ASPA Awards

The ASPA Awards were held at the weekend. ASPA is the Aotearoa Student Press Association and the awards are sponsored by the Listener.

The award winners are:

Best Cartoonist: Jeremiah Yen – Craccum
Best humour writer: Nicholas Holm – Salient
Best news writer (unpaid): Claire Barry
Best news writer: John Hartevelt – Critic
Best Cover: Craccum
Best editorial writer: Ryan Sproull – Craccum
Best education series: Salient for its coverage of the financial issues of the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association.
Best feature content: Salient
Best feature writer: Ryan Brown-Haysom – Critic
Best Design: In unison and Salient
Best small publication: Magneto
Best publication: Critic (Salient 2nd,. Craccum 3rd)

Congratulations to all the winners and nice to see Otago and Vic leading the way as usual. The quality of student newspapers has certainly improved since I wrote for Critic and Campus News in the late 80s!

Oh and while talking things students, I must point out this week’s presidential column in Salient by Nick Kelly. Nick, who lost re-election to Geoff Hayward, slams Labour and Young Labour accusing them of wanting to control student associations so they can serve Labour not students. Not exactly what you call losing graciously. He also makes serious accusations about the competence of his predecessor.

Oh yes he also calls for a workers’ revolution to end capitalist oppression 🙂