The Crusader staff won 27 individual awards and a Silver Medalist award in overall student newspaper competitions at the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press convention in Hutchinson Monday.
At the state conference for college journalists, the Crusader staff also won a Bronze Medalist online award for CrusaderNews.com, and editor Jessica Lulf was recognized as second runner-up for Collegiate Journalist of the Year in the two-year newspaper division.
“I’m really proud of this group, I feel like they’ve accomplished a lot, and the 27 individual awards just showcase the excellent work that they’ve done,” said faculty adviser Anita Reed.
The 27 individual awards—for work completed between February 2008 and February 2009—included editor Chelsi Valdez’s first-place award for sports news writing and former editor Cayla Thomlinson’s first-place awards in photo essay, illustration, and infographics. The Crusader swept the infographics category, with Thomlinson winning first, news editor Morgan Allaman’s work placing as both second and third, and online editor James McElvania taking honorable mention. Allaman also earned third place in illustrations, and McElvania claimed third place in special sections.
An on-site competition for copy editing placed two Seward County students in the top five among two-year college students, with both Valdez and Will Rector earning the awards.
Other students at the convention with the Crusader were entertainment editor Jose Rodriguez; sports editor Rustin Watt; and staff reporter Tyler Savely, who received a second place in column writing and an honorable mention in news writing.
Thomlinson also received honorable mention awards in interior page design and feature photography and shared honors for second place with Valdez, Abe Rosales and Luke Wempe for the homecoming photo essay in spring 2008. Thomlinson and Valdez combined to win a second-place award in interior page design.
Two additional awards presented to Valdez were third place in feature writing and honorable mention in editorial writing. Lulf also won second in series writing, third in single ad design and honorable mention in news photography.
Sports reporter Tanner Woods earned an honorable mention in sports feature writing. Jessica Gonzales and Ashley Hines combined efforts to receive an honorable mention in sports feature writing as well. Former staff member Dacee Kentner received honorable mention for editorial writing, and Anton Arnhold was awarded an honorable mention in the cartoon category.
The Crusader staff as a group won second place in special sections for the first edition in the fall of 2008.
“It was really encouraging to finally get professional feedback on what each of us is doing personally,” Allaman said.
Allaman will be the editor-in-chief for the 2009-2010 school year.
Current staff members who did not attend the KACP convention are Woods, Logan Green, Shelby Rundell, Alma Hidalgo, and Hines.
Recently the staff was also notified by the American Scholastic Press Association that the Crusader won a first-place award among two-year colleges in the ASPA national contest.