For the first time in school history, both the newspaper and yearbook programs have received a top national award. The 2023-24 U-High Midway newspaper/website and the 2024 U-Highlights yearbook each received a Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
The Crowns were initially announced in December and are awarded to student publications for overall excellence in print and digital journalism.
This is the first Gold Crown for the U-Highlights after receiving a silver last year. The Midway has now received 19 gold and nine silver Crown Awards.
Amelia Tan, a U-High Highlights editor-in-chief, said the award demonstrates the hard work and dedication of the 2024 U-Highlights staff.
“It was really exciting to get it because it is something that we work on throughout the whole year, and even in the summer, a little bit,” Amelia said. “It was validating to get that award to know our hard work paid off.”
In a local contest, the Midway received 17 awards from the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago. The 12 superior awards and five excellent awards resulted in the Midway receiving the Sweepstakes Award.
The awards were announced March 14, and the eligibility period was from Feb. 1, 2024 to Jan. 29, 2025. The U-High Midway also received a superior ranking for the overall newspaper and an excellent ranking for the website.
The judges’ comments for the SPAC contest praised the Midway’s success in covering a variety of topics relevant to students’ lives.
“Its investigative depth, quality of writing, and ability to connect hyperlocal issues with broader global conversations make U-High Midway a powerhouse in high school journalism,” the judge said.
Clare McRoberts, a Midway editor-in-chief, acknowledged the U-High Midway team’s commitment to quality writing and reporting.
“100% every single team member’s effort contributed to all of the success, including the sweepstakes, of course,” Clare said. “Every individual story has an impact, and everyone’s work has an impact.”
Midway awards from SPAC are:
Audio journalism: Ari Novak, superior
News story: Taariq Ahmed, superior
Community story: Sahana Unni, Class of 2024, superior
Computer graphics: Sygne Stole, superior
Editorial cartoon: Ilana Umanskiy, superior
Entertainment review: Light Dohrn, superior
General feature: Mia Lipson, superior
Non-sports photo: Bryce Light, superior
Opinion column: Orlie Weitzman, superior
Personality profile: Mia Lipson, superior
Special coverage: Clare McRoberts, Taariq Ahmed, Chloë Alexander, Lila Coyne, Declan Smith, superior
Sports feature: Jaya Alenghat, excellent
Sports news: Ari Novak, excellent
Sports photo (sailing): Simon Vaang, excellent
Staff editorial: Chloë Alexander, excellent
