Nikko's Burgers
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Nikko's Burgers
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Nikko's Burgers
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Then-sophomore Nate Barksdale (front row, second from left) holds the ACCOLADE ST sign in the newspaper staff photo that appears in the 1991-1992 yearbook. Unbeknownst to Barksdale, he would eventually ignite an Accolade staff yearbook photo tradition that would last nearly a decade.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW? The Accolade once had its own street sign — why and where is it now?

Alice Chae, Social Media Team & Staff Reporter • February 20, 2025

As a continuing feature, The Accolade delves into the origins of Sunny Hills culture or landmarks. Alongside the feature on the journalism program’s 65th year of publishing, we take a look at our own...

Graduating as the top of her class, senior Tiffany Elnitiarta committed to New York University, where she will be majoring in media, culture and communications.

CLASS OF 2024 VALEDICTORIAN Q&A: Tiffany Elnitiarta

Gerald Han, Videographer • May 23, 2024

The Class of 2024 produced 39 valedictorians, and The Accolade interviewed each to reflect on their high school journeys and thoughts. This is a full version of the Q&A, of which the preview is included...

Juniors Olivia Ko (center) and Euree Kim stand near their chalk drawings during fourth period in Advanced Placement Environmental Sciences teacher Wesley Fairall’s class between the 80s and 100s buildings on Tuesday, Nov. 14, when the network outage first hit districtwide. While the class usually works digitally, Fairall adjusted to the lack of internet access with the activity.

A LOOK BACK: The Accolade reflects on how last November’s network outage — confirmed on Friday, Jan. 12, as a ransomware attack — impacted the SH campus

Alexxa Berumen and Seowon Han • January 12, 2024

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association recognized Helios for its 2021-2022 yearbook titled “It’s Time. We’re Ready, Are You?” as a Crown finalist Dec. 14, 2022. The organization nominated both the yearbook program and The Accolade as Crown finalists and plans to announce the Gold Crown winners at the New York Convention March 15-17.

The Accolade, Helios recognized as finalists for national journalism award

Jiwoo Han, Opinion Editor • February 22, 2023

Four could become The Accolade’s favorite number if it ends up earning a Gold Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association [CSPA] next month at an awards ceremony in New York.  The journalism...

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....

Though the 2020-2021 yearbook will not be distributed until late June or early July, Helios released an image of its front cover with the theme “Don’t Stop Now. You Haven’t Tried This.” on its Instagram account (@shhshelios) April 30.

Helios makes modifications to 2020-2021 yearbook after transition to online instruction

Minjeong Kim, Feature Editor • May 21, 2021

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided an unreliable event timeline, Helios staffers had to make a series of adjustments to how they produce content, causing it to be delayed for distribution...

A group of Accolade editors and journalism adviser Tommy Li (right) celebrate Tuesday, March 9, after school outside the 130s wing their recent accomplishments, winning Best of Show plaques for newspaper and online from the Saturday, Feb. 20, Orange County Journalism Education Association writeoffs contest as well as earning the program's second Silver Crown plaque last spring from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Because of coronavirus-related campus restrictions, Li and his editors wore masks and remained six feet apart.

The Accolade’s online website wins Best of Show for first time in Orange County writeoffs contest; newspaper also earns Best of Show plaque for fifth straight year

Nevya Patel, News Editor • March 11, 2021

For the first time since The Accolade revived its news website in the 2018-2019 school year, the program swept the Orange County Journalism Education Association [OCJEA] Best of Show categories for Newspaper...

For the second time in as many years, the Helios staff earned Crown finalist honors but must wait until March to find out whether or not it will repeat as a Gold Crown winner.

Yearbook named Crown finalist for second straight year

Kate Yang, Editor-in-Chief • December 9, 2020

For a second consecutive year, a national journalism organization named the Helios yearbook a Crown finalist -- the only program to receive the award in Orange County, and one of three programs in Southern...

Helios editor-in-chief senior Anika Madan (first row, second video window from left) captures a historic moment -- the first virtual yearbook camp sponsored by Herff Jones on July 25, the camp's first day. Traditionally held at California State University, Long Beach, the July 25-29 Yearbooks by the Beach offers publications students sessions ranging from staff bonding to theme brainstorming. A total of 23 of the 33 Helios yearbook staffers attended the event to prepare for the 2020-2021 annual's production, which now will take place during fifth instead of sixth period.

Yearbook class changes from sixth to fifth period to accommodate schedule conflicts

Alice Shin, Managing Editor • September 3, 2020

After three years of the award-winning Helios yearbook class being held during period six, it has switched back to fifth period this school year, joining other electives like the Associated Student Body...

Though the 2019-2020 yearbook will not be distributed until June, Helios released an image of what the front cover looks like in a 77-second theme-release video posted April 24 on the publication’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The “Keep Talking We’re Listening”-themed book faced a delay in printing because the publishing company had to shut down from late March to early May in response to the state’s guidelines for non-essential businesses to close to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus crisis forces delay in yearbook printing; students who paid for one will have to wait until after June 6 when the school year has ended to pick it up

Minjeong Kim, Feature Editor • May 24, 2020

This story was updated May 24 at 12:30 p.m. to show that yearbook distribution was reportedly delayed for the Class of 1963, four years after the school opened in 1959. This story was updated again...

Some of the Helios staffers from last year note the hard work and effort in producing creative Index pages like this one for the 2018-2019 yearbook, which swept both national journalism awards this school year. Image posted with permission from Lindsay Safe.

Yearbook makes history — winning top two national journalism awards, placing second in Best of Show in a single school year

Emmaline De Leon • May 24, 2020

When Sabrina Lee and Tara Desai became co-editors-in-chief of Helios last school year as seniors, they strived to produce a yearbook they’d be proud of for the rest of their lives -- a goal common to...

Upon sending out emails to journalism advisers the morning of March 17, the National Scholastic Press Association uploaded this image on its spring convention page further notifying visitors to the website of the event's cancellation. Sunny Hills yearbook adviser Lindsay Safe was among those who had registered to attend the venue. Image posted with permission from Ron Johnson.

Yearbook adviser loses chance — twice — to personally accept awards at national journalism conventions in New York, Nashville because of growing threat of COVID-19

Michelle Sheen, Editor-in-Chief • April 16, 2020

Upon sending out emails to journalism advisers the morning of March 17, the National Scholastic Press Association [NSPA] uploaded this image on its spring convention page further notifying visitors to...

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