The 2008-09 HiLite newspaper earned Superior Achievements from Quill & Scroll, the international honorary society for high school journalists. The Feb. 27, 2009 issue earned the highest honors in each of the five categories of Policy Guidelines, Coverage, Writing and Editing, Display and Design and Business Practices.

The anonymous judge scored the HiLite out of 1,000 points. This year, it earned 950 points, an increase from the score two years ago of 936 points.

Comments were mainly critiquing the broadsheet newspaper format, which has changed to a tabloid newsmagazine. The advice the judge gave about posting hard news stories online has been implemented, and the judge said, “I look forward to seeing what the coming year’s staff will do with the newsmagazine format.”

The judge also complimented former staff member Meher Ahmad’s column on her habits of eating pork as a Muslim. (Click here to read her column.) “I found this commentary to be unique — I literally have never run across this topic in a high school paper before,” he said.

Amy Flis (Duke University) was last year’s editor in chief. Brittani Wheeler (Indiana University) and Cathy Chen (Dartmouth College) were last year’s managing editors.

Jim Streisel advises the HiLite.

By Michelle Hu <[email protected]>