Yearbook Staff Acknowledged For First Digital Pacemaker in NYS History

The 2010 Ward Melville yearbook staff was recognized at Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting for garnering a National Pacemaker Award, given annually by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), for the school's DVD video yearbook.

Viewed as the Pulitzer Prize of scholastic journalism, the school’s Pacemaker was one of four awarded nationally at the Journalism Education Association (JEA)/NSPA National Conference in California. It marked the first Pacemaker – digital or print – that Long Island had ever received, and it’s the first digital Pacemaker awarded to a New York institution. 

“You can’t imagine the thrill when they heard that we had actually won,” said Ward Melville Principal Dr. Alan Baum. “We are so proud of our students, who created just a little bit of New York State and Ward Melville history.”

Last year’s editor, Jeff Stern, has moved onto Elon University in North Carolina. He manages the school newspaper’s website and it was nominated for a college Pacemaker.

This year’s yearbook editor, Alexis Fallon, spoke and lauded her staff for the 2011 edition. As the board leafed through copies of this year’s Invictus yearbook, Dr. Baum interjected by saying “Mark my words: we’ll be standing here next year recognizing that yearbook for all its awards and accolades.”

The National Scholastic Press Association awards the Pacemaker to high schools in the Newspaper, Online, Yearbook/Magazine and Broadcast categories.