The student-run newspaper at Waynesburg University, The Yellow Jacket, was recently notified of two awards from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA). They include First Place with Special Merit and Most Outstanding Cover or Front Page.
“This award showcases the caliber of student work at The Yellow Jacket,” said Sarah Bell, academic communications coordinator and one of the advisors to The Yellow Jacket. “These awards, as well as the other awards The Yellow Jacket has received this year, are a reflection of hardworking students and an outstanding Department of Communication that fosters student growth through hands-on experience.”
Waynesburg was one of fifteen schools nationwide to be recognized for the first place with special merit distinction and the only small school category newspaper on the list. The other fourteen schools come from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The ASPA scores school publications on a point system and awards first, second and third place recognition. Publications with special and outstanding design and content may receive first place with special merit.
The special category award for Most Outstanding Cover or Front Page was awarded to the newspaper for its Dec. 7, 2017, issue, designed by Mattie Winowitch, executive editor. It marks the first time that the paper has won this special category.
The ASPA annual contest recognizes excellent school yearbooks, magazines and newspapers. According to ASPA, the contest also provides applicants with advice on advertising placement, cover design, graphics, headlining, photography, page design and story layout, among other items.
Earlier this year, The Yellow Jacket won nine Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 4 and eight awards from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA).
Two students, Winowitch, and Luke Goodling, sports editor, will represent SPJ Region 4 in the National Mark of Excellence Award competition for receiving first-place awards at the regional level.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 22 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
