Geneva journalism students earned second place in the inaugural year of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial School’s 4A Fall Photo State Contest after strong finishes in the various photo categories. The contest offered six different photo categories: Animals, Cityscape/Urban Architecture, Experimental/Enhanced, Scenic/Landscape, Still Life and Waterscapes/Seascapes.
Junior Gillian Loflin earned first place, freshman Nicolas Siller finished third and senior Aisling Ayers placed sixth in the TAPPS 4A Waterscapes/Seascapes photo category. Junior Charlotte Walker earned second place in the Scenic/Landscape category. Walker also placed third in the Cityscape/Urban Architecture category with junior Gracyn Freiling, senior Aedan Petty, sophomore Pauline Rahal and Loflin finishing in fifth through eighth places, respectively. Sophomore Ashton Landis was third and Siller placed sixth in the Still Life category.
These students are members of the Rhetoric School magazine staff which produces a publication called Geneva Quarterly. The student-produced magazine is advised by Becky Ryden in the Geneva Journalism Department.
This new TAPPS competition allowed students to submit and showcase their photography and represent Geneva in this way for the first time. Students earned points with each place finish that contribute to Geneva’s overall point totals in the TAPPS Henderson Cup race. Points accrue based on achievements in state academic, athletic and fine arts competitions held throughout each school year.
The Henderson Cup is awarded to the school with the greatest number of total points at the end of each year. Geneva has won the Henderson Cup eight times over the past nine years as the school has grown from TAPPS 1A to its current 4A classification.
“In looking over the photos, I realize how amazing our students are at finding the right lighting and photo composition that makes a good photo. I also really appreciate that they look for unique points of view. Working in the journalistic environment that we do, it is fun to see how much our students have learned in just using their eyes to see the beauty in God’s world,” Ryden said.
The Journalism Department has more than 50 students who contribute to produce award-winning publications. In addition to advising the quarterly magazine, Ryden advises The Calliope, which is an annual literary magazine containing poetry, art, photography and literary works by Geneva students, faculty and alumni. Christina Hammock advises the school’s K-12 yearbook called TheBOARDWALK.
Geneva’s magazine and yearbook have been recognized for excellence at the state and national level by high school journalism organizations such as TAPPS, the Texas UIL-Interscholastic League Press Conference, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.
Junior Gillian Loflin earned first place in the Waterscapes/Seascapes category.
Junior Charlotte Walker was runner-up in the Scenic/Landscape category.
Junior Charlotte Walker placed third in the Cityscape/Urban Architecture category.
Freshman Nicolas Siller finished third in the Waterscapes/Seascapes category.
Senior Aisling Ayers placed sixth in the Waterscapes/Seascapes category.
Sophomore Ashton Landis placed third in the Still Life category.
Freshman Nicolas Siller placed sixth in the Still Life category.
Junior Gracyn Freiling finished fifth in the Scenic/Landscape category.
Senior Aedan Petty was sixth in the Scenic/Landscape category.
Sophomore Pauline Rahal placed seventh in the Scenic/Landscape category.
Senior Gillian Loflin was eighth in the Scenic/Landscape category.