April 7, 2023

Newspaper, yearbook dominate state college media awards

Northwest Missouri State University Student Media representatives claimed more than 50 awards, including Best Newspaper in the state and Best Yearbook in the state, during the Missouri College Media Association (MCMA) and Missouri Broadcast Educators Convention April 1 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Additionally, for the ninth time in 10 years, a Northwest student was named Photojournalist of the Year. Emily Lloyd, a photographer for Tower yearbook, received the honor this year. 

“Joining Tower Yearbook my freshman year remains to be one of the best decisions I ever made in my college career,” Lloyd, a senior digital media: content strategy major, said. “I have grown not only as a photographer but as an individual who knows how to lead, how to conceptualize, how to problem-solve, and how to collaborate with others. This award is not only a result of my hard efforts put forth these past four years but also the efforts of my professors in helping me succeed and my advisor, Steven Chappell, who saw potential in me since my first day on Tower.”

The 2022 Tower, which the Associated Collegiate Press recently awarded a Pacemaker as one of last year’s best college yearbooks, placed in every yearbook category and topped the Overall Theme Development category, which is given to the best overall yearbook in the state.

AJ Bradbury, a 2022 Northwest graduate, was editor-in-chief of last year’s edition. Emily Kunkel, a junior digital media: visual imaging major, was design editor of the 2022 book and is Tower’s 2022-23 editor-in-chief.

“The awards presented remind our staff that their effort in yearbook journalism is not only noticed but esteemed and impressive compared to other schools throughout the state of Missouri," Kunkel said. “I am very proud of this staff and all our achievements and can’t wait to see what more this publication and Northwest Student Media as a whole can further accomplish.”

The Northwest Missourian dominated its division in the newspaper contest. MCMA recognizes four divisions by school enrollment, and Northwest competes in the contest’s Division II. The Missourian took first place in its sweepstakes category by winning the most awards in its division, and it was named the best newspaper in its division. The best newspaper winners in each of the four divisions are then judged against each other for best overall college newspaper in the state, which The Missourian also won. 

The newspaper contest covers the 2022 calendar year. Kendrick Calfee, a multimedia journalism major who graduated last year, was editor-in-chief of The Missourian during spring 2022, and MaKayla Polak, a senior digital media: content strategy major, serves as editor-in-chief for the 2022-23 academic year. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of our amazing team here at The Northwest Missourian,” Polak said. “Bringing home the Avis Meyer Perpetual Cup for Best in State was not something we expected, but it was well deserved. We have such an amazing staff that stops at nothing to create a newspaper for our campus and community each week.”

In addition to the honors won by Northwest print media staffs, KZLX, the student-run radio station, received three honors at the convention, and KNWT-TV, the student-run television station, earned five. 

A complete listing of awards received by Northwest Student Media staffs appears below.

MCMA awards

• Photojournalist of the Year: Emily Lloyd

Advertising awards

Advertising Design

• First place: Sydney Cook and Devin Jernigan, for El Maguey
• Third place: Jerilynn Hoover and Vanessa Weiler, for Gray’s Truck Stop
• Honorable mention: Jerilynn Hoover and Vanessa Weiler, for Maryville Florists

Campus Engagement/Promotions

• Second place: Grace Lohman, Jesse Kilcoyne, Vanessa Weiler and Jerilynn Hoover, for Welcome Back Special
• Third place: Jerilynn Hoover, for KZLX campaign
• Honorable mention: Sydney Cook and Zach McCaw, for The Writing Center

Yearbook awards

Feature photography

• First place: Addalynn Bradbury, “Pick Me Up”
• Second place: Addalynn Bradbury, “Aloe You Vera Much”
• Third place: Addalynn Bradbury, “Run, Run, Run”

Sports photography

• First place: Addalynn Bradbury, “Just the Tip”
• Second place: Addalynn Bradbury, “All We Do Is Win”

Feature writing

• First place: Kourtnie Stenwall, “May Your Hats Fly High”
• Second place: Edidiong Idong-Bassey, “Ezra Mohn Remembered”

Personality sketch

• First place: Edidiong Idong-Bassey, “Make It Green”
• Second place: Caitlyn Colter, “Fight Against Drugs”
• Third place: Edidiong Idong-Bassey, “A Race Around the Globe”

Student Life Design

• Third place: Cecilia Nguyen, “Boomin’ with the Bearcats”

Sports Design

• First place: Madison Bradbury, “Cats Catch Success”
• Second place: Emily Kunkel, “Women’s Basketball”
• Third place: Madison Bradbury, “One Racket at a Time”

Portrait Design

• First place: Emily Kunkel, “Outdoor Portraits”
• Second place: Emily Kunkel, “Men’s Basketball”

Overall Theme Development

• First place: Tower staff

Newspaper awards

• First place: Missourian staff, Division II Sweepstakes
• First place: Missourian staff, Division II Best Overall Newspaper
• Best in state: Missourian staff

News writing

• First place: Sidney Lowry, “Northwest student spectates war in his home country 5,345 miles away”

Editorial writing

• First place: Editorial Board, “Teaching Black history in Nodaway County is imperative”
• Third place: Editorial Board, “Northwest needs to find a successor that can live up to Dr. Jasinski”

Sports writing

• First place: Jon Walker, “Northwest men’s basketball makes history with third straight National Championship in win over Augusta”
• Second place: Wesley Miller, “Women in Northwest athletics speak on importance of Title IX, equal representation”

In-depth news reporting

• Second place: Nathan English, Sidney Lowry and MaKayla Polak, “A series of stories following the dismissal of the university president and the start of the search”

News column

• Third place: MaKayla Polak, “Mass shootings are still happening, more attention needs to be brought to them”

Sports column

• Third place: Wesley Miller, “This is a special year for fall sports at Northwest”

Political/editorial cartoon

• First place: Alexandria Mesz, “John Moore Zip Lip”

Information graphic

• First place: MaKayla Polak, “Election 2022”
• Second place: Sidney Lowry, “Ukraine”

Story illustration

• Second place: MaKayla Polak, “No Vacancy”
• Third place: MaKayla Polak, “Election 2022”

Editorial/op-ed page

• First place: MaKayla Polak, “Regents Must Answer”
• Second place: MaKayla Polak, “Commuter Accommodations” 

Sports page

• First place: MaKayla Polak, “Postseason Pandemonium”
• Third place: Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, “Bounce Back”

Special section or supplement

• Second place: Missourian Staff, “Domestic Violence”

Website

• First place: Missourian staff

Broadcasting awards

Audio AirCheck

• Second place: BreAnna Reeve
• Third place: Jessica Dobbs
• Honorable mention: Jacob Coffman

Video: Documentary Film

• Third place: Ben Whitney, “I Will Listen”

Video: Feature News Story

• Honorable mention: Kirsten Stokes, “Make It Maryville”
• Honorable mention: Katie Byrd, “Northwest Percussion Ensemble concert”

Video: News Show (Recurring)

• Honorable mention: Colby Holtman, Channel 8 News

Video: Podcasts

• First place: Ben Wester, “Nerdmageddon”