Feb. 28, 2012 – The Colorado Press Association presented seniors Lori Shaffer and Jacklyn Gutierrez, editors of the Overland High School “Scout,” with its Service to the First Award on Feb. 24. They were honored, along with their mothers, adviser Laura Sudik, and several “Scout” staff members, during CPA’s annual Capitol Hill Luncheon, and several state government officials, including Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia, were in attendance.

The crowd of over 200 journalists and legislators had the chance to hear the story of the struggle to publish a simple cause of death in a feature story on an Overland student last spring, and how things turned out well when CHSPA, the ACLU and professional media leaders combined to convince Overland administrators to change their position.

Jack Kennedy, CHSPA executive director, had nominated the two young women for the award, and made the presentation at the luncheon on behalf of CPA. You can read his remarks here.