MCKEESPORT, Pa. — Two Penn State Greater Allegheny student journalists received Student Keystone Media Awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association. The Student Keystone Media Awards contest recognizes high school and college journalism that provides relevance, integrity, and initiative in serving readers. Carlin Whalen and Yousuf Ibrahim were recognized for their work on the campus newspaper, The GA-Zette.

Whalen, managing editor of The GA-Zette, received an honorable mention in the Ongoing News Coverage category for Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Campus Updates — Changing Campus Leadership 2022. Whalen meets regularly with Interim Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Megan Nagel and submits articles to keep readers informed of campus initiatives.

Ibrahim is a staff writer for the campus newspaper and received an honorable mention in the review category. Written after he attended a showing of Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film "Rashomon" at the Harris Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, his piece "Rashomon:  Harris Theatre, A Film and My Downtown Travels" gave readers a glimpse of traffic and parking in the city along with a summary of the movie.

Greater Allegheny competes in the Division II category for four-year institutions with enrollments of less than 10,000 students and is the only Pittsburgh-area institution to have its student journalists recognized in this category this year. University Park competes in Division I for four-year institutions with enrollments of more than 10,000 students and walked away with 19 awards.  

In recent years, The GA-Zette has received numerous regional, state and national awards, including a 2022 first-place award from the American Scholastic Press Association for Outstanding Collegiate Newspaper. Last year, they were also recognized by the campus as the Outstanding Student Organization.    

The GA-Zette is printed seasonally and posts bi-weekly on its digital platform. Rosemary Martinelli, lecturer in Communications and Business serves as the faculty adviser.