Foothill High School, like, totally crushed it at the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 46th High School Journalism Awards, snagging the crown for best high school newspaper among a whopping 21 awards. The judges were all like, “Whoa, the Hillside Hotwire is, like, the epitome of high school journalism in Southern Nevada.”
The judges were totally blown away by the sick photography and layouts that made every page pop, along with the top-notch writing. They were all like, “Dang, these Foothill students must be feeling like the luckiest bunch in the world to have a journalism team that churns out such rad keepsakes.”
Sunrise Mountain High School and Bonanza High School were hot on Foothill’s trail, nabbing second and third place for their newspapers. Sunrise Mountain racked up 12 awards, while Bonanza High School scored six. Las Vegas Academy of the Arts took home the prize for best news website, with the judges praising its clean presentation and diverse range of topics. The school scored a total of six awards. Glenn Cook, the Executive Editor of the Review-Journal, was stoked about the exceptional work coming out of high school newsrooms across the valley. He was all like, “Props to these schools and their student journalists for bringing their A-game every year. The students they cover are, like, winning too.”
The competition was judged by the Review-Journal’s newsroom, who were majorly impressed by the multimedia prowess of Spring Valley High School. They scooped up nine awards, scoring big in the best digital video story category with a piece by Cooper Turner and Angel Callejas. The judges were like, “These students were totally passionate and gave us all the deets on putting on a killer show. We left feeling hella informed. Great job, guys.” The Meadows School snagged a first-place award for on-air talent with “Sideline Reporter” by Brianna Langberg. Over at Silverado High School, Saliye Demarchena dominated, winning both best illustration and best editorial cartoon for the piece “Dear couples: Please stop making out in the hallway.” The judges were all about that clear message and killer artistry, giving major props to the Sun with its awkward expression.
Sierra Vista High School’s Penelope Marquez scored big in the best opinion writing category with her piece, “Trump’s Denial of the ‘American Dream.’” Meanwhile, Spring Valley High School nailed first place in both news feature and feature story. The judges were totally digging Malik Khan’s piece, “Star Student Balances Muslim Beliefs with American Norms,” calling it a standout entry. Tearlynn Bell from Sunrise Mountain High School clinched the best entertainment story with “Lipstick and labels: The demonization of hyperfemininity,” bringing home the gold for her school.
Foothill High School continued to shine, scoring nine first-place awards, four second-place awards, and eight third-place awards in this year’s competition. Junior Paige Ackerman was named most valuable staffer for her outstanding work as editor-in-chief of the Hillside Hotwire. She was all about that writing and finding the human element in every story. The newspaper’s adviser, Bill Tobler, was super proud of her dedication, noting how she even volunteered to snap photos at after-school events. Total rockstar move, Paige. Total rockstar move.
