Piedmont Student News Organization Makes History with First Place Award from Georgia College Press Association
For the first time in Piedmont University history, The Roar, the student news organization, has received a first place General Excellence Award from the Georgia College Press Association (GCPA).
The Roar competes in the GCPA’s Division B, comprised of institutions with fewer than 8,000 students. Piedmont beat out Highlands College and Berry College for the first-place prize. GCPA is the educational arm of the Georgia Press Association.
Including the first place General Excellence Award, students who produce The Roar won a total of 14 overall and individual awards. GCPA announced the winners during the last week of April.
The seven overall awards include:
- General Excellence Award, first place
- Best Website, first place
- General Photography Excellence, first place
- Best Campus Community Service: Sports, first place
- Best Campus Community Service: Features, first place
- Best Campus Community Service: News, second place
- Best Campus Community Service: Editorials, third place
The seven individual awards include:
- Best Column, Rowan Edmonds, second place
- Best Review, Garrett Stafford, first place
- Best Feature Photograph, Connor Moranos, first place
- Best Entertainment Story, Hannah Osbourne, third place
- Best Entertainment Story, Connor Jelly, first place
- Best Editorial Series, Staff, second place
- General Advertising Excellence, Samantha Carvallo, Garrett Stafford and Anna Watson, second place
Individual awards categories are divided by class year (freshman/sophomore and junior/senior), and students compete against all schools—regardless of size.
All awards recognize work produced in the calendar year 2021.
The lead student editors of The Roar in 2021 were Abby Cox, Anna Watson, Emma Marti, and Brett Loftis.
Departmental Awards
Each year, Piedmont’s Mass Communications Department honors outstanding student work at its awards ceremony. This year’s ceremony took place on April 27. The following students were recognized with awards, which are determined by a vote of the mass communications faculty:
- Anna Watson; Mass Communications Major Award
- Brett Loftis; Sports Communications Major Award
- Emma Marti, Hannah Osborne and Anna Watson; Mass Communications Honors Award
- Emma Marti; James M. Cox Jr. Community Journalism Award
- Matt Kodrowski; Mass Communications Department Leadership Award
- Megan Shaefer, Mass Communications Department Rookie Award
- Jaela Dodson and Brett Loftis; Public Speaking and Debate Award
- Jaela Dodson; J. Thomas Russell Capstone Award
For more information about Piedmont’s Mass Communications department visit, piedmont.edu/program/mass-communications.