Student Publications News

WKU’s student publications received top national awards during the National College Media Convention Oct. 26-29 in Dallas.

The College Heights Herald and the Talisman both received Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker awards, the country’s most prestigious recognition for college publications, during a ceremony on Saturday. Six students and two alumni were also recognized with individual awards.

The Talisman received a 2016 Yearbook Pacemaker award for its final edition as a yearbook. The book was edited by May 2016 graduates Tanner Cole and Naomi Driessnack. Cole currently works as city and county government reporter at The Hawk Eye in Burlington, Iowa, and Driessnack works as assistant visuals editor at GQ and GQ Style in New York City.

The Talisman also received a 2017 Online Pacemaker Award for its website, WKUTalisman.com, and was recognized as a finalist for the 2017 Magazine Pacemaker Award. The editor was May 2017 graduate Kylee Kaetzel, who now works as a public relations assistant at Paul and Williams in New York City.

The Herald received a 2017 Newspaper Pacemaker Award. The Fall 2016 editor was Brandon Carter, a December 2016 graduate who currently works as social media curator at The Hill in Washington, D.C. The Spring 2017 editor was Lashana Harney, a senior from Paris, Kentucky.

The recognition brings the total number of Pacemaker awards received by WKU’s student publications to 36. The Talisman has received 20 Pacemakers, and the Herald has received 16. Both publications are members of the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame.

Four Herald students were recognized with individual awards from the Associated Collegiate Press.

• 2017 graduate Nicole Ares, who now attends graduate school at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, received first place in the News Story of the Year category for her project “In the Dark: Records shine light on sexual misconduct at state universities.”
• Bowling Green senior Abby Potter received first place in the Spot News Photo Excellence category for an image from a protest at the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
• Maumee, Ohio, junior Gabriel Scarlett received third place in the General News Photo Excellence category for an image from a vigil for an Alpha Gamma Delta sorority sister who died in a car accident.
• Floyds Knobs, Indiana, sophomore Sam Flick received honorable mention in the Newspaper Page/Spread Design of the Year category for a spread called “Shades of Melanin.”

Herald students were also recognized in the College Media Association Pinnacle Awards, which were announced Friday at the convention.

• Ares’ story “In the Dark” received first place as Best Investigative Story.
• Ares and fellow May 2017 graduate Jacob Dick received first place in the Best Special Section: Four Pages or Less category. Ares’ award was for “In the Dark” while Dick’s was for “Crafting Tim Caboni,” a profile of WKU’s new president, Timothy Caboni. Dick is now county government reporter for the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
• Roanoke, Virginia, senior Shaban Athuman received first place in the Best Newspaper Photo Page/Spread category for a collection of images summarizing the 2016-17 school year.
• Sand Gap junior Morgan Hornsby received first place in the Best Photo Package category for images from the Miss Black Western pageant.
• Elizabethtown senior Kelsea Hobbs received first place in the Best Sports News Photo category for an action shot from a men’s basketball game.
• Potter received third place in the Best Breaking News Photo category for the inauguration image.

Additionally, the Talisman magazine received third place for Best Magazine Cover in the Pinnacle Awards.

Representing the Talisman at the convention were Cadiz senior Helen Gibson, Louisville freshman Adam Murphy and Crestwood freshman McKenna Mitchell. Representing the Herald were Harney, Nashville senior Hannah McCarthy and Richmond junior Cameron Coyle.

Student Publications Director Chuck Clark and Talisman Adviser Sam Oldenburg also participated in the conference. Oldenburg presented two sessions on photojournalism, “Get your head in the game: sports photography tips” and “Photo editing: more than meets the eye.”