High school essay winners announced

A Beachwood High School student has been named winner of the chapter’s 2012 essay contest.

Scott Remer, a 12th grade student at Beachwood High School, Beachwood, Ohio, will receive the chapter’s $150 prize and will be honored at its Founders Day banquet on May 17 at the River Club (Registration).

Runners-up were: second place, Victoria Slater, a 12th grade student at Upper Arlington High School; and third place, Amy Wu, a 10th grade student at Orange High School in Pepper Pike. They will receive certificates in recognition of their accomplishment.

The students were participating in the first phase of a national essay competition conducted by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. They wrote on the topic: “Why is it important that we have news media that is independent of the government?”

Prizes in the national competition are a $1,000 scholarship for the first-place winner, a $500 prize for the second-place winner and a $300 scholarship for the third-place winner.

The national SPJ winners will be announced in May.