Green Valley High newspaper cited

Green Valley High School's student newspaper took home top honors for the fifth straight year at the 32nd annual Review-Journal High School Journalism Awards.

The InvestiGator was named best newspaper in standard format, and its staffers took home 19 individual awards during the awards luncheon Friday at MGM Grand. The Lance of Bishop Gorman High School, under editor Rosemary Peters, won best newspaper in reduced format.

The InvestiGator also won the inaugural First Amendment award.

"We worked so hard this year," said The InvestiGator's adviser, Ben Barnholdt. "The kids put in so many hours."

He also credited the school administration for giving his students journalistic freedom.

"They let us take risks," he said. "They let us do stories when we're going to challenge what's going on at the school."

The paper has been named best in its category each of the five years under Barnholdt's leadership, but this year was his last as the newspaper's adviser. He is moving to Northern California.

"This is hard," he said, composing himself after the emotional ceremony.

Senior Anupa Gewali, who co-edited the paper with Danielle Sloan, said Barnholdt didn't reveal his impending departure until the last issue was finished.

Two students who work for R-Jeneration, a weekly feature in the Review-Journal written by students, were honored with $2,000 college scholarships for their work.

Senior Rachel Alger, who needed a box to carry the six individual awards she won for her work on Foothill High School's newspaper, said she couldn't believe she was chosen over the nearly two dozen other R-Jeneration staffers.

"Shocked. That's a pretty good word to describe it," she said.

The scholarship will go toward her expenses next year at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she plans to major in journalism.

She will be joined by the other scholarship winner, Tara Verderosa from Palo Verde High School, who also plans to major in journalism at UNR.

"I really didn't know what to say," Verderosa said about winning the scholarship. "I was so happy."

She praised the R-Jeneration program, which gave her the chance to work with professional journalists and some of the best local student journalists.

The awards are judged by Review-Journal staffers.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.