Student media partakes in TCCJA, takes home awards

Student Media took home four awards after the live-contest portion of TCCJA hosted by Tarleton State University.

Courtesy Photo |

By Ashley Escobar
Editor-in-Chief

Amarillo College’s Student Media team returns home from the Texas Community College Journalism Association conference and competition, hosted by Tarleton State University in Stephanville, with four live-contest awards.

In the Live News Competition, Igiraneza Innocent was awarded Honorable Mention for News Photo. Ashley Escobar and Gillian Crist received Third and First place, respectively. Valarie Salas earned First Place for Editorial Illustration.

This year’s convention saw teams from all over Texas come together to compete in a live contest focused on the craft of journalism. With multiple categories ranging from news writing to video news packages and to editorial illustrations, each student had the opportunity to showcase their skills.

“Attending journalism conventions like TCCJA provides our students with valuable opportunities to learn from industry experts, network with fellow student media members from other two-year schools and even connect with future employers,” Maddisun Fowler, student media adviser and instructor, said. “It’s also a fantastic way for them to explore transfer opportunities. One of my students said he was actually considering transferring to Tarleton after he graduates from AC.”

This year, students were placed in a mock press conference and where a three-hour deadline was set to get all the material in. 

“Being put in a real-life situation with a deadline taught me the importance of keeping my equipment ready and making sure that I have a plan B just in case of a malfunction,” Hunter McColl, general studies major, said. 

To Salas, graphic design and business administration major, this competition solidified what she wanted to do as she said her skills felt natural and the design flowed together. 

“In design, I need to spend time sketching to craft my design, but in a time crunch like this, I just had to trust my gut,” Salas said. “I relied on the design basics, like grid systems and hierarchy, and let the ideas form off of those building blocks.”

Aside from the competition, students were also able to gain further insight in their specialties by attending sessions taught by professionals in the field. 

“In the “Crafting Clear and Compelling Broadcast News” session, I learned all the differences between print and broadcast news and how to turn a print story into a broadcast story,” Genevieve Presley, mass media major, said. “We even got to do an exercise where we tried to do it on our own which I thought was really cool.”

For photography major Igiraneza Innocent, some of his favorite memories included getting dinner and bonding with The Ranger media team. 

“Another one of my favorite highlights of this trip was getting the chance to meet other journalists and getting the chance to learn and sharpen our skills,” Innocent said. 

John Brixen, graphic design instructor, said it was rewarding to support our AC students in assisting students in the ability to travel to another college far from home.

“The students were given a competition challenge in a mock media event that needed to be fulfilled on their own merits and with no assistance from their advisers or judges,” John Brixen, graphic design instructor, said. “For us faculty members and advisers, seeing the final submitted results helped validate Amarillo College’s course curriculum in Mass Media and Graphic Design and is on the right track to be competitive in journalism.”

Fowler said she is continually impressed by her students. She said the first step toward success in the media industry is to say ‘yes’ to opportunities.

“Amarillo College Student Media staff members consistently produce high-quality work,” Fowler said. “I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said they are some of the most hardworking students on campus. I’m incredibly proud that they’re being recognized for their hard work.”

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