The Eagle wins fifth straight

The Eagle’s website, csceagle.com, kept in step with the newspaper when it captured first place in "Excellence in Digital Medium," the association’s highest honor in its digital medium division.

The Eagle staff earned awards in 19 of 19 individual categories, and scored points in 18 of 19 categories. It earned only an honorable mention, which does not score points toward the best overall title, in category No. 19, Photo Illustration.

"The Eagle was already an award-winning paper when I took over as managing editor," said sophomore Jordyn Hulinsky of St. Paul. "There was already a tradition set, and I just tried to keep up the expectations we have for ourselves. Our previous managing editor, Ashley Swanson, showed me a lot and I just tried to keep up the standards."

Hulinsky assumed the managing editor's post at the start of the spring term in January after former Managing Editor Ashley Swanson, now News Editor at the Clay County News, Sutton, graduated in December 2014.

The newspaper competition is broken into 19 individual categories covering writing and visual presentation, such as design, layout and photography. Eligible entries must have been published between March 1, 2014, and Feb. 28 this year. All NCMA newspapers may submit no more than five entries per category; individual students may enter no more than two pieces per category.

Students from the NCMA’s seven member schools who competed this year earned points for their respective newspapers for placing first (5 points), second (3 points) or third (1 point) in each of those 19 categories. The points each student earns are then totaled to determine which newspaper earns the title, “Best in Overall Excellence.”

Twelve different student journalists from The Eagle scored points across 15 categories, while the staff garnered points in three other categories.

The Eagle earned eight first-place awards, worth 40 points; 10 second places, worth 30 points; and seven third places, worth seven points; for a cumulative score of 77 points.

“The NCMA’s Golden Leaf Awards competition is the measuring stick our students have, and right now they’re sitting on top of it - and they’ve been there for five straight years,” The Eagle Adviser Michael D. Kennedy said. “That’s a notable accomplishment in anyone’s book. 

“For them to judged the best, five years in a row, by the very professionals who will hire them, well, that speaks volumes about their character, but most importantly their commitment to their craft, and ultimately, their readers.”

While Kennedy said he was proud of the staff, he acknowledged there still is room for improvement and he said he believes the student staff is headed in the right direction.

“Do we make mistakes? Yes. And we’ve had a spate of them this semester,” Kennedy said. “But this is a college newspaper and every college newspaper in the country makes mistakes. That does not excuse the errors we’ve made, that just puts them into perspective. Students are learning and every student newspaper staff, including The Eagle’s, should be assessed by how the students respond to those errors and the steps they take to avoid them. I have seen first hand how this staff responds, and from where I sit, they are top shelf. And they’ve proved it, now, five years in a row.”

The Doane Owl, Doane College, Crete, finished second in the overall excellence category with 31 points, while The Collegian, Hastings College, Hastings, finished third with 30 points.

The Eagle took first places in Opinion Writing, Feature Writing, Hard News/Spot News Reporting, News Photograph, Sports Photograph and Feature Photograph; and swept first through third places in two categories – Advertisement Design and Cartooning.

Former Advertising Director Arielle Boone, senior of Buffalo, Wyoming, captured first and third in ad design, while her replacement, Angelina Webb, senior of Colorado Springs, Colorado, took second place and earned the only honorable mention awarded in the category.

Opinion Editor Robert "Spike" Jordan, senior of Harrison, captured first and third places in cartooning, while feature writer and Editor of csceagle.com, Hannah Clark, senior of Littleton, Colorado, took second place.  

Jordan also earned first place in News Photograph and an honorable mention in Opinion Writing, behind The Eagle staff's first place award for Opinion Writing. Clark captured first place and an honorable mention for two different pieces in Feature Writing. She also took third place in Review Writing.

Swanson, whose tenure as managing editor ran from August 2013 to December 2014, led The Eagle staff with seven individual awards - two honorable mentions; four second places; and a first place in the Sports Photography category.

Hulinsky, like Clark and Jordan, earned four individual awards - first place for Hard News/Spot News Reporting with fellow sophomore and News Editor Sarah Townsend, of Douglas, Wyoming; the duo also captured a second place for Investigative/In-Depth Reporting. Hulinsky also earned a third place in the Page-One Layout & Design category and an honorable mention in Headline Writing.

Townsend also earned third place in Headline Writing behind Lifestyles Editor Janelle Kesterson, sophomore of Bridgeport, who captured second in the category. Kesterson also earned an honorable mention for Single, Inside-Page Design.

Photo Editor Teri Robinson, senior of Alliance captured first in the Feature Photograph category and second, behind Swanson’s first, in Sports Photograph.

Conor P. Casey, senior of Rapid City, South Dakota, took third in Sports Writing, while columnist Jeff McFarland, senior of Alliance, earned an honorable mention in Opinion Writing.

In addition to its first place win in Opinion Writing, The Eagle staff also took second place in Overall Layout & Design, and third place in the Series/Special Section/Edition category for its special-section coverage of The Big Event in April 2014.

—The Eagle Staff