J-School students, faculty and benefactors celebrated the achievements of the past year at the annual Dean Stone Banquet on April 17.

The night featured a social hour followed by dinner and an awards ceremony at which nearly $150,000 in scholarships and awards were presented to a number of undergraduate and graduate students.

Professors also sang a journalism-themed song to the tune of “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones. Faculty donned leather jackets and sunglasses for the performance, as they reminded students to  “proofread that!”

Several benefactors joined the party, meeting with the students who received scholarships in their name. A number of the awards commemorate alumni who passed away tragically, but whose memory lives on in the form of these scholarships.

“The J-School experience sparks amazing emotions and loyalty from students who attend, and from their families.” said Dean Larry Abramson. “This is my first Dean Stone Banquet, and it’s wonderful to see students receiving their due.”

The banquet was preceded by the Dean Stone Lecture on April 16, which featured Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times. Baquet spoke to several classes throughout the day and presented a lecture titled “Quality Journalism in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities” in the UC Ballroom. Baquet urged students to “hone their craft” while studying journalism at UM.