Lemont High School Junior Kula Captures Journalism State Championship

LEMONT, IL — If Lemont High School junior Andrew Kula had any nerves going into his first appearances at the Illinois High School Association state journalism championships, he certainly didn’t let anyone see him sweat.

Kula captured a state championship in the broadcast news division at the recent state championships and was one of four Lemont students to finish in the Top 3 in their respective categories at sectional competitions before advancing onto the state meet, the school announced this week.

Lemont also was represented by senior Natalie Barowsky (photo storytelling) and juniors Reagan Russell (review writing) and Anna Swenson (information graphics), all of whom were participating in their first state championship competition.

Competitors in the broadcast news division must use their own equipment to produce a 75-second news broadcast that includes two sound bites using live and written information collected at a press conference. Students are judged on news judgment, news value, and convergence, school officials said. Students may not use pre-recorded materials and on-site technical support is not available.

Barowsky’s state championship appearance came after she won a sectional title in her division while Swenson finished as a sectional runner-up and Russell and Kula each placed their in their respective divisions at sectionals.

This year’s state meet was the 12th straight year in which Lemont High School has had representatives competing. The state championships were not held in 2020 due to the pandemic. Lemont’s journalism department is headed up by Susan Szafranski and yearbook sponsor Cara Forde.