Third place honors in column writing went to McKayla Holson of Waynoka, a December 2020 Northwestern graduate whose three articles submitted for the category included “What about those we don’t keep?” “Lucky me,” and “Saying Goodbye and reminiscing.”
“I am honored and humbled by the awards the Northwestern News earned during the Oklahoma Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest,” Green said. “The News is home to Northwestern’s best and brightest, a group of students who passionately tell this university’s stories. We don’t put out a newspaper to win awards, but earning them proves that we’re serving our readers and our community well. We always have room to improve, and we will continue to tell the stories that matter at Northwestern.”
At the end of the spring semester, the Northwestern News also was named by the OCMA as the Best Overall Newspaper in its division.
The News won 14 first-place awards in the competition, meaning the News won the top slot in every category it entered content in. The paper also won nine second-place awards and four third-place awards. In three categories, the News won the top three slots, adding up to a total of 27 awards.
The categories, placings and students winning the awards are as follows:
Front Page Design: Winner – Northwestern News
Interior Page Design: Winner – Northwestern News
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Individual: first place, Dill
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Team: first place, Kaylea Brown, Terlton junior; Ethan Everson, Gunter, Texas, sophomore; Destiny Gardner, Fort Supply sophomore; Ovell Patterson, Fresno, California, senior; Jara Reeder, Alva sophomore serving as photo editor; Trinity St. Andrews, Ponca City junior; Dacoda McDowell-Wahpekeche, Little Axe sophomore serving as sports editor; and Thornton
Reporting Portfolio: first place, Green; second place, Sean Doherty of Branson, Colorado, a May 2021 Northwestern graduate
Feature Writing: first place, Green; second place, Doherty
General News Writing: first and second place, Green; third place, Doherty
Sports Reporting: first place, Doherty; second place, McDowell-Wahpekeche
Column Writing: first place, Green; second and third place, Holson
Reviews: first, second and third place, Michelle Willson, Conway Springs, Kansas, senior
Feature Photography: first and third place, Green
News Photography: first place, Green; second place, Doherty
Sports Photography: first place, Green; second Place, Doherty
Cartoons: first and second place, Willson
Green praised the work of the newspaper’s section editors — Devyn Lansden, Beaver junior, editorial editor; McDowell-Wahpekeche, sports editor; and Willson, features editor; as well as the newspaper’s reporters, photographers and additional staff members.
“There aren’t many times in life when we are surrounded by talented, dedicated, hard-working, caring, compassionate, considerate people — but at the Northwestern News, I am,” Green said. “This team is comprised of some of the best people I’ve ever met. They love Northwestern, and more importantly, they love serving their peers and providing them with the information they need to succeed.”
Northwestern News adviser Dr. Kaylene Armstrong, associate professor of mass communication, is equally proud of the work and commitment the students give to the newspaper.
“Everything that goes into making a paper every week – from writing and editing to photography, layout and design – takes so much more time than most people realize,” Armstrong said. “They have all worked hard, and the honors show it. I am so proud to be able to work with these talented and dedicated students.”
Articles from the Northwestern News can be found at https://northwesternnews.rangerpulse.com.
To learn more about the Northwestern News, contact Armstrong at (580) 327-8481 or kdarmstrong@nwosu.edu. To learn more about the communication department, contact Tamara Brown, assistant professor of speech and chair of the communication department, at (580) 327-8429 and tlbrown@nwosu.edu.
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