'The Eagle' and csceagle.com win state titles

“The Eagle’s” website, csceagle.com, kept in stride with the newspaper and captured its third straight “Excellence in Digital Medium” award, the NCMA’s highest honor in its Digital Medium Division, the fourth time in six years.

“We were pleasantly surprised to win this division again this year,” said Managing Editor Jordyn Hulinsky, of St. Paul, Nebraska. “There is still so much more we can do with our website.”

The Eagle faculty adviser Michael D. Kennedy also commended the student staff for their quality of work and dedication.

“Winning two of NCMA's four division titles three years in a row, confirms for everyone on campus and in the larger Chadron community, what I already know about these young people – they are dedicated, hard-working, young students who possess a strong commitment to providing the best news product they can for their readers,” he said.

The staff captured 11 first-place awards worth 55 points; seven second places worth 21 points and seven third places worth 7 points. “The Eagle” finished 50 points ahead of “The Wayne Stater” from Wayne State College, which took second in the overall with 33 points. “The Collegian” of Hastings College finished third with 30 points.

“I could not be more proud of the staff,” said Hulinsky. “This award could not be won without everyone’s help. Seven consecutive wins is huge, and it says a lot about everyone who has come through this newsroom over the years.”

Ten different student journalists from “The Eagle” scored points across 13 categories, while the editorial staff garnered points in three other categories. Among the staff awards, the Editorial Board took first and second in the Opinion Writing category; the Editorial Staff took first in Overall Layout and Design, and third in the Series/Special Section category for its serial news coverage and editorials that convinced Student Senate to change its bylaws governing the release of student-election vote counts.

“I am quite proud of the work these student journalists produce,” Kennedy said. “They are committed, hard-working young people dedicated to serving their readers.

“Each week they put their work up for public scrutiny. When they make mistakes - and they do - they endure the ridicule, they don’t cower from it, whine about it or look for someone else to blame. They welcome the criticism, because they know it will make them better journalists, enabling them to better serve their readers. That’s leadership. Exceptional leadership. And after they graduate and enter the profession, I am more than confident they will become exceptional leaders in the communities they serve,” Kennedy said.

Individual placings

Preston Goehring of Carpenter, Wyo., Sports Editor

1, Sports Reporting

1, Sports Photograph

3, Headline Writing

3, Page-One Layout & Design

Jordyn Hulinsky of St. Paul, Neb., Managing Editor

1, Special Graphics or Inforgraphics

1, Feature Photograph

2, Feature Photograph

2, Single, Inside-Page Design

2, Two-Page, Special-Spread Design

Janelle Kesterson of Aurora, Neb., former Opinion Editor

1, Review Writing

1, Two-Page Special Spread Design

2, Page-One Layout & Design

Honorable mention, Single, Inside Page Design

Melanie Nelson of Belle Fourche, S.D., News Editor

1, News Photograph

Honorable mention, Feature Photograph and Two-Page, Special Spread Design

Stephanie Steele of Osceola, Neb.

2, Special Graphics or Infographics

Justine Stone of Maywood, Neb., Lifestyles Editor

1, Headline Writing

1, Single, Inside-Page Design

Honorable mention, Single, Inside-Page design, Special Graphs or Infographics and Sports Photograph

Sara Tweet of Crawford, Neb, former Photo Editor

3, Photo Illustration

Angelina Webb of Colorado Springs, Colo., Advertising Director

2, Advertisement Design

3, Advertisement Design

Caleb Wiederhold of Hill City, S.D., Cartoonist

3, Cartoon

Brianna Wilson of Ogallala, Neb.

3, Review Writing