A Lasting Legacy

By Olivia Stanzl '23, February 9, 2023

The Ithacan is inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker 100.

Editor-in-chief Caitlin Holtzman ’23 (L) and managing editor, Eleanor Kay ’23 were all smiles at MediaFest in Washington, D.C. this past fall.

(Photo Submitted)

This past October, The Ithacan, Ithaca College’s student-run newspaper, was named a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Innovation Pacemaker Award. The Pacemaker is the nation’s highest award in collegiate journalism.

In addition, the paper was named to ACP’s Pacemaker 100, as one of the top winners of the award, while former Ithacan adviser Michael Serino was named to ACP’s first-ever class of Pioneer Awards, alongside other distinguished journalism educators and advocates.

These honors came at MediaFest, the Fall National College Media Convention, held in Washington, D.C.

Casey Musarra ’11, who is the student media adviser for The Ithacan, said being named a finalist was incredibly special.

“I’m proud of the students for their diligence and dedication,” she said.

Editor-in-chief Caitlin Holtzman ’23 said she wanted to showcase how the paper has made innovative changes over the past year.

“Awards aren’t everything, but they are a confirmation of the hard work we all put in here. All of this couldn’t be done without the dedication of our editors and staff.”

Managing editor, Eleanor Kay ’23

“We included a lot of information about how we use social media in the application and highlighted how we use platforms like Twitter to share breaking news with the campus community,” Holtzman said.

The Ithacan’s managing editor, Eleanor Kay ’23, said that it was an honor to be recognized for the long hours the student staff puts in.

“Awards aren’t everything, but they are a confirmation of the hard work we all put in here,” Kay said. “All of this couldn’t be done without the dedication of our editors and staff.”

Musarra said The Ithacan is an award-winning newspaper because of the collaboration of years of students who consistently put in the hard work of providing community-based journalism. In 2017, it was inducted into the ACP Pacemaker Hall of Fame. The hall of fame recognizes student publications that have received a combination of 15 national Pacemaker and Pacemaker finalist awards.

“The Ithacan has been around for nearly a century, so it’s the generations of alums who’ve come before who set the tone for creating an award-winning news organization.”

Casey Musarra ’11, Ithacan student media advisor

“The Ithacan has been around for nearly a century, so it’s the generations of alums who’ve come before who set the tone for creating an award-winning news organization,” Musarra said. “Because The Ithacan is so much more than just a print newspaper—it’s each subsequent generation’s responsibility to continue to uphold the high standards that have been set.”

The night was also special for Serino, who was honored for the 26 years he spent as adviser to The Ithacan prior to his retirement in 2021.

“It meant a lot because it came from people who were my mentors and colleagues, and it was like an old club getting back together,” he said. “But honestly, it says more about the legacy of the students and the editors. The real success of The Ithacan is the peer-to-peer education of the students, and the editors, and the staff. They teach each other and are incredibly supportive.”