Arrow staff wins several journalism awards

Congratulations to the Arrow, the Southeast Missouri State University student newspaper, for winning 17 Missouri College Media Association Awards, held April 8 and 9. Creating a quality news outlet is no small accomplishment. To do so in such a way as to win a plethora of awards is an honor indeed.

The Arrow won four first-place awards, four second-place awards, five third-place awards and four honorable mentions, among others. As part of MCMA's Division I, the Arrow has its work cut out for it, competing against a variety of universities.

According to the Southeast website, Dr. Karie Hollerbach, who chairs the Department of Mass Media, recognizes the significance of the recognitions: "Southeast, in its MCMA Division I classification, competes against some of the biggest schools in Missouri," she said, adding, "Those schools have very well respected mass communication programs that often have more technological, financial and faculty resources at their disposal. For our weekly newspaper to be able to stand head-to-head with those programs' newspapers, some of which publish daily, says a great deal about not only the quality of the Arrow as a publication and digital product, but it also speaks volumes about the quality of the academic and professional instruction students are receiving in Southeast's Department of Mass Media."

We agree. The Arrow staff should be proud of what it has accomplished. The journalists' quality work has resulted in a quality product, earning them the respect hard work deserves. But here's the thing: Their efforts stem from a desire to be the best, simply because the craft merits it. While the accolades are sweet, they're never the goal; they're just icing on the cake.

From coming in first for the "Campus Engagement/Promotions" category of the advertising division to placing second in the advertising design category of that division to each student who was acknowledged, the Arrow demonstrated its expertise. We celebrate alongside these winners and look forward to their continued growth.