On Feb.23, The Spectator won seven awards applauding their hard work and performance during the Georgia College Press Association Awards. 

Once again, The Spectator made their way down to Athens, Georgia, onto the University of Georgia’s campus to prepare for the big day. 

Every year, multiple colleges in Georgia compete against one another for prestigious awards such as Best Review, Best Photographs, Best Editorial and more. 

The staff’s first win went to news editor Jenna Arnold for first place in Best News Photograph for her picture of a fallen tree from hurricane Idalia. Jenna also won a second award for second place for Best Investigative News Article. 

“It felt amazing to represent The Spectator and to be rewarded for all the hard work I put in,” said Arnold Covering the news never gets old and it was truly such an honor to receive two awards.” 

The next award that went to The Spectator was the third place winning for Best Campus Community Service– News. This award featured stories from Arnold about VSU’s new housing director and entertainment editor Jasmine Hightower’s article about reorganization of the international program. 

The staff also took home second place for Best Editorial or Editorial Series for “Keep the flame burning, Blazers,” which spoke about mental burnout in students. 

The Spectator’s last two awards were second in Best Improvement and third in General Excellence. 

The staff strives to show that journalism can still be exciting and worthwhile. While these awards show just how far The Spectator has come, they also show how dedicated and driven the staff is. 

“This conference and these awards really help our students develop a competitive edge, especially against some of the schools with more resources,” said Spectator advisor Gregory Brown. 

Written by Jasmine Hightower, Entertainment Editor.  Photo by Gregory Brown.