Listserv is born!

The Nebraska Collegiate Media Association listserv is up and running! Brett Erickson of Hastings College wrote a custom system that is web-based. To add a name to the list, advisers simply need to e-mail Brett - berickson@hastings.edu - the following information: first name, last name, institution, e-mail address, preferred username and 8-12 character password. He will set you up on the system. Check it out at www.hcworldnews.com/ncmalogin.cfm.

Minutes of spring NCMA meeting

Contest Coordinator David Swartzlander, acting in place of absent executive director Chad Power, called the meeting to order.

In the absence of a treasurer, Swartzlander reported that the association had $1,963 in its account.

Attendees discussed how students were able to network with professionals at the Nebraska Press Association. The advisers and students present agreed that the executive director should send a list of the winners of the Golden Leaf awards to the Nebraska Press Association and the Nebraska Broadcasters Association in an effort to help students become noticed and secure jobs in the media. The executive director has followed the wishes of the association.

All present agreed to use nebraskacollegemedia.blogspot.com as a Web site to help communicate to advisers and students the activities of the association. Attendees decided, though, that a listserv also would be ideal for advisers and students to communicate with one another. Brett Erickson of Hastings College agreed to explore the options to develop a listserv.

Attendees then turned their attention to the purpose and structure of NCMA, and whether the spring Golden Leaf award ceremony should continue to be associated with the Nebraska Press Association. The pros include students being able to network with local editors and being part of the culture of news. Some said they felt, though, that broadcasting needed to be a larger part of the spring meeting.

Doane's Lee Thomas urged the association to return to meeting twice a year, one large meeting in the fall and one in the spring. He suggested the fall meeting be hosted by different colleges in the association during a Saturday and that a two-hour meeting be conducted in the fall to take care of association business.

Brett Erickson moved that all items on the agenda, except for election of officers, be tabled until the association meets late in the summer or early fall. Mike Marek seconded the motion. The motion then was amended to say that the NCMA would meet Aug. 18 in Lincoln at Nebraska Wesleyan University, at Doane College in Crete or at Hastings College. Motion carried.

Students suggested that more Golden Leaf entries be allowed for best newscast, that a category on broadcast specials and a category on film production be included in the awards. Attendees generally decided to review all categories and strive for equality among different media formats. Brett Erickson sugested that students should submit their ideas for new categories to advisers for discussion purposes at future meetings.

In addition, it was suggested during the meeting that the award for the best medium be a sweepstakes award, based on the performance of each medium in all other categories.

New officers were elected. The new executive director is David Swartzlander of Doane College. The new secretary/treasurer is Chad Power of Hastings College. A contest coordinator was not selected. A search is being conducted. Jim Schaeffer of Nebraska Wesleyan was chosen to continue to serve as yearbook competition coordinator. Lee Thomas agreed to serve as radio competition coordinator. Chad Power will serve as television competition coordinator and Brett Erickson will again serve as Web competition coordinator. A search is continuing for a newspaper competition coordinator.

Having no other business, the meeting was adjourned.

Sports journalism opportunity

This was posted on a Web site called On Sportz written by an Eastern Illinois University professor. Check out the Web site and the following opportunity.

A chance to dive into sports journalism this summer

Only one week remains before the application deadline for the Sports Institute at Boston University. This is a great opportunity to dive in more intensely into the craft of sports journalism. The Sports Institute also hosts interviews with professional journalists at the Sports Media Guide. You can contact Frank Shorr, the director of the institute, at fshorr@bu.edu for more information.

Judges' comments for small newspapers

Below are the judges comments for the winners of the Golden Leaf print awards.
Best Overall Newspaper
First: Staff, The Doane Owl, Doane College.
>>>>> The judge said: “The paper is the clear cut winner for its overall excellence. From news, to features, to editorials, the paper does a good job of covering it all. Inside pages have clear packages and the photography and design are of high quality. An excellent paper.”
Second: Staff, The Collegian, Hastings College.
>>>>> The judge said: “A solid job of covering tough stories coupled with some solid design makes this a worthy competitor. I was impressed with the solid attempts at special inside pages and the design elements they incorporated. Some solid photos added to the mix as well.”
Third: Staff, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College.
>>>>> The judge said: “Some solid issues. The year-end is nice, but a bit self-indulgent in spots, including the editorial page. The covers demonstrate some solid news judgment and some nice design, especially for a half-tab, which can be difficult to design. Nice work.”

Special Section/Issue
First: Eagle Staff, Chadron State College, “A Season to Remember”
>>>>> The judge said: “This section was a colorful, in-depth look at the football team’s exploits, with well-framed and shot photography throughout the section. The pictures, captions and text worked well together to give a hard-hitting reliving of a special moment in time on the gridiron.”
Second: Danny Nicklin, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Politically Correct”
>>>>> The judge said: “This special section gave excellent insight into students’ political activities before the election. It has a clever title and graphics that give a feel for electioneering, along with the bonus of including election results as well. It’s a great glimpse into the behind-the-scene process for elections.”
Third: Staff, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “How Do I Vote Next Tuesday?”
>>>>> The judge said: “This section provides a detailed guide to voters, timely information delivered right before election day. It’s the type of non-biased information that would help anyone get both sides to each proposition before they go in to vote. A real aid to democracy in the region.”

Advertisement Design
First: Natalie Swanda, The Sower, Concordia University, “Vicki’s.
>>>>> The judge said: “The ad is well balanced and tells me a lot. The font selections were nice and the approach to the overall design was very clean. Nice job.”
Second: Michelle Frohlich, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Riley’s In House.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Nice use of an image to convey meaning. Clear ad. Point taken.”

Hard News/Spot News Story
First: Jamie Helgren, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Soccer coach arrested for third DUI.”
>>>>> The judge said: “This was a tough pick in a very competitive category. The thing that pushes this one above the rest is the reporting. The writer managed to get the soccer coach who had just been arrested to talk on the record. The writer also got players, administrators and others to add meaningful information to the story. The one thing that almost cost it the top spot was the use of “for” in both the headline and the lead. That word indicates that he’s guilty, which needs to be determined in a court of law. “on suspicion of” or “was charged with” or “police said” are all acceptable alternatives to what could be a libelous statement. However, the excellence in the rest of the piece was overwhelming so it takes the prize.”
Second: Scott Steele, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Press box profanity.”
>>>>> The judge said: “A great read on something that likely created a great deal of buzz on campus. This story is very well written, recounting events without devolving into too much chronology and integrating sources who all have something important to add to the story. The time element in the lead could have been fresher, which does limit the story a bit, but the overall piece was great to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Third: Zach Gunzelman, The Sower, Concordia University, Nebraska, “Police arrest student for trespassing in women’s locker room.
>>>>> The judge said: “In drawing from the police report, the writer culls some amusing details about this arrest that help make it a winning entry. The lead is a bit buried here and I wish the writer had gotten back to the issue of the arrestee being a student athlete, but the story has its merits and is just an overall good bit of journalism.”

Editorial Cartoon
First: Kate Gehrig, Doane College, The Doane Owl
>>>>> The judge said: “Very simple message told in bold strokes and with precision. Leaves no doubt about the feelings the student has for the way administration is destroying school traditions.”
Second: Scott Steele, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “WSC Porcelain Deck Project” and “Jabba the Falwell”
>>>>> The judge said: “First cartoon shows administrators giving poor reasoning for a boondoggle project on campus. Very clearly shows a disconnect between their reasoning and reality. Second one takes on Jerry Falwell in a surreal, humorous way.”
Third: Amy Kucera, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “I think the airlines” and “Presidential Window Shopping”
>>>>> The judge said: “First cartoon spoofs the way airlines do racial profiling in security. The cartoon is direct and makes a strong statement. The second one illustrates the way Bush ignores the loss of life going on in Iraq.”

Investigative/In-Depth Story
First: Rhea Landholm, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Better safe than sorry?”
>>>>> The judge said: “The piece best typifies what an in-depth story should be: well researched, well sourced and on a topic of great interest to the audience. In reviewing the perils and pitfalls of Face Book, the writer did an outstanding job of helping the reader take a second look at an otherwise ordinary part of college life.”
Second: Danny Nicklin, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Cameras cause safety concerns.”
>>>>> The judge said: “This story sheds some light on a frightening problem on this campus. While students are led to believe that the cameras the school has provided will protect them from theft, the writer reports how that belief is clearly a myth. Nice job in rooting out the story and the narrative opening with the student who was victimized really makes this a complete story.”
Third: Elizabeth Peters, The Reveille, Nebraska Wesleyan University, “Concern for student safety.”
>>>>> The judge said: “A solid story that does a good job of rounding up a series of incidents into a larger report. The writer does a nice job of explaining what has happened, what is currently happening and what will happen next. The information at the end of the story on how to contact the safety department would have been better as a break-out box, but the rest works well.”

Editorial
First: Staff, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Feb 9 and others.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Strong stands that are well articulated. The writing is crisp and strong. Some research augments the opinions well.”
Second: Staff, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Sept. 28 and others.”
>>>>> The judge said: “The financial transparency editorial was the best of the bunch and exemplified what an editorial should be: well thought out, clear, on a topic of interest and with a strong call to action.”
Third: Kori Buchholz, The Reveille, Nebraska Wesleyan University, “Editorial.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Smartly written editorials about issues that clearly mattered to the campus. Nice job.”

Column
First: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Putting women in their place” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Smart takes on life. An original voice that speaks to issues with courage. Bravo. ”
Second: Jessica Luebbe, The Sower, Concordia University, “Pass the time by doing things you love” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Honest commentary on life from the front. Should be must reading for everyone who is not there. ”
Third: Melanie Kirk, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “ ‘Makeover’ shows attitude flaws” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Thoughtful sensibilities brought to bear. Insight found where others get caught up in entertainment. ”

Sports Column
First: John Thayer, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Simple Solution” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Columns speak with authority on a range of subjects. The last paragraph is consistently worth waiting for. ”
Second: Nick Benes, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “False buzz? I think not” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Opinions are supported by evidence, analysis leavened with common sense. Clever juxtapositioning of church and sports, two altars that call. ”
Third: Kim Bloch, The Midland, Midland Lutheran College, “Pressure: an athlete’s worst enemy” and others
>>>>> The judge said: “Impressive, comical show of original reporting in taking a long snap. Insightful personal touch in writing about the Mannings (careful with possessives like Mannings’) ”

Sports Game Story
First: Sara Mettlen, The Doane Owl, “Doane dominates home track invite”
>>>>> The judge said: “Story begins with a strong lede, and also makes good use of quotes from the coach and other competitors. Fine job of summarizing the main events from a large track meet.”
Second: Erin Leick, The Doane Owl, “Tigers can’t hold on to opener”
>>>>> The judge said: “Well-organized article that captures the several problems plaguing a woeful football team. Whether intentional or not, this article manages to convey what the overall ethos of the team is at the time of the loss.”
Third: Mike O’Brien, The Wayne Stater, “Lopers swallowed in sea of black”
>>>>> The judge said: “Nice lede and solid synopsis of the match. As a rule of thumb, don’t just abbreviate the names of every college (e.g., UNO, UNK). To an outside reader, it is impossible to know what you are referring to. ”

Two-Page Spread Layout Design
First: Megan Arrington, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Holiday Special"
>>>>> The judge said: “Eye-catching page; good dominant element with appropriate proportions overall. Clean typography.”
Second: Daniel Binkard, Eagle, Chadron State College, “Spotted Tail fire leaves C-Hill blackened.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Traditional but clean layout; well-organized page.”
Third: JoAnna Reiter, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “The Secret Lives We Lead.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Pleasing layout with good typography; more consistent space between elements would have improved the package.”

Review
First: Rick Prusa, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “’Covenant’ worth the wait”
>>>>> The judge said: “Excellent detail to pull the reader in, and the use of exposition helps give background without giving the film away.”
Second: Katie Segrist, The Reveille, Nebraska Wesleyan University, “The Herb-meister”
>>>>> The judge said: “Great background on the artist. The introduction could have been shorter.”
Third: Lucas Graff, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Comedian goes half and half”
>>>>> The judge said: “Nice lede, and good job keeping yourself out of the article. ”

Sports Feature Story
First: “Pranks: A thing of the past” Joanna Reiter, The Doane Owl
>>>>> The judge said: “ Great topic and it was covered comprehensively. The writer pushes past the event of the football game and covers the stuff under the surface, exactly what a feature should do.”
Second: “All American” Nick Benes, The Wayne Stater
>>>>> The judge said: “The lead sets up the tension of the moment quite well and the rest of the story fills in the gaps. ”
Third: Just Kickin’ it, Amy Applegarth, The Doane Owl
>>>>> The judge said: “The story flows really well and doesn’t drag. While it might not be a traditional sports story, it relates kickboxing to students who might not have had an interest otherwise.”

News Photo
First: Casey Mills, The Collegian, “Building Engulfed in Flame”
>>>>> The judge said: “One of the strongest things about this is that it focuses on the firefighters, not the fire. Turning away from the obvious shot let the photographer find a sense of hopelessness, not only with in the firemen now holding the hose, but those milling about in the back.”
Second: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, “Chambers urges students to think critically”
>>>>> The judge said: “This photo succeeds based on the strength of the subject. Usually photos of people taking behind podiums are boring, but this photo carries an emotion, thanks to the speaker, that is just hidden enough to make it interesting.”
Third: Daniel Binkard, The Eagle, Dean’s green becomes battleground during ROTC
>>>>> The judge said: “Another photo with a great subject. The juxtaposition between soldiers (with guns) and a common area makes for a great image.”

Sports Photo
First: “Cats capture big win” Mike O’Brien, The Wayne Stater
>>>>> The judge said: “The out-of-focus background focuses attention on the sense of motion and energy, and the players’ faces, capturing the intensity of match.”
Second: “Knockout Punch” Megan Arrington, The Collegian
>>>>> The judge said: “The article accompanying this story discussed the ‘physical play of the game.’ The photographer has given readers a sense of that before they get to the text of the story. ”
Third: “Softball slides into region Jenn Lampila, The Doane Owl
>>>>> The judge said: “Back foot dug in, the concentration on the face, the slight blur of the lead foot, glove hand and pitching arm as the pitch is delivered all combine to create a winning photo.

Photo Essay
First: “Shaving for Shuman” Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater
>>>>> The judge said: “Most of the images in this series are of people getting their head shaved. Working in this fairly limited range, the photographer has managed to convey a wide range of emotions.”
Second: ”Snow Day” Staff, The Wayne Stater
>>>>> The judge said: “You don’t have to read the story to know what this is about.: people playing outside on a snow day. People at Wayne State look like they know how to make the most of a snow day, and the staff has captured the fun.
Third: “Arbor Day an original Nebraska Holiday” John “Buddha” Dellle, Chadron State College
>>>>> The judge said: “Good variety in the images, and the photos work well on the page. A photo essay on a student arborist to help mark Arbor Day is a good way to localize a story.”

Special Design or Graphics
First: Andy Dygert, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Providing the Spark”
>>>>> The judge said: “Creative idea, well executed.”
Second: Isiah May and Megan Arrington, The Collegian, Hastings College, “All Business”
>>>>> The judge said: “Photo display grabs attention well, but reversed-out body type is difficult to read.”
Third: Andy Dygert, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Eating Disorders Seminar”
>>>>> The judge said: “Although not an original idea, the execution is effective.”

Feature Story
First: Paul Fischer, The Sower, Concordia University, “Denominational differences don’t have to divide”
>>>>> The judge said: “A plethora of sources, a relatable topic and solid writing bring this entry to the front of the pack. Tips for the future: Watch the size of quotes and paraphrase more. ”
Second: Melanie Kirk, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Richard’s Story”
>>>>> The judge said: “Another story with obvious appeal to the campus audience. A lack of quotes from the subject of the article and somewhat choppy writing prevent this story from being number one.”
Third: Lauren Smith, Eagle, Chadron State College, “In facing death, Dr. Randall Austin anticipates life”
>>>>> The judge said: “A powerful story with one major flaw: a severe lack of input from those who know him. Multiple sources and more background on the cancer would have strengthened this article.”

Cartoon
First: Scott Steele, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Porcelain Deck and others”
>>>>> The judge said: “A clear winner for its social commentary and its sharp wit. I liked how the artist made clear references to important issues both on and off campus.”
Second: Buddy Maixner, Doane Owl, Doane College, “Sept. 28 and Oct. 12.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Fun strips that engage the reader. A worthy comic.”

Feature Photograph
First: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Forget Sunshine.”
>>>>> The judge said: “The detail on this shot is amazing. The shooter found a way to tell a story of a freak blizzard via this robin on what should be the first day of spring.”
Second: Savaannah Wissig, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Spaghetti Showdown.”
>>>>> The judge said: “A quirky event that yielded an even quirkier moment.”
Third: Isaiah May and Megan Arrington, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Water World.”
>>>>> The judge said: “An amazingly innovative shooting technique puts this piece in the top three. By using a standard camera and a fish tank, these shooters got an interesting image in an uncommon way.”

Front Page Layout Design
First: Tosha Rae Long, Doane Owl, Doane College, “April 27 and Nov. 2.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Nice packaging, good use of the strip for big news and a solid job of making it all work together on the page.”
Second: Isaiah May, Collegian, Hastings College, “April 6 and May 4.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Nice use of layering and images to make the page come together.”
Third: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “GOP 3 and Year End.”
>>>>> The judge said: “Two solid pages that worked well in telling big stories.”

Headlines
First: Staff, Doane Owl, Doane College, “ANGEL may just be Heaven sent and others.”
>>>>> The judge said: “The plays on words are meaningful to the core of the stories and don’t distract from the overall storytelling. The best of the bunch is about the students’ silence speaking volumes. In all, it was the best group of headlines. They were fun without being too cute.”
Second: Beth Mohlke, The ViewPoint, NECC, “Left meets right in the middle and others.”
>>>>> The judge said: “A solid set of headlines that use good elements from the stories to tell the reader what to expect. They are innovative and smart while still conveying important information.”
Third: Rhea Landholm, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Luck was a lady and others.”
>>>>> The judge said: “The “luck was a lady” headline was the best of the bunch and it fit the story perfectly. This was one of those cases where the writer got away with a smart and fun headline because the deck head conveyed a lot of information. The other heads were weaker, but still fit the themes of the stories and worked well.”

Series
First: Cliff Switzer, The Wayne Stater, “Daycare Dilemma”
>>>>> The judge said: “Extremely well done examination of a social issue that is pertinent to the campus. Effective use of quotes from administration officials, faculty, and students who have been affected by daycare availability. In addition, the writing style is superior to all other entries.”
Second: News Staff, The Doane Owl, “Stop Day”
>>>>> The judge said: “Sophisticated treatment of an important campus issue. Nice job of giving the issue a comprehensive treatment by looking at things like liquor sales and breaking developments in Stop Day.
Third: News Staff, The Doane Owl, “Food Services”
>>>>> The judge said: “Appropriate analysis of changes in food services and the implications these have for students. A solid entry in a competitive category.”

Winners, Awards named

Doane and Hastings colleges and Creighton University were big winners Saturday in the Golden Leaf Awards ceremony sponsored by the Nebraska Collegiate Media Association.
The awards were presented during the Nebraska Press Association spring convention at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.
The Doane Owl, the student newspaper for Doane College, won for best newspaper for schools of less than 5,000 enrollment. The Tiger, Doane’s yearbook, also won best yearbook.
HCworldnews.com, HCTV and KFKX radio won best Website, radio station and television station of the year, respectively, for Hastings College.
The Creightonian, the student newspaper for Creighton University, won the best newspaper award for colleges of more than 5,000 enrollment.
The Daily Nebraskan, student newspaper for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, did not participate in the competition.
NCMA also elected David Swartzlander, Doane College media adviser, as its executive director for the 2007-08 year. He succeeds Hastings media adviser Chad Power, who served as president for three years.
Other award winners announced Saturday were:
Yearbook:
Best activity package: Jenn Lampila and Tim Smith, Doane College
Best activity photo, Doane College
Best sports photo, Hastings College
Best cover design, Doane College
Best layout and design, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Best theme development, Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks, Doane College
Best academy story package, Tim Smith and JoAnna Reiter, Doane College
Radio:
Event sportscast: John Thayer and Adam Burmood, Doane College, Men’s basketball
News story: John Dibbern, Hastings College
Promotional announcement: Jason Sitzman, Doane College, Revive the Kidney
Promotional series: John Dibbern, Hastings College, Madrigal series
Public Affairs program: Taylor Foy, Erin Leick and Blair Talley, Doane College, Sunday Conversations
Public Service announcement: Jason Sitzman, Doane College, Active Holiday
Entertainment program: Isaiah May, Hastings College, Katlin Berreaman Live
Transitional Element: Steve Turney, Hastings College, Best Alternative
Newspaper less than 5,000 enrollment:
Special Section/Issue: Eagle Staff, Chadron State College, “A Season to Remember”
Advertisement Design: Natalie Swanda, The Sower, Concordia University, “Vicki’s”
Hard News/Spot News Story: Jamie Helgren, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Soccer coach arrested for third DUI.”
Editorial Cartoon: Kate Gehrig, Doane College, The Doane Owl
Investigative/In-Depth Story: Rhea Landholm, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Better safe than sorry?”
Editorial: Staff, The Doane Owl, Doane College
Column: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College
Sports Column: John Thayer, The Doane Owl, Doane College
Sports Game Story: Sara Mettlen, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Doane dominates home track invite”
Two-Page Spread Layout Design: Megan Arrington, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Holiday Special.”
Review: Rick Prusa, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “’Covenant’ worth the wait”
Sports Feature Story: “Pranks: A thing of the past” Joanna Reiter, The Doane Owl, Doane College
News Photo: Casey Mills, The Collegian, Hastings College, “Building Engulfed in Flame”
Sports Photo: “Cats capture big win.” Mike O’Brien, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College
Photo Essay “ “Shaving for Shuman” Jonna Huseman, Wayne State College
Special Design or Graphics: Andy Dygert, The Doane Owl, Doane College, “Providing the Spark”
Feature Story: Paul Fischer, The Sower, Concordia University, “Denominational differences don’t have to divide”
Cartoon: Scott Steele, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College
Feature Photograph: Jonna Huseman, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Forget Sunshine”
Front Page Layout Design: Tosha Rae Long, Doane Owl, Doane College
Headlines: Staff, Doane Owl, Doane College
Series:
First: Cliff Switzer, The Wayne Stater, Wayne State College, “Daycare Dilemma”
Newspapers 5,000 or more enrollment
Special Section/Issue: Brian Norton and Michael Stacy, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Roadmap to Redemption.”
Advertisement Design: Kathryn Bodenhamer; The Antelope,” University
of Nebraska-Kearney
Hard News/Spot News Story: Scott Stewart, Gateway, University of Nebraska-Omaha, “University Moves on After Chancellor’s Resignation.”
Editorial Cartoon: Mike Adelman, The Antelope, UNK, “Little Dude”
Investigative/In-Depth Story: Stephanie Fielder, The Antelope, UNK, “Depression.”
Column: Scott Stewart, Gateway, UNO
Sports Column: Brian Norton, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “At the Buzzer.”
Sports Game Story: Michael Stacy, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Jays let the good times roll.”
Two-Page Spread Layout Design: Creightonian Photo Staff, Creighton
University, "Homecoming Rocks Creighton"
Review: Lindsey Mallory, The Creightonian, Creighton University
Sports Feature Story: Michael Stacy, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Always Altman.”
News Photo: Patrick Doty, Gateway, UNO, “Religious Bullies.”
Sports Photo: Armand Koentjoro, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Devil of an Opener.”
Photo Essay: Colin Conces, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Passion Unites Hunters.”
Special Design or Graphics: Teddy O'gilvie, Chelsey Brown and Courtney Wittman, Creighton University, Creightonian, "Dissecting Dana"
Feature Story: Kelli Mutchler, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Revisiting the Devastation.”
Cartoon: Mike Adelman, The Antelope, UNK, “Little Dude”
Feature Photograph: Colin Conces, The Creightonian, Creighton University, “Pumpkin Patch.”
Front Page Layout Design: Brian Norton, Creighton University, Creightonian
Headlines: Michael Stacy, The Creightonian, Creighton University
Series: Staff, The Antelope, UNK, “Sex!”
Web site
Best Design: Tie, HCworldnews.com, Hastings College and The Gateway, UNO
Best Usability: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Best News Coverage: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Best Sports Coverage: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Best Opinion Coverage: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Best Arts and Entertainment Coverage: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Best Multimedia Coverage: HCworldnews.com, Hastings College
Television:
Entertainment, music video: Cory Rotschafer, Doane College, Separate Ways
Entertainment, miscellaneous: Kyle Miller, Wayne State College, Life Story
Feature News Reporting: Krista Olson, Hastings College, “Holiday Cooking”
General News Reporting: Brett Sall, Hastings College, Identity Theft
Long Form Video: Nicole Thomas, Hastings College
Newscast: HCTV6, Hastings College, Bronco News Now
Entertainment Game or Talk Show: Laura Sturm and Patrick Parrish, Wayne State College, “Dating Game”
News Magazine: Emily Hogan, Hastings College, Lifeskills
Public Affairs: India Williams, Doane College, Town Hall Meeting
Public Service Announcement: Jordan Solko, Wayne State College, Gambling
Sports Reporting/Sports Feature: John Thayer, Doane College, Football Highlights
Videography: Adam Burmood, Doane College, Sports Open

Golden Leaf TV winners named

The following students are winners of the 2007 Golden Leaf Awards, television category:
Cassie Anderson
Bronco News Now
Liz Daehnke
Brent Friedeman
HCTV 6
Emily Hogan
Melanie Kirk
Amy Kucera
Shaun McCabe
Kyle Miller
Samantha Naber
Krista Olson
Patrick Parrish
Matt Rediger
Corey Rotschafer
Brett Sall
Amber Smith
Jordan Solko
Laura Sturm
Nicole Thomas
India Williams
The awards ceremony begins at noon April 21 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.

More radio winners announced

The following students have won in the radio category of the Golden Leaf awards:
Grant Bachman
Adam Burmood
Ahmed Davis
Drew Denker
John Dibbern
Isaiah May
Jason Stitzman
John Thayer
Steve Turney

The awards ceremony begins at noon April 21 in the Cornhusker Hotel.

Post-luncheon awards ceremony set

The post-luncheon awards ceremony for the Nebraska Collegiate Media Assocation will begin at 1:45 p.m. in the Hawthorne room in the lower lobby of the Cornhusker Hotel and Convention Center. We have the room until 4 p.m. but can reserve it for longer if needed. We have enough seating for 80 professors and students.

Golden Leaf radio winners

Here are the winners for the Nebraska Collegiate Media Association
Golden Leaf Awards in the Radio category:

Taylor Foy
Erin Leick
Jossy Newquist
Amy Perez
Andrea Peterson
Jason Sitzman
Blair Talley
Steve Turney

The awards ceremony begins at noon April 21 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. Registration is free for students. Lunch costs $13 for advisers, $5 for students. Registration deadline is today. Meal deadline is Monday. For more information, call the Nebraska Press Association at 1-800-369-2850 or 1-402-476-2851.

Golden Leaf print winners

The following are the names of the Golden Leaf print awards for 2007. Only the names of winners are listed, not what they won. To claim awards, students and advisers should attend the spring convention of the Nebraska Collegiate Media Assocation, conducted in conjunction with the Nebraska Press Association, at noon April 21 in the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.

Award winners are:
Newspaper:
The Antelope staff
The Collegian staff
The Creightonian staff
The Doane Owl staff
The Gateway staff
The Wayne Stater staff
Mike Adelman
Amy Applegarth
Megan Arrington
Jon Augustine
Nick Benes
Daniel Binkard
Kim Bloch
Kathryn Bodenhamer
Chelsey Brown
Kari Buchholz
Colin Conces
Beth Costigan
John "Buddha" Dellle
Patrick Doty
Andy Dygert
Stephanie Fielder
Paul Fischer
Michelle Frohlich
Katie Gehrig
Jason Glenn
Luke Graff
Zach Gunzelman
Jamie Helgren
Mohammed Iftikhar Husain
Jonna Huseman
Kathlene Jordan
Melanie Kirk
Armand Koentjoro
Amy Kucera
Jenn Lampila
Rhea Landholm
Erin Leick
Tosha Rae Long
Jessica Luebbe
Buddy Maixner
Lindsey Mallory
Isiah May
Sara Mettlen
Casey Mills
Beth Monike
Kelli Mutchler
Danny Nicklin
Brian Norton
Mike O'Brien
Teddy O'gilvie
Elizabeth Peters
Kyle Petersen
Rick Prusa
Charley Reed
April Refior
JoAnna Reiter
Josh Rowan
Angie Sada
Katie Segrist
Lauren Smith
Michael Stacy
Eagle Stay
Scott Steele
Scott Stewart
Ashley Stuhr
Natalie Swanda
Cliff Switzer
John Thayer
Ashley N. Volf
Sharice Ward

Yearbook:
Doane College staff
Hastings College staff
Nebraska Wesleyan University staff
Christine Bryant
Jenn Lampila
Alyssa Lindahl
JoAnna Reiter
Tyler Richard
Tim Smith
Wendy Nicklin

Golden Leaf Awards/NPA Convention

The Golden Leaf Awards will be presented at noon April 21 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln as part of the spring conventions of the Nebraska Press Association and the Nebraska Collegiate Media Association.

Lunch for students costs $5. Tuna salad or chicken salad croissants will be served. Lunch for advisers and others costs $13.

Newspaper Golden Leaf awards will be announced during the luncheon. Awards for radio, television, Web sites and yearbook will be announed in a separate room after the luncheon.
In addition, students will participate in the Tom Allan Live Writing Contest begining at 1:30 p.m. April 20.

The convention also will offer educational sessions for students and advisers. A legal workshop will be offered on April 20. On April 21, workshops will be offered on feature writing, advertising, Photoshop, writing, editorial writing and introducing local video to the Internet.

Speakers include Associated Press writing coach Bruce DeSilva and Steve Buttry of the American Press Institute, who will lead the Newspaper Next workshop, providing strategites newpspaers can use to become masters of innovation.

Prepare yourself

Here is the second installment of information you need to know to get your first job. This information was compiled by officials at the St. Louis Post Dispatch and was presented at the fall National College Media convention in St. Louis.

The Three Rs:

1. Research
2. Relevant
3. Resilience

• Rehearse at home what you plan to say in an interview
• Be prepared with specific examples to questions you think you will be asked
• Know your strengths and weaknesses
• Sell your accomplishments
• Be authentic
• Let who you are shine through

The Resume

• Think of your resume as a promotional piece for you as a "brand"
• Highlight your skills and tie them to the position available
• Send a simple cover letter that clearly states the position to which you are applying. Do not send a form letter
• Prove you are organized, diligent and capable:

1. Avoid typos
2. Write simply - a one-page letter. Make it succinct and organized.
3. Be professional. Avoid cute paper, stickers or clip art
4. Show how your letter and resume are related to the position
5. Use simple fonts and standard margins for electronic letters and resumes. E-mail it to yourself to test how it looks
6. Cover letters should include courtesy titles (Mr./Mrs./Ms. plus first and last name)

Getting your first job

Here's the first in a series of posts providing tips on how to get a job straight out of college. The information comes from professionals at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who presented a session at the National College Media Association convention last fall.

ORGANIZE YOUR SEARCH
Keep a file of all the companies to which you apply. It's embarrassing to get an interview and not recall what position you're seeking.

FOR EACH RESUME YOU SEND, RECORD:

1. Company name
2. Name and description of position
3. Name, spelling and pronunciation of manager
4. Date sent
5. Dates of follow up calls and letters

Researching the company

A sampling of important elements you should know:

• History of company
• What companies are affiliated? Parent organization?
• What is the product? Get a subscription to the print or online
• Who are the competitors?
• Size of the company
• Is the company public or private?
• Challenges the company may face
• Network, if you can, with current employees

Live Reporting Contest

Here's a chance for Nebraska journalism students to win big bucks by doing what they do best - reporting and writing.
The Nebraska Press Association once again will sponsor the Tom Allan Memorial Writing Competition at its spring convention April 20-21 at the Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S. 13th St. in Lincoln.
The live, on-site reporting and writing contest is open to all students of Nebraska collegiate journalism or mass communication programs. The contest begins at 1:30 p.m. April 20. Reporting must be completed by 4 p.m. and your story deadline is 5:45 p.m.
Two students from each college or university can participate. All reporters will be given the same assignment. Monetary prizes - NPA calls them "significant" but declines to reveal exactly how much - and plaques will be awarded.
Names of participating students must be submitted by April 1 to the NPA office, 945 S St., Lincoln, NE 68508-1226. The e-mail address is nebpress@nebpress.com. The NPA phone number is 800-369-2850.
Participating students should check in with the NPA registration desk to learn where to report at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
All writing will be done in a designated room. No Internet access will be allowed. All interviews for the story must be done in person.
Students should bring a laptop computer to write with as well as reporting notebooks, pens, etc. The laptops must have a USB port to download stories to a jump drive. Reporters should wear good walking shoes.
For more information, contact Convention Chairman Kent Warneke at editor@norfolkdailynews.com or call 877-371-1020.

The Gatekeeper

Bruce C. Swaffield of Regent University made these points about copy editors as the guards, guardians and gatekeepers of newspapers at the National College Media Convention in St. Louis, Mo. last fall:

Copy editors:

1. Protect the newspaper
2. Should avoid limiting themselves to editing only specific types of stories
3. Should use constructive criticism - pose questions
4. Should edit with an attitude
5. Are the readers' voice in the newsroom
6. Have broad knowledge, are masters of organization and write provocative headlines
7. Sell stories to readers

The Sporting Life

Every semester, at least a few news writing students groan at the prospect of learning how to write a sports story - or a new sports editor worries about how to plan and design a sports section. Now, there's a blog, created by Joe Gisondi, a former sports writer and a professor at Eastern Illinois University, devoted to helping students with those tasks. Check it out at www.onsportz.blogspot.com/

Making Staff Meetings Work

Jennifer Anderson of Northwestern State University shared information on how to conduct effective meetings at the National College Media Convention fall 2006 in St. Louis. Here are a few of her tips:

Guard against unproductive meetings that last a long time, develop frustrations and are disorganized by applying effective meeting techniques such as:

1. Only conduct a meeting if it's necessary. Have clear objectives.
2. Invite your adviser.
3. All meetings must have an agenda.
4. Start on time.
5. Someone should take notes.
6. Decisions must be documented.
7. Ask for feedback about new meeting organization.
8. Always know what time it is. End at a set time.
9. Remember the main reason for meeting.
10. Praise in public, criticize in private.
11. Avoid using meetings to ruin reputations.
12. Keep personal and business distinct.
13. Make meetings fun. Organize contests. Offer prizes.

If meetings are dominated by a few people, pass out pennies to those people. Each time they talk, they spend a penny.

Check out www.effectivemeetings.com

Welcome

To the Web site for the Nebraska Collegiate Media Association. Here you will find how to contact student media that are members of NCMA; a directory of advisers; a directory of print publications, Web sites and broadcast stations; examples of student work and the latest information on conferences and contests.