The editorial staff for the Fresno City College Rampage newspaper won several awards, at the 56th annual Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention, held in Sacramento.
The awards were made for work completed during the spring 2010 and fall 2010 semesters. The Rampage won an award in the General Excellence category, which covers the overall reporting, content, and design of the newspaper.
Former copy editor, Andrew Veihmeyer, won second place in the News Writing category while former managing editor, Kyle Calvert, and current online and entertainment editor, Max Rosendahl, won General Excellence in the Enterprise Reporting category for their coverage of the Health instructor, Brad Lopez’s controversy. Current news editor, Aly Diaz, also won the General Excellence award for her series, “DSP&S In Crisis” last semester.
Current art director, Austin Verburg, won first place for Editorial Cartooning and received Honorable Mention in the Critical Review category.
Diaz and current production manager, Ramiro Gudino, won first and second place, respectively, for Online Student Designed Advertisement. The Rampage staff won fourth place in the Editorial Writing category for the Centennial Edition. Former production manager, Jessika Verdusco, won fourth place in the Inside Page Layout – Tabloid category. Additionally, Rampage reporter, Jesse Franz, won presidency of the Northern California region of JACC.
“Through tremendous efforts, we have accomplished our goals, and in my eyes, succeeded,” said current managing editor, Sydney Excinia, who has been with the Rampage for two years. Excinia also said she is proud of the staff she works with.
The event from April 7 to 10 opened with a keynote speech by Joyce Terharr, managing editor for content at the Sacramento Bee. Each of the three days of the convention was filled with workshops and on-the-spot competitions for aspiring journalists.
The JACC state convention gathers faculty and students from 45 California and Rhode Island colleges to exchange ideas with others and encourage the development of an enriched educational experience for journalism students and instructors alike.
In her the keynote address, Terharr addressed the current state and effects of online media she encouraged journalism students to not only effectively report and write, but also to accurately investigate a story.
The JACC convention kept over 550 students and faculty busy, offering 13 on-the-spot competitions and over 70 seminar-styled workshops, led by journalism professionals from various well-known publications as well as instructors from various universities. Competitions incorporated many aspects of journalism, including writing, editing, editorial cartooning, photography, and layout.
Keynote speaker Terhaar urged participants to embrace their role as journalists. She said, “You can create the future, and that’s a great place to be.”
