The Gaudie team headed to Exeter to represent the publication in the Student Publication Association National Conference (SPANC). The main event was hosted by Exeposé, the University of Exeter’s student publication.
Attended by 50 publications and over 250 individual attendees, Saturday’s main conference included dozens of workshops, guest speakers, a keynote speech, and a newspaper swap shop over lunch.
The coveted Best Publication award was taken home by Epigram, the University of Bristol’s newspaper, with the highly Commended award going to the University of Warwick The Boar.
The Gaudie received one shortlisted nomination in the category of ‘Best Project or Initiative’ for its coverage of the general election, run by Kirsten Koss and Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco.
Scottish student publications made a strong impact, with writers and papers from across Scotland, including the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling taking home awards like Best Newcomer Publication, Best Culture Writer, and Rising Star.
The Gaudie spoke to Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, SPA Scottish Regional Officer, to hear about his thoughts on the weekend and some of the Scottish wins secured:
“It was great to see such a wide range of Scottish publications represented in Exeter.
As a whole, Scottish publications continued to overperform, securing victories in Best Newcomer Publication, Best Culture Writer, and Rising Star; as well as a host of honourable mentions.
At a time when funding is scarce and opposition from universities and student unions continues to mount, our Scottish publications should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
The keynote speech was delivered by Sophia Smith Galer, freelance journalist and author of the critically acclaimed ‘Losing It’. She spoke about the importance of social media for young journalists, AI literacy, and her upcoming book, focusing on linguicide.
Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Gaudie, Clive Davies commented on the event’s success:
“SPANC is always a laugh, it was my third time as a delegate, and I really relish the opportunity to network and socialise with other student publications across the country. Running a newspaper is quite a unique experience, so it’s nice to chat with others who have the rare privilege and know what it’s like. I’m naturally disappointed we didn’t come away with any awards, but I remain immensely proud of the work we’ve done this year, we don’t need a plaque to know we have the best team in the game.
Speaking of the team, it was such a treat to have so many Gaudie legends like Anttoni, Rory and Josh all in one place. They’ve all gone on to do such amazing things since leaving The Gaudie, and I’m sure it’s only the beginning.”
Kayleigh, The Gaudie’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, expressed her gratitude for the event:
“It was an incredible experience watching the swap-shop where students from papers across the country were sharing their experiences and advice to fellow student journalists. It’s just incredible to be part of this network of students who are so focussed on promoting student voices.”
She continued, explaining the impressive level of Scottish solidarity that was shown throughout the awards:
“When the presenter at the awards commented on the rowdiness of the Scottish papers when one of us won, not only did I giggle a little, but I felt a weird sense of pride, in that even though The Gaudie didn’t manage to win anything we can still share in the celebration of our fellow Scottish publications.”