Six Mile Post awarded best print and online newspaper at state competition
Georgia Highlands College’s student newspaper the Six Mile Post was awarded best print newspaper and best online newspaper at the 64th annual Southern Regional Press Institute held in Savannah at Savannah State University.
Professor of English and SMP Adviser Kristie Kemper said that the students have been working very hard in both the print and online format.
“One of the judge’s comments on the overall newspaper print win was that consistency was noticeable and good, and I think that’s across the board,” Kemper said.
“I think everything that they try to do, they do the best that they can,” she added, “whether its for print or online.”
SMP Editor-in-Chief Kiston Dowler was glad that all of her staff’s hard work was recognized at the state competition.
“I’m very proud of the work that we’ve been able to do this year, especially with everything that we’ve had come up against us, like staff writers coming in and out and being spread out across as many campuses as we are,” she said. “I definitely think that it is a major achievement and major accomplishment to win in both areas.”
Dowler, Anna Douglas, managing online editor, and Shelby Hogland, assistant sports editor, represented the SMP, which has staff at all five of its campuses, at the SRPI competition.
The Six Mile Post was also awarded first place in sports writing, which was given to Hogland, and two second place awards in editorial and column writing and photography, which was given to Pedro Zavala, former SMP editor-in-chief.
Additionally, Kemper and Associate Professor of English and SMP Assistant Adviser Cindy Wheeler directed a workshop on opinion writing called “Mastering the Art of Opinion Writing: Editorials, Reviews and Columns.”
The Six Mile Post of Georgia Highlands College is named after the old railroad station and trading post that was once located near where the college was founded in Floyd County. The Six Mile Post publishes seven print and online issues a year and is funded through student activity fees and ad revenue. The Six Mile Post Online is produced by the students of Georgia Highlands College.
The SRPI was coordinated by the director of public relations for the university from 1950-1986. In June of 1986, the coordination of the Institute was moved to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (then the School of Humanities and Social Sciences) under the aegis of the Mass Communications Program, now the Department of Mass Communications. Novella Cross Holmes, associate professor, Department of Mass Communications, directed the Institute for 22 years. Reginald Franklin, associate professor, Department of Mass Communications, is the new director.
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PHOTO CAPTION: (From left to right) Karlee Helms, managing editor of sports, Derweatra Hammock, managing editor of graphics and design, and Kiston Dowler, editor-in-chief, review the Six Mile Post's March issue before distribution in the SMP office on the Floyd campus.