Washtenaw Voice students took top honors for news photo and sports story in the college division of the Michigan Press Association’s 2020 “Better Newspaper Contest.” The contest was open to work published in the 2019-20 academic year.
In addition, Voice won second place for investigative reporting, news story, non-front page design, and overall best writer. Voice students got honorable mentions for editorial and review or column writing, as well.
The first place for news photo went to Torrence Williams, current Voice photo editor, for a shot captured at a Bernie Sanders rally in Ann Arbor when the U.S. senator from Vermont was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
First for sports story went to Kristy King for a feature about female wrestlers at Ypsilanti High School.
Other awards included:
- Claire Convis, second in investigative reporting for a story about young people trying to recover from opioid addiction.
- Lilly Kujawski, second in the news story category for a report on a former WCC official omitting a third or more of the actual cost of the college’s new website in information provided to the Voice.
- Vardan Sargsyan, second in non-front page design for the cover of the Voice’s special report on the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Lilly Kujawski, second place in the category best overall writer, an award based on a sample of three pieces of work.
- Ian Loomis, honorable mention for his commentary on the play about racial justice, “Admissions.”
- Lilly Kujawski, honorable mention for her editorial “Hit the polls, but don’t stop there.”