|
|
|
|
Student newspaper writer wins $1,000 scholarship |
|
Written by Publisher
|
|
Friday, 08 May 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
Josh Jekielek, left, a language arts teacher at Kane Area High School, congratulates Justin Feikls, right, a Kane student newspaper writer who won a "best of show" $1,000 scholarship in competition at Edinboro University. There were 97 entries in the student newspaper contest at the college.
By Ted Lutz
Republican Staff
A decision to join the staff of the Kane High School newspaper this year has paid off for senior Justin Feikls.
He’s been awarded a $1,000 scholarship for winning a “best of show” prize in student newspaper competition hosted by Edinboro University.
His prize-winning article called “Destination Iraq” featured an e-mail interview with Paul Richards, a 2007 graduate of Kane Area High School. Richards is now serving with the Army National Guard in Iraq.
Fiekls’ article was one of 97 entries from high school student newspapers in northwestern Pennsylvania. This is the third year for the competition at Edinboro.
Fiekls also won a fourth-place citation for a news story about the biomass wood-burning system at Kane High School.
Fiekls, who enjoys writing poetry, joined the staff for the Kane student newspaper — the “Hi-Life” — for the first time this year.
Josh Jekielek, a language arts teacher at the high school and student newspaper adviser, invited Fiekls to join the “Hi-Life” staff.
“I knew Justin was a talented student,” Jekielek said. “I knew he’d produce some good stories for us.”
Jekielek also teaches journalism, an elective class at Kane High School.
Fiekls said he was hoping “to get better than fifth place” in the Edinboro competition. He said he was “really shocked” to win one of two “best of show” prizes and a $1,000 scholarship. He also won $175 in cash for placing first in the feature category and fourth in the news division.
“I was told I won first place in features,” Fiekls said. “I was still enjoying that moment when they announced my name as the winner of ‘best-of-show.’”
Feikls, 18, is the son of Joe Fiekls of 350 Jo Jo Road, Wetmore Township, and the late Julie Fiekls. He has a 6-year brother, John, who is a kindergarten student at the Chestnut Street Elementary School in Kane.
Fiekls and his family lived in a suburb of New York City until he completed the sixth grade. He said the family moved back to Kane in 2004 — the same year his mother died.
Fiekls’ father, Joe operates “Joe Props Shop” at 96 Wetmore Ave., Kane. The business includes wood products as well as custom-made “props” for Broadway shows.
The award-winning student writer said he helps his father at the business and also “splits firewood.”
A member of the high school Art Club, Fiekls said he has “always enjoyed reading and writing.” He is the youngest member of a writers’ group in Warren.
Feikls hikes and camps in the Allegheny National Forest. Many of his poems feature “streams and the outdoors,” he said.
Feikls will use the $1,000 college scholarship because he already had plans to attend Edinboro and major in philosophy.
Based on his rewarding experience as a staff writer for the “Hi-Life,” Feikls said, “I hope to write for the student paper” at Edinboro.
About 200 high school journalists and teachers attended the Journalism Day at Edinboro.
Michael Vitez, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer, was among the more than 20 professional journalists who participated in the event. Vitez gave the keynote luncheon address.
Edinboro University's Journalism Day is an expansion of the University's Northwestern Pennsylvania High School Journalism Competition.
Daylong activities, including panels and workshops dealing with various aspects of journalism, were scheduled at the Frank G. Pogue Student Center.
Sponsorship by the Meadville Tribune and Edge Magazine provided $1,500 in cash prizes to student winners.
The annual event was open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors as well as high school teachers and media advisers.
"With the success our journalism competition has enjoyed the last two years, it only made sense to expand the event to a full day of activities for both high school students and teachers," Dr. Anthony Peyronel, chair of the Communication and Media Studies Department, said in a statement issued by Edinboro. "Competition chairperson Dr. Melissa Gibson Hancox and I were extremely happy with the quality of our presenters."
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 12 June 2009 )
|
|
|
|
