Amarillo College Student Media members had their most successful showing ever at the awards breakfast April 11 of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association in San Antonio.
At the annual TIPA convention, AC students picked up 28 awards, a record for the school. Those 28 included other AC records: nine individual awards for Amanda Castro-Crist, editor of the AC student newspaper, The Ranger, and nine awards for Student Media audio and video work.
“I am extremely proud of our students and excited about the future of our program,” said Jill Gibson, Matney Mass Media program coordinator.
AC student Bailie Myers was named Journalist of the Year by the Texas Community College Journalism Association, which presents that honor at the TIPA convention. As Journalist of the Year, Myers will receive a 10-week, paid internship this summer at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She was editor of The Ranger in 2012-13.
Myers is the second TCCJA Journalist of the Year from AC. Madelyn Bankhead Vieth won the honor and the internship in 2009. TCCJA has given the award since 2005.
Castro-Crist also was recognized as the TIPA Editor of the Year for two-year schools, and Perla Arellano was named the TIPA Reporter of the Year for two-year schools.
“Amanda looks like an editor who can and does wear many hats in her leadership role,” a judge wrote.
Another judge wrote about Arellano: “We looked at the work of all of the entries in this category, but Perla’s determination and desire to get the story and do it well kept grabbing our attention.”
In addition to the awards, Matney Mass Media student Alma Bustamante received a TIPA Mike Warms Scholarship. Bustamante is The Ranger’s senior reporter.
Among AC’s awards were seven for work students did in on-site contests in San Antonio April 9 and 10. Competing against students from more than 40 two- and four-year schools across the state, Bustamante took first place in Spanish Radio Announcing and second in Spanish TV Announcing. Hope Stokes finished first in Radio Advertising and second in Radio News Writing.
Also on-site, Castro-Crist placed third in Feature Writing while honorable mention certificates went to Allysia Fine in Feature Photography and Quintin Marquez in Sports Photography.
Another first place went to Castro-Crist, Marquez, Bustamante and the Ranger staff for Best Online Video Package. The winning entry consisted of videos and other coverage during the fall 2014 semester regarding domestic violence.
Marquez also received a first-place certificate for TV Commercial, PSA or Promo for a video promoting the online show he hosts, “BadgerBS.”
Other AC awards for material published during 2014 included:
Second place, Radio Overall Excellence, the Digital and Broadcast News Class’s “AC Report;” second, Newspaper Infographic, Castro-Crist; second, Newspaper News Feature Story, Castro-Crist; second, Newspaper News Story, Castro-Crist; second, Newspaper Single-Subject Presentation Design, Bethany Zalman; second, Newspaper General Column, Castro-Crist; second, Newspaper Non-Photo Illustration Graphic, Hannah Overton; third, Newspaper Non-Photo Illustration Graphic, Overton; and third, TV Sports Feature Story, Marquez.
Honorable mention for 2014 work went to:
Best Recurring Podcast, Cody McGehee, Sir Garen Grayson and Ashley Vanderford for “The Talk;” TV Non-Feature News, McGehee; Newspaper News Photo, Castro-Crist; Newspaper Sports News Story, Marquez; Magazine Feature Photo, Castro-Crist; and Magazine Column, Overton.
The Ranger also received honorable mention for Overall Excellence. All newspaper awards were in Division 4, for non-weekly student newspapers.
AC also was represented among the workshop leaders at the TIPA convention. On Thursday, former Ranger editor Brittney Richerson spoke on the topic, “How to Take Control of Your Career.” Richerson, 25, is publisher and editor of The Aransas Pass Progress and the Ingleside Index after working at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Corpus Christi Symphony.
“Having AC students do so well in media competition was exciting, and seeing them being inspired by Brittney, who was in their shoes just three years ago, was icing on the cake,” said Mike Haynes, a Student Media adviser. “On top of that, Bailie is the TCCJA Journalist of the Year, Amanda Editor of the Year and Perla Reporter of the Year. Those of us working with college journalists are pretty fortunate.”
Attending the TIPA convention were Student Media members Wesley Bahn, Bustamante, Castro-Crist, Austin Cavitt, Fine, Denisha Kranthoven, Marquez, Marissa Martinez, Myers, Christie Rankin, Stokes and Zalman along with advisers Gibson and Haynes and Student Media assistant Donna Salter.
Advisers for “The AC Report” are Gibson and Brian Frank. Advisers for The Ranger, AC Current and acranger.com are Gibson and Haynes.
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