Windward Community College newspaper wins national honor

Windward Community College
Contact:
Libby Young, (808) 235-7396
Language Arts Department
Posted: Jul 24, 2007

KANEʻOHE— Windward Community College‘s student newspaper, Ka ʻOhana, has received its 12th first-place national award from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA)— this time with a "special merit."

The "special merit" designation means the paper excelled in several categories, including content, page design, creativity and overall plan. Ka ʻOhana received 960 out of 1,000 points and was described as "an outstanding overall example of a scholastic publication in format, content and presentation," according to the ASPA.

The association serves 2,000 schools and colleges nationwide, with rankings for high school, community college and four-year college and university student publications.

WCC advisor and journalism professor Libby Young said the newspaper is produced by the students in JOURN 285V, a variable credit lab that can be taken with JOURN 205, basic news writing.

The JOURN 205 course covers a wide range of skills related to the mass media, including print, broadcast, advertising and public relations. The JOURN 285 course provides training in everything from reporting, editing and photography to desktop publishing, graphic design and preparing material for web sites.

"We‘ve been able to attract some very talented students who have gone on to successful careers in print journalism, broadcast news, advertising and public relations," said Young. "We give them lots of practical experience in a short amount of time, which has led them to win internships and gain other opportunities."

Ka ʻOhana student editor in chief Mark Brislin added, "We‘ve been fortunate to have a very solid staff the last several years. They work hard to produce a quality paper while also having fun. It‘s great that everyone‘s time and dedication has been rewarded with this honor."

This fall the college hopes to launch a Ka ʻOhana Web site with postings of current issues, a photo gallery and video clips of campus events as well as an archive of back issues.

For details, call advisor Libby Young at 235-7396 or email libby@hawaii.edu.

About Windward Community College
Founded in 1972, Windward Community College is primarily a liberal arts transfer institution and is the youngest community college in the University of Hawaii system. Windward offers the associate in arts degree and certificate programs in art, business, agricultural technology, biotechnology, Hawaiian studies, psycho-social development and marine options. In addition, Windward has partnered with Chaminade University to offer a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, and is host to the only art atelier in the state and one of few in the U.S. The college is also home to the state's Employment Training Center, where students develop the academic and technical skills necessary for entry-level employment. Creative programs at the Hawaiʻi Music Institute, Paliku Theatre, Hokulani Imaginarium and Gallery ʻIolani attract thousands of spectators to the campus every year. For more information, visit www.windward.hawaii.edu.