The Horizon has been recently named a Pacemaker finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the second time consecutively in the last six years of being a digital publication. In the district, the Horizon was the only online newspaper to have been named as a finalist.

“This is our second year being a finalist, so I really hope we can clench that title but it’s already exciting being a finalist,” Editor In-Chief Emily Lu ‘19 said. “I’m really honored, and it goes to show that all the hard work we put into this newspaper is recognized. I know a lot of the other newspapers have been around for longer so it just makes our accomplishments and recognition all the more exciting.”

Since a few years after its founding in 1921, NSPA has given awards to 213 high school publications all across the country. This year, the judges looked over 200 websites, from which the 44 finalists emerged. The Pacemaker winners will be announced later in April at the Spring National High School Journalism Convention.

“It would be really cool to win the Gold Crown or win a Pacemaker because we came really close to them both last year,” Managing Editor Lizzie Deal ’19 said. “I think it would be a really nice way to finish out our senior year, because we put in so much effort into this organization. For us, it really establishes our newspaper and journalism staff as a reputable source of information and it makes us more than just a school newspaper.”

Besides the Pacemaker, the Horizon has also been awarded the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)’s Silver Crown last year, as well as this year. This award looks over all aspects of a publication, from photography to coverage of events, to compare 1,100 websites across the nation, determining which few qualify for the Crown. The Horizon also received a 2019 Crown, and Silver and Gold specifications will be announced in March at the CSPA Convention

“As a whole we’ve worked on creating a culture where everyone can be comfortable in the press room,” Executive Editor Jenny Xu ‘19 said, “and it also allows people to share their ideas more readily, which is really great in terms of innovation and original content. I’m just really proud of all the work our staff has done this year. We have a lot of talented writers and editors and everyone is doing their best, and that’s all I can really ask for.”