Rising senior Alice Besidski has been named The Paw Print’s editor in chief for the 2026-27 school year.
“I am beyond excited about being the editor in chief of the Paw Print,” said Besidski. “I’m really looking forward to working with the talented group of incoming and returning writers next year, as well as with our incredible editorial team, in order to take the Paw Print to the next level.”
Joining Besidski will be rising senior Sebastian Sage and rising junior Emmett Ansari as managing editor (digital content & technology) and managing editor (print/online), respectively.
“It was a tough choice this year because there were a lot of strong applicants, but Alice demonstrated the vision and work ethic that we are looking for in an EIC,” said Paw Print advisor Mr. Jason Williams. “Next year’s staff is full of talent and potential. They have some big shoes to fill, but I’m really excited about the group we put together.”
Rounding out the editorial group will be Clara Stern (news/student/life), Justin Barger (sports), Henry Muzzy (sports), Abigail Brandwein (arts & culture), Kayla Mosca (op-ed) and John Salvatore (Irv Eats). Rising senior Alexandra Brenner will return as Art Director.
Content for the various Paw Print properties – the newspaper, Paw Print Online, PawCast Weekly podcasts, and PawCast TV – is primarily produced in the Media Studies class (formerly “newspaper”). This year-long elective open to all grades offers a dynamic and hands-on exploration of journalistic principles, practices, and ethics across print, online, podcasting, and broadcasting.
In addition to the editorial changes, the Paw Print Club will now be focused almost entirely on the business side of Paw Print media, specifically marketing and advertising. The club will be open to any student interested in real hands-on experience with designing or selling advertising, developing promotional campaigns and building the Paw Print brand.
“The goal is to give those students interested in marketing and advertising an opportunity to have real experiences in those fields, and at the same time, assist the growth of the content that we offer,” said Mr. Williams. “Additional advertising will allow us to print more pages, provide more in depth coverage online and to purchase equipment to create more digital content as well. And better marketing will allow us to get the word out about all that we are doing.”
“I’m afraid there are students that don’t even know we have a web site, let alone podcasts and video,” he added.
Rising seniors Ben Epple and Gabriela Vukelj will serve as the president and vice president of the Paw Print Club for this new shift in focus.
“I am hoping that we expand the awareness of the Paw Print and allow students to gain real advertising experience through going out to local businesses to sell ads,” said Epple. “This is something that would be extremely beneficial to the Paw Print, as it helps students learn skills from the business side of the publication, while also popularizing and funding the publication.”
If you are interested in getting involved with the Paw Print, ask your guidance counselor about the Media Studies class or email Mr. Williams (jason.williams@irvingtonschools.org). Look for our club table during next year’s Club Fair or reach out to Ben (ben.epple@irvingtonschools.org) or Gabriela (gabriela.vukelj@irvingtonschools.org) about the club.
