As the school year comes to an end, the newspaper staff gathered on May 13 together for their annual banquet to celebrate another year of stories, deadlines, competitions, and memories. The banquet gave staff members a chance to relax and look back on everything they accomplished throughout the year while spending time together outside of the classroom.

During the banquet, staff members were recognized for different awards they earned individually in journalism competitions throughout the year. The staff also celebrated the newspaper receiving the SNO Distinguished Site award, recognizing the work that went into the publication over year.

Sophomore News Editor and banquet host Megan Markus said she enjoyed helping lead the event and celebrating the team.

“Being part of such a supportive team has been one of the highlights of high school for me so far, so I was excited to give back and help create a fun environment for everyone,” Markus said.

Editor-in-Chief Sara Fidler said she was proud of the staff’s work throughout the year.

“I was happy to celebrate all of our team’s accomplishments this year, and I’m really proud of everything we were able to achieve together,” Fidler said.

Sophomore staff writer Isabella Damas said she appreciated the support within the staff this year.

“I love how supportive the staff was this year,” Damas said. “If anyone was struggling to meet their deadline, it was good to have other people to rely on.”

Damas also said the banquet was a meaningful way to end the year.

“What I enjoyed most about the banquet was that all the seniors who graduated came,” Damas said. “We were all talking and bonding. It was very sweet.”

While the banquet celebrated the staff’s accomplishments, one of the most anticipated parts of the Banquet was the paper-plate awards tradition. Created by the editors and chiefs, each staff member received a personalized paper-plate award reflecting their personality, habits, or role on the team, bringing a lighthearted end to the evening.