Journalism/Talisman & Yearbook
In the News!
Yearbook Sales and Distribution Info.
Ordering Photos, Student ID, ASB Card, Senior Portraits, Yearbook Sales.
Announcements!
Quill & Scroll Journalism Honor Society
- Congratulations to the following journalism students: Co-Editor In Chief Xander Howarth, Sports Editor Shylo Burns, Features Editor Noelle Shin for induction in Quill & Scroll, the international journalism honor society!
WJEA State Write-Off Competition
- 11 journalism students won awards at the WJEA State Write-Off Competition on Saturday – congratulations journalists!
- Award of Excellence: News Writing, Vayuna L.
- Award of Excellence: Editorial Writing, Logan L.
- Honorable Mention: Newspaper Feature Writing, Noelle S.
- Superior Award: Yearbook Feature Writing, Colette B.
- Honorable Mention: Editorial Cartooning, Abbey D.
- Superior Award: Headline Writing & Copy Editing, Caitlin C.
- Award of Excellence: Newspaper layout & page design, Abigail B. & Logan L.
- Award of Excellence: Yearbook Layout & Page Design, Cecilia M.
- Honorable Mention: News Photography, Maya B.
- Honorable Mention: Yearbook Photography, Alton S.
- Honorable Mention: Sports Feature Writing, Shylo B.
Visit the district Shout Out page for more information about this event.
Talisman wins national design award
The Talisman newspaper staff took 3rd place in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Newsmagazine Cover competition. National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) salutes the winners of its 2025 Broadcast Story of the Year competition. NSPA’s Individual Awards are among the top prizes in scholastic media, and the awards are a showcase of journalistic excellence.
Winners were announced during the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Media Convention, in Nashville November 2025.
The national competition includes student journalists from across the country and was announced in early November. The cover created by Max Bykowski and Marley Helfer (’25) introduces a story on teenage gambling. Read more on the NSPA site.
The Shingle – Yearbook Production
Yearbook Production combines the Journalist Writing Class with photography, advertising, budgeting, design and electronic media.
The ultimate goal is the production of the School Yearbook, The Shingle. Students learn about the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, the responsibilities of the press to inform, the ethical responsibility of truthfulness, fairness, accuracy and objectivity, and other principles as well as practical skills of analytical writing, layout, word processing, computer skills, and general paper production.
Shingle Yearbook Distribution & Sales
Watch for news posts, school announcements, and students social media updates!
Yearbook sales dates are established in accordance with state tax policies.
Contact: 1ballardshingle@gmail.com
Advisor: Michael Smith; mtsmith@seattleschools.org
The Talisman Student Newspaper Production
Newspaper Production combines Journalist Writing Class with photography, advertising, budgeting, design and electronic media. The ultimate goal is the production of the School Newspaper, The Talisman.
Students learn about the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, the responsibilities of the press to inform, the ethical responsibility of truthfulness, fairness, accuracy and objectivity, and other principles as well as practical skills of analytical writing, layout, word processing, computer skills, and general paper production.
Mission Statement: The Ballard Talisman is an open public forum for student expression, and exists to give a student perspective on issues relating to the Ballard student body and community. Please send signed letters with author’s name, class or position (e.g. parent, student, teacher, etc.) to the editor.
Subscribe to The Talisman
The Talisman which was established in 1917, is an award-winning BHS student-produced newspaper. Visit the Talisman website for the most current updates and recent articles.
Subscribe to get all seven issues for the school year. Support student media, and stay informed about issues affecting the Ballard community. Subscriptions start at $40.
Advertising in The Talisman
If you would like to place an ad in the paper, contact ballardtally@gmail.com.
Contact: BallardTally@gmail.com
Teacher Advisor
Michael Smith; mtsmith@seattleschools.org
Past Program Highlights!
Quill & Scroll Journalism Honor Society
The following Talisman newspaper staff were nominated into the Quill & Scroll Journalism Honor Society: Editor in Chief 24-25: Marley Helfer, Sports Editor Max Bykowski, Reporter Alfie Koll-Williams, Features Editor Abigail Bekele. Also, senior Marley Helfer received the BHS Journalism Scholar award from the WJEA.
Talisman News 24-25!
Senior Co-Editor-in-Chief Marley Helfer received an Honorable Mention in the 2024 NSPA Story of the Year (slide #104) for her Opinion article, “They is not working the way it should.” She is a 2024 NSPA Leadership in Student Journalism Award recipient. In addition, four of her articles have been published nationally on the School Newspapers Online (Best of SNO) national website.
National HS Journalism Achievements 24-25
At the end of April 2025, over 3,000 students from across the nation gathered in downtown Seattle for the National High School Journalism Convention, showcasing their talents in various categories.
Among the notable achievements for BHS staffers, Silas Horn earned an Honorable Mention for yearbook sports writing, while Abby Bekele received an Excellent for her newspaper layout. Logan Lemonidis also earned an Honorable Mention in Commentary writing, and Xander Howarth achieved an Excellent in Review writing.
Other distinguished students included Shylo Burns and Noelle Shin, who both received Honorable Mentions in Sports and Feature writing, respectively, and Sabi Yoon, who stood out with a Superior in Newswriting.
Additionally, Marley Helfer and Max Bykowski secured 4th place in Best of Show Newspaper Design, while Sabi Yoon and Abby Bekele received 9th and 2nd place for their respective articles on BHS’ Ukrainian students and African culture, highlighting the students’ commitment to diverse and impactful journalism.
Journalism Students Earn Honors 22-23
Congratulations! Ballard Journalism Students won at the Washington Journalism Education Association 2023 State Journalism Competition: Alexa T., Honorable Mention, Review Writing, Annie W., Excellent, News Writing; Semai H., Honorable Mention, Newspaper Feature Writing; Hazel E., Excellent, Sports Feature Writing; Tom F., Superior, Yearbook Feature Photos and Excellent, Yearbook Sports Photo; Marley H., Honorable Mention, Yearbook Feature Writing; Sabi Y., Honorable Mention, Editorial Cartooning.
Talisman Staff, Photographer Earn Awards 22-23
Shout out to the Talisman staff which received Honorable Mention for its Editorial “Pandemic Shows How Our Healthcare System Fails Disabled People” in the National Scholastic Press Association 2022 Story of the Year competition.
Also, congratulations to Talisman Photographer Tom F., who received fourth place in the NSPA’s Photo of the Year for his “Tech Theatre” image: Mid-rehearsal, Senior Philip D. counts in members of the school’s theater production group. “I got involved in theater production when I was a freshman as an assistant, and I took over on the second show and have been running it ever since,” Dussin said. “It is a very satisfying feeling when all of the different parts come together to make a show work, and I also like playing with some of the technical aspects.” Photo by Tom F.
The top prizes in scholastic journalism, NSPA’s Pacemaker awards highlight journalistic excellence. Winners were announced during the Fall National High School Journalism Convention, Nov. 2023, in St. Louis.
More Talisman News
The Talisman is in the Best of SNO: The Ballard Talisman was recently featured in the Best of SNO. SNO is the online platform of The Talisman, and chooses to showcase some of the best student journalism and photography.
The featured article “Conversations without contact: COVID-19’s disruption of language classes” was written by staff reporter Marley H. and included a photo taken by staff photographer Arden R.
Shingle Yearbook | March 2019 | The Shingle yearbook staff had several winners at the WA Journalism Education Association (WJEA) competition on March 16, 2019.
Talisman Update | 2018 | Talisman Reps Free Speech Bill Signing | A handful of Talisman staffers participated in the historic governor’s signing of a free speech rights bill for student journalists. In the attached photo, seniors and Co-Editors-in-Chief Jackson Croy and Eleanor Dudley stand outside the state capitol with state Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn (sponsor of the bill), along with senior political correspondent Oscar Zahner.
Update March 2018 | Talisman coverage of students walk out in March. The coverage includes a podcast with excerpts from speakers, and student voices. In addition, the Talisman was able to interview Gov. Inslee.
Talisman Update | 2017 Two Talisman staff members testified in the House Education Committee hearing on the student free speech bill SB5064 this week. You can listen to their testimony. Feature editor Eleanor Dudley and political reporter Oscar Zahner testify around 1:02:00, and their testimony lasts about 2 minutes.
Additional articles include Story on blind Iranian student’s success | Q & A with two-time state wrestler, sophomore Jeremy Miyake | Gymnastics competes at the state tournament | Cheer takes 1st place at state | Coverage of the women’s march in Washington state | Q & A with socialist council member Kshama Sawant | Behind the scenes making Les Misérables.
Talisman awarded consecutive Pacemaker award finalist | 2015 | The BHS Journalism Program produces a school newspaper called The Talisman that is award winning and nationally recognized. For the second year in a row the Ballard Talisman was nominated as a Pacemaker finalist in the Tabloid category from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) which is considered the highest honor for a scholastic newspaper in the country. Many consider the Pacemaker award as the high school equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize for professional newspapers. It marks the second Pacemaker nomination in the school’s history. Staff editors submitted 5 issues that judges critiqued based on the following: coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
In addition, each year we also have state and national award-winning writers, photographers, artists, designers and reporters—some of whom later earn journalism honors status (all of which are worthy additions to any college application). Former members of our staff include the Washington state journalist of the year, Anna Ferkingstad, a nationally nominated page designer, Evan Bunnage, and a nationally honored arts writer. Staff members compete both at the state and national level in many areas of newspaper production, often while we attend national conventions all over the country.
The Talisman has had students receive story and design of the year nominations from the NSPA. Most recently, graduated managing editor Greta Rainbow’s story, “Teaching the arts,” was nominated for story of the year. She also won third place in the Edward R. Murrow high school competition for her news story, “Vapor Store Opens Steps Away From School.” The Talisman also won first place as the best website at the Murrow competition.
In 2014, the staff received 2nd place in the country for Design of the Year in the NSPA Newsmagazine category. The newspaper, over the last few years, has also placed in the top ten in the best of show competition at two different JEA national conventions.
As of June 3, 2026