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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
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, Copy Editor • March 20, 2025

The Grand Slam of journalism awards. Actually, a Super Slam. That’s what journalism adviser Tommy Li has been telling the 45 members of The Accolade staff after the program earned its first honor...

The Accolade receives third national Pacemaker nomination within last four years

Justin Pak, Web Managing Editor • October 8, 2024

For the third time in four years, The Accolade has received a finalist nomination for a national journalism award in which the winners will be announced next month. “The Pacemaker is the association’s...

Helios adviser Lindsay Safe presents the National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award to her fourth-period yearbook class on Friday, April 12, in Room 62. The award is for the 2022-2023 yearbook titled, “Honestly Who Says We Can’t?” making this the publication’s third such Pacemaker plaque.

Helios wins third Pacemaker award; The Accolade also earns national recognition

Dareen Hagekhalil, Staff Reporter • April 24, 2024

Helios won its third national award for its 2022-2023 yearbook during a Kansas City journalism convention earlier this month. “I was shocked at that; it was definitely a pleasant surprise,” said...

To celebrate the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Crown finalist nomination, The Accolade adviser Tommy Li presents a plastic container of Ferrero Rocher chocolates as a treat for staff members during the fourth period Advanced Journalism class on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Li wanted those on staff to know that regardless of any national award The Accolade will receive on Friday, March 15, he sees them as Gold Crown winners.

The Accolade, Helios earn Crown finalist nominations for second straight year from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Susie Kim, Web Editor-in-Chief • February 9, 2024

While the Columbia Scholastic Press Association [CSPA] marks its 100th spring convention anniversary in New York next month, The Accolade staff hopes the award ceremony held there will lead to its first...

The Accolade will find out next month whether issues from the 2022-2023 school year will earn the program's second national Pacemaker award, considered to be as valuable as a Pulitzer Prize offered to professional publications. This front cover of the Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, issue was used in the National Scholastic Press Association's September news release listing the 39 finalists in the newspaper/newsmagazine category.

The Accolade up for its second national Pacemaker award on Saturday, Nov. 4

Aashna Dialani, Opinion Editor • October 10, 2023

The Accolade will find out next month whether it wins its second National Scholastic Press Association [NSPA] Pacemaker award in recognition of six of the publication’s issues from the 2022-2023 school...

Newspaper managing editor junior Jaimie Chun holds up on Monday, April 24, her Superior certificate and medal, which she earned from competing in the Student Media Contest sponsored by the Journalism Education Association. The national writeoff competition was held Friday, April 21, at a journalism convention in San Francisco.

The Accolade makes Top 5 again for Best of Show contest at national convention in San Francisco

Dareen Hagekhalil, Staff Reporter • May 16, 2023

Cracking the Top 5. That’s what The Accolade staff succeeded in doing for a second time under the guidance of adviser Tommy Li at a national convention Best of Show contest. During a Saturday,...

The Sunny Hills Helios yearbook program has earned its fourth Pacemaker finalist nomination by the National Scholastic Press Association [NSPA]. The latest recognition – posted on the NSPA website Dec. 16 during final exam week last semester – is based on the 2020-2021 annual titled, “Don’t Stop Now. You Haven’t Tried This.” The staff will find out whether it’s a Pacemaker winner during the NSPA’s convention April 7-9 in Los Angeles.

For the second time in three years, Helios named Pacemaker finalist for 2020-2021 yearbook

Susie Kim, Web Editor-in-Chief • February 4, 2022

This story was updated with new information on Feb. 7 at 3:20 p.m. Of the 29 Helios staff members during the 2020-2021 hybrid/distance learning school year, only three students attended school in person....

A screenshot of the National Scholastic Press Association's list of high school newspaper Pacemaker finalists with the first one representing California journalism programs being Sunny Hills' The Accolade.

The Accolade newspaper PDF issues from 2020-2021 tapped national Pacemaker finalist – only journalism program in Orange County given such an honor

Jaimie Chun, Editor-in-Chief • October 30, 2021

For the first time since 2013, The Accolade has been named a national Pacemaker award finalist based on issues evaluated from the 2020-2021 school year. “This particular recognition has eluded us...

The Accolade's Feb. 19 (left) and March 13 issues received Top 10 recognition in a recent Best of Show contest sponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association during a virtual spring journalism convention in April.

2 Accolade issues earn Top 10 recognition in National Scholastic Press Association’s Best of Show contests

Susie Kim, Web Editor-in-Chief • May 8, 2021

The Accolade placed third at the Spring National High School Journalism Convention's Best of Show contest for Tabloid newspapers, 16 pages or fewer, with the Feb. 19 “Broken Boundaries” issue and eighth...

Though the yearbook has used social media to promote its staff application for the next school year in the past, the Sunny Hills Helios adviser has had to rely solely on Instagram posting like this because of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closure since March 16. The deadline to apply has also been extended from March 30 to April 19. Image posted with permission from Anika Madan.

Yearbook extends 2020-2021 staff application deadline to April 19 because of COVID-19-related school closure

Minjeong Kim, Feature Editor • April 8, 2020

Because of the district-imposed school closure nearly a month ago, the yearbook adviser will continue to accept 2020-2021 staff applications, extending the due date to April 19 instead of the original...

Accolade staff writer junior Hope Li (left) holds the Best of Show certificate from the National Scholastic Press Association while adviser Tommy Li holds up six fingers signifying the placement. The Nov. 23 awards ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., and The Accolade's first issue of the school year earned recognition for placing in the Top 10 nationally.

The Accolade wins sixth place in Best of Show at national journalism convention in Washington, D.C.

Hope Li, Opinion Editor • November 30, 2019

The Accolade school newspaper was one of two Southern California tabloids recognized Nov. 24 for placing in the Top 10 in the Best of Show contest at a national journalism convention in Washington, D.C. Sunny...

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