The School's 2018-2019 Scroll + Scrolling literary magazine was just named a 2020 Crowd Award Finalist in the high-school hybrid literary magazine category by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). This marks the seventh consecutive year that Holton has earned this honor. Just four other publications from across the country earned recognition in this category this year.

CSPA was founded in 1925 to support the scholastic publishing community, provide training for student journalists and advisers, and promote excellence in the field. The organization's Crown Awards honor top student publications among member schools. Judges consider overall excellence in a head-to-head comparison, weighing design, photography, concept, coverage, and writing. A total of 1,145 publications were eligible for judging this year.

At its Spring Convention in March, CSPA will announce which Crown Award Finalists have made it to the next level and will receive Gold Crown Awards. The hybrid magazine category was established just six years ago for publications that produce thematically cohesive print and digital components. A pioneer in this arena, Scroll + Scrolling has been a Crown Award Finalist and gone on to win a Gold Crown each year since the category's inception.

The 2018-2019 Scroll + Scrolling also earned Gold Medalist and All-Columbian honors in the publication's critique, a detailed evaluation based on a common set of standards that notes specific strengths and areas for growth. The school earned 970 out of 1,000 possible points.

"The conceptual development in both Scroll and Scrolling creates a visual and verbal 'whole book look,'" the judge wrote. "The writing and visuals are outstanding. Both the print and digital platforms are exemplary. Together they form an outstanding, cohesive, enriching experience for the reader... Judging your magazine was a joy."

CSPA also recognizes individual excellence in member publications via its Gold Circle Awards, and six Holton students just received these honors:

Sarah Muhlbaum '20
Certificate of Merit in Experimental Fiction
"The Mask" (2018-2019 magazine)

Michelle Jang '19
Certificate of Merit in Humor
"Teeth Grip, First Sip" (2018-2019 magazine)

Niki Abdala-Arata '18 & Zenia Choksy '18
Certificates of Merit for Photography Portfolio of Work (2017-2018 magazine)

Greer Knebel '18 & Rayne Layton '18
First Place for Interactive Graphic
"PUNCH" (2017-2018 magazine)

Second Place for Computer Generated Art/Illustration
"Junior Journeys" (2017-2018 magazine)

Congratulations to past and present Scroll + Scrolling staffers and contributors and longtime advisor Melinda Salata on this outstanding recognition! We look forward to another incredible year!

View the 2018-2019 Scroll + Scrolling:

View the 2017-2018 Scroll + Scrolling:

Sinclair Daniel '15 just graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts last spring, and her acting career is already soaring—literally. She's currently starring as the high-flying Wendy in the Shakespeare Theatre Company production of Peter Pan and Wendy, a "woke," feminist twist on the classic tale.

In between her performances, auditions, and all the other things on her very full plate, Daniel took time on Thurs., Jan. 9 to speak with Upper School students about her experiences and share advice with Holton performers.

Like many in her audience, Daniel gained early stage experience in Holton and Landon's theaters. (She attended Holton for grades 7-10, when her family moved out of the area). A favorite production was Anything Goes—"I still sing the songs like twice a week," she laughed.

When looking at colleges and careers, Daniel says, "I always knew that theater was the thing I wanted to do." At NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, she built her network, her craft, and her range, studying everything from theater to TV and film, from Shakespeare to experimental theater.

Daniel said her teachers, skilled and caring but also demanding and sometimes brutally honest, really helped prepare her for real-world auditions. "Rejection is part of it," she said. "The earlier you can realize it's not personal, the better."

A friend once told her a useful stat: You get one callback for every 60 auditions. "I don't know if it's true," Daniel said, "but it helps me put things into perspective... Maybe this is only audition number nine and it's fine, and by time I've gotten to audition 30, I don't even think about it because it's just routine."

Landing a gig, she said, is "preparation meets opportunity"—an intersection at which she found herself just a few months after graduating from college. An actor had just dropped out of the Shakespeare Theatre's upcoming production, and a former acting agent who was a fan of Daniel's work helped her land an audition.

The actress loves the D.C.-based show and is immensely grateful for the opportunity. "The show has a lot of people like me in it...we're kind of in the same in-between phase, and we're just having a lot of fun."

The production closes this Sunday and Daniel has been busy exploring what might come next. She's not sure of any details yet, but she's confident that other doors will open.

Her advice for Holton's performers? "If you want to do theater, do theater. Just audition... If you stay with it long enough, I firmly believe something will happen."

Sinclair Daniel '15 in the 2012 Holton/Landon production of Pride and Prejudice (left) and the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Peter Pan and Wendy, closing Sunday (right).

In addition to his many roles at Holton, MS/US Choral Director and music teacher Trevor Fanning also enjoys sharing his passion for music with others off-campus. This includes serving as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor across the country and internationally.

In early February, Fanning had the honor of serving as guest conductor for the Cape Cod Music Association's All Cape & Islands Honor Music Festival, celebrating its 60^th anniversary. Fanning conducted the Treble Choir and for the special occasion, he selected a program of all-female, living composers to continue his ongoing theme this year of presenting music of positivity and empowerment, strength, and celebration. The choir, made up of 63 girls from every high school on the Cape, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket, met for three days and concluded the festival with a public concert.

Fanning says that opportunities like this are "extremely powerful and special for both myself and the participants."

He adds, "What I gain every time I work with new choirs, I look forward to bringing back to use in my work with the Women in Blue at Holton, who inspire me every day with their dedication and musicality, passion, and commitment."

The 2020 Scholastic Art Awards recognized 24 Holton Upper School artists for their work in painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, and fashion design. These students earned a total of 31 awards, including one Gold Key Award, which will now advance to national judging.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards "have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of the nation's youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated." They are presented annually by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit whose mission is to spotlight students with "exceptional artistic and literary talent." In addition to earning recognition, top award recipients are eligible for scholarships. Last year, more than 340,000 works were submitted to this prestigious competition; fewer than 3,000 receive national honors.

We congratulate all our awardees, as well as all students who entered, and their talented, dedicated teachers!

A full list of awardees appears below.

See a slideshow of their award-winning work here:

Ceramics

Maya Anopolsky '21 - Honorable Mention, Blue Rain
Kate Bohigian '21 - Honorable Mention, Pushing Boundaries
Kate Bohigian '21 - Silver Key, No Escape
Michaela Corcoran '20 - Silver Key, Floating
Grace Darcey '20 - Honorable Mention, Ikebana
Grace Darcey '20 - Honorable Mention, Water
Natalie DeSarbo '21 - Honorable Mention, The Waterfall
Kelsey Frederick '21 - Honorable Mention, Fragments of Nature
Kelsey Frederick '21 - Honorable Mention, Happy As a Clam
Maryam Garavi '21 - Gold Key, Safe and Accessible Water
Anna Hoernig '22 - Honorable Mention, Poppies: The Poison Within
Serena Hong '22 - Honorable Mention, Poppies Poppin
Kyley Rymsza '20 - Silver Key, Chasing Waterfalls
Maya Valmon '20 - Honorable Mention, Geometric Waves

Drawing

Portia Gharai '22 - Honorable Mention, Childhood

Painting

Lillian Broeksmit '20 - Silver Key, Ethereal Glow
Emery Cilluffo '20 - Honorable Mention, Expression
Catherine Crocker '21 - Honorable Mention, Anubis
Pascale Schmidt '20 - Honorable Mention, Attentive Goat
Wendy Wang '21 - Honorable Mention, Fishing
Wendy Wang '21 - Honorable Mention, Forks and Knives
Katherine Yoon '23 - Honorable Mention, What's in My Backpack?

Photography

Jemma Bazemore '20 - Honorable Mention, Hypnosis
Joanna Dematatis '21 - Honorable Mention, Bachelor in Paradise
Evan Israel '20 - Honorable Mention, The Blue City
Evan Israel '20 - Honorable Mention, Sunrise Hike
Mairead Levitt '21 - Honorable Mention, Beach Bike
Mairead Levitt '21 - Honorable Mention, Prizes
Mairead Levitt '21 - Silver Key, Candy Apples
Valerie Mello '21 - Honorable Mention, Who's There?

Fashion Design

Josephine Stark '21 - Honorable Mention, Holographic Disco Set