Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University student newspaper, The All State, earned 10 awards from the Southeast Journalism Conference, including first place and second place for Best Press Photography, during the annual conference in Oxford, Mississippi on Friday, February 17th, 2017.
Individual staff members earning awards were:
- Ranked 1st for Best Press Photography
Hunter Abrams, freshman and staff photographer - Ranked 2nd for Best Press Photography
Taylor Slifko, alumna and former photo editor
- Ranked 2nd for Best Magazine Page Layout Designer
Celeste Malone, senior and editor-in-chief - Ranked 3rd for On-Site Copy Editing
Ethan Steinquest, senior and managing editor - Ranked 6th for Best Arts & Entertainment Writer
Andrew Wadovick, junior and features editor - Ranked 8th for Best News Writer
Ethan Steinquest, senior and managing editor
“I love the uniqueness of humans and their actions,” Abrams, from Nashville, Tennessee, said. “Any of the photos I have taken can never be recreated or imitated because the emotions of this year cannot be made again.” Abrams submitted photos from the Governors football team loss to Murray State University, Lil Govs’ Child Learning Center pumpkin patch event and the 2016 Homecoming Concert featuring Frankie Ballard.
“I am in awe of the amazing dedication, work and tremendous passion the staff has exemplified this year,” Malone said. “Each member of The All State has continuously blown me away with every edition.”
The newspaper staff partnered with the APSU Student Government Association and the Political Science department to host Debate Watch viewings of the presidential debates.
“Placing 2nd in the Public Service Journalism category encompasses the reason we do what we do,” Malone said. “We are serving and representing our student community as best as we can and this award shows that.”
The newspaper earned a ranking of 2nd in the Best College Magazine category for the 2016 Election Guide special edition of The All State. The newspaper also earned a ranking of 2nd for Best Public Service Journalism for their coverage of the 2016 Election and issues relating to students before Election Day and after.
“The All State has put in a lot of effort over the past year to earn these awards, and I’m proud to see that being recognized,” Steinquest said. “We have a very talented staff, and it’s a pleasure to work with them every week.” There were a total of 469 entries from 29 colleges and universities across the southeast in this year’s Best of the South competition at SEJC.
Students attending the conference were:
- Lauren Cottle, senior and perspective editor
- Noah Houck, sophomore and assistant sports editor
- Celeste Malone, senior and editor-in-chief
- Aaliyah Mitchell, junior and assistant features editor
- Ethan Steinquest, senior and managing editor
- Andrew Wadovick, junior and features editor
“It’s a great honor to receive such an award. I’ve loved writing since I was in high school, and it’s a humbling experience to see other people awarding me for my work,” Wadovick said of his win. “It’s times like this when I know I chose the right career path.”
Last fall, The All State earned two second-place national Pinnacle Awards from the College Media Association, with 176 colleges and universities competing.
“I’m also excited to see the publication’s continued trend of success … It’s a great affirmation of our service to the APSU community,” Steinquest said.
The newspaper publishes each Wednesday in print, which is distributed on APSU’s Clarksville and Fort Campbell campuses. It also publishes regularly online at www.theallstate.org
Readers can also connect with The All State on Facebook, Instagram (@TheAllState_APSU) and Twitter (@TheAllState
