The Patriot won a Silver Crown award for excellence in student print and online journalism from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). In addition, Patriot staff alumni won five Gold Circle Awards from the CSPA for their excellence in various categories of journalism.

Individual journalists and newspaper staffs around the United States who have demonstrated superior work receive Gold Circle awards.

The Patriot is considered “Hybrid School News,” which means it is a “print publication that provides live coverage via website between print editions,” according to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

The Patriot was judged on content produced in the 2014-15 school year. Winners are judged on the “content, design, coverage, photography, as well as writing and editing.” The Patriot was one of 53 finalists considered to receive the High School News Hybrid Gold Crown.

Current and former members of the Patriot’s staff were happy about the award. “I felt like the crown was very well deserved” former Print Chief Hanna LeBuhn, class of ‘15, said.

Billy Jump, class of ‘15, received a Gold Circle for the In-Depth news/feature story “Do Our Minds Think Alike?”, Elizabeth Driver, class of ‘15, received a Gold Circle award for the Personality Profile “Alumnus Helps Fight Ebola in Sierra Leone”, and LeBuhn received a Gold Circle for her Photo Slideshow “Injured Athlete Finds Way to Rise Again.”

LeBuhn and former Online Chief Kathy Deaver, class of ’15, also received a joint award for the Personality Profile “Senior Speaks out about Experience with Anorexia.”

“When I heard that the personality profile had won a Gold Circle, I was so proud. Hanna [LeBuhn] and I had worked hard on it, and the topic was very important,” Deaver said.

The Patriot Staff as a whole received an award for Editorial Writing in recognition of the staff editorial “Students Deserve a Greater Voice in their Community.”

Grace Mottley is a News Editor and Azanae Barrow is a Community Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com