Student media wins 37 awards at annual competition

Midwestern State University's student media won 37 awards at the annual Texas Intercollegiate Press Association competition in Dallas on April 11.

MSU's weekly, student-produced newspaper, The Wichitan, took first place in general excellence and was second in the overall newspaper sweepstakes competition.  The Wichitan also received an honorable mention in the best-of-show competition.  MSU's literary magazine, Voices, received an honorable mention in general excellence.

Individual students won eight first-place awards, eight second-place awards, six third-place awards and 11 honorable mentions.

Mass Communication Department Chair Dr. Jim Sernoe said the awards reinforce what he and other faculty tell students:  bigger is not always better.  "Even though SMU, Texas Tech and other big schools have more name recognition than MSU has, the awards we win at TIPA every year tell us that our program is just as good as anyone else's in the state," he said.

Those earning first place awards included:

Kim Bailey, Jennifer Copeland, Wazir Maolud and Melissa Dos Prazeres-Silva, television public affairs program; Chris Collins, newspaper news feature story; Kaitlin Morrison, newspaper sports feature story; Brittany Norman, newspaper editorial; Brittany Norman, newspaper feature story; Brittany Norman, newspaper news story; Brittany Norman and Patrick Johnston, newspaper photo illustration; and Lauren Wood, newspaper critical review.

Those earning second place awards included:

Kim Bailey, Jennifer Copeland, Wazir Maolud and Melissa Dos Prazeres-Silva, television production; Adam Bell and Adam Henson, literary magazine cover; Elizabeth Hawley, literary magazine poem; Patrick Johnston, Brittany Norman and Loren Eggenschwiler, newspaper picture story; Cody Mason, literary magazine feature photo; Lana McCarley, television news writing; and Brittany Norman, newspaper design.

Those earning third place awards included:

Kim Bailey, Jennifer Copeland, Wazir Maolud and Melissa Dos Prazeres-Silva, television documentary; Bethany Berry, Minna Gilliam, Amar Spencer and Marissa Millender, television public affairs program; Patrick Johnston, newspaper news photo; Russ Lawrenz, newspaper in-depth reporting; Lana McCarley, television advertising; and Caroline Telesford, literary magazine feature story.

Those earning honorable mention awards included:

Chris Collins, newspaper news feature story; Ayesha Dorsey, newspaper advertising design; Laura Hull, newspaper news story; Patrick Johnston, newspaper photo illustration; Amanda Warner, Whitney Coggin, Heather Primavera and Lana McCarley, television PSA; Jamie Monroe, print feature writing; Brittany Norman, newspaper headline; Brittany Norman, newspaper illustration; Brittany Norman, print editorial; Jody Smith, radio advertising; and Amanda Warner, Lisa Moore, Josh Mujica and Jessie Lewis, television documentary.