VIEW FULL LIST OF THIS YEAR’S WINNERS
READ THE TABLET’S PRESS AWARDS ARTICLE
Earlier this spring, Molloy’s “The Stanner” went head to head with other student newspapers from the Archdiocese of Brooklyn. Editor-In-Chief Sarah Rodriguez ’18, reporter Sydney Bryant ’19, and moderators Joe Sommo ’03 and Laura Sawyer ’07 attended The Tablet’s annual Diocesan High School Press Awards with high hopes. Each year, The Tablet recognizes the best young journalists and student newspapers among participating high schools. Awards are presented to the top three finishers in a variety of categories ranging from Best Photograph and Best News Story to the coveted General Excellence. Much to the delight of Molloy’s attending contingent, The Stanner was not only awarded First Place General Excellence, but seven other first place honors. Molloy’s student paper took home an impressive 14 awards in all. The competition included Cathedral Prep (The Current), Bishop Loughlin (The Jamesonian), Msgr. McClancy (The Sentenial), St. Agnes (Veritas), and others. (Pictured L-R: Tablet Youth Editor Melissa Enaje, Mr. Sommo, Sarah Rodriguez, Sydney Bryant, Ms. Sawyer, and Guest Speaker Katina Paron of Teen Voices)
“Ms. Sawyer and I first started moderating The Stanner in fall 2015, but it took some time to get acclimated,” said Mr. Sommo. “We finished second at the Press Awards in 2016, and then we got off to a late start this year because the majority of previous staff had graduated last June. We ended up recruiting a completely new crew, but we were fortunate to discover some truly talented reporters and designers right from the beginning.” Students covered a wide variety of topics throughout the year, from school news and events, to senior and faculty profiles, to horoscopes and politics. The Stanner also benefited visually from more student-generated photography and even comic strips. “Ms. Sawyer and I were very impressed with the content the students created this year, and to have that validated at The Tablet’s awards ceremony was very special. We’re all motivated to improve even more next year.” Check out the video below, which captured moments from the Press Awards and features interviews with The Stanner’s own Sarah Rodriguez and Sydney Bryant. One word stood out after we watched this clip: poised!