NEWS RELEASE

News Bureau . Schofield Hall 201 . Eau Claire, WI 54702
phone: (715) 836-4741
fax: (715) 836-2900

EAU CLAIRE — The Spectator, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s largest student-produced newspaper, has won first place in the “General Excellence” category of the 2003 Wisconsin Newspaper Association College Newspaper Contest.

This is the first time the WNA has named The Spectator the best collegiate newspaper in the state, said Assistant Professor Michael Dorsher, the paper’s faculty adviser.

“The Spectator is produced 100 percent by students who devote countless late-night hours to putting out a newspaper that serves its readers very well,” Dorsher said. “We journalism faculty members are glad to see our classroom lessons put into practice so well and happy to see these students recognized by an organization representing Wisconsin’s professional journalists.”

In addition to the paper earning its first-place award in the “General Excellence” category, Spectator staffers won seven awards in individual categories.
The award winners are:

• Tim Ahrens, a senior journalism major from Rogers, Minn., earned first place in the sports reporting category for his Sept. 22 story, “St. John’s tops Blugolds in the fourth.”
• Matt Ollwerther, a senior journalism major from Eagan, Minn., won second place in the general reporting category for his Sept. 22 story, “Car crash victim moving on.” Ollwerther was recently elected by his peers to serve as Spectator editor in chief for the 2004 spring semester.
• Outgoing Spectator Editor in Chief Kelly McBride, a senior journalism and political science major from St. Louis Park, Minn., won second place in the investigative reporting category for her Feb. 27 story, “Elections committee chair appointment raises some concerns.”
• Previous Editor in Chief Jill Steinke, a senior journalism major from Nekoosa, won second place in feature writing for her Sept. 15 story, “Student’s battle with Hodgkin’s Disease changes outlook on life.”
• Butch McCartney, a senior art major from Egg Harbor, earned a second-place award for the photos that accompanied the “Student’s battle with Hodgkin’s Disease changes outlook on life” story.
• McBride and Tim Ruzek, a May graduate who preceded her as editor in chief and winner of the Ann Devroy Fellowship, won third place in general reporting for their March 3 story, “Students abroad tell of foreign war views.”
• Jen Kinkaid, a senior art major from Rochester, Minn., won second place in the graphics category.

The Spectator also has a national-award winning Web site, which requires free registration for first-time users.

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JB

Judy Berthiaume, Director
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu

Updated: December 22, 2003