UPDATE: After winning their third Pacemaker in Portland, The Feather staff was recognized in a number of ways. They were briefly discussed on ABC 30 evening news, April 21, and were given a “Thumbs Up” in The Fresno Bee Opinions section, April 24.

A couple of The Feather’s editors were recognized in addition to the Pacemaker: senior editor Austin Ward won a Superior rating for his piece in the editorial competition at the NSPA convention. His twin sister Ashley Ward, the reviews editor, garnered an honorable mention for her news story.

For more information, read the April 23 article, A letter from the editor or check out Peek-a-boo Austin or Sneaky, sneaky.

After two days of classes, competitions and an all-day seminar, the staff of The Feather Online was awarded an Online Pacemaker from the NSPA, April 17. It is the third time in the last five years The Feather has received the honor and the only California high school to be recognized in 2010.

Six staffers, along with journalism adviser Greg Stobbe, traveled to Portland, OR, for a long weekend and conference, sponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association and the Journalism Educators Association. The students attended classes, explored the city and competed in writing challenges.

On April 17, they attended the awards ceremony, where they were first presented with a Pacemaker Finalist plaque, a previously acknowledged award, as well as a larger winner plaque. They also received fifth place in the Best of Show competition.

“I am beyond ecstatic right now, because the Pacemaker is the ultimate award for us,” editor-in-chief Suzanna Quiring, ’10, said. “After winning a Gold Crown from the CSPA, it is twice as special to be recognized by another organization.

“I am incredibly proud of the staff, especially after not winning last year, they have put in an amazing amount of time and effort into making The Feather a success.”

After months of competition, sophomore Mary Hierholzer reflects back on the daily work and its reward.

“Every day, those of us on The Feather write articles, take pictures and edit work,” Hierholzer said. “A lot of people don’t realize that we work for so long and put in a lot of dedication to this paper, so it feels great to be recognized with these awards. I’m so thankful to be a part of The Feather with everyone else on the staff. It gives us all confidence in our contributions to win and for me, this definitely inspires me to keep putting in lots of work.”

The Pacemaker competition was judged over a two-month period during the second semester. Twenty-six online publications were nominated in two categories based on size, and 12 Online Pacemakers were awarded overall. The Feather Online was the only paper to win a Pacemaker west of the Rockies.

“Winning both the Gold Crown and the Online Pacemaker culminated an incredible year for our staff,” senior editor Austin Ward said. “We worked diligently and consistently to provide a better service for our school, and these awards confirm that we have succeeded.”

For more information, check out the NSPA’s website.