For the second straight year, The Gator earned a top rank in overall excellence from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), taking home a “Gold” ranking.

The publication scored highest in the “visuals” category, earning “All-Columbian Honors” for photography, graphics, and layout. The Gator earned 934 out of 1,000 possible points, its best collective performance to date. 

“I’m ecstatic that the newsroom won this prestigious award,” Executive Editor Miles Munkacy ’20 said. “It speaks to the hard work that everyone put in last year, from writers, broadcasters, artists, photographers, and editors. We have another strong group this fall, and I’m confident that we’ll have even more success.”

CSPA made special mention of “meticulously proofread” copy, “splendid use of storytelling quotes,” and evidence of “prodigious research” in feature articles. Moving forward, the judge reccomended that The Gator focus on improving captions and breadth of coverage, especially with School sports and localizing national and global events. 

Adviser David Cutler, who helped students launch the publication six years ago, said that the newsroom continue to exceed his expectations.

“Every fall, The Gator continues to grow and grow,” Cutler said, also adding that last year, the publication earned several national accolades. “The sky is the limit, and I can’t wait to see what these budding young journalists will accomplish for the 2019-20 academic year.”

Last spring, The Gator also earned it’s second straight “First Class” ranking from the National Scholastic Press Association.

“I am extremely proud of all our writers, editors, and GNN anchors for producing amazing written and multimedia content,” Co-Editor-in-Chief Camille Cherney ’20 said. “I hope this award provides extra motivation to work even harder this year. It’s The Gator‘s time to shine.”

“As we begin a new chapter in the newsroom, I feel optimistic that with continued hard work we will have another successful year with more awards to come,” Managing Editor Karly Hamilton ’21 said.