Editor in Chief, Lily Russell, holds her SEJC Award for ranking Second Place for her article “Dear Ticketmaster, I knew you were trouble. Sincerely, Taylor Swift.” Photo by The All State.

Editor in Chief, Lily Russell, placed second in Best Arts and Entertainment for her article, “Dear Ticketmaster, I knew you were trouble. Sincerely, Taylor Swift.” The Southeast Journalism Conference- better known as SEJC- Best of the South Awards competition had entries from more than 20 colleges and universities and was hosted from Feb. 9-11 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Austin Peay was represented in this category along with schools such as Belmont University, Harding University, the University of Memphis, Samford University, Troy University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of West Florida, with the University of Mississippi having two entries in the category.

Senior and award recipient, Russell said, ” My experience at SEJC was great. For one of my articles to rank second among other college student journalists was a huge accomplishment for me.”  

The All State’s own became a writer in the spring of 2022 and will be graduating this December.  

Russell said, ” It really secured the feeling that hard work does pay off. I am so glad as a senior I was able to represent Austin Peay and The All State this year.”  

Lily Russell is currently a communication major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in marketing. With a reward under her belt, her plans include working for a magazine such as National Geographic.