The student-run newspaper of Georgia Highlands College, the Six Mile Post received 22 awards during the 2014 Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented at the GCPA’s annual press institute in Athens Feb. 7 and 8.

Most college newspapers staffs in the state of Georgia attended the event. Students and media professionals alike attended a variety of workshops and mixers to learn from and network with other students and professionals.

College newspapers submitted articles and pictures that were published online or in the paper from the spring 2013 and fall 2013 semesters.

The Six Mile Post competed in categories against other two-year and four-year colleges across the state of Georgia and was one of the most awarded newspapers this year.

For the general awards, the Six Mile Post received first place in general excellence and best campus community service feature, two-year division; second place in improvement, layout and design excellence and best campus community service – sports coverage, two-year division; and third place in general photography excellence and best campus community service – news, four-year division B and general advertising excellence, two-year division.

The staff of the Six Mile Post also received individual awards. In the two-year division, J.P. Erickson, former assistant editor, Andrew West, former editor-in-chief, and January Curry, staff writer, received first place in the best column category for their Path 2 Highlands columns. Becky Crooks, former sports editor, also received third place in the same category for her sports columns.

In the best review category, Erickson received second place competing against all other colleges.

In the best photograph-editorial/feature category, two-year division, Ryan Jones, chief photographer, was awarded second place and West received third place.

For best photograph– sports, two-year, first place went to Pedro Zavala, editor-in-chief, and third place went to Jones.

For best sports story, two-year, West received second place and Brooke Govin, staff writer, received third place.

For best entertainment story, two-year, Six Mile Post staff members took every place. First place went to Antonio Garcia, managing editor online, second place went to Jones and third went to Ebenezer Mulugeta, former staff writer.

For best feature story, two-year, Gene Harmon, assistant online editor, was awarded third place.

For best news article–objective reporting, two-year, first place went to Rebecca Pharr, former staff writer.

Garcia was elected as a GCPA Board Member. Sarah Lane, former Six Mile Post assistant editor, was elected GCPA president.