Wingspan (Student Publication)

Wingspan is the college newspaper for Laramie County Community College's students and staff started in 1975. It is a 4-color, 4-per-semester publication coinciding with the Publications Production class. Each issue covers a standard set of topics to include: arts & entertainment, sports, student life, campus news, announcements, and online media as pertaining to student interests and issues. The publication also coincides with an online portion of the publication, simply called Wingspan Online.

History

The journalism program began in fall 1969, with 12 courses listed in the first catalog. The college director of public information taught introduction to mass media and the reporting courses and advised the student newspaper, while local media professionals taught courses in photography, advertising and broadcasting.

In the fall of 1975, the student newspaper editor, charging censorship by the faculty adviser primarily because she also wore an administrative hat, quit, and publication of the student newspaper was suspended. By the end of the semester, the faculty adviser also quit, leaving the spring semester journalism classes to be taught by an English instructor and an audiovisual employee. The administration took a serious look at disbanding the entire program. By the fall of 1976, a new director of public information/journalism instructor/publications adviser with strong news/editorial credentials, Rosalind Routt, now Schliske, was hired, and the student publication was revitalized under a new name, Wingspan, and under a newsmagazine format. Journalism students worked in practicum experiences in the local news media; they participated in campus activities by holding media workshops, such as with a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer; organizing political candidates’ debates on campus; hosting an annual dance to raise money to attend journalism conferences; and they participated in community and campus cultural events by folding old-fashioned press hats for children and making presentations to junior and senior high school classes.

The regular publication of the newsmagazine, the increase in enrollment, and the sheer number of activities coming from the journalism department contributed a year and a half later to the administration’s hiring of another instructor, who had extensive background in public relations, advertising and photography.

In the 1982 fall semester, the college president asked Schliske to assume full-time public information duties; thus the second instructor became the journalism program’s first full-time instructor. That arrangement remained until the fall semester 1984 when the second instructor resigned. Schliske was allowed to return to the full-time instructor’s position.

At that same time, the recently hired publications editor, Jim Weis, began to teach the photography class. In subsequent years, the number of photography sections has grown, with many students signing up for advanced work whether in darkroom techniques or photocomposition. A digital photography class has also been added. For many years, a student photography contest was held every semester, with the winning photos published in the local newspaper. Weis retired in May 2004.

Another major turning point in the program occurred during the spring 1988 semester when the first desktop publishing class was offered using computers in the Business Division. The response was so great that an advanced DTP class was added. Increasingly, the department is looked upon from the community as being on the technological edge, and a multimedia degree option is now offered.

Coming full circle in fall 2008, J. L. O’Brien, who had been editor in 1999, returned to LCCC as full-time instructor of multimedia and adviser to Wingspan and Wingspan Online.

Internships

The journalism department also places cooperative education students in jobs while they attend college. During the first year of the college’s co-op program, the outstanding co-op student was performing a journalism co-op with the Wyoming State International Trade Office. In addition to THAT Agency, students are working or have worked with the Wyoming Homeland Security, Chamber of Commerce, Old West Museum, Unicover Corp., Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, KGWN-TV, Associated Press, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Laramie County Community College Student Life Office, Bureau of Land Management, KFBC Radio, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Wyoming Newspapers, and various businesses in town.

Student publications

From the beginning of the college until 1975, the student newspaper, which was a tabloid format and printed erratically in Nebraska, had under gone at least three name changes. They included the “Engima,” “Campus Free Press” and “Crow Creek Gazette,” the latter referring to a dirty creek running occasionally through the south side of town.

In 1976, the format was changed to a biweekly newsmagazine, the name was changed to Wingspan after the college’s Golden Eagle mascot, and the printing was transferred to the college’s in-house Media services department. Stability has remained ever since. In fall 1988, Wingspan became one of the first student publications in the nation to be desktop published completely.

The fall 1999 semester marked another milestone in Wingspan’s history when the administration increased funding for the publication. This allowed Wingspan to be published off campus at the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle by a press capable of running four-color photographs on the cover, back and centerspread. The format returned to a tabloid size. In addition, a fourth issue was added to each semester, making it a montly publication.

On May 18, 1995, Wingspan became the first student publication in Wyoming to go online via the Internet through the efforts of Vicki Cox and Jessica English. In fall 2008, Wingspan started printing in full color on every page.

Throughout the years, the college has published a literary magazine, including the college’s first professionally printed one called “A Yuletide Fanfare.” In 1977, some 9,000 copies of this publication were printed using trustees’ innovative funds. However, it was not until 1989 that a formal Literary/Arts Magazine Club was formed and an adviser named. The High Plains Register, which is desktop published by students, was printed locally until 1999. It was revitalized in 2001.

Facilities

The original facility was simply a classroom, with a converted closet used as a darkroom and shared with the college’s audiovisual department and the criminal justice program. When the college built its College Community Center, the student newspaper moved into a room adjacent to the theatre (now the Foundation Room); however, the closet darkroom in the other building had to be used. The department also had no typewriters.

The bond issue of 1979 funded a new Fine Arts Building, which now houses a 12-station black and white and color darkroom and a publications production newsroom with 15 high-end computers; black and white and color laser printers and flatbed and film scanners.

The five-mill levy approved by the voters in November 1998 funded a remodeling of the Fine Arts Building finished in January 2001. Now the Wingspan staff has its own separate newsroom and kitchenette.

Scholarships

John and Dana Metzke established the first scholarship in the department, the Lewis E. Bates Scholarship, named after Dana’s father, a former Wyoming State Tribune editor. In April 1999, a former Wingspan editor, Paul Jordan, died of a heart attack at the age of 52. His trust has left $100,000 to the journalism department to be used to fund scholarships and approximately $1,000 in equipment each year.

In May 2004, the Candy Van Dyke Investigative Reporting Award was established upon the death of Van Dyke at age 42 in April 2004. She was an award-winning editor of Wingspan and Wingspan Online and a local newswoman. The first recipients of the award were Michelle Stoll and Jenée White for their work on the proposed relocation of Triumph High School to the LCCC campus. The Robert and Rosalind Schliske book scholarship funded its first recipients in fall 2005.

In May 2006, the Kristi Barkhurst “Magic” Award was established to honor a student who excels in communication graphics. She was an online editor who could work magic on illustrations and photos in Photoshop. She was killed January 2006 in a horse training accident. Jared Michaud was the first winner of the award.

Honors

In 1978, the LCCC journalism department was named the outstanding journalism department among two- and four-year colleges and universities in a 15-state area by the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association (now “Media” instead of “Press”) Since 1986, the Wingspan staff has received more awards than any other two-year college in the RMCPA region.

For 1999 and 2000, Wingspan captured the top award, “Best in Newspapers” in the RMCMA regional competition. In 1980, a Wingspan editor was named RMCPA’s journalist of the year after participating in live competition. The following year another Wingspan editor won the award. In 1987, a Wingspan editor, competing among two- and four-year schools, received the RMCPA’s Director’s Award for overall outstanding talent and leadership. In 1992, a Wingspan and High Plains Register editor was the top single award winner in the RMCPA.

For 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006 Wingspan was named first place winner in the American Scholastic Press Association competition, and first place with special merit for 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009. However, the most prestigious award came in October of 1993 when the publication received the Pacemaker award from the Associated Collegiate Press. These are considered the Pulitzer Prize of the student press. The award goes to the Top Five student newspapers in the nation. In 1994, Wingspan was again named in the Top 10 nationally. In 2000, Wingspan Online received a Pacemaker, competing with major universities nationwide. In 2001, both the print and online versions of Wingspan were nominated for an ACP Pacemaker, quite a remarkable feat.

In November 2003 the October issue was named third place in a Best of Show national competition at the national conference of the ACP. In October 2005 the October issue was named third place winner in the ACP Best of Show national competition. This award was repeated for the October 2006 issue.

In February 2008, Wingspan won fifth place in Best of Show at ACP’s National Collegiate Newspaper Conference, and in October 2009 the publication took first place Best of Show at ACP’s National Conference.

In February 2009, Wingspan won third place Best in Show at ACP’s National College Journalism convention.

In the fall of 2004, Wingspan entered the overall newspaper contest sponsored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the first time. Competing with four-year institutions, Wingspan won a Silver Crown award, one of 15 newspapers in the country and one of two community colleges. At the March 2005 ceremony in New York City, individual writing awards were also captured in the column writing and personality feature writing categories. In 2006, an ad received an award. The national Silver Crown Award was repeated in 2007. Also, Greg Pratz, Laura Nelson and Emma McClure received individual awards.

In 2008, six individual awards were won by Lauren Daly, Chris Arneson, Bree Anderson, Montika Bunner, Greg Pratz and Jared Michaud as well as a staff award for best designed tabloid.

In 2009, 12 individual awards, including a staff award for best designed tabloid, were won by Chris Arneson, Adam McCoy Kirk Rea, Rob Ketcham, Dominic Benintende and Andrew Dyl. Wingspan has competed against four-year schools in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence contest. For the 2002 contest year, co-editor Kevin Wingert place first regionally and second nationally in editorial writing, and Wingspan was named best nondaily newspaper in its region.

For the 2004 contest year, Wingspan again won first place in its region for best nondaily newspaper. In addition, three LCCC students placed in individual categories competing regionally against four-year institutions. Michelle Stoll won first place in editorial writing; Ezekiel Sorenson won second place in the general news reporting category; and Jenée D. White won honorable mention in the in-depth reporting category.

For the 2005 contest year, Wingspan was named third place regionally, and Jared Michaud took second and third place in photo illustration. For 2006, Wingspan won second in the region with Greg Pratz, Jared Michaud and Serinda Patras winning individual awards.

For 2008, Wingspan took second place in Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper. In addition, Andrew Dyl, Houston Woodhouse and Kellie Anderson took first place in the photo illustration category, and Chris Arneson won third place for editorial writing. In 2009, for the first time, Wingspan won awards in the Student Society of News Design competition. Houston Woodhouse captured first place in inside new page design and first place for a tabloid cover design and Andrew Dyl took second place for a tabloid cover design.

Jill Melchior received the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Award in 2006, the highest award an individual Wingspanner has ever won. The only community college student of the nine awarded, Melchior won an all-expense paid trip to Korea and Japan. Students who serve on Wingspan become part of a long and winning journalism tradition and employers value the fact that they have worked on this publication.

In October 2009, Wingspan editors attended the National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas. The publication was a finalist for the Pacemaker—the highest award for a college newspaper; considered the Pulitzer Prize of the student press. At the convention, the October issue of Wingspan was entered in a “Best of Show” contest and took third place.

See also

• Laramie County Community College

External links

• Wingspan Main Page

• Laramie County Community College Home Page