Southeastern students win Mark of Excellence Awards
Monday, August 1, 2016
by: Tonya Lowentritt
MARK OF EXCELLENCE-- Students at the Southeastern Channel, Southeastern’s educational cable channel on Charter 199, recently won six Mark of Excellence awards in television presented by the Society of Professional Journalists at their annual convention in New Orleans. The student newscast “Northshore News” won honors for the eighth time in the last nine years. Pictured from left are Rick Settoon, general manager of the Southeastern Channel; Tyler Waggenspack of Baton Rouge; Brittany Robinson of Slidell; Drew Sagona of Pearl River; and Dominique Brogle of Destrehan. Not pictured is Sarah Barbier of Mandeville.
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University students employed at the Southeastern
Channel won six 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards at the annual Society of Professional
Journalists Region 12 conference held in New Orleans recently.
The Southeastern Channel students honored were named second-place finalists in
five different television categories.
The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism in a calendar
year. SPJ’s Region 12 comprises all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas
and Tennessee. Southeastern competed against all schools with 10,000 or greater enrollment.
The second-place awards presented to students included “Best Overall Television
Newscast” for the student newscast, “Northshore News.” It was the eighth time in the
last nine years that “Northshore News” has been honored as one of the region’s top
newscasts as either a first or second-place winner.
“Northshore News” reporter Dominique Brogle of Destrehan won second place in
“Television General News Reporting” for her story, “Port Marigny,” about the proposed
new St. Tammany development. In March Brogle was named the state’s “2016 Student Broadcaster
of the Year” by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.
Reporter Brittany Robinson of Slidell won second place in “Television Feature
Reporting” for her story “I-10 Twin Spans Rebuilt,” a commemorative for the 10-year
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, produced for the student news magazine show “Southeastern
Times.” Robinson earlier also won a student Emmy award and SEJC “Best in the South”
honors for the twin span story.
Reporter/Videographer Sarah Barbier of Mandeville won second-place honors in
“Television News and Feature Photography” for her videography for two different stories
she produced for “Southeastern Times.” Barbier won for her “Pumpkin Spice Latte” and
“Abita Mystery House” news feature packages.
Reporter/Videographer Tyler Waggenspack of Baton Rouge won second-place in “Television
Sports Photography” for his videography for the story, “Lions Cross Country,” produced
for “The Big Game” student sportscast.
Producer Drew Sagona of Pearl River earned second-place honors in “Television
In-Depth Reporting” for his documentary “Drums Along the River: History of the Natchez
Pow-Wow.”
“We’re thrilled for our students who won these television awards against all
of the largest universities in the region,” said Southeastern Channel General Manager
Rick Settoon. “The Mark of Excellence Award is one of the most prestigious in student
journalism, and we’re excited that our students continue to win top honors.”
Settoon pointed out that Southeastern Channel students have now won top SPJ awards
every year since 2007 when the channel started entering the competition.
“This is well-deserved recognition for our students’ excellent work, and it reflects
the outstanding training they receive from Southeastern Channel staff members and
instructors in the Department of Languages and Communication.”
The Southeastern Channel, broadcast on Charter 199 in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany
and Livingston parishes and at www.southeastern.edu/tv, has won over 250 national, international and regional awards in only 13 years of
existence.