The Vermilion, the student newspaper at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has earned a first-place award from the American Scholastic Press Association as part of national competition.
The Vermilion was cited by the association for “emerging creativity and journalistic knowledge” in reporting, editing, writing, photography and graphic design, according to a press release from the student newspaper. The student newspaper was recognized for excellence in content coverage, page design, editing and overall quality.
“We work together as a unit, and we help each staff member bring out the best of themselves to produce informative works for students. The staff of The Vermilion is exhilarated by this honor,” Lena Foster, editor-in-chief, stated in the release.
Adhamm Safford, The Vermilion’s managing and news editor, said: “We’re extremely lucky to have a diverse staff from all walks of life and different majors that can create something really special and unique.”
The recognition underscores staff-wide hard work, and provides incentive to improve, explained Julia McDow, the newspaper’s design manager. “We are in a great position to explore different opportunities in journalism and how our diverse staff can gain experience doing so,” she said.
The Vermilion has earned 13 awards during the past four years, a total that encompasses regional and national awards. Earlier this year, it received seven awards during the Southeastern Journalism Conference, including best overall newspaper.
In 2022, The Vermilion earned a second-place award from the American Scholastic Press Association; in 2021, the student newspaper placed fourth overall at the Southeast Journalism Conference; in 2020, it received a second-place overall award from the SEJC and a first-place individual writing award.
Matthew Tarver, director of Student Publications, credited the staff of The Vermilion for “continuing to do a superior job of focusing on issues that affect our students, staff, faculty and alumni.”
“They have seen the value of and have benefited from incorporating different viewpoints to reflect life on campus. Our staff has continued to excel in creating content that is well received,” he said.
Photo caption: Staff members for The Vermilion, the student newspaper at UL Lafayette, include, from left: Julia McDow, design editor; Marie Ducote, Allons editor; Andre Broussard, photo editor; Meg Norwood, design manager; Boyd Daniels, business manager; Lena Foster, editor in chief; Malik Foster, photo coordinator; Adhamm Safford, managing and news editor; and Isaac Henry, sports editor. Photo credit: The Vermilion