Recently, the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) gave The Picket a first-class rating with three marks of distinction. Writers, editors and overseers of the paper are thrilled, and the rest of the student body should be too.
Chelsea DeMello, a senior English major and this year’s chief editor of The Picket, says that this was a great, all-around win for the people involved in the publication of the paper as well as for the rest of Shepherd University.
“I believe since we have been using the ACP, this rating is the highest The Picket has ever received to date,” DeMello says. “We were less than 40 points from being an All American newspaper, and it goes without saying that I’m more than proud of the dedicated staff on my team.”
Jim Lewin, professor of English and the faculty advisor of The Picket, also thinks that this rating is good news not only for The Picket staff, but for the whole university. He says that this rating is important for the university because “The Picket is not just about the students who are on the staff. It represents the campus as a whole.”
It’s great that The Picket received such high rating, but what does the ACP rating actually accomplish? What is its goal? Lewin explains that the ACP provides a reality check from an outsider’s perspective.
Lewin reiterates the point made by DeMello that with just a few more points and one extra Mark of Distinction, The Picket could merit the status of “All American,” which is a designation reserved for very few student publications.
Students should be proud of this accomplishment that their student paper has received. The Picket attempts to capture the essence of its students and represent them accurately, and an award like this represents the whole university and all of the students that attend.
Nic McDill, a sophomore English major, is going to be The Picket’s chief editor next year and he says that this rating shows the potential for small publications everywhere, and he says, “It truly inspires me and shows me that I have a lot to live up to following Chelsea.”
Patrick Ridings, a freshman business major, says that The Picket’s accomplishment affects him positively because of how it shows how distinguished the university as a whole is.
The achievement that the Picket has received should be a source of pride for all students. Although the people involved with the paper are only a small portion of the student body, this should be an example that all students should push towards higher goals and towards the distinction that we all can achieve.