By Jamie Miller
The Collegiate, Grand Rapids Community College’s own student publication, has been named the 2024 Division 3 Newspaper of the Year for the second year in a row in the Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. The Collegiate is proud to celebrate this well-earned victory lap after a very long and hard year, not just for us but for journalism as a whole.
With 536 total submissions from 17 Michigan college newspapers, The Collegiate snagged 13 in the following categories.
News Story
First place: Abby Haywood, “Report: Sharp rise in GRCC students thinking of harming self, others while counseling center critically understaffed”
Third place: Alexa Cheaney, “Donald Trump visits Grand Rapids, uses murder of Ruby Garcia as campaign rally cry against undocumented people”
Investigative reporting
First place: Blace Carpenter and Collegiate Staff, “GRCC has an active shooter response video, professors aren’t required to show it and many students don’t know it exists”
Second place: Abby Haywoood and Blace Carpenter, “GRCC professor presents white nationalist views during Gaza panel discussion, later says he was roleplaying”
Sports News/Features
First place: Pierson VanGorp, “Mohamed Tamour is poised to lead GRCC’s first soccer squad to Regionals”
Third place: Blace Carpenter, “Detroit Lions fans go through a wave of emotion as they watch the NFC Championship in downtown Grand Rapids”
Column-Review or Blog- News
Second place: Alexa Cheaney, “Queer music is on the rise, and so is its importance”
Best Writer
Second place: Blace Carpenter
Editorial
First place: Grand Rapids Community College Collegiate, “GRCC administrators need to send safety videos directly to students”
Best Photographer
Second Place, Blace Carpenter
Original Cartoon- Editorial or Entertainment
First place: Comic by Abby Haywood, Voiceover by Jamie Miller “Things I overheard on Campus”
Online Newspaper
Second place: Grand Rapids Community College Collegiate
