Bucks County Community College’s student newspaper, The Centurion, won a record 22 awards in the statewide 2024 Student Keystone Media Awards competition, including firsts in categories like general news, public service/enterprise reporting, sportswriting, and video news.

Since 2010, The Centurion has won more than 180 awards, making it one of the most-honored student newspapers in Pennsylvania. This year’s awards were for work done in the spring and fall 2023 semesters. The paper is produced mostly by students in the College’s journalism program, though non-journalism majors are also welcome to take part.

The Student Keystone Media Awards are administered by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The Centurion competes in Division III for two-year colleges.

Raeanne Raccagno, a 20-year-old journalism major and the editor-in-chief of The Centurion, said, “My biggest goal for the paper has been for us to cover a diverse range of topics. I communicated that with the staff, and they answered with no problem. We added some new content to the paper, as well, this academic year like comics, more column writing, and word games.”

Raccagno said the paper is still trying to attract readers on campus. “I’m not sure if it’s cause students don’t expect there to be a paper newspaper, but most students will have no idea about us,” Raccagno said. “I always hear I want to hear about what’s going on at campuses and we’re the place to do that.”

Raccagno added that at Bucks, “There are so many impressive departments with experienced professors on campus and they all deserve to have a story.”

Tony Rogers, Bucks’ journalism professor and the paper’s faculty advisor said, “Between environmental contaminants being found in several campus buildings and the sudden resignation of the College’s president, this has been a tumultuous year at Bucks. Our students have covered all these events and many others with real professionalism, and I’m extremely proud of the work they’ve done.”

The awards will be presented during an awards luncheon on April 11 in Harrisburg. A complete list of the award winners follows:

General News – First Place: The Centurion Environmental Findings in Campus Buildings Spark Concerns and Class Changes, Raeanne Raccagno

General News – Second Place: The Centurion Bucks County DA Sues Social Media Firms, Raeanne Raccagno

Ongoing News Coverage – First Place: The Centurion Environmental Concerns On- and Off-Campus Christian Grosso, Leila Kelley & Raeanne Raccagno

Public Service/Enterprise Package – First Place: The Centurion Environmental Findings in Campus Buildings Spark Concerns and Class Changes, Raeanne Raccagno

Public Service/Enterprise Package – Second Place: The Centurion Forever Tainted – How PFAS Pollutes Some of Bucks County’s Drinking Water, Christian Grosso

Feature Story – First Place: The Centurion SEPTA Looks To Modernize Its Aging Public Transit System, Christian Grosso

Feature Story – Honorable Mention: The Centurion ‘Never Forget,’ A Trip To The 9/11 Memorial And Museum, Christian Grosso

Personality Profile – First Place: The Centurion Founder of Bucks’ Nursing Program Promotes Never-Ending Compassion, Raeanne Raccagno

Personality Profile – Second Place: The Centurion In the Wake of Ganther’s Resignation, New Bucks Provost Faces a Host of Problems, Madison Kifolo

Sports Story – First Place: The Centurion Bucks Women’s Basketball is Ready to Bounce Back After An Unsuccessful Last Season, Chris Lopez

Sports Story – Second Place: The Centurion Men’s Basketball Struggling; Looks to Make a Comeback, Chris Lopez

Sports Story – Honorable Mention: The Centurion Bucks Men’s Basketball Team Brings Home ESAC Championship Title, Raeanne Raccagno

Column – First Place: The Centurion Philadelphia 76ers Trade James Harden to LA Clippers; Take Me Out to The Ball Game; Bucks’ Softball Team Comes Back Swinging, Daulton Parry

Column – Second Place: The Centurion Attention Ghostface Fans… New “Scream” Video Game in Development; Zoo Wee Mama!; Hold on to Your Golden Ticket?! Raymundo “Ralph” Varela-Urizar

Review – First Place: The Centurion ZTSD Punk Bash Lights Up Fishtown, Colt Gunn

Cartoon/Graphic Illustration – First Place: The Centurion Dog Life parts 1, 2 and 3, Connor Sturza

Feature Photo – First Place: The Centurion Therapy Dogs Visit Bucks, Jesse Fischer

Photo Story – First Place: The Centurion ‘Never Forget,’ A Trip To The 9/11 Memorial And Museum, Christian Grosso

Website – First Place: The Centurion Raeanne Raccagno, Raymundo “Ralph” Varela-Urizar, Colin Riccardi, Megan Pizarro, Parker DeStefano & Christian Grosso

Video Story – First Place: The Centurion Septa Bus Route Changes, Christian Grosso

Video Story – Second Place: The Centurion Andy’s Brick Shop is Building Success, Parker DeStefano

Video Story – Honorable Mention: The Centurion Sixers Fans Excited About Playoffs, Evan Boyle

The Centurion is distributed across the College’s three campuses in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie. The Centurion is financially independent.

For more information about The Centurion or the College’s journalism program, email Tony.Rogers@bucks.edu or go to Bucks County Community College.