only gotten greater,”
— Wyatt Meyer,
OMG Editor-in-Chief
”Winning personal awards is exciting, especially as more schools have submitted to the competitions. Seeing my work recognized on a state level among many competitive schools is validating,” Meyer said. “But, I can’t help but think back to three years before when I won my very first award at GSPA in 2022. In a sense, it feels like a full circle.”
For OMG adviser David Ragsdale, these awards represent the hard work of the 2024-25 staff.
“Undoubtedly, I am very pleased to see that the foundation led by the Class of 2024 has yielded such great results,” Ragsdale said. “I always count on our students to do their best, to represent the stories of our community and seeing them recognized with a number of (awards) is a validating feeling.”
