SCCC Crusader Staff Wins 27 Awards at KACP

The Crusader newspaper staff from Seward County Community College/Area Technical School won 27 individual awards and a Silver Medalist award in overall student newspaper competitions at the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press convention in Hutchinson Monday. At the state conference to recognize achievements of Kansas collegiate journalists, the Crusader staff also won the bronze medalist online award for CrusaderNews.com, and editor Jessica Lulf was recognized as second runner-up for Collegiate Journalist of the Year.The 27 individual awards for work completed between February 2008 and February 2009 included editor Chelsi Valdez’s first-place award for sportsnews writing and former editor Cayla Thomlinson’s first-place awards in photo essay, illustration, and infographics. The Crusader swept the infographics category, winning first, second, third and honorable mention. An on-site competition for copy editing placed two Seward County students in the top five in the state, with both Chelsi Valdez and Will Rector earning awards. Other students at the convention with Crusader faculty adviser Anita Reed were news editor Morgan Allaman, who placed in competitions for illustrationand infographics; online editor James McElvania, who won in infographics and special sections; entertainment editor Jose Rodriguez; sports editor Rustin Watt; and Tyler Savely, who earned certificates in column writing and newswriting.