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Crusader A Finalist For Pacemaker Award

KSCB News - October 26, 2011 3:53 pm

The Pacemaker Award is the top award of the Associated Collegiate Press, and ACP has selected the 2010-2011 Crusader student newspaper as a Pacemaker Finalist.
The finalist standing puts the Crusader, the student newspaper of Seward County Community College/Area Technical School in Liberal, Kan., in the top 10 two-year college newspapers recognized in the nation, as listed on the website at studentpress.org.

This week at an awards ceremony at the National Media Convention in Orlando, Fla., the Crusader staff will find out if it moves from a finalist into the Pacemaker spotlight.

Since the Pacemaker Finalist was awarded to the 2010-11 staff, former editors Alfredo Anaya and Dana Loewen of Meade are recognized on the award.

“ I am thrilled that Alfredo and Dana have been recognized as Pacemaker Finalist editors,” Anita Reed, Crusader adviser and SCCC/ATS journalism instructor, said. “I truly thought their publications were good enough to qualify for the Pacemaker, and I was anxiously awaiting the Pacemaker announcements. I was so excited when I found out they had made it. They were terrific editors, dedicated to putting out the best possible publication, and they both have tremendous talent as writers and designers.”
The joint leadership of Anaya, of Liberal, and Loewen, of Meade, also earned Gold Medalist standing for the Crusader for the first time in 10 years in the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press competitions in the spring, and that honor was followed this fall with the announcement of the Pacemaker Finalist standing.
“It makes me happy to see that all the work that Dana and I put in paid off,” Anaya said. “It reflects through the award.”

“ I really felt like Alfredo and I had the opportunity to really make it our own and take chances,” Loewen said. “In the long run, most of those chances really paid off and I think that’s what grabbed the attention of the judges.”

Entries were judged by professional journalists in the Washington, D.C., area. Finalists were selected based on excellence in coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, in-depth reporting, layout/design, photography, art and graphics.

Dana Loewen, daughter of Verle and Sharon Loewen, was raised in Meade. Loewen attended SCCC with a Presidential Scholarship after graduating from Meade High School as fourth in her class. She was part of the SCCC/ATS Crusader staff for two years, and was co-editor during her second year of newspaper experience. Loewen graduated in May 2011 with an associate of arts degree in journalism.

“ Being an editor for the Crusader gave me important life experience that I know I’ll use whether I end up as a professional journalist or something completely different,” Loewen said. “Even though at times I was so exhausted and stressed, I wouldn’t give up the experience for anything.”

Anaya is currently attending Fort Hays State University, and Loewen is at Wichita State University, where she earned the job of copy editor at the Sunflower newspaper.

The award presentation will take place at the National Media Convention in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 29. That is when the Crusader staff will learn if they stay in the top 10 as a Pacemaker Finalist or advance to receive a Pacemaker Award. Also at the convention, Crusader adviser Anita Reed will be recognized as the 2011 Distinguished Adviser of the Year for two-year colleges. Reed and nine Crusader staff members, including Loewen’s younger sister, Tonya Loewen, are attending the National Media Convention Oct. 26-30.

The spring 2011 staff consisted of Anaya, Loewen, Deisi Barboza, Liberal; Zach Carpenter, Liberal; Jeanette Contreras, Liberal; Ivan Gaytan, Liberal; Joseph Hoffman, Hooker, Okla.; Megan Kearns, Stockton; Raul Lemus, Liberal; Heidy Molina, Liberal; Lizuly Monarrez, Liberal; Jose Rodriguez, Liberal; Octavio Rodriguez, Liberal; Omar Rios, Liberal; Reanna Tumlinson, Meade; and Connie Whiteley, Liberal.

The Crusader newspaper has achieved finalist standing one other time, in 2003-2004, while the CrusaderNews.com online has won two Pacemakers, in 2002 and 2004.

 

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