For students in the St. Ambrose Communication & Digital Media Department, the Spring Semester includes awards ceremonies on the state, regional, and national levels. Three student journalists, spread amongst different graduating classes, were honored for their work across the Midwest.
For junior Sydnee Horstman, it was a story about a campus organization. Hosrstman recalls, “The Dance Marathon package was a harder story to tell because the number of participants or dancers are going down. But despite those numbers going down, the amount of money being made is staying the same.”
In an effort to make her story unique, she utilized something new. Horstman added graphs to her story, saying she wanted, “an extra visual representation of the numbers going up or down”.
Another student, senior Malu Coelho, focused her package on a story close to home. “It was a story I was very passionate about,” remarked Coelho. “I think it was very close to home and everything I believe in. It comes back all the way to why I wanted to pursue journalism in school.”
Malu focused her story on Latinos Unidos, a group on a mission to make their voices heard against state legislation.
With that, Coelho recalled the struggles she faced telling the story: “I had my own opinion, but before everything you have to tell what’s happening.”
Finally, alum Cole Negen produced his award-winning package on the NAIA’s decision to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Negen is very proud of the work he put in, “To get that recognized by other people as well in the fashion of an award is just super awesome.”
Throughout the hardships of recording stories and interviews, determining the angle of storytelling, and the painstaking process that can be editing, SAUtv helps students prepare for the future.
Horstman commented, “To be able to learn how to edit and produce them is what will help me get a job in the future”.
For Coelho, “They showed me the ways to do what I’ve always been passionate about, and because of that I will always be grateful for it”.
And for Negen, “It’s helped me a ton. Working on a deadline, which in this field and all fields really, is everything. That’s what we do at SAUtv, KALA, that is the whole industry.”
SAUtv, and KALA Radio alike, have been nominated and deemed winners for more in recent weeks. The students and professors that make up these two programs are looking to win more accolades in years to come.
