Another award! 15 Olympics interns! Can you *stand* it?

I know, I know: it happens ALL the time. But I never get tired of hearing -- once again -- that the rest of the world recognizes that Park students really are exceptional.

This week, it happened twice -- TWICE!

First, the Park School's independent magazine, Buzzsaw Haircut, won two national awards for excellence from the Independent Press Association. The IPA's Campus Journalism awards reward excellence in socially engaged journalism and recognize the contributions of student publishers and journalists to free thought within their campus communities.

Buzzsaw Haircut was named the Best Independent Campus Publication with a Budget under $10,000 for 2005, and its editors won first place for political commentary.

Judges of the competition had this to say about the winners in general:

This year¹s winners are notable for their dedication to strong, fearless reporting. They use research to draw connections between campus activities and the welfare of their surrounding communities, between students¹ daily lives and national political debates. They uncover the histories of political movements on their campuses, and they make humorous and scathing critiques of culture and politics. Most importantly, they do the kind of well-researched and straightforward reporting that is sorely lacking in professional journalism today.

And here's what they had to say about Buzzsaw Haircut:

This creatively designed news magazine offers an impressive blend of national and community-centered reporting. Always based in a foundation of well-researched investigative reporting, Buzzsaw Haircut¹s inventive articles bring political questions to their readers in surprising and sophisticated terms. With their blend of irreverence and hard-hitting
journalism, Buzzsaw Haircut manages to maintain high editorial standards without compromising a certain raw-edged sensibility.

The Political Commentary award went specifically to editors Kate Sheppard, Matthew Corely and Jeremy Levine, for their two-part story on right-wing political strategies. Here's what the judges had to say:

"Conservative Activism?" & "Scary, Yes. But Winning" In the first section part of this two-part meditation on right-wing political strategies, three Buzzsaw Haircut editors candidly recall their frightening and hilarious experience of going "undercover" at the 2004 Conservative Political Action Conference. Their vibrant, impressionistic style brings a much needed dose of originality and wit to a hot political issue. A second, more conventional editorial examines their personal experiences at the conference against a national context in terms that are circumspect and concise.

Congratulations to Kete, Matt, and Jeremy -- and to the rest of the Buzzsaw Haircut staff -- for these well-deserved awards. And thanks for your important contribution to public discourse and debate on the Ithaca College campus. It wouldn't be as dynamic, committed or engaged without you.


Second, we were informed this week that FIFTEEN Park students and one Sports Media Management student have been selected to work as interns for NBC Sports at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turino, Italy. Park was one of only five schools across the country where interns were recruited, and it was the communications school from which the greatest number of interns were chosen. Congratulations to all of you who are headed to Italy in January! What an adventure!