COOKEVILLE – Three of Tennessee Tech’s student media productions recently won accolades from the Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ).
The Oracle, Eagle Eye and the Eagle won five third place awards and one second place award, the SCJ announced recently.
“We are pleased the students are being recognized at the national level for their hard work,” said Brenda Wilson, media advisor and chairperson of Tech’s Communications Department. “They dedicate a lot of time to student media beyond the hours they spend in class.”
The Oracle, Tech’s student-run newspaper, won third place for best continuing coverage on changes with open records policy, while the yearbook, the Eagle, won second place for overall excellence and third place for best concept, best writing and best display, and the magazine, Eagle Eye, won third place for general interest/overall excellence.
Kendyl Seals, who graduated in December 2019 with degree in communication, public relations, was the president of Tech’s Society of Collegiate Journalists and worked with other members in organizing a petition drive and making a presentation regarding open records before the Board of Trustees.
“Kendyl was an integral part of following this story,” said Vanessa Curry, Oracle advisor and communication instructor. “She actually wore two hats in this. As a reporter, she covered meetings and wrote stories about the student movement to change the open records policy at Tech.”
Seals, who is from Rogersville, currently works in Nashville as an administrative coordinator for Southern Business Group.
“It’s exciting to know my work in college has paid off in more ways than one,” Seals said. “I hope students in the communications department really get involved.”
Emily Lamont and Jamie Sauve were the editors of the 2018-2019 Eagle, Tech’s yearbook.
Lamont, from Gordonsville, graduated in May 2019 with a bachelor’s in communication, public relations, envisioned a yearbook that would be timeless, but still relevant.
“I personally still love the old, weathered look of yearbooks from the ’70s and ’80s, so I wanted to incorporate that with modern day Tennessee Tech,” she said. “Throughout the book, I wanted to include old and new photos of clubs and organizations that have been around Tech for years.”
She is currently a marketing writer in Tech’s Office of Communication and Marketing, and does freelance writing and design on the side.
Sauve, who is from Spring Hill, graduated in December 2019 with a bachelor’s in communication as well. As assistant editor in chief, she worked closely with Lamont designing elements, reviewing other team member designs and helping with day-to-day production.
“The Eagle could not have been completed without the support of all team members and our faculty advisor, Dr. (Brenda) Wilson,” she said. “As a group, we were all inspired by what older yearbooks looked like and how they represented their specific colleges.”
Sauve also had some design elements in the Eagle Eye that won third place, but personally won the 2018-2019 Design Award just for the communication department.
“These publications and the associated awards are great for their resume and job search portfolio.,” Wilson said. “Speaking as a media advisor, it is an honor to work with our talented student editors.”
