For the second time in four years, The Vision was named Best Publication of the Year by the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, earning multiple top awards at its annual awards ceremony in Oxford on March 28. Its podcast, Views From The Vision, also won Best Podcast of the Year. 

In addition, Staff Writer Mirae Nishikawa won Best Feature Story with her article, “Nishikawa: Food waste is a blatant but ignored problem among MSMS students.” 

The newspaper was one of only three statewide publications to receive a superior rating in the overall category and was a finalist for Best Social Media Presence. Views From The Vision, which returned last year after a brief hiatus, also won Best Podcast News Segment and was a finalist for Best Podcast Culture/Entertainment Segment. 

Journalism teacher Carl Smith was named a finalist for the JoAnne Sellers Newspaper Advisor of the Year award. He attributed the newspaper’s success to the commitment of its staff.

“Being named Mississippi’s best high school news publication reflects the effort put in by our senior leadership and the blossoming talent shown by our junior writers,” he said. “There are many great journalism programs in the state, and being named the best is a testament to these students’ hard work.”

While Nishikawa wasn’t present at the awards ceremony, she said she learned about her win through text.

“I was pretty shocked when I got the news,” Nishikawa said. “I wanted to learn more about what I could do to reduce my impact on food waste, and writing the article was the perfect opportunity to do so.”

Student Life Editor Langston Smith said he was proud of the newspaper’s growth and recognition this year.

“We have some great juniors writing, our editors have been productive and our systems have been improving,” Langston Smith said.

Carl Smith said he looks forward to the future of the newspaper.

“I am proud of each of our award-winners and the entire staff and look forward to seeing how our rising seniors can build upon this strong foundation,” he said.