CASTLETON—Castleton’s student-run newspaper, the Spartan, was recently selected by the New England Society of News Editors to receive recognition as one of the top college newspapers in the region.
“I honestly can’t believe it,” said senior co-editor Jadie Dow. “We’ve always been this good, we just haven’t been recognized until now.”
To be considered for the award, the Spartan staff and editors selected two recent issues from the 2016-17 academic year to submit for judging. Chosen as third runner-up for best college newspaper in New England, they were recognized for their achievements on April 20 in Dedham, Mass.
“The Spartan is special because it includes everyone, and all the people who participate learn from it. We help build skills, and I think it shows that newspapers aren’t dying anytime soon,” said Dow.
The Spartan newspaper’s goal is to inform readers about events, topics and individuals pertaining to the Castleton campus and its surrounding community. Over the years student work produced by newspaper staff members has gone on to be published in larger local papers.
“We submit work at a journalism conference in New York City every year and we’ve never won. This was the first time we submitted to this group so I wasn’t expecting anything,” said Spartan newspaper advisor professor David Blow of the paper’s win. “Super proud of these guys. They work hard. People not involved in what we do don’t realize the hours that go into it. We put out a pretty solid product every two weeks so it’s nice to be validated by professionals in this field.”
