IU first, three to compete at Hearst national finals
IU placed first for the third year in a row, and three Media School students will compete in the national finals of the Hearst Journalism Program’s intercollegiate writing competition this summer, the organization announced Thursday.
Media School sophomore Taylor Telford and junior Hannah Alani each placed first in one of monthly writing contests, landing them an automatic invitation to the national finals in June in San Francisco. Senior Alden Woods also qualified for a wild card spot at the finals based on his accumulated points. They will join five students from other universities at the finals in San Francisco in June.
Professor of practice Tom French, who oversees the entries for the school and has taught or mentored most of the students who compete, said he was proud of their accomplishments.
“Given that only eight students from across the country make it into the writing championship, having a troika of IU students is a testament to our program,” he said.
Founded in 1960, the program conducts five monthly writing competitions as well as two photojournalism, one radio, two TV and four multimedia, with championship finals in all divisions.
Students submit their previously published work for the contests, and the top five winners each month receive scholarships.
At the finals, students complete several writing assignments, including an on-the-spot news feature. Last year, five IU students competed, and IU’s Samantha Schmidt won first place.
In 2013, Charles Scudder, BAJ’14, won the national writing competition, and, in 2011, Danielle Paquette, BAJ’11, won first and Caitlin Johnston, BAJ’11, took second place. IU has won first place overall in the writing championships five of the last seven years.
IU’s monthly contest winners were:
- Hannah Alani, first place, personality/profile.
- Alexa Chryssovergis, second place, breaking news.
- Megan Jula, enterprise reporting, fifth place.
- Grace Palmieri, eighth place, sports writing.
- Taylor Telford, features, first place.
- Mary Katherine Wildeman, third place, personality/profile.
- Alden Woods, enterprise reporting, fourth place; sports writing, 10th place; breaking news, third place.