Student Publications Complete Sweep Of State Contests
(Press Release 04-21-08)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

For the second time this year, student publications at Eastern Oklahoma State College claimed top honors during state competition. The annual Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association’s (OCPA) Media Day was held April 10 in Stillwater, where the “Eastern Statesman” newspaper and the “Mountaineer” yearbook were both honored with the “Award of Excellence” -- the competition’s highest honor. In all, the publications and their staffs brought home 15 awards.

“We continue to do well in these competitions primarily because we teach the basics and the foundation, and the students carry it across,” Hank Mooney, Director of Public Information said.

Mooney added that for more than 35 years, Eastern’s student-produced publications have always done very well at state competitions, traditionally placing in the top-three.

“At the OCPA conference our (Eastern’s) students are in competition with not only two-year schools, but with four-year universities as well,” Kristen Turner, Eastern Journalism Instructor and “Statesman” and “Mountaineer” adviser said. “I am very proud of the two staffs for being able to compete with these much larger schools.”

At the OCPA competition, Eastern’s entries were judged against several other state colleges in several different categories. Schools represented were: Bacone College, Cameron University, East Central University, Northern Oklahoma College, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City Community College, Oral Roberts University, Southern Nazarene University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Tulsa Community College and the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma.

The newspaper categories were based on issues submitted from the 2007-08 school year. The yearbook categories were based on the 2007 edition. All competition entries were judged by the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press.

The honors bestowed at the OCPA conference are added to the 28 awards that the “Statesman” and “Mountaineer” brought home one week prior at NSU’s Media Day. Combined, Eastern’s publications brought home 43 total awards from the two contests this year; including 24 first place wins.

Overall and Individual Awards - OCPA
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Overall Newspaper
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Overall Yearbook
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Yearbook Photography
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Yearbook Theme
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Interior Page Design (Newspaper)
Award of Excellence (First Place) — Front Page Design (Newspaper)
Award of Merit (Second Place) — Yearbook Content and Coverage
Award of Merit (Second Place) — Yearbook Layout and Design
Third Place — Yearbook Feature Writing — Megan Pierce
Honorable Mention (4th Place-tie) — Yearbook Feature Writing — Carla Perovich
Honorable Mention (4th Place-tie) — Yearbook Feature Writing — Aaron Hanzel
Honorable Mention (4th Place) — Yearbook Sports Writing — Joseph Tyson
Honorable Mention (4th Place) — Feature Photo — Jason Strickland
Honorable Mention (4th Place) — Yearbook Feature Photo — Jana Chancellor
Honorable Mention (4th Place) — Yearbook Photo — Brian Duncan