TheDartmouth.Com, the weekly internet version of The Dartmouth, was ranked the best on-line college newspaper in America this month by College News, a nationally-circulated publication for college students.
The site finished on top because the judges were "markedly pleased with the content, the ease of navigation and the clean design elements," according to Cris Brannen, the publication's director of web design and development.
TheDartmouth.Com beat out internet publications that include chat rooms, interactivity, java-scripting and animation because it is "informative without sacrificing download time or browser capabilities," Brannen said.
The University of California Los Angeles's Daily Bruin took second place, followed by the University of Chicago's Chronicle, Harvard's Crimson and the University of Illinois's Daily Illini.
It was the first time College News has ranked college newspapers on-line, but editors plan to continue the practice in future months. Sites are judged on simplicity of navigation, the frequency of updating, the amount of effort spent on design and general appeal, Brannen said.
Lillie Ng '99, the new editor of TheDartmouth.Com, said she plans several improvements to the sight in coming weeks.
"We plan to incorporate more pictures and informational graphics, without sacrificing download time," she said.
TheDartmouth.Com is updated every Saturday at www.thedartmouth.com.
