2020 Awards
Certificates will be mailed to advisers. Any corrections, please reach out to Liz at pnajecontest@gmail.com.
Trophies will also be mailed to publications in the fall for first place winners in general excellence, best website for 2- and 4-year schools and publication sweeps.
General news
First: Sarah Kasten, Clark College’s The Indy, Integrity Invites Transparency
Second: Nate Sanford, Western Washington University’s The Western Front, Students responsible for misconduct seek to protect identities
Third: Lizzy Rowe, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Pierce College appoints new student government president: Jessica Edmonds to be the Student Government president after the former president steps down
Honorable mentions: Saki Kambe, Peninsula College’s The Buccaneer, Makah whaling decision imminent;
Taylor Riley, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, A final farewell: Pierce College Fort Steilacoom gives their final send-off to former president Denise Yochum
Comprehensive coverage
First: Juan Páez, Joshua Groom & Aaron Shore, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, Reporting on Shoreline Community College’s Budget
Second: Joshua Groom, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, Reporting on Shoreline Community College's Dental Hygiene Program
Third: Daniel Albert, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Campus coronavirus reporting
Feature reporting
First: Alexandra Kube, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Differing Political Views
Second: Matt Slater, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Toxins in Pierce College's backyard, Waughop Lake and the toxic algae residing within
Third: Travis Tribble, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, From Plato’s Cave to Google’s Cubicle
Honorable mention: Jacob Dickson, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Just Flew Into EVCC
Personality profile
First: Anne Hammond, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Chaz Serna: passionate about reform, meet your new Fort Steilacoom Student Government president
Second: Jase Wanlass, Green River College’s The Current, Kelly Eisenhour Teaches Students How to Find Their Passion
Third: Yaneli Jimenez-Carmona, Clark College’s The Indy, Unapologetically a Dreamer
Honorable mention: Sandra Fachiol, Clark College’s The Indy, Witches of Clark
Sports news reporting
First: Ed Strong, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, SCC Men's Soccer on Chopping Block
Second: Kate Chilelli, Lane Community College’s The Torch, Cross country teams: first and second
Third: Calvin Domingo, Highline College’s The Thunderword, T-Bird men stuck in fourth gear
Sports feature reporting
First: Lena Mercer, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Opinion: New to the game
Second: Calvin Domingo, Highline College’s The Thunderword, The Comeback Kid
Third: Taimane Rice, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Student Spotlight: Jocelyn Hillyer, a great leader, takes her final bow
Honorable mentions: Daniel Albert, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Former Cascade High School Makes It To The NFL; Ed Strong, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, Former Phins MBB Star Thrives at Seattle U
Individual column/
commentary
First: Thomas McKenzie, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Quarantine: Day 12
Second: Astro Pittman, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Through thick and thin: the true color of my skin
Third: Lena Mercer, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Opinion: When a shooting is not a shooting
Honorable mention: Jordan Somers, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Disappointment, longing and silver linings
Review
First: Joshua Groom, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, Caught and Killed
Second: Khuong “Finn” Quoc Ho, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Avengers: Endgame: The epilogue of an epic saga
Third: Nick Gibson, Clark College’s The Indy, Powerful Poetry: A Review of the Memoir “Heart Berries”
News photo
First: Matthew Fields , Clark College’s The Indy, Clark strike
Second: Jamling Sherpa, Bellevue College’s The Watchdog, Christian Evangelists on Bellevue College Campus
Third: Simon Krane, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Crane collapsed on Mercer Street
Feature photo
First: Matthew Fields, Clark College’s The Indy, Monk sweeping away mandala
Second: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) pose together.
Third: Simon Krane, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Kelly Maroney, a yoga instructor, practicing Stand Up Paddle (SUP) yoga on Silver Lake.
Honorable mention: Cat Duque, Clark College’s The Indy, Monk looking closely
Sports photo
First: Adrianna Vison-Montgomery , Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Charlie Larson making solid contact with the ball at a game
Portrait photography
First: Jordan Somers, Seattle Central College’s Seattle Collegian, Disappointment, longing and silver linings
Second: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Rebecca Robinson (Killinsworth), posing with her instrument of choice, the ukelele.
Third: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, A man vaping
Photo essay
First: Carrie Bell, Whatcom Community College’s Horizon, Glass arts: Fire it up!
Photo illustration/graphics
First: Abri Wilson, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, 4 ways to reduce your carbon footprint on a budget, being environmentally cautious can be pricey, but fortunately there are a few ways that you can help
Second: Abri Wilson, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, How to stay motivated in keeping and achieving your New Year's resolutions, set yourself up for success in 2020
Third: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Oct. 2019 issue cover photo
Honorable mentions: Simon Krane, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Student actor in costume for EvCC's Time Punks play
Headlines
First: Sandra Fachiol, Clark College’s The Indy, Miss Gendered: Being Non-Binary in a World of Gowns and Crowns
Second: Clipper Staff, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Does Every Teacher Deserve an Apple? Students and Staff Reflect on What Makes a Good Instructor.
Third: Joel Paul, Clark College’s The Indy, Penguins Fight and Fall Short
Page design
First: Miranda Embrey, Clark College’s The Indy, Clark troubles
Second: Tyler Reyes, Clark College’s The Indy, Bathroom issue cover
Third: Nova Clark, Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide, Democratic Primary Heads Into Decisive Phase
Honorable mentions: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, March 2020 cover page of The Clipper
Best use of multimedia storytelling
First: Daniel Albert, Eve Chamberlin & Amy Gilbert McGrath, Everett Community College’s The Clipper, Mobility Challenges on College Campus (video)
Second: Nick Gibson, Clark College’s The Indy, Clark College Strike: Listen to our Radio Report from the Picket Line
Third: Quintin Mattson-Hayward, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Kicking it with Q - Episode 5 - The Struggle in Hong Kong
Honorable mentions: Kotone Ochiai, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer, Interviewing international Pierce College students about whether they have a holiday similar to Thanksgiving in their own country and how they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving in the states
Best website (2-year)
First: The Clipper, Everett Community College
Second: The Ebbtide, Shoreline Community College
Third: The Indy, Clark College
General Excellence (2-year print)
First: The Clipper, Everett Community College
Second: The Pioneer, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
Third: The Watchdog, Bellevue College
Best website (4-year)
First: The Beacon, University of Portland
Third (tied): The Review , Linfield College; The Observer, Central Washington University
Individual sweeps
First: Savanna Eickerman, Everett Community College’s The Clipper
Second: Simon Krane, Everett Community College’s The Clipper
Third: Daniel Albert, Everett Community College’s The Clipper
Publication sweeps
First: The Clipper, Everett Community College
Second: The Indy, Clark College
Third: The Pioneer, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
Thank you to our judges!
Colin Miner, manager of news and content partnerships, Patch
Michael W. Parks, retired college journalism professor
John Killen, retired editor and reporter, The Oregonian
Stephanie Yao Long, multimedia specialist, City of Portland (and former photojournalist at The Oregonian)
Hank Stern, former managing news editor at Willamette Week
Tom Humphrey, art director, Reed College
Steve Law, retired newspaper editor/reporter
Julie Showers, art and communications director
Nicholas Deshais, multimedia journalist at the Northwest News Network and adjunct professor at Gonzaga University
Nick Budnick, reporter at Portland Tribune/Pamplin Media Group
Paul Steinle, professor emeritus, Southern Oregon University
Joan Harvey, former reporter and obituary, LifeStory and FoodDay writer for The Oregonian
Andy Bao, freelance photojournalist
Susan Nielsen, executive director at Portland Workforce Alliance
Sean Sperry, photojournalist
Lynne Palombo, communication librarian at State of Oregon Law Library
Andrea Damewood, food critic for Portland Mercury
Ryan Frank, assistant director of public affairs & policy, Cambia Health Solutions
PNAJE announces its 2020 winners in college journalism contest
380 entries received in 22 categories for reporting, visuals and web content
TACOMA, WA, May 18 — Results are in for the best in college journalism as the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators announced its 2020 contest winners.
The contest continued its format to an all-digital entry platform, garnering 279 entries. While entries this year came from Oregon and Washington schools, Idaho, Alaska and Montana schools are also eligible to enter. Two categories were added this year for 4-year universities to enter overall general excellence in print and online.
"This year's competition showcased stellar student work on a range of pressing topics, from toxic algae to the coronavirus," said Beth Slovic, president of PNAJE. "Winners should be especially proud that their entries stood out in a very crowded field."
The student staff of The Clipper at Everett Community College in Washington took top honors for general excellence in print for a 2-year school, best website for a 2-yer school and the publication sweep category.
In the publications sweeps category, which counted the most first-, second- and third-place finishes for a school, student journalists at The Indy at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, earned second and Pierce College Fort Steilacoom’s The Pioneer in Washington placed third.
The Pioneer also received second place in the print general excellence category, with third going to Bellevue (Washington) College’s The Watchdog. Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide took second for best website for a 2-year school with The Indy receiving third.
The Beacon at the University of Portland, Oregon, took top honors for best website for a 4-year school, followed by a tie for third between Linfield College’s The Review and Central Washington University’s The Observer.
Everett student journalists Savanna Eickerman, Simon Krane and Daniel Albert took the individual sweeps honors.
Other college news staffs that competed are from Whatcom, Seattle Central, Green River, Highline and Peninsula colleges in Washington; Portland and Lane community colleges in Oregon; Central Washington University, Western Washington University and Saint Martin's University in Washington.
Entries consisted of work that students completed from spring quarter 2019 through winter quarter 2020. The 18 judges included communications professionals who currently or previously worked for publications in the Pacific Northwest.
Results are available at sites.google.com/view/pnajecontest
Contact: Liz Wishaw, contest coordinator Email: pnajecontest@gmail.com