Best Newspaper (Community Colleges)

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Best Newspaper (Community Colleges)
     OK, it’s time for Florida Leader to come clean. Secretly, Florida Leader has been licking its chops, itching to honor The Source at Valencia Community College. We’ve been closely monitoring this fine tabloid, now led by Editor in Chief James Coffin and Joe Gisondi, advisor.
     A national honoree in the Associated Collegiate Press awards for three years running, The Source stands out as this year’s clear victor in a "down" year for many of the publications. Community college papers cope with massive staff turnover from year to year, and usually must work with far less money and resources than public and private college and university papers. "This year's staff has done much more with far less than any staff I have advised," Gisondi says. "We lost six terribly talented editors to four-year universities. This year, though, has proven to be among the most satisfying sessions in my five-year tenure, for the manner in which these students have been able to work off one another to produce a publication that serves our readers and that takes some creative chances."
     Gisondi is quick to credit the leadership of Editor in Chief James Coffin. "James and I both knew of the challenges ahead," Gisondi says. "James created a masterful plan, and the staffers implemented it wonderfully."
     With an annual budget of $12,000 supplied by the college for printing and supplies, four editors and 15 staffers produce a twice-monthly with 6,000 copies distributed on four campuses. Advertising supplies an additional $10,000 in revenues, Coffin says.
     Like most campus publications, The Source gets it share of criticism from the campus leaders on which it reports and sometimes roasts. "SGA members have told us they loved our coverage, while others say we do not cover enough," Coffin says. "The student body, which for the most part does not care at all about SGA, is tepid on that issue."
     The Source may be the best-looking paper in the state. It’s clean and colorful, with a modular design accentuated by color photos, tint blocks, and simple, but strong typefaces. It also boasts Florida’s only full-color original comics page. The paper’s "Threat of Credit" front-page series warned students of falling into a credit card trap. The Source offered readers a useful list of elected leaders and their phone numbers. Another benefit: reporters e-mail addresses appear at the end of each article. The "LifeStyles" section featured a fine personality profile on President Sandy Shugart’s appearance at a local bookstore café. VCC’s singing president performed a two-hour repertoire of "ballads, instrumental numbers, and comedic renditions," The Source wrote.
     Like any college publication, The Source has room for improvement. Even outrageous college journalists should strive for a higher level of prose than the "What is a booger made of?" column. Also, there are two many canned "wire service" reports—one issue had two full pages.
     But overall, VCC’s paper is on top of the heap. "I think we have been the best in Florida for the past several years," Gisondi says.
     Gisondi proudly points out that a number of former award-winning Source staffers now serve in key leadership roles at other Florida publications. "Our opinions editor from last year is now editor in chief of The Gator Times [at the University of Florida] and the features editor is the design editor there" Gisondi says. "We also place more students at The Orlando Sentinel than the local college, UCF. I'm proud of my students, not only for what they do here, but, more especially, for what they do when they leave."
Contact The Source at valenciasource@journalist.com or (407) 299-5000, ext. 1572.

Runner-up

     There’s less focus on the faculty in this year’s edition of The Scribe at Seminole Community College. "We’re continuing our transformation from a more faculty oriented publication to a students’ voice," says Alex Babcock, editor in chief.
     The bi-monthly dealt with real-world deadline pressure when George W. Bush announced a campaign rally just three days before the event last fall. "We had to make a decision we’d never had to make—whether or not to stop the press," Babcock says. "We called the printer to hold the run until we’d done the story. The entire process from learning of the event to covering it and producing the modified issue took less than six hours, which was miraculous."
     Written and designed by four editors and a staff of 10, the bi-monthly publishes 2,500 copies. The Scribe gets about half its budget from SGA, with the rest from advertising.
     "The paper does a nice job of covering student activities and important events on campus," says Randy Pawlowski, student activities director, "and The Scribe journalists usually get their facts straight."
     "Student Opinions" photos and quotes give the paper a personal flavor, and Editor Babock’s "Alex won’t shut up" column is worth reading. But the paper’s often-gray appearance could be spiced up with a splash of spot color now and then. "The larger schools will always have a distinct advantage," says Tom Pierce, advisor. "It’s not just numbers—students, dollars, and computers. It’s also a matter of commitment to excellence on the part of everyone involved from the administration to the advisor to the student journalist."
Contact The Scribe at thescribe@mail.seminole.cc.fl.us.

Honorable Mention

     Like most community college papers, The Patriot Press at Central Florida Community College had to start at ground zero—but the changing of the guard happened in mid-year. At the end of the fall 2000 semester, former Editor Betsy Lehew got divorced and moved her family to Illinois, while Managing Editor Mercy Sanchez took a job at the local Ocala-Star Banner. "I have to say that I was scared in January when they quit," says Dava Aiken, advisor.
     "Until now, this year’s paper has had a calmer flavor. Rob [last year’s editor Campbell] was more of a fire eater—I loved his style and sense of humor."
     Aiken says her students produced some strong reporting, with two articles catching the campus’s attention. "One was about a professor who was tragically killed in a car accident," she says. "He was a loved and respected instructor, and many students were moved by our story."
     The paper’s other big story, Aiken says, concerned the firing of [former president] William Campion at El Paso Community College. "Dr. Campion left CFCC under a ‘cloud’ after he was charged and later cleared of an ethics violation," she says.
Contact Aiken at aikend@cfcc.cc.fl.us or The Patriot Press at patpress@cfcc.cc.fl.us.

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