By Jack Dunn | Director of News & Public Affairs

Published: Nov. 15, 2012

For the second consecutive year, The Heights, Boston College’s independent student newspaper, has won the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Newspaper Pacemaker Award for general excellence and outstanding achievement. The award, co-sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, has recognized general excellence in collegiate newspapers for 85 years and is considered the highest honor in collegiate journalism.

One of just 12 national winners for general excellence in the category of non-daily newspapers from four-year colleges, The Heights was the only college newspaper in Massachusetts to be honored for overall excellence.

Judges select Pacemaker winners based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics. This year’s panel deemed The Heights “substantial” and “complete, deeply reported and professionally presented.”

In addition, Heights Assistant Photo Editor, Graham Beck ’15, placed fourth in Photo Excellence in Sports Photography for one of his shots of former BC Eagle Chris Kreider from last year’s NCAA Championship hockey season. 

The 2012 winners were announced at the recent Annual ACP/College Media Association National College Media Convention in Chicago.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized by the ACP with a Pacemaker Award for the second year in a row,” said Heights Editor-in-Chief Taylour Kumpf ’13. “When so much of your energy is dedicated to putting out a substantial product, it’s an amazing feeling to have that effort rewarded. I’m just so incredibly proud of my Heights family – the hardest working people I know – and I’m so blessed to be ending my tenure on such a positive note.” 

Added News Editor David Cote ’14, “It’s a great honor to be recognized with an ACP Pacemaker Award.  I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of The Heights, and it’s a great feeling to have all of our hard work rewarded.”