Three College of Eastern Utah communication students placed first at Columbia University Scholastic Press Association’s 2008 College Media Convention in New York City.

Don McCarty placed first in the “black and white single advertisement for newspapers” for his “Styles to Dye For” ad, Scott Frederick placed first in the “first-person experience writing for newspapers” for his commentary on the CEU Prehistoric Museum artists and Josh Noyes placed first in the “cartoons portfolio of work for newspapers.”

Frederick also placed third in the “feature photograph portfolio of work for newspapers” while Kris Kohler received an honorable mention for “bar charts and information graphics for newspapers.” Each student’s award-winning work was published in CEU’s "The Eagle" newspaper during the 2007 academic year.

  "This is always a tough competition for us because CEU student’s work is judged against  four-year colleges and universities from throughout the United States,” said Dr. Susan Polster, faculty advisor for The Eagle. “With three first-place awards presented to our students, it is the best we have ever achieved at Columbia University.”

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association had 1,355 magazines, newspapers and yearbooks submit work to be judged on writing/editing, design, concept, photography, art and graphics.

The top Collegiate Gold Crown Newspapers were the Daily News, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind.; Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.; Iowa State Daily, Ames, Iowa; and The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn. The top Collegiate Silver Crown Newspaper was the Daily Texan, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.

  CSPA is an international student press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges and award programs. It has been owned by Columbia University in New York City since 1925 and operates as an academic program associated with its Graduate School of Journalism.

College of Eastern Utah’s Eagle newspaper continued to win awards in 2008 as they placed first with special merit in the junior/community college category at the American Scholastic Press Association’s annual contest in College Point, N.Y. This is the third time The Eagle has placed at the top of the annual ASPA college newspaper competition.

The Eagle staff placed 950 points out of 1,000 points to garner the first-place finish. Publications scoring over 850 points are awarded first place and special merit is given to those who are an outstanding example of a scholastic publication in format, content and presentation. Other schools placing first with The Eagle included Buccaneer at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Wash., and Interrobang at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kan.

The newspaper is judged on content coverage; page design; general plan; art, advertising and illustrations; editing and creativity.

Scott Frederick served as editor in chief with Mike Overson serving as managing editor over the 2007-08 Eagle staff. Susan Polster, Ph.D. was its adviser.