Matthew Nader

The outgoing EICs [left to right] Zenil Koovejee, Aileen Hu, Ritika Gupta, Zaynah Shah, and Audrey Combs take a picture with journalism advisor Wendy Connelly to commemorate their last banquet.

On Thursday, May 16, AVJournalism hosted an end-of-the-year banquet to close out the 2023-2024 school year. The evening included conversations with parents and friends, a video collage showcasing memories from the school year, and student award ceremony wrapped up the school year for the journalism program.

“We used to have a big presentation in the library and do paper plate awards, and bring in desserts, but the students actually requested a banquet. This is the second year we’ve held it, and the students love it. It’s so fun to see the students and parents all get involved” said AV Journalism Advisor Wendy Connelly. 

First, students gathered for a group dinner and awards ceremony. Many writers received awards from Student News Organization (SNO) for their individual stories, as well as class awards from advisors Connelly and Stephanie Kamali.

“I think it’s very important to have the journalism banquet, because it builds a sense of community and brings excitement for the next year. For the seniors, it’s one last get-together where they can enjoy their classmates’ company and make memories,” said Eva Grove (‘25), incoming Amadon Editor-in-Chief.

The banquet also celebrated the seniors graduating from the journalism program. Each outgoing Editor-in-Chief expressed their gratitude for the program in a short goodbye speech, wrapping up their successes and memories in AVJournalism. 

“My favorite memory from the banquet was probably seeing everyone outside a classroom setting. And it was nice celebrating the successes they had throughout the year. I really liked all the decorations prepared for the seniors posters featuring them,” said Zaynah Shah (‘24), outgoing Amadon Editor-in-Chief. “It’s a great way to end the year, and start on the next one.”