CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Southwestern College's campus newspaper, the Sun, is about the students, the campus, and the community.
"We do stories of all kinds, sports, news stories, campus, the arts, and events happening on campus," says Sun Editor and Chief Emily Ingco.
For the students, their brilliant storytelling has been award-winning. Just look at the newsroom, and you'll see awards and trophies lining the walls.
The Sun can now add another award to their collection as they were recently named the "Best College Newspaper" in the San Diego region by the Society of Professional Journalists.
"It's a huge honor, and my students work super hard," says SWC Journalism Professor Max Branscomb. "They are ethical, they are honest, and they do journalism for all the right reasons."
The Sun staff consists of 35 students that put in between 25 and 40 hours a week for the paper that goes to print about every third week.
"I think it is the chemistry we have with one another and the idea that we want to be the voice for our community," says Ingco.
"We are also the most diverse college newspaper in the United States, and I marvel at how well these students work together," says Professor Branscomb.
The students and staff will be the first to tell you they don't write stories just for the awards. However, when you look at all the trophies and hardware around the newsroom, it does inspire these young journalists.
"It was a sense of motivation for me because I wanted to be on the wall as well," says Ingco.
"I think it does inspire people because they know they are a part of a heritage and of a legacy that is successful," says Professor Branscomb.
