The Iowa High School Press Association recognized the West Side Story, Trojan Epic and Principal Mitch Gross at its annual state journalism conference Oct. 23 at The University of Iowa.
Colin Wehrle ’27, photo and sports editor of the WSS print edition, nominated Gross for IHSPA’s Administrator of the Year honor and presented him with the award at the adviser and speaker luncheon.
The WSS staff was named a 2025 All-Iowa News Team of the Year for the ninth consecutive year, and the 2024-25 TE staff received 13 awards for last year’s “Paint Our Path” yearbook.
IHSPA judges selected the News Teams of the Year from a field of finalist schools, determined from the schools with the highest number of points accumulated during IHSPA’s various journalism contests. In 2017, IHSPA introduced the All-Iowa awards, and West has been recognized every year since.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the annual state conference featured 50 breakout sessions, tours of the KRUI radio station and DITV broadcast studios and a keynote speaker. MaryKate Walling, social media content specialist for Learfield, was the keynote.
Shanza Sami ’26, co-editor-in-chief of the WSS print edition, was part of a panel on “How to Write a Winning In-Depth News Story” led by Erin Jordan, veteran investigative journalist and UI professor.
A former WSS editor-in-chief and 2018 graduate, Nina Elkadi, led a session titled “Investigating your high school.” Elkadi is currently an investigative reporter for Sentient.
Sixty-eight West High journalists attended the conference, joined by nearly 900 student journalists from across the state.
The TE yearbook staff received these awards from the 2024-25 yearbook:
- Second Place Yearbook Innovation: TE Staff
- Second Place Infograph/Mod: Charlotte Stephens
- Second Place Design (Summer to December Events): Moss Stutsman and Charlotte Stephens
- Second Place Design (Opening/Closing Theme): Charlotte Stephens and Taelim Yoon
- Third Place Total Package: Leah Butcher, Kiera Crowe, Emily Rabe and Charlotte Stephens
- Third Place Theme: Taelim Yoon, Charlotte Stephens, Mayar Aliwaisi, Callie Gao, Maryssa Barnes
- Third Place Advertising Design: Leah Butcher
- Honorable Mention Feature Photo: Emily Rabe
- Honorable Mention Cover Design: Taelim Yoon
- Honorable Mention Design: Charlotte Stephens
- Honorable Mention Environmental Photo: Josie Schwartz
- Honorable Mention Digital Media Promotion: Caroline Dickens
- Honorable Mention Yearbook Innovation: TE Staff
