Washtenaw Voice award winners (from left: Claunch, Heed, Williams)
by THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Voice editor Cydney Heed won first place for best news story in the 2020-21 Michigan Community College Press Association contest. The story, about WCC health-sciences grads working on the front lines of the pandemic, was among six Voice efforts recognized in the statewide journalism contest. Heed also won second place in the in-depth reporting category for her story on the cost of four-year colleges.
Other awards to members of the Voice team included:
- Best feature story, Xailia Claunch, second place for her report on a program that helps the formerly incarcerated integrate back into the community through a local farm.
- Best photo essay, Torrence Williams, second place for images capturing a rally for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, then a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president.
- Best news website, the Washtenaw Voice, second place for overall excellence in writing, photography, and multimedia content.
- Best personality profile, Claunch, third place for her feature on a student in addiction recovery.
In addition, Voice students were honored with special recognition for extraordinary work during the pandemic-disrupted semester.
- Graphic designer Jessica Pace was recognized for her initiative in creating and illustrating regular features including a monthly “Book Flight” and the series “No Bad Weather.”
- The Voice team was recognized for its fall semester video report the Week, conceived and produced by Eric Le with other team members preparing and reading the newscasts.
The Michigan Community College Press Association typically runs the contest as part of a conference each spring. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the conference was canceled and college publications participated in a contest with a fraction of the usual number of categories.
