Campus Times Writers Earn National SPJ Award, Adding to 2015-16 Communications Department Honors
The University of La Verne’s Campus Times won a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence national finalist award for breaking news, a first for the publication in university history. It is one of several SPJ awards won by the Communications Department, and adds to a long list of accolades for the department this academic year.
Students Jolene Nacapuy and Cody Luk submitted their 2015 story “Flames engulf Pomona building” in the small schools division for the SPJ Region 11 competition. They won first place for the article regionally, making them eligible for the national competition. They learned of their national placement May 11.
“I think the experience of reporting a breaking news story from the front of the police line, standing along with firefighters, police and reporters from major television stations was a memorable and amazing opportunity in itself,” Luk said. “Being recognized with such a prestigious honor on top of that is definitely rewarding, and I’m so happy to be able to represent the University in creating history on a national level.”
The number of finalists entering the regional competition was also a record for the University. SPJ honored ten students, alumni and magazine staff members during an April 30 ceremony in Phoenix, making it the largest number of University of La Verne students to be recognized by the organization in one year.
Six students from the Campus Times won first place regional Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards, while the remainder placed second and third.
SPJ regional winners were Karla Rendon, Kristina Bugante, Helen Arase, Jolene Nacapuy, Cody Luk, and Kellie Gallentine. Rendon, who serves as Campus Times Editor in Chief, earned two awards for her photographs of an arrest for public intoxication and a Pomona fire. All entries were for work generated in 2015. Region 11 includes Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii.
Rendon credited her professors with equipping her with the skills to be a journalist.
“Winning two Mark of Excellence awards validates my hard work and reassures me that journalism is the best suited field of work for me to pursue as a career,” she said.
Alumna Helen Arase ‘16, flew to Phoenix to accept the awards for her former classmates. She received an award for sports photography for the story, “Football team breaks La Verne records on way to history season, 2nd series.” She won the same award the previous year.
Arase said she pursued the photo despite receiving a sprained spine the day before the game.
“I still hopped on a plane to Minnesota and came back with this photograph. And it’s nice to get some recognition from a national organization,” she said.
Professor of Journalism Elizabeth Zwerling, who serves as Chief Adviser for the Campus Times, called the large number of awards a tremendous honor for the University of La Verne.
“It’s based on superb teamwork, hard work and real excitement and enthusiasm for journalism,” Zwerling said.
She added that a number of students received honors for in-depth reporting, which some students choose as a senior project.
“It’s a treat for a journalist to spend a long time on an in-depth project, and to be honored for it is icing on the cake,” she said.
Students honored with regional finalist certificates were Karla Rendon, Jolene Nacapuy, Kristina Bugante, Kellie Galentine, Elizabeth Ortiz, the La Verne Magazine staff; and Bianca Zapata, Crystal Villegas and Monica Oroz of LVTV.
Following are additional awards students from the Communications Department have earned in the 2015-2016 academic year.
- Columbia Scholastic Press Association – La Verne Magazine, gold medal; Campus Times, silver medal
- 2016 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts – Student Audio Competition, Air Personality: Second Place, Des Delgadillo; Honorable Mention, Nudia Hernandez. PSA, Promo, or Commercial: Honorable Mention, Des Delgadillo; Honorable Mention, Nudia Hernandez; Honorable Mention, Alejandro Valenzuela. Specialty Program: Honorable Mention, Nudia Hernandez.
- Alliance for Community WAVE Awards – Best Narrative Film, non-professional: Melanie Rodriguez, writer/director and Emily Bolka, producer. Best Narrative Film, non-professional finalist: Serena Ghazzawi, writer/ director and Natalie Kubes, producer
- San Bernardino Valley College Film Festival winners – Best News/Documentary, Jetske Wauran; Best Producer, Kaitlin Hollingsworth; Best Editing, Serena Ghazzawi; Best Script and Cinematography, McKinley Pollock. Five student films were selected for screening at the Inland Empire Media Academy Film Festival in May.
- College Broadcasters Inc. – Best Special Program National Winner, McKinley Pollock; Producer Serena Ghazzawi.
- Alliance for Community Media Hometown Media Awards National – Best Documentary, Jetske Wauran
