Chinese students earn awards in 2021-22 ASDAN Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest
IOWA CITY, Iowa (Feb. 18, 2022) — In 2018, Quill and Scroll partnered with ASDAN China to begin a journalism contest for students in that country. That first year (2018-19), students from China submitted more than 200 entries for that contest. The best of those entries were then put into the international Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest.
In the 2020-21 contest, six ASDAN China entries earned Gold Keys by placing or earning honorable mention in the international WPM Contest. Honorable mention entries are among the top 10 percent of all entries submitted worldwide.
In the 2021-22 contest just concluded, the number of ASDAN China entries grew to more than 650. Here are all the winners in the 2021 ASDAN China journalism contest sponsored by Quill and Scroll.
2022 Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest Results
ASDAN China Students
Note: International Contest results were released Friday, March 25, 2022.
WRITING:
Category 1. Editorial Writing
First Place: Man Pui Han, YK Pao School
Ascetic Aesthetics: the Unbearable Heaviness of Beauty expectations
“The detail and description that the author uses in the beginning makes the reader feel like they’re in the author’s shoes. Throughout the piece, the author incorporates a well-balanced personal narrative and statistical evidence, and cultural trends to give a great understanding and picture of a cultural issue that Chinese girls face. The last line of the editorial gives the reader a message that addresses how to solve the issue, and leaves them wondering what will happen unless the idea of ‘beauty’ doesn’t change.”
Second Place: Jia Mochuan. 21st Century International School
Double Reduction Policy
“While this piece was on the shorter side, the author had concise writing that clearly described China’s ‘double reduction’ policy and the harms they believe the policy presents. The piece had a good balance of statistical evidence and argument, where the author weaved their opinion in at appropriate times so it wouldn’t read like a formal essay. Many areas of issues were also addressed in this editorial such as economic effects and how it impacts classroom settings, which gave a strong and broad understanding of the issue.”
Third Place: Zhao Hanfei, Shanghai American School, Pudong
The Ban on After School Tutoring in China
“The piece offers an in-depth look at a decision that the Chinese government has made and gives a history of the benefits of tutoring and how it has impacted China over the years. The author also gives great detail on the nature of Chinese schools, which gives the reader a better understanding of a complex system. One critique I have is to better weave in the argument and opinion in between empirical evidence, as it can be a little data heavy and difficult to take in multiple datasets and statistics all at once.”
Honorable Mention: Xie Mingqing, Guangzhou Foreign Language School
Category 2. News Writing
First Place: Ai Nongxin, International Department, The Affiliated High School of SCNU
New-Style Teas are a hit with young people in China
“The lead paragraph of this story is strong and immediately gets readers interested. The author uses numbers to add depth to the story and make the human-interest angle more factual. The story also provides the reader with background on teas and their styles to fill in the story, which helps the reader remain engaged. It’s informational while discussing China’s cultural trends.
Second Place: Luo La, Zhejiang Hangzhou High School
KPOP is Continuing to Develop and Encourage Fans during the Pandemic
“This cultural feature story intertwines news, music and the COVID-19 pandemic. The story has a strong lead paragraph that provides readers with a lot of information and entertains them. The story also has high-quality quotes and offers various perspectives. The final paragraph ties the story together well, acknowledging the story’s flow from the beginning to end.”
Third Place: Xi Xi, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai
Umofia Daily — Young boy murdered by foster father overnight
“The lead paragraph of this story encompasses the who, what, where, why, and when of the story. It offers the reader enough information to keep them interested in reading the story. It also adds good details and provides some background on what is happening prior to the killing being discussed.”
Category 3. Pandemic Coverage: Single Story
First Place: Li Yike, Beijing City International School
In the Shadow of the Pandemic
“The story begins with a compelling lead paragraph that makes me want to keep reading the story. The topic is serious and the author takes a critical look at it. There is depth and intricate storytelling in this submission. The quotes tell the story and the exposition adds the depth and facts of the story outside of personal accounts. There is a strong juxtaposition of facts, and storytelling is consistent and easy to follow.”
Second Place: Luo La, Zhejiang Hangzhou High School
China Health Officials Provide Update on COVID-19 Cases and Vaccination Rates
“There is a strong lead paragraph in this story. The use of numbers helps fill out the piece and adds context and depth at the same time. The quotes and photos help the story move. The reader is hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end.”
Third Place: He Yuqian, Miss Hall’s School
The impact of the epidemic on international students and their lives
“The end of the story brings the variety of perspectives together well. The story ties together with no loose ends. There’s a good diversity of language and photos are used effectively.”
Category 4. Pandemic Coverage: Series
First Place: Zou Yiwen, Harrow International School Beijing
Swimming in Covid
“The story takes the reader through time easily. It takes the space needed to elaborate on where the narrator is in space and time. It also informs the reader of what is happening in terms of the pandemic at large. The subheadings are also beneficial and help the story move forward.”
Second Place: Huang Zhenhuan, Zhejiang Zhuji Middle School
Report on the epidemic situation in China
“The story is fast paced and shows the passage of time. It helps create a timeline at points and informs the reader of how time impacts the article. The final paragraph concludes the story well and leaves no loose ends.”
Category 5. Feature Writing
First Place: Wang Xinyi, Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy
A Time Accelerator
“The feature starts with a personal anecdote and transitions well into factual evidence about how people interact with social media and specifically TikTok. The transitions of the piece help the story flow. The story has color and deep description that adds depth to the story. The personal stories help even out the piece with all the factual evidence the author writes about.”
Second Place: Yang Erxing, Nanjing Jinling High School International Department
Puppetry – Striving in Tragedy
“The feature story was driven by a personal narrative I wanted to learn about. It immediately jumped into the story of Mr. Tao in a clear, concise way. The storytelling made me want to continue reading through the entire story. The diversity in sentence structure also helped me remain interested in the piece.”
Third Place: Chan Hei Yu, Hong Kong International School
Poisoned Oceans and Animal Agriculture
“From the beginning, I want to know more about the story’s topic and want to read the author’s easy to follow explanation of contamination and environmental issues. The story is well sourced and explains hard data in layman’s terms well.”
Category 6: Review Writing
First Place: Liu XueFei, Beijing City International School
Dating it Jing style
“This was an excellent restaurant review that used vivid detail to describe the dishes and atmosphere. The review added a background on the restaurant review that was helpful to the reader, and balanced this with the colorful detail. The writer’s voice was strong in this review.”
Second Place: Richard Li, Shanghai American School, Puxi
The pomodoro timer: your savior
“This product review had plenty of voice and humor. It also provided a helpful product review, while also being laugh-out-loud funny. Hit all of the points of a review (why this product is useful, its upsides and downsides,) while being an entertaining read.”
Third Place: Qian Yajie, Beijing National Day School
Review: A Wes Anderson-style film of serious and nonsensical humor
“This review did an excellent job balancing the summary of the film and the reviewers’ critical analysis. The writer did a good job explaining why they love Wes Anderson’s work, and offered plenty of support to their claim that the movie will delight those who are already fans of his work. The review doesn’t just summarize the movie, it breaks down its themes, production, and how these work to make an experience for the audience.”
Category 7: In-Depth Reporting: Individual
First Place: Huang Jinchun, English School Attached to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Research of B&B Market in China’s New Tourism Industry
“This story was an excellent, thoroughly researched in-depth piece. The writer used a lot of data and research sources to put together to explain to readers how the Bed & Breakfast industry is on the rise and how it can continue to be successful. The use of tables with data about the differences between B&B’s and hotels, the different types of B&Bs, and the platforms used to make reservations. The writer also broke down each section with subheadings and used different examples to further their point.”
Second Place: Song Yang, Westover School
Feminist Voices Should Exist Everywhere
“This story was a well written piece that incorporated the student’s personal experiences to illustrate how their thoughts about feminism changed over time. The story does a good job of putting in the writer’s observations from working with young girls in an area of China where they’re not as valued as boys and traditional views in China. The writer shows the growth she experienced during this experience, helping further her point.”
Third Place: Andy Zhang, UWC ISAK Japan
Reflecting on World War II: Why We Don’t Need War
“This story was a well-written, in-depth piece on a World War II survivor’s story. The story told the story from the survivor’s perspective and took readers through the day her village was bombed and how people reacted. Taking this perspective helps readers connect with the subject and understand and appreciate her story. The writer also connects the survivor’s story well with their point that history should be remembered by all.”
Category 8: In-Depth Reporting: Team
First Place: Gu Hanyang, Shanghai Shangde Experimental School; Zhou Han, St. Andrew’s School; Julie He, St. Mark’s School; Ding Manyu, UWC Atlantic College; Dai Qihang, First Presbyterian Day School; Cha Ying, Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School; Zhang Zhuoni, Huafu International.
Shedding the new dawn: sustainable fashion brands are leading new trend in Shanghai
“This story was an excellent in-depth piece. The story started out with a strong anecdotal lead paragraph that draws the reader in, and transitions to the rest of the piece. The story also combined data from outside sources, and even included a survey conducted by the reporters, which made for a nice graph accompanying the story. Overall, this story was inticingly written, had good sourcing, and included extra elements that tied the whole piece together.”
Second Place: Dai Jiacheng, Deng Yayue, Hai Xinyue, Liu Deng, Hu Ruosi, Zhong Minghui, Zhang Mengyuan, International Department Affiliated High School of SCNU
The “left behind” elderly in the digital age
“This story was an excellent, solutions-oriented look at an issue. The story was well-sourced, drawing in multiple perspectives from seniors adapting to new technology in ways good and bad. The story also included helpful data and statistics to back up the interviews with sources. The story could have had a stronger lead paragraph, focused on the experiences of those interviewed.”
Category 9: Sports Writing
First Place: Lin YiAn, Shanghai United International School Gubei Secondary Campus
USWNT Star Tobin Heath’s Strong Comeback Shuts Down All Doubts
“This piece did a great job of telling soccer player Tobin Heath’s story. It went through her career bests and what could have been a career-ending injury for her. It told her story in an interesting and informative way. The use of subheadings helped break up the text and move readers through the story in a smooth and logical way. I also liked the use of a pull quote from Heath.”
Second Place: Mao Hanqi, Jiangsu Tianyi High School
Houston Rockets and NBA Western Finals in 2018
“This piece was an excellent analysis of the Houston Rockets 2018 season and the lead-up to the NBA Finals. It highlights key players on the team and their role throughout the season. It also discusses stats from the season and how they stack up compared to past seasons.”
Third Place: Zhou kehan, Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shiyan School
The Burst Bubble of China Soccer in 2021
“This piece did a good job of taking readers through the difficulties Chinese soccer teams have faced in the Chinese Super League. The photos and graph included in the story help further illustrate the writer’s story. The use of subheadings helps guide the reader through the story and explains each point in detail.”
Category 10: Profile Writing
First Place: Man Pui Han, YK Pao School
“We were standing in pouring rain. He handed us an umbrella.”
“This profile really lets us get to know the subject. It was in-depth and organized very clearly. I really appreciated the use of the coach’s swimming data and how the writer really painted a picture with descriptions. The quotes show that great questions were asked and that the subject really loved what he was talking about.“
Second Place: Xie Mingqing, Guangzhou Foreign Language School
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish — Steve Jobs
“This was a great piece. The story was broken up with subheads to help the feature flow. We really got to know the student that was interviewed and the chosen quotes helped highlight her story. This profile was of great length and the lead paragraph gave a good idea of what we would learn about the subject.”
Third Place: Tiansu Zhou, Shenzhen Senior High School
The Rose and Bamboo: The Story of a Lupus Patient in the Miao Village
“This profile told the story of someone whose voice was important in the community. The writer did a great job showing us the situation and how the subject was affected by it. This story felt intimate and close while staying professional. I would recommend using more direct quotes and breaking up the paragraphs into shorter paragraphs.”
Category 11: Political Writing
First Place: Mei Leyi, YK Pao School
The teachers under double reduction policy in Shanghai, China
“This story was an excellent example of how a political issue affects a local community. The interviews and sources used here were well-chosen and illustrated how double reduction impacted their careers and students. The story also had good background information that made the issue easily understandable, even to someone who was not previously familiar with this policy. One improvement that could be made would be to introduce the stories of local teachers in the lead paragraph of the story, then move into the background.”
Second Place: Wu Haiyin, Vanke Meisha Academy
The New Marriage Law System in China
“This story made a clear argument that was well supported. The writer used graphs well to illustrate the issues with marriage policy they brought up. The conclusion was also an effective kicker to tie-up the argument. The story could have used a stronger opening, clearly stating the issues the writer saw with the policy, rather than background.”
Third Place: Tang Kaiqiao, Xi’an Tieyi High School
LGBTQ Equality and Same-sex Marraige in China- Will China be there someday?
“This story was a good explainer piece analyzing what it might take to achieve LGBTQ equality in China. The writer included helpful background and explored several different solutions. The story made use of research, statistics and specific examples that helped to support the writer’s argument.”
Category 12: Column Writing
First Place: Tai Marvin, LI PO CHUN United World College of HongKong
Light at the end of the Tunnel. The next move forward?
“The column is an excellent example of not only analyzing racial injustice, but also presents solutions on how America should move forward to combat the issue. The author provides detailed historical context and substantial evidence that addresses the roots of systemic racism in great detail. Additionally, the sentence structure of the first three sentences catches the reader’s attention and keeps the question in the reader’s mind to understand their point of view as they continue with the piece.”
Second Place: Rachael Jingtong Cui, Shanghai United International School Gubei Secondary Campus
Snow Angel
“The author uses vivid description and great sensory detail that makes the reader feel as if they are right next to them as the events are occurring. Their story is not only told in an engaging way, but appeals and invokes the reader’s emotions of empathy and compassion. Additionally, the author makes great use of active voice and utilizes sentence structure in an effective way to emphasize their main points.”
Third Place: Hou Yanguo, Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy
Because — worth it!
“The author incorporates the history of the brand and its impact that is engaging with the readers and how it contributed to the feminism movement. The use of a light-hearted and casual tone makes the piece easy to understand and reads as if the reader is having a conversation with the author . By diving into the brand’s history, the piece is not rather a PR advertisement for the brand, but rather an interesting analysis of how the feminism appeal attracted women toward their products.”
Category 13: Health, Science, Agricultural Writing
First Place: Tung Tony Guo Feng, Shanghai High School International Division
Whirling Disease: How Ecological Health is Spiraling Down
“This story had a compelling lead paragraph that illustrated why whirling disease might be relevant to the reader’s own life. The scientific background was well-explained and easy to understand. This story also made use of interviews with expert sources, which boosted the credibility of the story, and made it more interesting. The story flowed well, and used a problem-solution approach.”
Second Place: Zang Yiming, Beijing National Day School
How concerning is plastic debris? — It’s never too late to take action
“This writer effectively tied together their own experience with scientific background, creating a compelling case for the reader. The author’s personality and story shines through, strengthening their argument. For the future, interviews with experts could have made the story stronger, and the angle about how COVID has changed pollution in the ocean could have been explored more to make the story about a long-standing issue more newsworthy.”
Third Place: Tung Tony Guo Feng, Shanghai High School International Division
The Strain on Vaccines, in the Face of the New Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variant
“This article excelled at explaining complicated vaccine science in easy-to-understand terms, and answered many common questions about the COVID vaccine. For the future, the story could benefit from a more enticing lede that draws the reader to the questions the article will answer, rather than starting with summary.”
Photo Categories:
Category 14: News Feature Photo
First Place: Yuan Zihan, Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School
Longtang farewell
“Longtang Farewell takes viewers into an intimate family and home space through thought-out framing and highlights that illuminate each person. The moment in which two family members clink glasses characterizes and humanizes the sources you captured.”
Second Place: Yang Yatong,Shandong Experimental High School
Life
“Life captured the perfect moment of wildlife being wildlife with the bird catching a fish as it attempts to squirm away while water flies in all directions. The reflection of the bird and fish on the water creates more depth within the photograph.”
Third Place: Li Siqi, The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University International Department
Ripples of Dreams
“Ripples of Dreams was captured with beautiful lighting as the sunset casts over the sky while water droplets rest on the foreground. The framing of the subject in the photo was very well done.”
Honorarable Mention: Lv Beika, North Cross School Shanghai
A Teahouse
Category 15: Sports Action Photo
First Place: Yeung Hoi Shun, Harrow International School Hong Kong
Landing
“The contrast of this photo is eye-catching. The angle used to create the shot is near perfect. The timing to capture the land is also very much appreciated. The subtle line leading the eye right to the skater is great!”
Second Place: Zhang Shengqi, Jiangsu Tianyi High School
Goal
“Very nice use of silhouettes. It was the perfect time of day to be shooting the shot. Nice use of separation to get that! Great framing as well!”
Third Place: Shi Yunchang, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
Together for a Shared Future
“Great use of a fast shutter speed. The shutter speed captures all the snow flinging up perfectly. The snow and the shadow combine to make a great spiral that keeps the eye engaged with all the focal points.”
Honorable Mention: Qian Yajie, Beijing National Day School
Tug of war
Category 16: Sports Feature Photo
First Place: Shao Yutong, Beijing 21st Century International School
The spotlight on the anchor
“The camera not being able to catch the runner emphasizes what you are going for well! The fans having a sort of expectation adds tremendously. Great framing as well.”
Second Place: Ding Yiran, Ningbo Xiaoshi International Center
Running Flower
“Awesome moment! The photo makes a viewer feel there with the runner while being passed. Can tell a lot about the runner while she is on her own and moving past us.”
Third Place: Mei Rujin, Hefei No.8 High School
The Fast and the Furious
“Really good use of having the background somewhat present. Can really tell a lot about the event and the high intensity of the horses with the fast shutter speed! The fences help to guide the eye to the racers.”
Category 17: Photo Illustration
First Place: Wan Zi Yuan Rocky, Choate Rosemary Hall
What makes us humans
“Super cool use of the monochrome. This photo works perfectly to encapsulate the story your caption is trying to share! The story being created with the hands makes viewers stick on the photo for longer.”
Second Place: Yu Xinran, Ningbo Xiaoshi High School
Snow Monkey
“The colors are popping! Such a cool concept for capturing wildlife. So many different focal points for an eye to go to and the animal itself is eye catching! Really enjoyed seeing a little sliver of where the animal can put their hands to rest at the bottom of the frame.”
Third Place: Zhong Lichuan, Nanjing Jinling High School International Department
Two girls in Hanfu
“The lighting is very enticing. The eye instantly goes to the first girl in the yellow but enough of the second girl is in focus to where your eye can wander down to the second girl at the table. Lots of movement and a really good story!”
Honorarable Mentions:
Zhong Lichuan, Nanjing Jinling High School International Department Respect one’s own culture
Zhu Xiaomei, United World College Diliajn Loneliness
Gao Chloe, Tsinghua International School Written
Xu Jiayi, YK PAO SCHOOL Monkey with more human
Song Yujie, Kambala School Power Behind Us
Wang Qiuyao, Beijing Haidian International School Future Hope
Li Muxian, Nanjing Foreign Language School Us and Nature
Yiwen Huang, Shenzhen Middle School Fly to Heaven
Category 18: Photo Slideshow
First Place: Chi Hanyu, RDFZ ICC
Poverty and Wealth -A Real Madagascar
“Poverty and Wealth – A Real Madagascar portrayed a real depiction of what the country is truly like. Within those times of trial and work, happy faces still arise, which was demonstrated through the slideshow. The inclusion of a collection of animals and citizens gave a real life look at the entirety of Madagascar.”
Second Place: He Wanning, Shenzhen College of International Education
The Death of the Knight
“There are so many unique frames in The Dark Knight that are very admirable. The position in which the subject is posing in all of these photos portrays a creepy, ominous tone in juxtaposition with the warm and cool lighting within the frames. There is a range of wide shots and different angles which made the slideshow enjoyable.”
Third Place: Li Yichen, Beijing Lu He International Academy
Shots Of Mind
“Each photo in Shots of Mind was framed very thoughtfully to make them more enjoyable to view. The slide with the “A Sudden Brain Wave” photo caught my eye, as it adds depth to what could have been a regular shot of a building.”
Category 19: Profile Portrait
First Place: Ma Yixuan, Shandong Experimental High School
The Folk Art Hidden in the Alley-Mr.Hou’s “She Huo” Face Painting
“The Folk Art Hidden in the Alley-Mr.Hou’s “She Huo” Face Painting is a wonderful collection of portraits that portrays the work side of the subject and the fun side of him. Through this well framed and entertaining portrait series, we see this hard working man work to create/paint fun pieces.”
Second Place: Yang Yatong, Shandong Experimental High School
Belief
“After reading the description and viewing the portrait, Belief is a perfect title to describe the subject and photo. You captured the weather and this grandmother’s drive to see her grandson, but also her tiredness. I like the way you framed this subject so that she is looking forward in the empty area of the frame.”
Third Place: He Wanning, Shenzhen College of International Education
Macro Phages
“Macro Phages is a very interesting portrait with great leading lines that lead us to the subject who is wearing a box/mask over their head. After reading the description, putting this subject in a familiar/normal place to portray that this could potentially be the future was a smart decision. The coloring of this photo also stresses the futuristic vibe that was meant to be portrayed.”
Honorable Mentions:
Ning Yixin, Zhengzhou No.7 Senior High School The work portrait
Zhang Lin, International Department,The Affiliated High School of SCNU My versatile grandma
Sun Wanyi, Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School New beginning
Jessica Jiaqi Zhou, Beijing City International School Under the mask
Jessica Jiaqi Zhou, Beijing City International School Trashcan playground
Zheng Juntao, Wuxi No.1 High School Old people’s life
Design Categories:
Category 20: Cartoon
First Place: Feng Jiarui, Beijing Chaoyang Kaiwen Academy
Global warming
“This piece is very poignant and communicates a lot while remaining simple and digestible. The art is strong and has a unique style, and the varying shades of white accented by the darker shadows in the wrinkles and fingers of the glove make a cohesive color palette. The climate change message is effective, and the choice to frame it in the plastic glove reinforces the environmental message and creates an unmistakable mood of being trapped.”
Second Place: Song Yifan, The Independent Schools Foundation Academy
Lens of Hope
“This cartoon has good art and a clear message. The image of the child drinking water while onlookers record on cell phones paints a clear picture of global wealth disparities as well as the way emotional imagery can be used to create interest in social causes around the world. The art features great attention to detail in the images on the phones. There were a few squares that seemed out of place on the hands and the phones, but that may have just been a technical issue.”
Third Place: Yao Ziyan, Jiangsu Tianyi High School
Freedom under COVID-19
“This cartoon does a good job of getting its message across with simplicity. The art is detailed while being stylized and unique. The symbols of American liberty along with the masks and bullet holes in the signs offer a striking contrast that leaves a big impact.”
Honorarable Mentions:
Bai Ruiqi, BIBA Beijing International Bilingual Academy Our perfect world
Liu Yifei, Qingdao Laoshan Jingjialing School Skin
Ye Yanzi, The Barstow School Ningbo Campus Warriors fighting COVID-19
Category 21: Informational Graphic
First Place: Zhao Zeyu, Beijing 21st Century International School
Chinese Hot Pot
“The informational graphic is easy to read and contains good information about what hot pot is, its history, and how to make it. The colors work well together and each section is separated and organized well. I like how the section discussing ingredients that can be added to hot pot shows what each ingredient or sauce looks like. The information in the right-hand column is displayed nicely but adding labels to that information will better explain what the designer is trying to convey.”
Second Place: Xu Jingyi, Zhengzhou Foreign Language Middle School
The Endangered Species World Map
“I liked how the graphic incorporated endangered animals from different parts of the world into the map. The information displayed did well incorporating words as well as visuals to illustrate the points. I also liked how it had a consistent color scheme. While the incorporation of the animals works fairly well, some sections are small and it’s hard to see the animal, and the text listing the animal blends into some of the images.”
Third Place: Liu Yutong, WLSA Shanghai Academy
Reading Impact on Children’s Development
“This informational graphic has a pleasant looking color scheme making it visually appealing. It does a nice job of balancing images and text to explain the importance of reading in early childhood and drawing the reader’s eye to different sections of the graphic. I think it would have been interesting if the designer included some negative effects of not introducing reading in early childhood or explaining more of the positives.”
Category 22: News Cover
First Place: Li Shuo Phoebe, Shenzhen International Foundation College
Gender Dilemma
“This front caught my eye immediately. Not only do the colors compliment each other, but I enjoy how the designer drew the two women to reflect all sides of the “gender dilemma.” The artist is clearly talented, but there is something about the attention to detail and the placement of the words that makes it worthy of first place. I love that there is a headline and summary to explain the cover without taking away from the drawing.”
Second Place: Guan Jiayi, Jining Confucius International School
Gender Equality
“This news cover has a lot of detail. I enjoy how the colors are eye-catching and how the painting is the entire cover. I am unsure how the title of the cover correlates to the painting, so I would have liked a clearer headline and summary.”
Third Place: Yedifan Vanke, Meisha Academy
Collision & Integration
“I enjoy the contrast between the two sides of the cover. The photographer and designer worked well together to incorporate the shoes into the design. I like how it is pretty minimalistic but it also has enough detail to draw in the reader.”
Category 23: Page Design
First Place: Yu Feier, United World College of Changshu, China
LOVE
“This was the clear winner. The integration of photos, design and art made for a visually interesting spread. I enjoyed how the words helped explain the page without taking away from the visuals. I like the font choice for the page tags and the words — it was not too fancy but was cohesive with the art.”
Second Place: Wang Jinghan, Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Experimental School
The Psychology of Panic
“I like this page a lot because the background is a photo but doesn’t take away from the story. I like how it’s not a ton of words squished together, and instead is spaced out into different sections. There is some empty space but it looks intentional. The small designs make the story visually interesting, which is important when there aren’t many photo opportunities for a story.”
Third Place: You xinyue, Wuhan No. 6 High School
Campus Violence
“This design is alarming, given the gravity of the topic. I think it does a good job of giving a good “warning” into what the story/topic of the paper is about. The artistic detail is amazing and the designer did a great job using the empty space to their advantage.”
Multimedia Categories:
Category 24: Video News or Feature
First Place: LIU DAIFEI, Shanghai Pinghe School
water fee
“Amazing use of animation. Paced so well. The story was best told through animation and can tell the amount of effort that was put in! Great color palette.”
Second Place: Ma Ruxin, Hefei No.8 High School
Chinese Tea Culture
“Great introduction to tea culture with the drone shots of the field! Taking us along the journey of how tea is made with the addition of a variety of storytelling supplements was very impactful. Good job!”
Third Place: Pan Shiqiong, Beijing Huijia Private School
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
“A great reminder to everyone! Good way to introduce the story with the animation. Really pulled me in and made me feel comforted by the rest of the shots.”
Category 25: Podcast Episode
First Place: Song Jianing, Beijing 21st Century International School
The Recollection of a Respected Artist: Mr. Song Buyun
“I think this podcast is very informative, while still feeling casual. It was relaxing to listen to because the student spoke softly and slowly in addition to having instrumental music in the background. It had a good balance of speaking from the and interviews with the artist’s wife. Some of the transitions between segments were abrupt; the student could have faded the music more to transition. The background music could also have been quieter, but did not make it difficult to hear the student speaking.”
Second Place: Man Pui Han, YK Pao School
What Does It Mean to be a Girl
“I think this podcast was interesting in the way the student used her personal experiences to take listeners through her journey of self-discovery. I liked how the student used audio of a younger person speaking to indicate her thoughts as a child. I also enjoyed the opening of the podcast including different thoughts the student had in both childhood and as she’s grown up. The transitions between the different segments felt abrupt, some fading could have been used to transition or music could have been used to go from the opening to the main segment of the podcast. There were a few volume differences between the younger girl and older girl’s speaking parts.”
Third Place: Xie Yulang, Chengdu Foreign Language School
About the Chinese Remedial Classes
“This was an informative piece. I felt it did well weaving in changes the government has made for remedial classes and the inequalities these changes could cause with how this student experienced them. The piece could have been more detailed in discussing the remedial classes and the new changes to them. It was also fairly short compared to other entries.”
Category 26: Documentary Individual
First Place: Yuan Zihan , Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School
The woman on meadow
“Beautiful cinematography. Loved the shots of the cattle. Well sequenced intro! Also, great lighting on the interview. Can tell there was a lot of time spent on the setup!”
Second Place: Li Haolang, Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shiyan School
BarberBond
“Such a cool documentary idea! Felt like a high level production. Great framing on the interviews and cool verite footage. Music adds to the setting and keeps a viewer engaged!”
Third Place: Zhang Gengchang, Beijing 21st Century International School
Dr.Yang’s Village Library
“Loved seeing the interaction with the children! It was a special story and the documentary was a great medium to tell the story through. Great pacing, the pacing keeps viewers watching!”
Category 27: Documentary Team
First Place: Fu Chengyu, The Webb Schools; Liu Yangming, Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School; Liu Yifan, American Heritage School; Jiang Songqi, American Heritage School.
Xishuangbanna: The Rubber Crisis
“Loved the cinematography at the beginning of the documentary – really kept me as a viewer engaged. I also liked the participatory style documentary feel as you participated in the Sustainable Development Project.”
Second Place: Zhang Ruicheng, Li Jinze, Beijing 21st Century International School
Shandong famine
“This is a really interesting and important story. I really like how you spoke with one person on a large issue (making it personalized and helped me to connect to the story more). I really like the use of found footage to give viewers a look into what the famine was like.”
Third Place: Chen Yuantai, Zhengzhou Foreign Language School; Hu Yuhan, WLSA Shanghai Academy; Zhang Ruijie, Basis International School Nanjing; Liang Xinran, Shanghai Starriver Billingual School; Li Zhuchen, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Affiliated School; He Mingkai， Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Affiliated School
A Date With XiBei
“Great cinematography throughout the documentary! The use of music and changing the shots to the beat was a nice touch. I can tell that this documentary was thought through and each interview contributed to the overall idea of the film.”
Category 28: News Show
First Place: Zhu Haolin, Winnie, Wu Nuoxi, Zhang Yuchi, Sirius, Lily, Justin, Amy, Daisy, Fisher, Cynthia, Chris, Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School
September SSBS news
“This news show had intriguing and interesting graphics at the beginning, which pulled me in right away. The b-roll was also a good addition to the news show. In addition, the confidence from the reporters helped me to stay engaged. The anchors had a nice presentation style.”
Category 29: Multimedia Package
First Place: Lin Zhujun, Beijing 101 Middle School
The Brunch of Birds
“The Brunch of Birds had a really interesting story and really great animation. I really liked how the animation looked and I liked at the end when the animation zoomed out to realize that the birds were eating out of trash cans.”
Second Place: Fang yanyan, Shenzhen Middle School
Team members: Cai ruihan, Chen kehao, Zhang xinyue, Song xiwen
Light the light
“Light the light’s use of filters to portray the past was really well done and helped viewers to connect with the video more. The music choice also enhanced the meaning of the film.”
