Goshen College newspaper, television and radio bring home state awards

GOSHEN, Ind. – The long nights and days Goshen College communication students have spent writing, reporting, filming, editing, recording and producing stories about campus and world happenings has paid off as a number of them were recently rewarded with top honors for their efforts in state competitions for college communicators.

The Indiana Collegiate Press Association presented “The Goshen College Record” with eight awards including a third-place finish in the newspaper-of-the-year category for 2005. Associate Professor of Communication Duane Stoltzfus is the faculty adviser for the newspaper, and chair of the communication department.

“The Record” took home three first-place awards in different categories, including “Best Sports Column” by Jonny West, a junior from Ripon, Wis.; “Best News Feature Story” by Anita Hooley, a junior from Canton, Ohio; and “Best Sports Feature Story” by Eric Bixler, a junior from Indianapolis, Ind. The paper received four second-place awards in the categories “Best News Feature Story” by Joel Fath, a 2005 graduate from Goshen; “Best Staff Editorial”; “Best Inside Page or Section Front” by the Record staff and “Best News Photo” by Zac Albrecht (Sr., Goshen). And the school newspaper received third place in the “Newspaper of the Year” category.

The awards cover the 2005 calendar year, during which Fath served as editor in the spring, and Becca Johnson, a senior from Archbold, Ohio, as editor in the fall. Goshen College competes in Division III, which includes non-daily newspapers published at schools with enrollments of 2,000 or fewer full-time students.

The 2006 Indiana Association of School Broadcasters also presented awards to Goshen College students for their work in television and radio broadcasting – an award area without divisions that sees both large universities and small colleges competing for recognition.

Josh Gross, a senior from Goodfield, Ill., who directs the sports report at the college’s radio station – WGCS 91.1-FM The Globe – received a first-place award for a radio sportscast. James Weber, a sophomore from Reading, Pa., earned second place for radio spot production. Assistant Professor of Communication Jason Samuel is the radio station’s general manager.

Jordan Swartzendruber, a sophomore from Elkhart, Ind., received third place for a television feature package.Associate Professor of Communication Ron Johnson is the adviser for the college’s weekly video production, GC-TV.

Editors: For more information about this, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

###

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.