News Releases

May 15, 2013
For Immediate Release
For more information: 
Kyle Yasumiishi, Editor-in-chief
The Independent
E-mail: editorinchief@students.clark.edu

Dee Anne Finken, Adviser
Clark College Journalism Dept.
Phone: 360-992-2972
Email: dfinken@clark.edu


 

Clark College Independent news team captures first in the state

Independent editors celebrate news team's sucess following WCCJA awards luncheon

Student journalists bring home 23 awards, including
General Excellence and Publication Sweeps,
at Saturday’s WCCJA event

 

VANCOUVER, Wash.–Clark College’s student news staff of The Independent finished first in Washington this year, capturing 23 awards – including General Excellence and Publication Sweeps titles – at the annual Washington Community College Journalism Association luncheon Saturday at Pierce College in Lakewood. 

Independent staff members collected eight first-place, six second-place, four third-place and two honorable mention awards, finishing ahead of eight other community colleges. 

"I'm proud of my staff and excited for them,” editor-in-chief Kyle Yasumiishi said.  “We worked hard this year and I'm honored by this great recognition."

The General Excellence award recognizes the best in editorial leadership; in writing, editing and photography; and in content relative to a community college readership, said WCCJA judge Cynthia Mitchell, who is also a journalism professor at Central Washington University.

Independent photo editor Aleksi Lepisto brought home six individuals awards – two first-place; two second-place; one third-place; and one honorable mention.  He also finished second in the Individual Sweeps category.  Lepisto earned the top awards for his photographs of a Clark College English instructor who plays women’s roller derby and for his portrait of twins who played on Clark’s baseball team.

Presenting at the luncheon were Pacific Lutheran University journalism professor, Doreen Marchionni, whose address was titled “News, Audiences and You:  Making Journalism Exceptional in an Age of Uncertainty” and Yasumiishi, who spoke about the “Voices of Clark College” partnership with The Columbian.

Under the partnership, which began in September 2012, theColumbian and The Independent publish a student-produced news story on the same day in both paper’s print and online editions.

Mitchell, the judge, said the journalism produced by Clark and the other schools this year was of particularly high quality.

“Across the board it was very impressive,” she said.  “As a journalist and a journalism professor, it gives me a lot of hope to see this quality of work.  The future of journalism is in good hands.”         

Other individual Independent award winners included Allison Erskine – first and first; Jeff Knapp – first and third; Daniel Hampton and Debbie Peters – honorable mention; Jayme Motanic -- first;  Dan Ellertson – first; Leiulf Clausen – first; Kelli Borchers – second; Bradley York – second; Margherita Nicotra – third; Bradley York – second; Evan Blatnik – third.  The Independent also won two staff awards, for headline writing and a staff editorial.

The Independent is published in print and online every other week and is distributed to Clark College’s approximately 16,000 students, plus faculty and staff.  All content is student-produced and determined.

The adviser is Clark journalism instructor Dee Anne Finken.  The writing coach is Jim Camin, a former editor from the Oregonian.

The online edition of The Independent is at www.clarkcollegeindependent.com.

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