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The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) has awarded Rollins’ student-run newspaper, The Sandspur, a coveted gold medal for overall excellence.

CSPA is an international student press association seeking to unite student journalists and faculty advisors at universities and colleges nationwide. Members have the opportunity to submit publications for critique through the organization’s Medalist Critique program, where a panel of experienced judges review each submission against a set of standards and offer feedback based on the publication’s strengths and weaknesses. Submissions are given scores up to 1,000 and must achieve a score of at least 800 to be included in the gold medal category.

“Getting the gold medal is a huge recognition of our values and worth,” says editor-in-chief and English major Hannah Butcher ’22. “Especially considering that The Sandspur has never been fully digital in its 100-plus year history.”

Overall, the publication scored high in the verbal proficiency category, which pertains to the quality of writing represented by the paper.

“I have seen our writers go from having very little journalistic experience to writing really robust articles about Rollins and our campus,” says Butcher. “We’re a group of diverse majors from all different academic backgrounds, so I was really proud to see the writing recognized in that way.”

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