Members of the newspaper staff journeyed to JEA/NSPA Journalism Convention in Seattle on Tuesday, April 10, where it garnered four Best of Show awards. However, it failed to secure the Online Pacemaker award it had been nominated for. A complete list of winners can be seen here.

At the convention, students had the opportunity to attend classes on topics such as photography and design to improve their journalistic skills, as well as receive criticism and advice on their work. Additionally, awards were given for individuals and to staffs as a whole based on various achievements. Senior photographer Courtney Minter earned Honorable Mention in the sports photography category and senior editor-in-chief Sarah Darby earned a Superior rating in the news writing category.

Darby, who was previously named as the Kansas High School Journalist of the Year, was also one of six runners-up for the national title.

“My heart was beating really fast,” Darby said. “There’s a lot of suspense building up to that. It’s supsensful, and I’d been waiting to hear what the results of the contests would be.”

The next convention will be in the fall in San Antonio.