Both Carmel High School’s 2009-10 HiLite newspaper and 2008-09 Pinnacle yearbook have been named Hoosier Star finalists in the annual competition sponsored by the Indiana High School Press Association (IHSPA).

The award is broken down by school enrollment. Both the yearbook and newspaper have qualified in Division III, which includes schools with 2,000 or more students. Other finalists in the newspaper division include Arsenal Tech, Avon, Ben Davis, Center Grove, Crown Point, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, Noblesville and Southport. Finalists in the yearbook category include Ben Davis, Columbus North, Hamilton Southeastern, Lake Central and Noblesville.

All publications rated as either “excellent” or “superior” in the IHSPA’s annual critique service qualify as finalists for the IHSPA Hoosier Star Award, the organization’s highest honor comparable to a State championship in athletics. Since it has qualified for this distinction, the publications will be evaluated once again by a separate judge. The 2009-10 Hoosier Star winners will be announced at the IHSPA fall convention on Oct. 22. Since 2000, the HiLite has earned Hoosier Stars in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. The most recent Pinnacle Hoosier Stars were for the 2007 and 2008 books.

Editors for the HiLite for 2009-10 were editor in chief Michelle Hu (now at Harvard University) and managing editors Rosemary Boeglin (Oberlin College) and Sarah Sheafer (College of Charleston). Jim Streisel is the faculty adviser for the newspaper. Editors for the 2008-09 Pinnacle were Nathaniel “Nate” Woeste (Ohio State University) and Jennifer “Jenn” Cannady (Purdue University). Nicole Wilson is the yearbook faculty adviser.