TIFTON–The student newspaper at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College was recently recognized by the Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) Better Newspaper Contest as the best overall publication in its division in Georgia.
Dr. Thomas Grant, advisor for The Stallion, said the newspaper has been the best in the state in its classification for decades, beginning when Helen Strickland took over as the advisor in 1968.
“Then ABAC became a four-year college in 2008 and our students had to compete against schools like Georgia College and State University, Berry College, and Morehouse,” Grant said. “That increased the level of competition. The fact that The Stallion continues to earn awards as the best small college newspaper in the state shows how talented ABAC students are. They can compete with anyone.”
Grant said The Stallion competes in GCPA Division B, representing colleges with less than 8,000 students.
The Stallion placed first in General Photography Excellence, Best Campus Community Service in Features and News, and General Excellence. The General Excellence Award means The Stallion was the best overall compared to the other colleges in the division.
The Stallion also received awards in General Advertising Excellence, Layout and Design Excellence, and Best Campus Community Service in Sports and Editorials.
Despite COVID-19 setbacks, The Stallion staff has worked hard to provide news to the ABAC students. Editor Leila Baxter, a senior agricultural studies major from Kingsland, said that last spring The Stallion only produced four issues instead of the usual eight due to pandemic protocols which allowed only online classes for the final weeks of the semester. During the 2020 fall semester, only one issue was produced due to short staff and budget.
“When I entered our 2020 issues for the contest, we competed with less content than we have had in previous years,” Baxter said. “And we still came out with first place in General Excellence in our division. This is incredibly reassuring to the reporting and late nights at the office we put in to create The Stallion.”
Grant said when writers for The Stallion graduate, they are getting jobs in media around the Southeast. He believes that’s because ABAC is a hands-on college, and students develop highly practical skills in communication and student media.
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