Southeast Missouri State University student newspaper staffers named finalists for five national awards

Seven staff members of the Arrow, Southeast Missouri State University’s student newspaper, have been named national finalists for the College Media Association’s (CMA) annual Pinnacle Awards.

The Arrow is in contention for five awards across the Video/Audio, Reporting and Sports categories. According to the CMA, the Pinnacle Awards “honor the best college media organizations and individual work. The annual contest is open to student work produced for any college media organization, including print, broadcast and online outlets, during an academic year.”

“I believe the number of finalists we produce each year is a testament to the effectiveness of our program,” Tamara Zellars Buck, faculty adviser to the Arrow and Department of Mass Media chair, said in a news release. “Students don’t just grow as journalists and producers; they also grow as managers and leaders. Their time as part of the Arrow prepares them to work in a great number of jobs, both within and outside of traditional media roles.”

Students’ works being considered for awards:

• Video/Audio — Best Video Entertainment Program: “What’s Up SEMO 2/5/24”, Pat Buck and Hunter Caldwell;

• Video/Audio — Best Video Entertainment Program: “What’s Up SEMO 3/18/24”, Pat Buck and Hunter Caldwell;

• Video/Audio — Best Video Sportscast: “Zach Wilson is … good? UFC 296, and Ohtani’s MASSIVE deal TMW (11)”, Blake Schowalter, Beto Diez, Jeffery Long;

• Reporting — Best Breaking News Coverage of Diversity: “SEMO Closes LGTBQ+ Resource Center”, Emma Kratky;

• Sports — Best Investigative Sports Story: “Advancing Technology On and Off the Field”, Matt Cagle.

Emma Kratky, Jeffery Long and Matt Cagle are recent graduates of SEMO’s mass media program and former Arrow staffers. Pat Buck, Hunter Caldwell, Blake Schowalter and Beto Vaca Diez are current students who actively work for the publication.

SEMO is considered a Division II school, which includes universities with undergraduate enrollment between 3,000 and 9,999 students. Other Division II schools include Vanderbilt University, Ithaca College and Northwestern University.

The Pinnacle Awards will be presented during the CMA Fall Student Media Convention, held from Tuesday, Oct. 29, to Saturday, Nov. 2, in New Orleans.