Tyler Junior College student journalists from The DrumBeat took home multiple awards from recent state and national conventions.
The Texas Community College Journalism Association convention was held Oct. 6 at the University of Texas at Arlington. The College Media Association and Associated Collegiate Press joint convention was held at the Sheraton in downtown Dallas Oct. 25-29.
Top honors went to Julia Contarelli, former editor-in-chief, for 1st place in Newspaper Division I News Writing from TCCJA. She also won 2nd place for Two-year College Reporter of the Year from ACP. The 1st place winner was from the Art Institute of Chicago. The Reporter of the Year award is considered the highest honor for a student journalist in the United States. This is the first time that a TJC student has placed in the category.
Contarelli completed her studies at TJC and is now a journalism student at the University of North Texas in Denton. The DrumBeat staff won 2nd and 3rd Place for Editorial Writing and 3rd Place for Overall Excellence in Newspaper Division I from TCCJA.
“I am incredibly proud of the quality of the work that our student journalists produce,” said Derik Gray, TJC professor of communications and student media adviser.
The DrumBeat also took home a variety of multimedia awards. The DrumBeat was honored nationally with 2nd place for Radio Station of the Year from CMA. Student media does not currently operate a radio station like most other organizations in the category. The award was given for audio productions that student journalists created for The DrumBeat website.
Student media staff also won 1st Place for Newspaper Division I website from TCCJA. Ben Savallo won 2nd Place for Video News, and David Rojas won an Honorable Mention for Video Production.
“These awards give students a leg up on entering the competitive media industry,” said Rachel Jennische, program coordinator of TJC communications and student media.
The DrumBeat’s next competition will be the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention in Dallas March 13-16. The DrumBeat student media is a self-funded and student run on-campus organization. All content is generated and selected by student journalists who receive training from advisers Derik Gray and Rachel Jennische. Any student, regardless of major, can be a part of student media.