Envision Magazine & Student Movement Win Awards
SAC announces 2014 winners
Rachel Williams-Smith, chair of the Department of Communication, accepted the awards on behalf of Envision Magazine and the Student Movement during the awards ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 18. Presenting the awards were Kevin Kruger, president of SAC (left), and Dan Weber, communications director for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. (Photo by Richard Castillo, communication director for the Oklahoma Conference of Seventh-day Adventists)
by Becky St. Clair
Andrews University student publications won several awards at the Society of Adventist Communicators convention in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 18. Envision magazine earned prizes in three categories: Best in Class Design, Best in Class Feature Writing, and Honorable Mention Photography.
The graphic design of the current issue was done by Amber Sarno, Arielle Pickett and Jonathon Wolfer. “Troubled Waters” by Emily Leffler, recounting her near-death experience while scuba diving in Cozumel, won for best feature writing. Photographer Brian Tagalog's riveting portrait of Patrick Knighton took home the honorable mention award.
The Student Movement earned top honors as Best in Class Newspaper, under the editorship of senior journalism and English major Melodie Roschman. Roschman was nominated by Debbie Michel, associate professor of communication, in a nod to Roschman's above-and-beyond efforts in covering complex issues such as substance abuse and homosexuality.
“Melodie has shown a willingness to tackle controversial topics,” said Michel. “Her three-part series on addictions created a level of engagement I've not seen before, where Dwight Nelson preached a series of sermons on the topic, and even the dorms used the articles to launch their own discussions.”
Michel is not the only faculty member impressed with Roschman’s leadership and professional abilities.
“It's one thing simply to choose challenging topics; it's quite another to treat them with depth and nuance, in a non-polemical way which adds to the conversation,” says Scott Moncrieff, professor of English and faculty sponsor of the Student Movement. “I think Melodie has done that in her own feature and editorial writing, and has encouraged that same spirit of professional journalism in her staff.”
Students in the Department of Communication and Department of Visual Art & Design produce Envision magazine each spring semester. The Society of Adventist Communicators is a professional development organization for Adventist communicators in both secular and denominational employment. The Jacksonville event celebrated the group’s 25th anniversary.
