Kanza, Collegio win major awards

PSU's Collegio newspaper and Kanza yearbook won major awards at the annual spring conference of the Kansas Associated Collegiate Press in Wichita.

The 2007 Kanza won the All-Kansas Award among all college yearbooks, the highest award given by the state association. Kristen VanLeeuwen was editor of that yearbook. The Collegio won the Gold Medalist Award among weekly and daily newspapers from public four-year colleges. Doug Graham, a senior communication major from Uniontown, is the current Collegio editor and Greg Grisolano was last year's editor. Also, the Collegio's Web site, CollegiOnline, won a Silver Medalist Award among all college Web sites in the state. Zach Waggoner, freshman from Joplin, Mo., is Web manager.

In addition, staffers of both publications won a total of 72 individual awards for reporting, sports writing, editorials, page design, photography, infographics, reviews, features and other categories covering yearbook and newspaper production.

PSU students who won one or more individual awards in first, second, third or honorable mention are Mark Jansen, a senior from Overland Park, Kan.; Mandy Toepfer, a sophomore from Overland Park, Kan.; Kristen VanLeeuwen, a junior from Girard, Kan.; Doug Graham; Rebecca Bauman, a sophomore from Creve Coeur, Mo; Krystel Pakitsos, a junior from Pittsburg; Salman Alkhulif, a junior from Saudi Arabia; Shiho Itooka, a graduate student from Japan; Patrick Furey, a junior from Overland Park, Kan.; Sho Omiya, a graduate student from Japan; Aaron Anders; Brett Armbruster, a senior from Kansas City, Mo.; Teresa Gawrych, a graduate student from Leavenworth, Kan.; Lisa Norris, a junior from Fort Scott, Kan.; Angie Hine, a graduate student from Erie, Kan.; Greg Grisolano; Curtis Thom, a freshman from Girard, Kan.; Ryan Atkinson, a senior from Columbus, Kan.; Hadyn Barnes, a senior from Freeman, Mo.; Raymond Hillegas, a senior from Olathe, Kan.; Amber Bernard, a senior from Cleveland, Mo.; and Lindy Davidson.

Eight Collegio and Kanza staffers attended the conference, accompanied by Gerard Attoun, adviser, and Amy Bowyer, Collegio advertising and business manager.

---Pitt State---