Recently, the Etownian newspaper came out on top in the American Scholastic Press Awards. Elizabethtown College was only one of fourteen higher education institutions to receive this prestigious honor of first-place prize. Student-produced newspapers are submitted from colleges and universities all across the nation and are ranked from first to third place based upon content and design layout, according to American Scholastic Press Awards contest rules.

Publications must reach over a certain score in the grading rubric in order to achieve a podium spot. Not only are winners rewarded for their superior writing and design, but they are also given constructive criticism to better their publications. For Etown, winning this prestigious prize poses an impressive front for the College to the public and gives a new vote of confidence for editors and staff of the Etownian.

“Of course we don’t produce the paper solely to get an award, we produce it to bring community, happiness and up-to-date news to this campus and family and friends, but it’s pretty amazing that this little college in Pa., with a small team and newer staff members, can produce issues like this that is recognized at a national level,” fifth-year and Editor-in-Chief of the Etownian Sophie Hanenfeld said.

But, how exactly was The Etownian able to produce issues that are recognized at a national level?

Subtle but critical changes to the internal workings of the Etownian have brought a new life to the newspaper. Winning this award was a tangible reward to the many behind the scenes hurtles the Etownian team overcame in recent years. Like most other aspects of life, COVID-19 took a hard toll on the life of the Etownian. While students and faculty were scrambling to adjust to the new normal on Etown campus, the Etownian took a hit. The internal workings of the paper like deadlines and layout fell to the background.

“COVID really put a damper in our production and what we could do. So coming out of COVID was hard…the deadlines were pretty loose so we did a lot more fine tweaking,” Hanenfeld said. Fine tweaking measures included stricter deadlines for writers and editors, higher standards for layout design to ensure the uniformity of the publications and creating time for in-person brainstorming sessions rather than Zoom collaboration meetings.

The Etownian staff also pushed for monetary compensation for their writers as they poured countless hours of hard work and effort into the publications. While other jobs on campus were getting pay raises, the Etownian had to push hard for any sort of monetary compensation. After a hard battle, the team was able to acquire monetary compensation for writers and staff of the Etownian. This compensation has led to an uptick of student interest in the Etownian in the last year. Thanks to the diligent work of the Etownian staff, student writers and editors can now be fairly rewarded for their endless hours of persistence and dedication.

Team chemistry and cleaner, more professional layout design propelled the Etownian to recent success. Almost every Wednesday night, the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor spend countless hours on the second floor of Steinman Center along with other team members of the editorial staff preparing for the next week’s publication. On production nights, the layout for the issue is finalized as editors collaborate to put the finishing touches on the articles that are about to be printed.

“All of us working together to make sure that all of the layouts are up to our standards is a long process but also a very rewarding one,” senior and Managing Editor Chandler McGuire said.

Hanenfeld claimed that the newspaper would not be where it is today if it were not for her team and their desire for professional layouts. “Our layouts have been a lot sharper and everything is more uniformed,” Hanenfeld said.

Not only does the team strive for a professional publication, but the core of recent success is team chemistry. “In the last year–before this award–they have brought such life and energy to the publication. They work hard. They report fairly. And they bring such enthusiasm to their roles at the paper,” Director of the English Creative Writing Program and faculty advisor of the Etownian Erica Dolson said.

Claiming first place in the American Scholastic Press Award has given the Etownian a reassuring vote of confidence. The teamwork and fine-tweaking is paying off and serves as a launching point for future success and notoriety..

Sources
Annual Contest/ Review for Scholastic Yearbooks, Magazines, and Newspapers. American Scholastic Association.
https://www.asan.com/annual-yearbooks-magazine-newspapers-contest

Renno, DaniRae. (2023, August 25). Elizabethtown College Student Newspaper Receives American Scholastic Press Association Award. Elizabethtown College News. https://news.etown.edu/index.php/2023/08/25/elizabethtown-college-student-newspaper-receives-american-scholastic-press-association-award/