NINA BANKS
managing editor
nina.banks@my.tccd.edu
The Collegian was inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame on Oct. 30.
The Fall National College Media Association Convention took place in Atlanta from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. During the event, The Collegian earned the coveted spot in the ACP Hall of Fame alongside publications such as The Shorthorn and the Daily Texan. Journalism instructor Christopher Whitley acknowledged the achievement for the publication.
“It’s a big deal,” Whitley said. “That only goes to college media organizations that win one of the most prestigious awards in college media time and time and time again.
Whitley remarked how impressive it was for the publication to receive acclaim despite being relatively new.
“You have to have a combination of 15 National Pacemaker awards and finalist awards,” he said. “And if you consider the fact that The Collegian has only been around since 1988. It’s a very new publication compared with universities that have been around for a hundred years. To still reach that designation in that short amount of time is pretty amazing.”
Multimedia editor Alex Hoben won the first place National Pinnacle Award in Best Breaking News Story and is glad to have the opportunity to be on the same stage as four-year colleges.
“As a community college, we are not seen with the same lens as four-year papers or four-year colleges because we’re only here for two years and then we’re gone,” Hoben said. “In my opinion, we produce better work than some four-year colleges. And when we go to CMA, we get to show that. We get to show that community colleges aren’t just a pit stop, and our papers aren’t just something we do for extra credit. These are our passions. These are our dedications to our campus, our college and to our own journalistic progress.”
Whitley carried out his last term as CMA president at the convention.
“It was an honor for me to be president,” Whitley said. “It was an honor to do this job for three years and help guide this organization that I truly love. I got to know and work with advisers all over America. I got to support them. This organization supported me, so it was nice to be able to support my colleagues from all over and advocate for them.”
Editor-in-Chief Hope Smith watched Whitley prepare for his final convention and was glad to see his work come to fruition.
“He’s put a lot into it,” Smith said. “He definitely cares about the CMA which is always good to have. I know that Chris made a really big impact in the CMA. It really showed through in the final meeting when the new president was inducted.”
TR Campus editor Olla Mokhtar earned first place for Best Coverage of Faith. She was
“Liberal arts isn’t really a desired field at least in my culture just because it isn’t “stable,”” Mokhtar said. “Being in a room full of people who just love what they do and were unapologetic about it was inspiring and admirable.”
Smith looks forward to her next and final CMA convention with The Collegian.
“CMA is an awesome opportunity for students in college media to gain real word experience with a community of people who really care about the work and the future of journalism,” Smith said.
