The Echo was awarded seven ICPA awards at a banquet on Saturday Apr. 12.
The Echo as a staff was awarded first place for a single issue, “The Eclipse Edition.”
Staff Writer Lauren Warner received a third place award for her article, “‘The Madwoman of Chaillot’ paints a world of madness and beauty.”
Staff Contributor Grace Normand was awarded a third place award for her column, “The NFL’s concussion crisis still looms large.”
“Her writing has truly elevated our section, and I have been very grateful to have her talented writing in our newspaper,” Caleb Joshua Heffron, Sports Co-Editor, said. “Her award-winning article was well-deserved.”
Heffron received four awards for his various work on staff. He was awarded third place in the Sports Story category for "Silent Night brings together the best of Taylor University," second place in the Entertainment Column/Review category for "'Transformers One' proves that Autobots do indeed have a heart," third place in the category Inside Page Design for "CFB teams on precipice of success or failure" and third place in the category Informational Infographic for "Taylor Trojans Fall Summary."
“I was honored to represent Taylor, The Echo and our sports staff and collect multiple awards,” Heffron said. “It felt like many of the long hours and late-night editing sessions paid off and I am very appreciative of the recognition from the ICPA.”
Throughout the event, students were able to participate in learning sessions about various issues in journalism today.
One event was about the rights journalists have while working and reporting. Another event was about conflict within student newspapers and how to resolve it effectively. The most popular speaker among students was the session about how to get the job and what working in print media looks like after college graduation.
“One of the sessions I attended discussed how to “get the job” in the journalism industry, and the woman who spoke urged students to go outside of their comfort zones and learn new skills,” Warner said. “Employers are looking for employees who are multi-talented, teachable and diligent. By pursuing excellence, students can set themselves apart from the crowd.”
Echo faculty adviser Alan Blanchard, associate professor of journalism, said he is very proud of all staff members of The Echo.
“The Echo is made up of a great team of students from a variety of majors including but not limited to multimedia journalism, professional writing, art, film & media and more.”
The Echo has been led this school year by senior Makenna McCord and Contessa Hussong, co-editors-in-chief.
“The student journalists work very hard creating compelling, interesting stories of interest to students, staff and faculty,” Blanchard said. “The TU community benefits from their creative skills that include writing, editing, photography, graphic design and more.”
The Taylor University Echo journalists competed in Division 3 Newspaper of the Year statewide in the annual Indiana Collegiate Press Association newspaper contest. The awards were handed out at the conference at Indiana University Saturday, April 12, in Bloomington.
The Echo competes with these Division 3 college and university student newspapers: Anderson University’s The Andersonian, Bethel University’s Beacon, Goshen College’s The Record, Manchester College’s The Oak Leaves, and Wabash College’s The Bachelor, Blanchard said.
