By H. Zeiler

I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the amazing accomplishments of the Hilltop Star staff this year. The 2022-2023 school year has been the most prolific in the history of the city of Passaic schools. Not only did the staff produce four full-sized issues of the Hilltop Star, but they produced the first digital edition newsletter as well. Eight issues of Smoke Signal were produced and well received by the students and staff of PHS. New features like the monthly poll, featured student of the month, Guidance Suite, and sports schedules have helped get the word out about the amazing things going on here at PHS.

Some student reporters have gone above and beyond their required tasks to excel in PHS journalism. One of the greatest skills of a good reporter is asking the good questions and finding the stories that need to be told, even if they are hard to tell. Mario Luna has this skill and needs to be recognized for his contributions to the publication this year. His centerfold feature, investigative report about the reality of homelessness in Passaic is the best feature of the year. Mario’s interview and hard questions exposed the reality of a problem that many would rather avoid. Please see the centerfold of the spring issue (v. 61, no.2, p. 3-4) of the Hilltop Star, to see excellent reporting and writing. Thank you, Mario, for your contribution, talent and effort.

The paper is made up of more than stories. Photographs have often brought the stories to life. Michael Castro should be thanked for his term as chief photographer. His photos contributed to many stories and formed the central role of others. Candid photography of the food bank this past holiday season was notably exceptional. A story about providing food for the needy was great, but the photographs of teachers, students and national guard members working to make the lives of many in the city of Passaic better, were fantastic. Thank you, Michael, for your photographic talent, as well as your contributions throughout the year on articles, reviews of movies and games, and just being a wonderful addition to the staff.

PHS has many sports to offer. It is a great way to build teamwork and be a part of the PHS community. Recognizing the efforts of the massive amount of teams and variety of sports is the job of the sports team. Their effort and dedication to representing all the sports of PHS this season should be recognized. Sports editors Merian Villanueva and Desiree Santana, as well as Sheila Inoa and Matthew Garcia, made this one of the best years for sports coverage ever. Their coverage went so deep as to overfill the pages of the print and digital editions, to include their own linked personal blogs about the teams and the athletes of Passaic and their dedication to their sport. In-depth coverage of the boys and girls soccer teams, the volleyball teams, basketball, football, cheerleading, and homecoming, were all excellent examples of the best that this school has to offer and the best journalism as well. Congratulations to all the members of the Sports Department of the Hilltop Star and to the athletes that made up the stories this year.

This is also the first year that student reporters began their own blog sites. Many of these deserve recognition for their creativity and presentation. However, there are too many to list in this space. There is also not enough space here to thank all of the students who worked so hard to make this the best year ever for the Hilltop Star. I am excited to continue to bring excellence in journalism through the publication of the Hilltop Star next year, so please sign up to take journalism, or just stop by M117 to see Mr. Zeiler to be a part of the best journalism team in the state!