It's been way, way too long...

Eesh. No posts since Aug. 21? That's pretty awful, considering that I wanted to make this blog a weekly-updated place for readers to go and find out how production nights work and how staffers are feeling as the semester rolls on. Yet here we are halfway through the semester without a single post since summer. Ouch.

Well, I'm here to rectify that situation and let you know how the paper's going so far this year, especially with all the new changes.

First off, the beat system. It's been a thrilling success, in my mind. We have 11 writers on staff currently (without counting the four or five sports writers we also have) and that's a huge step up from the measly four we had at the end of last year. I don't know how many there were throughout the majority of the year, but I don't think it was close to 11. We've been lucky to have a lot of committed people writing for us this semester. And, with an average of about 12-15 contributing writers showing up to every writer's meeting, we've been able to minimize the amount of AP content to almost none.

I think the new Index page has been great, and the new page three with pictures of the week, sudoku puzzles and comics has made the paper a bit more fun for students. I like featuring student photos too; we've been lucky enough to see photographers offer to help with a variety of events and stories. It's great.

The business section has been good; the only complaint we've had is that "Corporate" sends a negative message and shouldn't be the title of the section, but I kinda like it. It's different. We've had some good stories show up there, and it allows for readers to expect something new every Tuesday and Friday. It switches up the paper a bit, keeps it on an even keel.

Honestly, I'm very proud of the product we've put out so far this year. No regrets at all. We had a bit of a crazy week when all the newspapers were stolen by three soon-to-be punished individuals, but even that was a great thing. It gave us a ton of coverage and I think a few more people around New England might even know we have a newspaper now. Cool.

Alright, I've got nothing else for you. I'll try and get my staff to update this dusty old blog more often. Now, I'm off to watch a thrilling new episode of South Park (I am a college student after all...)

Cameron Kittle

TNHers win English Department Awards

Last night, the UNH English Department held its annual student awards and scholarship ceremony, and a handful of TNH staff members were recognized for their academic and writing success.

Former Managing Editor Kyle Stucker received the Laura Rice Journalism Award for excellence in writing and reporting.

Executive Editor Cameron Kittle and Content Editor Keeley Smith both received the Michael Kelley Memorial Scholarship for excellence in journalism.

Staff Writer Brittney Murray received the Theodore "Tad" Ackman Journalism Scholarship for excellence in the English/Journalism major.

Staff Writer Shawn Cyr received the John Hanlon Memorial Scholarship for excellence in journalism (sports writing).

We'd like to congratulate our colleagues on their awards and thank them for sharing the skills and dedication they show in the classroom with our publication.

Good job everyone!

TNH cleans up at 2009 awards banquet

Last Tuesday, April 21, UNH Student Organization Services, held its annual awards banquet, honoring the accomplishments of UNH's student orgs and the individuals that participated in them.

This year, The New Hampshire took home four awards:

• Publication of the Year
• Rookie of the Year: Christine Hawkins
• Student Leader of the Year: John Wayne Ferguson
• Organization of the Year

We are extremely proud of our accomplishments this year and humbly thank SOS for the recognition.

The picture above shows only a small fraction of the people who were involved at TNH this year. To date, there are over 150 students on TNH's contact list, all of whom have contributed to part of our organization - from writing and photography to advertising and distribution - at some point this year.

And while TNH did not win the Phoenix Award for the most improved organization this year, it was the first time in many years that we were honored at the banquet, a fact in itself that shows how much we've changed over the past year.

Passing of the Torch

We took about an hour and a half out of the production night to vote for next year's Executive Editor. Two staffers threw their names into the hat for the job and were put on the hot seat last night. They got asked everything from stances on ethical issues to expected schedules next year to recruiting photographers.

Two things came out of the discussion. One, we were confident whoever got elected would be successful in the job. Two, Cameron Kittle was voted in as next year's e.e.

Serious business aside, we were trying to shake off the Spring Break. While a few went somewhere exotic (Maine doesn't count), most spent the break gearing up for the semesters final stretch. Some more staffers got word about summer newspaper internships, which is always good news.

Surprisingly one of the night's most discussed topics was not the election. Nope, it was chick flicks. As expected, the girls held their own. So did the guys. In fact, with one exception, most of the guys in the newsroom could name several chick flicks. And discuss them. Passionately.