ZS
Zachary Schmidt
  • digital media
  • Class of 2016
  • Northwood, IA

Zachary Schmidt and BVU Media Students Receive Awards at ICMA Conference

2015 Feb 17

Buena Vista University's (BVU) student media organizations took home several awards and other honors at the 2015 Iowa College Media Association (ICMA) conference held February in Des Moines.

Zachary Schmidt, a senior digital media major from Northwood, and other students in BVU's campus media organizations - KBVU, the University Cable Network (UCN) and The Tack - took home 29 awards in numerous categories, including three special awards.

"We are obviously thrilled that ICMA judges recognized so many different BVU student efforts as outstanding this year. We increased our total number of state awards substantially over last year, and perhaps the most gratifying thing is that student writing, photography, graphic design, audio and video work were all recognized," said Dr. Andrea Frantz, associate professor of digital media. "We are heartened by the success we experienced at the state level this year and hope that this bodes well for us in upcoming national contests."

In the special awards, The Tack Online was named the overall news media organization of the year by the ICMA for the third year in a row, and UCN received the organization's new First Amendment Award for its "Stop the Presses!" broadcast during First Amendment Week.

Also among the special accolades was the presentation of the Eighmey Award to Jerry Johnson, assistant professor of digital media and past president of the ICMA, for his outstanding service and leadership to student media and the ICMA. "It is an honor to be recognized by my fellow media advisors across the state by receiving the Eighmey Award this year," said Johnson. "The ICMA is a collaboration of media and communication programs in Iowa, and it is a joy to be a part of this wonderful group of advisors. I am proud to represent Buena Vista University with my digital media colleagues at the state level of the Iowa College Media Association."

The other award honors that BVU media organizations and students received include:

News Media

Best Sports Photograph

  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "Volleyball IIAC Tourney" (Krystal Schulte, a senior graphic design and visual communication and digital media major from Carroll)

Best Feature Photograph

  • First place - The Tack Online, "Sixth Annual Boat Float Challenge" (Zachary Schmidt, a senior digital media major from Northwood)

Best Multimedia Slideshow

  • First place - The Tack Online, "Perseverance: The story of coping with loss in college" (Cassandra Forsyth, a senior graphic design and visual communication and digital media from Griswold; Jordan Henningsen, a senior corporate communication major from Alta; Kamsa Thephavong, a senior digital media major from Storm Lake; Griffin Truslow, a senior corporate communication major from Milford; Aaron Burns, a senior graphic design and visual communication and digital media major from Essex)
  • Second place - The Tack Online, "Students stay active in a game of Humans vs. Zombies" (Cassandra Forsyth)
  • Third place - The Tack Online, "Little by Little: Belonging in America" (Grace Bodey, Class of 2014; Alexis Williams, a senior corporate communication major from Mahtomedi, Minnesota; Scotty Locati, a senior digital media major from Omaha, Nebraska; Chelsea Gubbels, a senior corporate communication major from Carroll; Zachary Schmidt)
  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "Exploring American Culture" (Kelsey (Fredricks) Depew, Class of 2014)

Best News Story

  • Third place - The Tack Online, "Yik Yak stirs controversy on campus" (Kiley Wellendorf, a junior digital media and English major from Carroll)
  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "New BVU student arrested in chain of campus burglaries" (Aaron Burns; Courtney Van Haaften, a senior corporate communication major from Alta)

Best Feature Story

  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "Freshmen form band and produce own album" (Cassandra Forsyth)

Best Opinion Writing

  • First place - The Tack Online, "Opinion Writing - Alexis Williams" (Alexis Williams)

Best Review

  • Third place - The Tack Online, "BANGERZ: Worth the wait?" (Alexis Williams)

Best Blog

  • Second place - The Tack Online, "Mary's Fashion Blog" (Mary Timko, a junior business and human resource management concentration major from Storm Lake)
  • Third place - The Tack Online, "Bust or Must? Lesa's Fitness Blog" (Lesa Turnquist, a senior exercise science, human performance major from Alta)
  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "Kiley's Playlist" (Kiley Wellendorf)

Best Online Design

  • First place - The Tack Online, "I Like It A Latt?: Pumpkin Spice" (Krystal Schulte)
  • Second place - The Tack Online, "Mary's Fashion Blog" (staff of The Tack Online)
  • Third place - The Tack Online, "Weekend Journey: Alta, IA" (staff of The Tack Online)

Best Online Edition

  • The Tack Online

Best Interactive Graphic

  • Second place - The Tack Online, "Respiratory Virus Draws closer to BVU" (Krystal Schulte)
  • Third place - The Tack Online, "Student Discounts" (Justice Kempf, a junior digital media and graphic design and visual communication major from Storm Lake)

Best Online Video

  • First place - The Tack Online, "Student directors reflect on winter plays" (Chelsey Goetz, a senior digital media major from Lakota)
  • Second place - The Tack Online, "Making of BVU's Christmas Card" (Zachary Schmidt)
  • Fourth place - The Tack Online, "3 on BV" (UCN Studios)

TV/Radio

Best Commercial, Promo or PSA

  • Fourth place - UCN, "Beavers Make Dam Good TV" (Carly Demro, Class of 2014; Hannah Anderson, Class of 2014)

Best Newscast

  • Second place - KBVU, "KBVU Weekly Sportscast--Tennis Coach Rick Halvorson" (Tanner Hoops, a sophomore digital media and communication studies major from Storm Lake)

Best News Programming

  • Third place - KBVU, "Buenafication Day Special Report 2014" (Annie Reiva, a senior history major from Sioux City; Scott Locati; Kelsey Mitchell, a senior mathematics major from Decorah; Liz Fay, a senior biology major from Good Thunder, Minnesota; Cassandra Forsyth)