Asbury Newspaper Sweeps Design, Photo Awards
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After a redesign that drew national attention, the Asbury University student newspaper staff continued to garner accolades Jan. 21 when it collected 34 awards at the Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association's annual convention at Embassy Suites in Lexington.
Competing against all public and private colleges in Kentucky with 5,000 or fewer students, Asbury University made a clean sweep in the categories of news photos, sports photos, feature page layout, front page layout and overall design. The Collegian also won awards in investigative reporting, sports writing, review writing and headline writing.
"The Collegian staff may all be students, but we strive for a professional publication," said The Collegian Executive Editor Anna Leon. "These awards are a good confirmation we have achieved a high level of quality, and other journalists and designers are recognizing that, as well."
Entries were judged by graphic designers from Vanderbilt University's office of student communications and by reporters from Pulitzer-winning newspapers such as The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Lexington Herald-Leader.
"This is another reminder of the hard work, talent and vision of Asbury's students," said David Wheeler, assistant professor of journalism and student newspaper adviser. "It's wonderful to watch our students take part in redefining the look and feel of journalism in the 21st century."
The Collegian staff redesigned the newspaper this year, transforming it from a broadsheet newspaper to a tabloid-size paper. The new design has a "magazine feel" that draws readers into stories with photos and graphics. The redesign drew praise from nationally renowned graphic designer Charles Apple, who wrote about The Collegian on the Web site of the American Copy Editors Society. The Collegian is "clearly nothing but quality — good stories, well-presented,” said Apple. “Even the typography, use of color and white space looks like what you’d see in a high-class magazine."
In addition, The Collegian has been invited to present a workshop on newspaper redesign at the College Media Association in New York March 18-20. Thousands of students from across the country attend the convention, and workshops are led by some of the most prestigious names in the media business, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
"We want this to be a publication students will pick up and read and enjoy," said The Collegian Managing Editor Riah Lawry. "Redesigning The Collegian was just a natural result of this."
First-place awards:
Feature page layout: Riah Lawry
Front page layout: Jane Brannen
Overall layout: Collegian staff
Student-created art: Jane Brannen
Review: Laura Laffoon
Feature photo: Riah Lawry
News photo: Riah Lawry
Sports photo: Rebecca Baker
Sports news story: Jeremiah Gonia
Second-place awards:
Feature page layout: Jane Brannen
Front page layout: Collegian staff
Informational graphic: Jane Brannen
Overall layout: Collegian staff
Sports page layout: Erika Graham, Susannah Bretz
Student-created art: Jane Brannen
Comic strip: Richard Rutledge
Feature photo: Zach Wilson
News photo: Brownrygg Woolls
Photo story: Sam Withey
Sports photo: Rebecca Baker
Third-place awards:
Feature page layout: Anna Leon
Front page layout: Tyler Hoff
Overall layout: Collegian staff
Sports page layout: Erika Graham, Susannah Bretz
Feature headline: Hillary Fisher
Investigative reporting: Jane Brannen
News photo: Sam Withey
Sports photo: Aaron Holmes
Honorable-mention awards:
Feature page layout: Erika Graham
Feature story: Will Houp
News story: Elisa Platillero
Sports game story: Will Houp
Sports game story: Jeremiah Gonia
