The Breeze Wins Press Association's Grand Sweepstakes

Media Arts and Design
 
sean ij for web.jpg

Editor Sean Cassidy (right) and Managing Editor IJ Chan helped lead the student newspaper staff to statewide honors. 

The Breeze, the student newspaper at James Madison University, received one of the top honors given by the Virginia Press Association among mid-sized, non-daily newspapers in the state on Saturday.

The newspaper, the only student publication in a category of professional, community newspapers, received the association’s Grand Sweepstakes for overall excellence in news and advertising. The Grand Sweepstakes was the staff’s most significant honor at the VPA’s annual meeting in Roanoke. The Breeze competed against 18 other non-daily newspapers with circulations of 5,000 to 9,999.

This is the second consecutive year the staff has won the Grand Sweepstakes.

In addition to the Grand Sweepstakes honor, The Breeze won eight first-place, seven second-place and five third-place honors in various news and advertising categories for work completed in 2014. For these awards, The Breeze competed in a division that includes 40 newspapers with circulations between 5,000 and 9,999. The Breeze publishes 7,000 copies twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

"Once again, our students proved that their work is on par with similar-sized media organizations run by professionals," said Brad Jenkins, the newspaper’s general manager. "Being recognized in this way really gives our students an advantage as they pursue media careers."

Here is a rundown of honors The Breeze received at the annual awards banquet Saturday night in Roanoke.

First Place

• Patrick Mortiere, IJ Chan and Lauren Hunt, multimedia news report

• Dominique Escalera, online video

• Blair Rosen, illustrations

• Blair Rosen, informational graphics

• James Chung, breaking news photography

• Corey Tierney, editorial pages

• Staff, general makeup

• Staff, slick publications (Port & Main magazine - http://www.portandmain.org)

Second Place

• Patrick Fitzsimmons, online video

• Staff, illustrations

• Blair Rosen, informational graphics

• Holly Warfield, feature photo

• Wayne Epps Jr., sports writing portfolio

• Christine Horab, fashion and personal care ad design

• Tori Smith, home and garden ad

Third Place

• James Chung, photo illustration

• Matt Schmachtenberg, sport news photography

• Amanda Ellison, front page design

• Staff, special sections

• Kylie Donahoe, food and drug ad design

Senior School of Media Arts and Design major Sean Cassidy led The Breeze as editor during the contest period. He recently completed his second and final year leading the organization. Rising senior Wayne Epps Jr., also a SMAD major, began work as editor in April. Judges from members of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association selected the VPA award winners.

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Published: Sunday, April 19, 2015

Last Updated: Thursday, November 2, 2023

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