Wichitan earns top honors
Jennifer Tavlian | Staff Reporter

The Wichitan was named Best Overall Newspaper at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association competition in Corpus Christi Saturday. The paper placed first out of 19 newspapers. The Wichitan also placed second in the sweepstakes competition. MSU 2 television placed third. “I’m absolutely pleased,” said Ron Fischli, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “Excellence breeds excellence. We have a tradition of excellence, and the students know it and don’t want to fall down on it. I think it’s a deserved award.” Approximately 450 students from 62 colleges and universities across Texas competed in live events. These staged events ranged from a beach-side drug bust complete with helicopter and boat chases, to a baseball game erupting into a player/coach fistfight.

Students who placed in the live categories include Ashley Vannucci, first place in TV broadcast advertising and honorable mention in magazine design; Tracy Simons, third place radio news writing; and Mindy Lethcoe, honorable mention print advertising copy design. The other half of the awards were given for previously published work mailed in to be judged beforehand.

Students placing first in these categories include Matt Terrell, critical review; Anika Kentish, series reporting; Alexis Stoddard, feature story; Lindsey Rich, news page design; Jason Palmer, sports news story; Mindy Lethcoe, advertising internship; John DeLuna, Stephen Smith and Lacey Romines, TV production; Chance Baskerville, Tara Henry and Eucelia Hill, public affairs program.

Second place awards went to Chris Wilson, humor column; Zach Duncan, sports column and sports feature; Kara Thomson, TV non-feature; John DeLuna, Stephen Smith and Lacey Romines, TV public affairs program; Caroline Henry, public relations internship; Lacee Ernst, advertising internship.

Those placing third were Zach Duncan, sports page design; Dwayne Harris, humor column; Alexis Stoddard, opinion page design; Eucelia Hill, news feature story; Zach Duncan, print internship; Jessica Morris, public relations internship; Danielle Johnson, TV non-feature; Matt Stonehouse, Kara Thomson and Tim Whittington, TV documentary.

Students named for honorable mention include Karri McGovern, news story; Dwayne Harris, general column; Daniel Chavez, illustration; Jason Palmer, sports action photo; Joe Silva, cartoon; Ya-Rei Chan, feature photo; Alexis Stoddard, feature page design; Amber Ashley and Kara Thomson, TV sportscast; Ashley Vannucci, overall newscast; Lindsey Rich, print internship. “We are in many cases giving an education that is superior to the most expensive private school in the state and a quality better than some of the largest schools in the state,” Chair of the Mass Communication Department Carla Bennett said of the department’s success. Veteran newscasters Walter Cronkite and Bill Moyers were inducted into the TIPA Hall of Fame for 2003. Wichitan sports editor Zach Duncan was awarded the Frank Buckley Scholarship for the 2003-2004 academic year.