BVU students earn coveted sweeps award in national media contest

Related Media

BVU digital media students, joined by Dr. Andrea Frantz, earned 36 awards in the annual Society for Collegiate Journalists national media contest, giving BVU top honors in the sweeps awards.

STORM LAKE, IA (04/17/2019) (readMedia)-- Buena Vista University's (BVU) digital media students and organizations earned 36 awards in the annual Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) national media contest. These results afforded BVU top honors in the national contest's newly established sweeps awards.

SCJ's national contest entries are judged by professionals in the media industry. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters across the nation, and all active members are eligible to enter original works in the contest. Each chapter may submit up to three entries per category, with more than 50 categories covering all media formats. The national contest does not distinguish divisions by the size of the school or chapter. Student work published or aired in the 2018 calendar year was eligible for this year's contest.

In its biennium convention in Louisville, KY last fall, national delegates voted to create a sweeps award for the top three university media programs based on accumulated points in the contest. BVU students earned the most points in 2018 and will receive a first-place plaque in the fall convention in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Andrea Frantz, professor of digital media at BVU and executive director of SCJ, chartered BVU's chapter in the fall of 2012. "I've begun to think of BVU's student media as 'the little engine that could,'" says Frantz. "When we look at the size of schools that consistently participate in this national contest, BVU is by far the smallest, and yet our students' work is widely recognized across all platforms by professionals in the field."

The SCJ national awards that BVU media organizations and students received include:

First Place: Online broadcast website overall excellence: KBVU 97.5 FM Staff; Live radio sports show overall excellence: Andrew Bandstra (AB Squared); Television live sports broadcast: BVTV Sports, BVTV staff (BVU v.Coe football); Multimedia news story: The Tack Online, KBVU & BVTV staffs (It Starts with Us: Buenafication Day 2018 coverage); Multimedia feature story: Nic Henrichs (Kenny Wexler: Big Neighborhood, Small Town); Podcast: Madeleine McCormick (Politics of Fear: Immigration); Sports feature writing: Ella Wiebusch (Who's Who in Beaver Sports: Stefan Collins); Column or commentary: Aubrey Anderson (Never too young to make an impact); Feature writing: Allyssa Ertz (Managing diabetes while in college); Radio news package: Olivia Wieseler (I don't want to hear it: Is speech too free?); Radio feature package: Deidree Friesen, Kimberly Diaz, and Sarah Nicholson (Under the Gun); Radio sports package: Tanner Hoops (Adam Juhl Game-winning 3-pointer); Television commercial: and Mason McGrew and BVTV crew (BVTV Tonight New Host Promo).

Second Place: Live radio news show overall excellence: Iran Carlos & Tyler Brunner ("What's the Edge?"); Live radio sports show overall excellence: Tanner Frost, Guy Tannenbaum, Nic Henrichs (Sports on the Edge); Television news show overall excellence: BVTV News; Television live sports broadcast: BVTV Sports crew (BVU v. Loras football); Feature photography: Emily Kenny (Who's Who in Beaver Sports: Gary Weaver); Sports photography: Emily Kenny (BVU Volleyball loses conference thriller to Central); Multimedia news story: Allyssa Ertz (Free Cupcakes for Five Freedoms); Sports feature writing: Emily Kenny (Communities Rally Behind BVU Student-Athlete Canyon 'Moose' Hopkins); Radio news package: Iran Carlos and Tyler Brunner (BVU Forum renovations); Radio feature package: Tyler Brunner (Dash for cash); Radio sports package: Tanner Hoops (BVU baseball v. Wartburg); and Television commercial/PSA: Zach Hess and Tyler Brunner (Tech Trek promo).

Third Place: Live radio sports show overall excellence: Tanner Frost (Friday afternoon with Frosty and Coach Mo); Multimedia feature story: Morgan McGrew (Kristie's Kandies and Heirlooms); Multimedia sports story: Allyssa Ertz (A runner's story); Radio news package: Iran Carlos (March for our lives); Radio feature package: Omar Alcorta, Guy Tannenbaum, Allyssa Ertz, Iran Carlos, and Cooper Maahs (Iowa midterm elections); Radio sports package: Tanner Frost (BVU volleyball v. Simpson); Television feature package: Mason McGrew (Paper or plastic); and Television promo: Mason McGrew, Guy Tannenbaum, and BVTV crew (BVTV holiday promo)

Honorable Mention: Multimedia news story: Morgan McGrew (Nila Houska and Amy Jones recognized for service); Continuing coverage: Olivia Wieseler, Alyssa Donnelly, Tyler Brunner, Iran Carlos (Multi-million dollar student center renovation); and Column or commentary: Andrew Bandstra (I stand with Kaep).

About Buena Vista University

Since 1891, Buena Vista University has prepared students for lifelong success and blends liberal arts with real-world applications. Our traditional campus on the shores of Storm Lake hosts students in a variety of majors and pre-professional programs, including elementary, secondary, and special education; business and accounting; and biological and chemical sciences. Our 16 degree-completion locations, online, and graduate programs expand student potential with a pace and academic rigor designed for working adults and a variety of class formats that make scheduling even more convenient. With an average scholarship of more than 50 percent off of tuition, BVU is an affordable option for all students. Visit www.bvu.edu.

###