Vector Wins Two Awards in NJ College Journalism Contest

NJIT's student newspaper, The Vector, won third place for general excellence in the 2019-2020 edition of the New Jersey Press Association collegiate contest.

It was the staff's first time entering the competition. The association praised the students' range of story ideas and graphics layout.

Some of the paper's significant articles this year covered campus sustainability, studio culture among architecture majors, a graduate student protest and the lead in the city of Newark's drinking water.

Copy editor Colin Bayne received an individual second-place award for his film review of The King. Bayne is a senior studying accounting.

Editor-in-chief Carmel Rafalowsky thanked her staff for their contributions, especially this semester as the editorial board decided to continue publishing online during campus closures due to COVID-19.

Polytechnic universities aren't known for producing writers, which makes the award significant, Rafalowsky noted. She's enjoyed writing since middle school and encourages more students to consider joining the newspaper.

"When I joined NJIT, I didn't really know anyone. The classes were so difficult that I wanted to do something for myself ... and not be a sad lonely commuter," she joked. "We do have the writers and the skills and potential to win awards, it's just untapped. There just needed to be a way to organize and get these people out there."

Rafalowsky is graduating in May with a bachelor's in biology and a minor in history. She plans to remain a Highlander next year and study for a master's degree under biologist Brooke Flammang.

Vector staff voted biochemistry major Daniil Ivanov as editor-in-chief for the 2020-2021 year.

"I think the paper has been improving steadily," said faculty adviser Miriam Ascarelli, who teaches writing and journalism in the humanities department.

"When I first started, people tended to write a lot of tech reviews," Ascarelli said. Now, "There's a greater depth in the culture of the paper and greater vision of what the paper can be. I think students have a stronger understanding of what journalism is and how they can use their journalistic voice."

"I just want them to keep getting better," she added. "Watch for their Earth Day issue."