On Feb. 29, The Observer was honored to have been awarded Second Place Best of Show for a Four-Year Less-Than-Weekly Newspaper at the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Midwinter National Convention. 

Representing The Observer at the conference and collecting the award were Arts and Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22; Features Editor Nicole Perkins, FCLC ’22; Layout Editor Lara Foley, FCLC ’22; and Assistant News Editor Joe Kottke, FCLC ’23.

The Observer submitted the 12th issue of Volume 35, published Oct. 30, 2019, for award consideration. The issue’s front page featured the controversy surrounding the lack of campus safety alerts around Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) after a series of alarming gunshots were heard around campus, and Fordham’s development of an English course taught at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.

The centerfold highlighted the turbulent life and death of the rams that once lived at the Bronx campus. The staff editorial discussed the need for Public Safety’s increased transparency in the way they report crimes around FLC, as this directly affects Fordham students despite it being off-campus. 

“It’s an exciting time to be a journalist,” said editorial adviser Molly Bedford, who also attended the conference. “I’m so proud as a journalist and adviser to see the number of student journalists at the convention and The Observer recognized as the standard for excellence in student journalism.” 

After a fun-filled weekend of trekking through the hilly city in their free time, the representatives are now safely back in New York with a plethora of ideas and look forward to The Observer taking home more awards in the future.