USA Vanguard Wins Regional Award
Posted on March 30, 2016 by Arts and Sciences
Vanguard wins regional awards from Society of Professional Journalists
The Vanguard student newspaper received three honors from the Society of Professional
Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards for Region 3.
The Vanguard staff placed as one of three finalists in the in-depth reporting category
for their series on issues surrounding South Alabama's parking. The story originated
in Communication Department chair James Aucoin's enterprise reporting class, CA472,
before The Vanguard printed the stories then followed up to get administration response.
The staff further investigated the University's parking and sat down with administration
officials to address the issues. In result of the series, 117 spaces were converted
from faculty to student spaces and the JagTran system’s routes were changed to better
fit the needs of students.
Alyssa Newton, The Vanguard editor-in-chief, placed as region winner in both the sports
and news photography categories. She won these honors in a category that included
Alabama, Auburn and Georgia University, and will advance to represent South Alabama
in the SPJ nationals hosted in New Orleans in September.