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The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
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The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Blue Ribbon Academy (Footer)
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Sophomore Shizhen Jin places her phone in English teacher Christina Zubko’s “phone jail” outside Room 64 on Friday, Sept. 12, just before the start of sixth period.
SH expected to stay on track despite state-wide phone policy updates
Ashley Kang, News Editor • September 18, 2025
Sophomore Janiny Maldonado (right) reads out her essay, “Carrying What Matters,” during the 26th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest awards ceremony, standing behind the podium on Friday, March 14, at Chapman University in Orange.
English assignment turned into award-winning entry
Irene Park, Editor-in-Chief • June 23, 2025
Freshmen Cora Woodward (left) and Evangeline Cowell (right) eat their lunches and socialize at one of five newly added picnic tables in front of the 20’s building.
WRAPPING IT UP: Murals, fixtures conclude 2024-2025 school year campus improvement projects
Alice Chae, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • June 14, 2025
Campus supervisor liaison Randy Avalos (left) and science teacher Alexander Hua hold a bouquet of flowers in recognition of their Employee of the Year award. This school year’s honorees were announced in the staff lounge on Friday, Jan. 24, during break.
Campus supervisor liaison, science teacher earns Employee of the Year
Katelyn Ahn, Business Manager & Spotlight Team Reporter • May 30, 2025
Then-sophomore Ayden Currier (left) and then-junior Kayla Choe mop and clean the drawings and messages in chalk left by the senior pranksters in the quad on May 24, 2024. Custodians also worked to clean other parts of the campus.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Senior pranks
Rose Park • May 28, 2025
Social science teacher Jeff Gordon (right) shares a congratulatory hug from assistant superintendent Karl Zener during the Monday, May 12, celebration of retiring teachers in the Performing Arts Center. The Fullerton Joint Union High School District organized the event to give its 43 certificated retirees a commemorative plaque recognizing the number of years they've contributed to their students.
GOLDEN HANDSHAKE: 43 Fullerton Joint Union High School District teachers — 9 from Sunny Hills — take early retirement incentive
Kevin Lee, Layout Editor • May 20, 2025
Fire Truck 6 from the Fullerton Fire Department arrives by the swimming pool to investigate the potential gas leak situation during fourth period on Friday, May 2.
On-campus gas leak leads to classroom evacuations
Irene Park, Editor-in-Chief • May 15, 2025
Accolade web managing editor senior Justin Pak (left), web editor-in-chief senior Seowon Han and adviser Tommy Li celebrate the online news website’s first-place win in the Southern California Journalism Education Association’s California All-Stars competition on Tuesday, April 8, in Room 138 during fourth period.
Accolade’s online news website takes first-place plaque at state media contest
Soojin Cho, Feature Editor • April 25, 2025
Eco Spirit Week features different activities students can participate Monday-Friday, April 21-25, to raise awareness for the environment in celebration of Earth Day Tuesday, April 22. This flier was posted on the Instagram accounts of the Associated Student Body and Thrifting Club, the coordinators of this new spirit week.
Thrifting Club, ASB collaborate to form first-time Eco Spirit Week
Mina Imai and Irene Park • April 22, 2025
Junior Melina Ciorogariu walks down the red carpet during the Prom Fashion Show held in the quad during break on Wednesday, March 26. The event, featuring formal attire from Windsor and Friar Tux, showcased outfit options for juniors and seniors preparing for prom on Saturday, April 5, at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
PROM PREVIEW: ‘Interstellar’-themed dance to light up The Artic in Anaheim Saturday, April 5
Caroline Shin, Staff Reporter • April 3, 2025
An unknown firefighter stares into the raging flames and thick smoke that blazed through the Eaton and Palisades areas on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the first day of the fires.
Eyewitness to fire devastation
Emily Lee, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • April 2, 2025
The weekly principal's newsletter features video production's latest episode with school events on Friday, March 28. For the first time, students received the morning announcements via video sent to teachers on Monday, March 31, during second period. (Screenshot from GOLD Standard)
TAKE TWO: ASB hands over some of morning announcements duty to video production
Aashna Dialani and Irene Park • March 31, 2025
The Sunny Hills Science Olympiad team celebrates its sixth-place finish at the regional competition at the University of California, Irvine, on Saturday, Feb. 22. Teams that place in the top six get to advance to state competition Saturday, April 12, held at the California Institute of Technology.
SH Science Olympiad advances to in-person state contest for first time since 2020
Jenna Kim, Entertainment Editor • March 30, 2025
The National Scholastic Press Association selected this snapshot of The Accolade’s online news website in recognizing it as one of 34 Pacemaker finalists on Tuesday, March 11. The staff will find out if it becomes a Pacemaker winner during an awards ceremony on Saturday, April 26, in Seattle.
Journalism program earns another round of national, regional awards
Soojin Cho, Feature Editor • March 20, 2025
A digital copy of the AP Honor Roll certificate was included in the Friday, Oct. 4, digital newsletter sent out by principal Craig Weinreich.
Sunny Hills strikes gold for a second straight year
Kaylynn Park, Copy Editor • March 12, 2025
English long-term substitute teacher Tom Wiegman lectures during first-period Advanced Placement English Literature class today in Room 32 while the ViewSonic monitor behind him shows no internet access. Sunny Hills and all campuses in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District could not access the internet for the whole school day though it was restored within an hour after school.
Internet outage hits Fullerton Joint Union High School District again
Seowon Han, Web Editor-in-Chief • March 11, 2025
Sunny Hills staff, parents and students listen to English teacher Suzanne Boxdorfer who is standing in front of the podium to present accreditation information in Room 33 on Wednesday, March 5.
5-member committee to visit, evaluate Sunny Hills from today to Wednesday, March 12
Rose Park, Cub Reporter • March 10, 2025
Carol Hallenbeck (right), who taught journalism and advised The Accolade school newspaper from 1969-1993, scans a paper with a pencil in her right hand while a staff member observes. Hallenbeck died of old age Sunday, Feb. 2, in her Costa Mesa apartment. She was 97.
‘Legendary’ Accolade adviser dies at 97
Emily Kim, Sports Editor • March 6, 2025
California Assembly Bill 1858, effective Jan. 1 of this year, aims to tamp down those campuses that hold active shooter drills.
LAW & ORDER: Legislation over certain safety drills effective Jan. 1 of this year prompt district officials to update protocols
Esther Ahn, Cub Reporter • March 2, 2025
The new small electronic sign board, also known as a minitron, stands at the entrance of the west parking lot. For nearly a week since the start of the 2024-2025 school year, visitors to that part of the campus only saw the stem without the sign and LED boards after the old marquee got removed over the summer.
SCREEN TIME UPDATES: Jumbotron, meet minitron
Alice Chae, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • February 20, 2025
Installed in February 2017, the jumbotron has been prone to malfunction lately, as in this case, last May.
BIG SCREEN NEEDS BIG UPDATE: School officials take steps to replace 8-year-old jumbotron with a more advanced model
Kevin Lee, Layout Editor • February 18, 2025
World Language teacher Esther Lee (left) helps junior William Kim with writing his journal project in Room 15 on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in his Korean 3 class. For the 2025-2026 school year, an honors option will be offered.
HONORABLE OPTIONS: Returning students can choose more rigorous classes
Ashley Kang, News Editor • February 13, 2025
Firefighters combat the fires as winds continue to swell, facing the Palisades Fire along the iconic Malibu Pacific Coast highway on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Be prepared — fire storms can happen in Fullerton or anywhere
Irene Park, Editor-in-Chief • February 12, 2025
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association posted on its Instagram (@cspanyc) to announce Tommy Li as one of the special recognition advisers as part of the 2025 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Program on Friday, Feb. 7.
Accolade adviser becomes first SH instructor to earn recognition from national journalism organization
Caroline Shin, Staff Reporter • February 11, 2025
After the 2024 presidential election ending with Donald Trump's victory, The Accolade's Spotlight team focuses on different aspects entering this new era and the aftermath.
SPOTLIGHT: Post-election wrap-up
Ellen Hwang, Angelina Jeong, Faith Jung, and Ashley Kang • February 7, 2025
Latinx club member senior Sarah Patino spreads out her skirt while performing the Jalisco dance in the quad on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Patino will be among seven cultural clubs performing in the gym for the first time in front of parents and others on the eve of the Friday, Feb. 7, International Week assembly.
For first time, International Week assembly dress rehearsal to become evening performance for parents on Thursday, Feb. 6
Elise Pak, Opinion Editor • February 6, 2025
California Senate Bill 976, which was passed Friday, Sept. 23, aims to prohibit internet service and applications from providing addictive feeds to minors and bans companies from sending notifications to minors at certain times.
LAW & ORDER: New state bill to protect minors from ‘addicting’ social media content, notifications at certain times
Kevin Lee, Layout Editor • February 3, 2025
An artist’s interpretation of what happens if a minor tries to access certain types of Instagram content, which gets filtered by those operating the social media platform to protect underage teens from negative online behavior such as child grooming and cyberbullying. Besides this, Instagram has come up with five new policies that limit teens’ exposure to unknown accounts.
Instagram introduces stricter restrictions on teen accounts to enhance privacy and safety
Yena Oh, Entertainment Editor • January 27, 2025
U.S. News & World Report ranks Sunny Hills nearly 200 spots higher than previous year with campus breaking into Top 800 schools nationwide
U.S. News & World Report ranks Sunny Hills nearly 200 spots higher than previous year with campus breaking into Top 800 schools nationwide
Kevin Lee, Layout Editor • January 16, 2025
Senior Sebastien Roque shows an eighth-grade visitor how to use the racing simulator during the Parks Junior High preview day on Friday, Jan. 10, in the gym.
ROP auto tech students rev up their presentations to visiting Parks eighth-graders during their Friday, Jan. 10, visit
Serenity Li, Entertainment Editor • January 11, 2025
Students pass by the new auto tech program sign – created by then-senior Cali Watson – that features two car pistons in the shape of an “X” above a black rectangular sign with the text “Sunny Hills High School” on top of “Automotive Laboratory.” A car outlined in gold splits the words “Automotive” and “Laboratory” while the ROP [Regional Occupational Program] logo rounds out the design at the bottom.
SUMMER MAKEOVER THE SEQUEL: Program logos return to exterior building walls after they got painted over in 2023
Alice Chae, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • January 10, 2025
Accolade seniors Teo Jeong (left), Justin Pak and Nathan Lee celebrate the Pacemaker recognition with Martinelli’s sparkling cider during fourth period on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Room 138.
SETTING THE PACE: For 1st time, Advanced Journalism program wins back-to-back national award
Yena Oh, Entertainment Editor • December 12, 2024
The new fall final exam schedule for the 2024-2025 school year includes zero period for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will have finals for Periods 0, 1 and 6 on the first day, Periods 2 and 3 on the second day and Periods 4 and 5 on the last day before heading off into winter break.
Fall semester final schedule for the 2024-2025 school year includes zero period
Nicole Park, Editor-in-Chief • December 8, 2024
California Assembly Bill 3216, passed Monday, Sept. 23, focuses on developing restrictive phone policies for all state school districts.
LAW & ORDER: Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation requiring public schools to ban student cell phone use in classrooms
Irene Park, Editor-in-Chief • November 25, 2024
The email California state governor Taylor Regen sent to Junior State of America [JSA] chapter presidents on Friday, Aug. 2, to inform them of the discontinuation of the organization and development of its successor, Civic Leaders of America.
Junior State of America — its headquarters and clubs — shuts down after nearly a century of service to students
Ashley Kang, News Editor • November 20, 2024
An excerpt of the Google Doc that social science teacher Hera Kwon posted Thursday, Sept. 19, in her Google Classroom for students in her four American Government classes. Capped at 400 volunteers, eligible students gets excused on Election Day to help out at an Orange County voting center and receive a $120 stipend afterward.
ENCOURAGING ENGAGEMENT: New High School Student Volunteer Program provides an opportunity to volunteer at the 2024 presidential Election
Ashley Kang, News Editor • November 1, 2024
Parent volunteer Ivonne Wang (left) translates into Spanish principal Craig Weinreich's introductory message to the 20 Spanish-speaking adults attending the first meeting of the Hispanic Parent Outreach on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the library. Wang, a council representative for the Parent Teacher Student Association, came up with the idea of forming the Spanish-speaking support group.
A NEED ADDRESSED: PTSA volunteer creates Hispanic Parent Outreach to update Spanish-speaking community on important campus, student issues
Emily Lee, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • October 29, 2024
Two presidential candidates, Democrat Kamala Harris (left) and Republican Donald Trump, vie for their victory in the 2024 election.
HARRIS VS. TRUMP: SH students, staff share their reactions to the Sept. 10 presidential debate
Katelyn Ahn, Business Manager & Spotlight Team Reporter • October 27, 2024
ALL-WEATHER TRACK? TURF FIELD?: If passed, Measure L will provide the Fullerton Joint Union High School District with funding to fulfill the wish list of items that need upgrading at Sunny Hills, including sports facilities. For it to pass, the bond measure needs 55% or more approval from voters living in the district boundaries.
Sunny Hills could get second gym, artificial turf if 55% or more voters approve school district’s Measure L
Ellen Hwang, Sports Editor • October 25, 2024
A young girl feeds a sheep at the petting zoo during the ag department’s Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 19, at the farm. Besides the opportunity to interact with such animals as sheep and goats, the event offered carnival games and food options.
Ag students host return of Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, after 7-year hiatus
Kyuwon Han, Opinion Editor • October 22, 2024
Sophomore Ryan Kim (left) interacts with his classmates Monday, Oct. 7, in the new, nearly $3.8 million building at the farm during teacher Brian Kim’s fifth period Agriculture Chemistry class in Room 201.
Almost two months into fall semester, agriculture students and teachers get to use new, nearly $3.8 million building at the farm
Katelyn Ahn, Business Manager & Spotlight Team Reporter • October 9, 2024
The Accolade receives third national Pacemaker nomination within last four years
The Accolade receives third national Pacemaker nomination within last four years
Justin Pak, Web Managing Editor • October 8, 2024
Senior Jeremiah Sung showcases his poster on the chemistry of processing paint to Boeing employees on Wednesday, July 31, at the Huntington Beach Boeing Facility. Interns create posters based on the subject of their choice to showcase what they learned and researched.
Want a summer internship in the science field? Here’s what to do to apply for an 8-week program at Boeing in Huntington Beach
Kevin Lee, Layout Editor • October 7, 2024
The ASB announces on Thursday, Sept. 26, the 2024-2025 homecoming court comprising seven senior girls who will vie to receive the most votes to be crowned queen on Friday, Oct. 4, during halftime of the football game at Buena Park High School stadium.
HOMECOMING PREVIEW: Saturday, Oct. 5, dance to enchant with Swan Lake theme
Seowon Han, Web Editor-in-Chief • October 3, 2024
A multitude of reasons can propel students to commit academic dishonesty on Advanced Placement exams in hopes they achieve a 5, the maximum possible on the tests. Over the summer, the College Board acknowledged a 1% increase of score cancellations because of suspicions over cheating.
NEWS ANALYSIS: WHY TEST-TAKERS CHEAT? Sociology professor, students provide insight into the phenomenon that caused the uptick in Advanced Placement exam score cancellations this summer
Christine Yoo, Managing Editor • September 28, 2024
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