Mondays aren’t usually worth beating the drum, but for the staff at The Daily Cougar, the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association gave them a reason to celebrate.
The Daily Cougar sports editor Christopher Shelton won a second place award for Sports Page Design. | Nichole Taylor/The Daily Cougar
UH’s student-run newspaper claimed a total of 26 awards and certificates of merit for its efforts in print as well as digital media. UH Student Publications earned an additional 11 awards for its yearbook magazines.
“As an advisor that works closely with the Cougar students, I’m obviously happy and proud to see their work getting recognized in statewide and nationwide competitions,” said production assistant for Student Publications Justin Schneewind. “I think the editors have a lot to be proud of. The awards show that.”
Andres Garcia, a graphic journalism junior, was acknowledged as Designer of the Year for Individual Excellence by TIPA during this year’s convention in Fort Worth. The graphic designer also received third place for cover design in the General Magazine category and honorable mention for his ad design.
“I know I’m on the right track for my future career,” Garcia said. “It feels great to represent the school in a different way than you normally would as just a student.”
Print journalism junior Christopher Shelton, currently the Cougar’s sports editor, was awarded second place for Sports Page Design and Special Edition/Section in the Newspaper Division from TIPA. He also received multiple certificates of merit from the press association affiliated with Columbia University for his news and sports features written during the fall semester.
“It’s a huge honor because I’ve put a lot of effort into The Daily Cougar,” Shelton said. “When you see something I’ve written, I’ve taken into consideration every word; and when you see a page I’ve put together, I’ve taken into consideration every picture. It’s a huge part of my life and it’s something I’m really dedicated to.”
Editor in Chief Joshua Mann received second place for breaking news in the digital media category for his story on UHPD arresting the two suspects in a string of robberies during the previous semester. It was his first award.
“I was surprised and obviously, I was happy,” Mann said, a print journalism senior. “Prior to that, I hadn’t really thought about winning awards and what that would mean. Honestly, it felt nice getting an award.”
With so much to be proud of, Mann, who steps down from his position after he graduates this semester, also said he hopes the newspaper is driven by the recognition to continue producing quality content.
That task will be handed off to Channler K. Hill, who was just elected editor in chief for the coming calendar year.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” Mann said. “Even though it’s not all about the awards, it’s nice to be recognized.”
news@thedailycougar.com