Students’ work at the School of Journalism Mass Communication has received numerous awards this spring, including a regional Emmy®. Student work is often entered in college-level, local, regional and national competitions.
Five SJMC students won first place in the long-form, non-fiction category in the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences – Upper Midwest Regional Student Television Awards for Excellence. The entry, “Blood Sweat Wheels,” was produced by students in the fall 2011 class Producing Television Sports taught by Todd Evans. The video examined the lives of amateur athletes in Des Moines. The following students produced the Emmy-award winning video:
- Ellen Roos
- Robert Garon
- Brooke Porter
- Jason Miller
- Cam Good
“Blood Sweat Wheels” also received a 2011 Bronze Telly Award in the Student Television Program category.
The spring 2011 issue of Drake Magazine was also honored at the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Awards on March 31. The magazine, under the direction of Editor Clara Haneberg, received second place for best college magazine. SJMC student Joe Stych’s article, “Scammed” received second place for best non-fiction magazine article and student Jason Oelmann finished third in the photo illustration category.
“We’re always delighted to be recognized by SPJ because the contest is limited to independent campus press, not work done for classes,” says Associate Professor Lori Blachford, Peggy Fisher and Larry Stelter Chair of Magazine Journalism. “That means our sophomores and juniors working at Drake Magazine are competing against graduate students in our region from the University of Missouri, University of Kansas, Kansas State and University of Nebraska.”
SJMC public relations students will also be recognized for their work. They have received an award in the Community Champion category from the Central Iowa Public Relations Society of America for their “Home is Everything” campaign for Anawim Housing. Students worked to establish relationships with key media and develop a social media presence for the organization. The project is part of the senior capstone experience. Students who worked on the campaign include:
- Hillary Gebert
- Diane Meyer
- Stephanie Grow
- Lucca Wang
- Kathleen Wilson
- Lauren Brandt
- Kelsey Harger