The Gauntlet, Saint Stephen’s online news site that was launched nearly a year ago has recently been awarded its first Gold Medalist Certificate by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Staff members were overjoyed to see the certificate they held in their hands on Wednesday, January 9, as their efforts of switching the print newspaper to an online news site in the past year has brought incredible results.

Columbia University holds the judging of student newspapers, magazines, yearbooks and online media annually. Since The Gauntlet’s introduction in 2005, the student-led paper has won one bronze medal, five silver medals and for the staff’s efforts on last year’s paper, its first gold medal.

Not only is this a tremendous accomplishment in student journalism, but what is most remarkable is that The Gauntlet was judged from February of last year to January of this year, during which time the paper had switched to being an online news site. Congratulations are due to Aiste Zalepuga, Amber Falkner, Monique Chicvak, Devon Tallman, Ally Thomas, Michael Cover, Lidia Kurganova, Isabelle Bermudez, Austin Siegel, Luc Goeders and Samantha Burgess.