Each year School Newspapers Online offers student newspaper programs with outstanding journalism the opportunity to apply to become a SNO Distinguished Site, according to a press release from SNO. On Feb. 7, the “West Side Story” web staff earned this status for the second year in a row—becoming the first school in Iowa and the third school in the nation to receive this honor.

Before awarding the title of SNO Distinguished Site, WSS earned online digital badges in the areas of site excellence, story page design, writing, multimedia, coverage and audience engagement. Representing what SNO sees as the six components of a modern news website, these six individual badges make up the SNO Distinguished Sites program. 

Online Editor-in-Chief: Fenna Semken
Broadcast Editor-in-Chief: Samalya Thenuwara
Print Editor-in-Chief: Nina Elkadi
Online Managing and Photo Editor: Pareen Mhatre
Online Copy Editor: Luke Reynolds
Arts Editor: Harry Westergaard
Feature and News Producer: Nick Pryor
News Editor and Photographer: Alyson Kuennen
Online Entertainment Editor: Kristina Rosebrook
Online Feature Editor: Sophie Stephens
Social Media Editor: Allie Schmitt-Morris
Sports Editor: Ellie Gretter
Sports Producer: Ethan Goers
Video Editor: Mason Wang
Sports Correspondent, Reporter and Distribution Manager: Ian Prescott
Photographers: Ivan Badovinac, Sean Brown, Olivia Dachtler, Teya Kerns, Maddi Shinall and Kara Wagenknecht
Reporters: Carmela Cohen Suarez, Jessica Doyle, Natalie Dunlap, Ting Gao, Fatima Kammona, Sadie Rhomberg, Mary Vander Weg and Ken Wilbur.
Videographers: Grace Christopher, Eman Elsheikh and Hae-joo Yoon.
For a full WSS staff list, click here.