This past weekend, the staff of the student lead news organization, The Runner, brought home 12 awards from the Associated Collegiate Press conference in Long Beach. The conference awards state and national college level journalism.  

Six students from the runner drove to Long Beach to attend workshops and meet with well skilled journalists for skill building and career development. The Runner staff got to have conversations with other student lead paper organizations and gather ideas of what they would like to see happen with The Runner. As part of the conference, The Runner was recognized in the Best of Show competition for the Runner Online and the magazine Converge.  

Along with the conference, The Runner was rewarded 10 statewide honors in the California College Media Association’s annual student journalism contest. The Runner overcame the challenge of producing virtually and was awarded two first place certificates for design-cover page and overall design.  

“Even though the newspaper hasn’t printed an issue in two years, the students still strive to create the best publication possible every two weeks,” said Jennifer Burger, faculty adviser to The Runner and a lecturer in the Department of Communications at CSU Bakersfield. 

Other awards included coverage on social justice and sexual assault awareness- the staff focused on these issues in 2021 along with the impacts of COVID-19 at CSU Bakersfield and in the community.  

The Runner would like to congratulate the students that have won the following awards, along with the whole staff of The Runners’ challenging work, story developing, editing, designing, and publishing.   

Associated Collegiate Press – Best of Show Awards 

Category: Four-year campus, 10,000 students or fewer 

Fourth Place, Best Website – The Runner Online 

Eighth Place, Best Feature Magazine – Converge 

California College Media Association – 2022 California College Media Awards 

Category: Four-year campus, 15,000 students or fewer 

First Place, Newspaper Overall Design – Damian Lopez and Vada Hepner – April 28, Oct. 20, Nov. 17 issues 

First Place, Newspaper Front Page Design – Damian Lopez and Ellen Kommel – “Full Court Press,” April 14 issue 

First Place, Best Magazine Story – Graciela Aguilar – “Here, We Learn 

First Place, Best Non-News Video – Vada Hepner and Joe Bejarano – “Vossler Farms” 

Second Place, Social Justice Coverage – Zeltzin Estrada Rodriguez, Joy Gamble and Ellice Richman – “Asian American Students and Responses to Hate” 

Second Place, Best Special Section – Zeltzin Estrada Rodriguez – “Sexual Assault Awareness” 

Second Place, Best News Video – Carlos Hernandez – “CSUB is all in for OUTober” 

Third Place, Best Feature Photo – Alexis Lynde – “Via Arte” 

Third Place, Best Magazine Spread Design – Lilliawna Shaffer – “Business Ingenuity” 

Third Place, Best Sports Photo – Carlos Hernandez – “Game Time” (Nov. 3 front page)