{"id":364,"date":"2016-05-18T17:24:49","date_gmt":"2016-05-18T17:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/news\/?p=364"},"modified":"2022-02-01T08:51:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T16:51:30","slug":"campus-times-writers-earn-national-spj-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/news\/2016\/05\/18\/campus-times-writers-earn-national-spj-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Campus Times Writers Earn National SPJ Award, Adding to 2015-16 Communications Department Honors"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of La Verne\u2019s Campus Times won a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence national finalist award<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Students Jolene Nacapuy and Cody Luk submitted their 2015 story \u201cFlames engulf Pomona building\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the\u00a0experience 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,\u201d Luk said. \u201cBeing 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Six students from the Campus Times won first place regional Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards, while the remainder placed second and third.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Rendon credited her professors with equipping her with the skills to be a journalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Alumna Helen Arase \u201816, flew to Phoenix to accept the awards for her former classmates. She received an award for sports photography for the story, \u201cFootball team breaks La Verne records on way to history season, 2nd<\/sup> series.\u201d She won the same award the previous year.<\/p>\n

Arase said she pursued the photo despite receiving a sprained spine the day before the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still hopped on a plane to Minnesota and came back with this photograph. And it\u2019s nice to get some recognition from a national organization,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s based on superb teamwork, hard work and real excitement and enthusiasm for journalism,\u201d Zwerling said.<\/p>\n

She added that a number of students received honors for in-depth reporting, which some students choose as a senior project.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Following are additional awards students from the Communications Department have earned in the 2015-2016 academic year.<\/p>\n