West High’s newspaper, the West Side Story, received the George H. Gallup award for the 2012-2013 year. The award is the highest honor from Quill and Scroll, the international journalism honor society. Quill and Scroll gives the award due to excellence in coverage, visuals and writing and editing.

The recommendation of several Quill and Scroll judges is needed before a paper qualifies for the Gallup. According to the Quill and Scroll judges’ comments to the West Side Story, “The George H. Gallup Award is a distinguished and rare honor. The Gallup indicates not just an excellent newspaper, but also a pattern of sustained superior achievement. Papers which have been written about in other papers; papers which have received recognition from their community; papers which have uncovered extraordinary stories; papers which in every way, demonstrate the highest possible standard of scholastic journalism are honored with a Gallup.”

Juliann Skarda ’13 was editor-in-chief of the West Side Story last year. Sara Whittaker is the publication’s adviser.