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Public Relations and Marketing | Published May 10, 2021
The Chronicle, the student-run newspaper at the College of Lake County, recently won nine awards, including two second places, and an honorable mention for general excellence in statewide competition among community college newspapers.
The awards were announced at the Illinois Community College Journalism Association’s spring conference, which was held virtually April 8. The annual contest put The Chronicle in competition with Division I student publications produced at the state’s biggest community colleges. Professional journalists judged the entries. The entries were published in 2020.
The two second place awards were in headline writing and sports features. Sports editor Christian Welton won second place for his Sept. 14 “Corona levels the playing field” feature. “It had a nice construction and was straightforward and focused on a team (tennis) which had fewer restrictions than another (women's basketball),” the judge said. Ciara White won second place for the headline on her Nov. 10 article, “Sparks fly with CLC’s Welding Department.”
In addition, Tanner DeVore won third place in the same category for the headline on his March 2, 2020, article, “Patrons’ privacy is an open book at some libraries.” The judge cited both headlines for their “nice play on words.” The judge added that White’s headline “works well with layout and images.” The judge also said DeVore’s headline “gets readers involved in the story by giving them something to think about.”
Annie Ahern won third place in graphics for her “How it Works” art that illustrated her Dec. 8 article, “Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine promises healthcare workers and the elderly safety as soon as this year.” “This is a fun graphic with really important information,” the judge said. “I'm a big fan of the "Safe!" icon specifically.”
Arturo Ramirez, the 2019-2020 Chronicle editor, won honorable mention as Illinois editorial writer of the year. The award assesses a body of work submitted by the student journalist. Ramirez’s articles included his March 2, 2020, “Low socioeconomic students must play the ‘game’ harder” and his March 16, 2020, “CLC’s main concern should be preventing spread of virus.” The judge cited Ramirez’s March 16 piece for its impact. “The writer has excellent skills,” the judge said. “The piece urging his institution to prioritize preventing the spread of COVID-19 was well-written and offered perspective of a health care worker. The piece was informative, concise and relevant.”
Three other staff members won honorable mentions. Sarah Pope won her honorable mention in sport news for her Feb. 17, 2020, “Lady Lancers come prepared in second game against McHenry, fall short of win.” The judge said Pope provided “good background on the game, referring to the previous matchup and how they improved in the second meeting.”
Emily Bubel won an honorable mention in feature writing for her Oct. 5 “Teachers are facing new challenges with online learning,” and Cody Dufresne won his honorable mention in news photos for his Feb. 17, 2020, front-page photo to accompany DeVore’s “Human trafficking plagues the nation and Lake County.” “Great, clear, clean photo,” the judge said, “and it does the tell and help the story.”
The Chronicle itself won an honorable mention in general excellence, a category that examines the overall work of newspapers statewide. The judge who gave The Chronicle its honorable mention cited an article by current editor Zoe Rabin as key to the award – her March 2, 2020, front-page news story, “Sustainability adviser resigns, citing ‘disinformation.’” “The Chronicle deserves honorable mention mainly on the strength of the coverage of the sustainability adviser resigning -- well written and covers all the angles,” the judge said.
In the last 13 years, The Chronicle has won 165 awards, including 40 first places, in the statewide contest.
About College of Lake County
College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes and is a national leader in many areas, including sustainability and conservation.