For the first time ever, The Patriot student newspaper won the Online Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). "This award is the highest, and most competitive, award that a newspaper can win - it's the newspaper equivalent of winning the national championships," stated Mr. Mark Ionescu '95, the Advisor for The Patriot. "When you get something that reflects on everyone, every picture that they took, every story that they wrote, and all that factors into it, it's really special. It’s thrilling to see them get recognized for all their hard work by a group as exclusive as the NSPA," he said.
According to Caroline Cooney '17, the Editor in Chief, the staff made a conscious effort to redesign their online presence and try new things this year. She was proud of her team for their consistent and excellent work. "Everyone is putting their heart and soul into this. We are all one family and one publication so we all work together to make sure things get posted," she said. In addition to the Online Pacemaker Award, The Patriot also won a Silver Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the third year in a row.