Student broadcasters win awards

Student broadcasters from Pittsburg State University took home 16 awards, including 12 first-place awards at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters’ annual banquet in Wichita.

In recent years the broadcasting program at Pittsburg State has been recognized at both the state and national levels, however Troy Comeau, director of broadcasting, said the quality of student programming continues to improve.

“This is the first time we have received 12 first-place awards,” Comeau said. “Our students are competing in production contests with Kansas University and Kansas State on the state level and even bigger universities on the national level and winning. They should be very proud of the time and effort they put into productions here at Pittsburg State.”

Students from Pittsburg State competed in a variety of broadcasting categories against students from all other colleges and universities in the state of Kansas. In addition to the 12 first-place awards, the students brought home four second-place awards.

In radio production, first place winners were Greg Melching, a senior from Labette County, Kan., for his 30-second commercial “Chanute Rodeo;” Tyler Swezey, a junior from Drexel, Mo., and Trent Kling, a senior from Wichita, Kan., for their sports play-by-play “Pittsburg vs. Independence HS football;” Zoel Lopez, a senior from Labette County, Kan., for his personality air check “Brett Martinez;” Lopez and Andrew Daugherty, a senior from Cherryvale, Kan., for their sports play-by-play “Frontenac vs. St. Mary-Colgan;” Teresa Gawrych, a graduate student from Leavenworth, Kan., for her 30-second commercial “Hot Topic” and Gawrych for her 60-second commercial “Hot Topic.” Gawrych also received a first-place award for her research paper “Fragmented Identity of Female Sports Anchors and Journalists.”

In television production, first-place winners were Jacob Anselmi, a junior from Paola, Kan., for his 30-second public service announcement “Student Association of Broadcasters,” Kristen Livingston, a graduate student from Neodesha, Kan., and Brian Caulkins, a senior from Coffeyville, Kan., for their documentary “The life of Chili;” Jordan Beggs, a senior from Columbus, Kan., and Tim Mobley, a senior from Pleasanton, Kan., for their sports play-by-play “Fall Classic VI;” Tylor Hermanson for his entertainment program “Cognitive Jones;” and Swezey, Kling and Anselmi for their enterprise news package “Scenic SEK-Elk City State Park.”

Second place winners included Tennyson Williams, a senior from Pittsburg, for his station promotion “Pittsburg State Football,” Williams and Pam Peters, a graduate student from Mound City, Kan., for their documentary “Behind the MIAA tournament,” Anselmi, Swezey and Kling for their enterprise news package “Scenic SEK-Oswego” and Kling and Lopez for their sports play-by-play “FHSU vs. Pitt State.”

---Pitt State---