Senior Alex Long, the Editor-in-Chief of The Waltonian, has worked hard to earn this recognition for Eastern.  The accounting and finance major began working for The Waltonian his freshman year as a staff writer, then served as Sports Editor, Managing Editor, and in various other roles.

"I've tried to develop the content, design and interests of the newspaper in my role," Long said.  "We edit the paper more closely than we used to, and the design and the quality of the stories have improved. We cater to a different demographic of people, and the interest levels across campus.  We try to reach everyone and keep everyone interested in the paper."

The Keystone Press Awards reinforce excellence by individuals in the newspaper profession by recognizing journalism that consistently provides relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers, and furthers First Amendment values. The goal is for these "Keystones" to stimulate journalists to improve their craft and ultimately improve their community.

Junior Stephanie Weaver, the Managing Editor of The Waltonian, will take over the Editor-in-Chief position when Long graduates in May.  Weaver, an English and journalism major, says, "We took a lot of big steps this year, and I want to see us continue in that and be a better paper that's a better source for the whole student body. The design and layout award was a collaborative effort on behalf of the entire staff, and that was pretty cool.  I hope to do more of that in the future, in addition to developing the Web site.  I'm really excited to step in as the editor next year and I have a lot of ideas for the paper."

For more information about the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, visit www.pa-newspaper.org

To learn more about The Waltonian, visit www.waltonian.com or e-mail thewaltonian@gmail.com