“Print media is alive and well,”: The Courier brings home six awards from the ICPA
Karli Strom - Editor in Chief
Members of The Courier attended the annual Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) convention in Chicago. The Courier received six awards, including an honorable mention award for general excellence in print out of 15 smalls schools.
Junior Ryan Phillips won third place for sports game story and an honorable mention for sports page design.
“I signed up to do a job and I did it,” said Phillips. “The awards are cool and all, but it means even more to me to do something for this community and for the athletes to take home and hang up on their walls. I want to give them something to remember their time here.”
Karli Strom, a senior, and Mia Martino received a first-place award for an opinion page story and design covering "Poopgate: ‘Skidmark Skater’ Scandal.” Strom also received a third-place award for feature page design.
Izzy Gimm, a senior, received an honorable mention for a sports news story.
“I was shocked. I was grateful to be chosen out of a large number of other schools and to be recognized with an award,” said Gimm. “As a former athlete here, it’s nice to still flex those muscles in a different way and be recognized for my writing skills.”
Alongside the award ceremony, the staff attended informational sessions, where they learned from advisors and professionals in journalism. These sessions covered discussions on press rights, journalism in an era of artificial intelligence, and how to leverage journalism skills in non-journalism careers.
“Print media is alive and well and will continue to be as long as we continue to be curious and passionate,” said Music Editor, Elena Hernandez. “Journalism, whether it’s just on campus or in your local community, is arguably one of the most important tools we have to make our voices heard.”
While the staff of The Courier is honored to receive such prestigious awards in college journalism, the parts they enjoy the most come from the work itself.
“The part I’ll cherish forever is the quality time I got to spend with this hardworking team,” said Phillips.