On Feb. 1 the Wisconsin Newspaper Association presented awards to collegiate journalists at the annual conference in Lake Delton at the Kalahari Resort.

Although unable to attend, former Exponent staff members Corey Nechkash and Craig Wild were awarded honorable mention recognition in graphics and photography, respectively.

Besides distributing awards, the conference provided students the ability to have résumés critiqued by professionals in the industry and to participate in mock interviews.

Members of the Exponent staff attended the Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention Feb. 15–16. The Exponent received two awards at the convention and two others at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Conference in Lake Delton.

Exponent staff had another opportunity to become more acquainted with experienced professionals in journalism and to compete for excellence among other collegiate newspapers.

Staffers attended the 17th annual Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. Feb. 15–16.

Andrew Reuter finished eighth in the Single Page Design category and Emily Yttri was ranked first for Best News Photo.

Entries were judged by “advisers of student newspapers not in attendance, professors of journalism, and convention speakers,” Marisa Dobson, contest and critique coordinator for Associated Collegiate Press, said.

Judges were directed to consider editorial leadership, percentage of content from U-Wire, layout, artwork, depth of coverage, and quality in photography among other attributes when ranking entries, Dobson said.

Associated Collegiate Press contests do not use point totals or an official rubric when they compile the rankings, Dobson said.

The Midwest region is the only region to offer individual awards. The ACP attempted to do away with them a few years ago but many parties requested that they continue the individual contests.

According to studentpress.org/acp/winners/b08bs, categories for individual awards include best news photo, single page design, sports story, editorial/commentary, feature story and news story. Best of Show categories include four-year college broadsheet; four-year college tabloid; two-year college newspaper and special section.

As of Feb. 15 there were approximately 265 people registered at the Best of the Midwest Convention Logan Aimone, executive director of Associated Collegiate Press, said. It had the most registered attendees since the 1990s when sub-300 people registered for the Best of the Midwest Newspaper Conventions.

Students and advisers attended sessions on ethics in journalism; freelancing; what student journalists should know about law; multimedia reporting; and finding work and interviewing, among other available sessions.

Friday’s keynote speakers Paul Enroe and Tony Kennedy of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Minn. discussed their experiences working as investigate journalists on stories such as the Oct. 25, 2002 airplane crash of Former Minnesota senator, Senator Welstone and the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn.