Anna Gorman, Campus Carrier news editor

The Campus Carrier took home 22 awards for journalism excellence in the 2025 Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) Better Newspaper Contest. This event was held Feb. 28 at the GCPA Press Institute in Athens, and some Carrier staff members attended.

The Carrier received the second-place award for general excellence, just behind UGA’s student newspaper, The Red & Black. The Carrier also placed in other general combined enrollment categories and two categories in the Senior Division B, which includes all four-year Georgia colleges and universities with under 8,000 enrolled students.

In Division B, the Carrier placed first in Best Campus Community Service for the sports section, as well as first in Best Layout and Design. Viking Fusion, Berry’s student-run multimedia website, won first for Best Website.

The Carrier placed second for Best Campus Community Service for the features section and the editorial section, as well. It placed second for General Photography and, overall, took third place for Improvement.

Carrier staff also placed in several individual awards.

Opinions Editor Sydney Martinez took both second and third place for Best Editorial or Editorial Series.

Features Editor Abigail Dunagan and Assistant Features Editor Cammie Wilks took third place for Best Feature Story. Former Managing Editor Sam Askew won third for Best Review.

Photographer Nico Klementzos took third place twice, for Best Photograph: Sports and Best Photograph: Editorial/Feature.

Photographer Charlie Pakluck won third for Best Photo Essay, with their photos of Mountain Day activities and Marthapalooza.

Photographer Bear Luke took both first and third for Best Photograph for News with “Senior’s capstone project highlights LGBTQ icons,” and “OSI aiming to promote Pack the House events,” respectively.

Managing Editor Eric Zuniga and News Editor Anna Gorman took second place for Best News Article: Investigative Reporting with an article they worked on together. Zuniga also won second for Best News Article: Investigative Reporting again with an article worked on in collaboration with former Deputy News Editor James Fox.

Zuniga also took second place for Best Objective News Article, with “Financial Aid begins issuing official aid offers.”

Gorman won first place for Best News Article – Investigative Reporting, with “Berry to soon acknowledge Indigenous land.”

Together, Zuniga and Editor-in-Chief Carson Bonner won first place for Best Objective News Article, with “Cultural Event series highlights local Cherokee history.”

Student Publications Adviser Kevin Kleine who attended the awards ceremony, voiced his pride for the Campus Carrier staff.

“I was excited to see the reactions of the staff in attendance at the GCPA conference,” Kleine said. “The smiles and laughter made my heart warm. I couldn’t be prouder of the great work they do to serve the greater Berry community.”