SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 14, 2006) – The UTD Mercury, the student-run newspaper of The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), received a record 32 awards for journalistic excellence in San Antonio over the weekend at the 98th annual conference of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA), the oldest and largest press association of its kind in the United States.

The UTD Mercury captured honors in 24 of the 28 contest categories, including its first-ever Sweepstakes award as the top points-earning newspaper in its 10-school division.  Following are the awards announced during the three-day conference:

  • First Place, sports page design, Kevin Hageland, sports editor
  • First Place, opinion/editorial page design, Chad Eggspuehler, former editor
  • First Place, ad design, Luke McKenzie, managing editor
  • First Place, editorial cartoon, Luke McKenzie, managing editor
  • First Place, general column, Cristen Perkowski, editor
  • First Place, feature page design, Luke McKenzie, managing editor
  • First Place, editorial, Mercury editorial board
  • First Place, Sweepstakes, Mercury staff
  • First Place, Best In Show, Mercury staff
  • Second Place, sports action photo, Justin Hilbert, photographer
  • Second Place, headline, Mercury staff
  • Second Place, feature photo, Leia Biholar, former photographer
  • Second Place, sports feature story, Kevin Hageland, sports editor
  • Second Place, special section/edition, Mercury staff
  • Second Place, sports news, Kevin Hageland, sports editor
  • Second Place, news story, Cristen Perkowski, editor
  • Second Place, overall excellence, Mercury staff
  • Second Place, feature page design, Phill Johnson/Luke McKenzie, graphics editor/managing editor
  • Third Place, information graphic, Anjie Vichayanonda, advertising manager
  • Third Place, illustration (non-photo), Luke McKenzie, managing editor
  • Third Place, news feature story, Charlie Arnett, staff writer
  • Third Place, page one design, Cristen Perkowski, editor
  • Third Place, editorial, Mercury editorial board
  • Honorable Mention, sports action photo, Barry Jackson, photographer
  • Honorable Mention, single subject design, Phill Johnson/Luke McKenzie, graphics editor/managing editor
  • Honorable Mention, in-depth reporting, Cristen Perkowski/Iris Kuo, editor/former life & arts editor
  • Honorable Mention, sports column, Kevin Hageland, sports editor
  • Honorable Mention, feature story, Bonnie Kirk, former staff writer

Seven members of the newspaper staff attended the conference, which included presentations by professional journalists, as well as news conferences with Texas independent gubernatorial candidates Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn.

Attendees also competed in live journalism competitions against collegiate journalists from across the state.  Three Mercury staffers took the following awards in these on-site competitions:

  • Third Place, copy editing, Cristen Perkowski, editor
  • Third Place, magazine design, Cristen Perkowski, editor
  • Honorable Mention, print sports writing, Kevin Hageland, sports editor
  • Honorable Mention, public relations release writing, Charlie Arnett, staff writer

“We are proud of all of our staffers for their hard work and dedication in publishing an award-winning student newspaper for the UTD community,” said Jay Miller, UTD student media advisor, who also is serving a two-year term as secretary of TIPA.

The UTD Mercury, which celebrated its 25th year in 2005, is published on Mondays at two-week intervals during the school year, except holidays and exam periods, and once every three weeks during the summer.  The newspaper is available online at www.utdmercury.com.

Established in 1909, TIPA works to open channels of communication and cooperation among student media programs at two and four-year colleges and universities in Texas.  Some of those media include student newspapers, newsletters, yearbooks, magazines and radio and television stations.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls nearly 14,500 students.  The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores.  The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs.  For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.