| Student
reporters and editors of The College Voice, from left, seated,
are Mabel Duran-Sanchez, Katrina Brophy, and Kento Watanabe. Standing
from left are Susana Sanchez, Jason Braum, Matt Williams, Mike Kay,
Caroline Fling, David Hoyt, Brian Edgeworth, Sandy Issac, and Eva
Surany. |
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Award recipients
will be honored at the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association's
Spring Conference on Saturday, April 18, 10:00 a.m. at the Trenton
Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Keynote speaker will be Frank
LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center.
According to
Voice advisor Holly-Katharine Mathews, an MCCC associate professor
of English, winning the award for overall excellence is "huge
for us. We beat out some really well-established papers." Mathews
notes that the awards reflect an incredible commitment on the part
of her 18-member staff. An all-day brainstorming session at the
beginning of each semester sets the tone for work that never lets
up, as students guide four issues of The Voice from conception to
final product. Mathews is assisted by Photography Program Coordinator
Michael Dalton, who advises the staff's photojournalists and others
interested in taking photos for The Voice.
For editor-in-chief
Sanchez, originally from Costa Rica, English is her second language.
"It's challenging to be editor. I don't know the idioms. But
it has really improved my writing," she says. A recent recipient
of a $5,000 Phi Theta Kappa Guistwhite scholarship, Sanchez is a
Liberal Arts major who will graduate this May and plans to transfer
for her bachelor's degree. She predicts that her writing skills
will be a major asset when she eventually returns to Costa Rica,
where most people can speak English, but few can write it.
Managing Editor
David Hoyt had never written for a paper before when he joined the
staff last year. "It's a nice change from standard academic
essays - out of the mold and much more creative." The newspaper
provides a tangible goal beyond grades, Hoyt notes. "Here our
emphasis is the product. Plus, lots of people read your work, not
just your professor and classmates. You can have an impact on people's
lives."
Hoyt acknowledges
that the paper is a lot of work, but infinitely rewarding. "It
teaches discipline and responsibility and builds self-confidence.
We walk in for an interview and talk to anyone. The staff is really
great. Everyone is friends with everyone. It's an enjoyable, relaxed,
fun time."
That's an atmosphere that Mathews strives to create. "I want
them to have a real life experience, to make friends, and to build
their resumes. I want them to be treated like adults and excel at
a high level, to collaborate, and to take on serious issues in an
unbiased way. This is a great group of students. All are busy and
all are perfectionists, but I tell them there is no such thing as
perfection in this business. You know it's done when you hit your
deadline."
Students also
maintain and update their newspaper's website. "It contains
the best articles from each issue, some breaking news, and several
interactive features such as photo slideshows and video clips,"
says Mathews. We track which articles receive the most reads and
I like to reward the writers whose articles generate most reads
and comments. The top reporters vie for that prize."
Mathews' next
goal for The Voice is to strive for an Apple Award from College
Media Advisers, a national organization dedicated to helping students
improve their media operations. Mathews and nine of her staff members
recently returned from the group's annual convention in New York
City, which drew students from 1,600 schools from around the country.
"They got excited about First Amendment law and made friends
with students from other schools. I was so proud of them,"
Mathews says.
To read The College Voice online, visit www.mcccvoice.org.
More information about the awards is available at the New Jersey
Collegiate Press Association's website, which includes links to
the student articles,
here.
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