Long Valley Natives Take Top Honors For College Newspaper Excellence

LONG VALLEY, N.J. – The Youngtown Edition, the student newspaper for County College of Morris, isn’t immune to statewide awards.

And in 2016 the results are no different.

The newspaper garnered New Jersey Collegiate Press Association's top prizes in Arts and Entertainment/Critical Writing, Layout and Design, and Overall Website in the statewide contest, the school announced.

The newspaper won seven awards in 2015 and six in 2014.

“What I love about 'The Youngtown Edition' is, despite the fact that the staff turns over frequently as students graduate and the focus and content shifts with each new regime, the strength and quality of the work doesn't change,” said Russ Crespolini, adjunct professor at CCM and the paper's faculty advisor, as well as a former Patch editor. “Last year we won first place for news writing and sports writing. This year we took top honors for features writing and layout and design.”

The paper’s editor-in-chief is Derek Allen, of Florham Park, who will be replaced by Long Valley’s Beth Peter, who currently serves as Managing Editor.

Peter won the top prize for overall website and took second place for social media work.

“I’m proud to have won,” Peter said in a statement. “I put a lot of work into the projects I earned awards for and seeing that effort recognized feels really good. “We have room for growth and I am hoping we get more talented people on campus to come help us keep the streak alive.”

Peter was joined by West Morris Central alumni Emily Betz, who took first place in Arts and Entertainment/Critical Writing for her treatise on an honor killing documentary.

“Emily is a student in one of my speech classes and is incredibly passionate and expressive when she is trying to get her point across,” Crespolini said. “It is rare to see that kind of energy translate to the written word, but Emily certainly pulled it off. And the judges obviously saw that.”

The combination of Drew Notarnicola, also of Long Valley, and Frank Eaton, of Rockaway, took home top prize for Layout and Design of the paper.

Pictured: From left, Editor-in-Chief Derek Allen, of Florham Park; Managing Editor Beth Peter, of Long Valley; Emily Betz, of Long Valley; Frank Eaton, of Rockaway; and adviser Russ Crespolini display the six awards given to the publication at the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association. Photo Credit: County College Of Morris.