This weekend, Oct. 27-30, The Battalion earned two national recognitions and 16 national awards from the Associated Collegiate Press, or ACP, the College Media Association, or CMA, and the Student
Texas A&M Student Media was recognized at the 2021 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, or TIPA, virtual awards.
Last year was a big year for student journalists everywhere figuring out how to report on historical events such as the Black Lives Matter protests as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year of reporting in a global health crisis, journalists in student media have adapted to the changes brought onto them by COVID-19.
A&M Student Media general manager Doug Pils said there were many challenges students had to overcome with reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having to adapt to working online, Pils said the staff had to find new ways to communicate with each other and their readers.
A historic winter storm hit Texas the week of Feb. 14, leaving several communities with a multitude of problems from loss of power to severe water damage.
Among communities across the state affected by the storm, several Texas A&M students residing in Bryan-College Station faced black-outs, boil water notices and extensive water damage to their homes. The week-long freeze resulted in some of these students being forced to relocate, as their college homes underwent flooding due to bursting pipes.
While A&Mâs campus did face damages, SSC Regional Vice President for Facilities Services Richard Gentry said the university prepared for a high influx of maintenance and was able to address many of the needs that occurred. Gentry said the university housed an emergency response team of 25 maintenance employees at the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center from Sunday through Friday. By Saturday, Feb. 20, SSC was fully staffed on campus.