Student journalists from all over California’s Central Valley converged on the campus of Fresno State University on March 8 to celebrate the year’s work. Among the day’s first-place winners were editor-in-chief, Bradley Hart, ’03, and yearbook editor, Patricia Hill, ’03.

Photographer Maddie Ervin, ’04, was awarded second place in the photography on-the-spot competition. Among other winners were Michael Ward, ’03, Eric Witters, ’04, Randy Hill, ’04, and Nathan White, ’03.

The occasion, “Muckraker 2003,” is an annual event hosted by the San Joaquin Valley Press Association and sponsored by the Mass Communication and Journalism department of Fresno State. Over 100 schools from Lodi to Bakersfield competed in the competition.

Besides giving out awards to newspapers, yearbooks and individual articles were also judged by Fresno State department heads and staff from The Fresno Bee.

The half-day festivities included a variety of workshops designed to improve student journalists’ writing, editing and layout styles.

Some student journalists also chose to compete in on-the-spot contests. Participants were given a set amount of information and instructed to write a features piece, news or sports article, or an editorial.

“I was pleased that I could represent our school so well,” Ward, senior editor, said. “I am proud to have won my award, but I wish we could have done better overall.” Ward’s on-the-spot editorial about a hypothetical dress code policy won third place.

Editors and graphic designers were given specifics for a page or advertisement and told to design the page.

“The design competition was fun,” Hart said. “I’m proud that I was able to distinguish myself in open competition against so many talented editors.” Hart received first place in the on-the-spot design competition.

Following the classes and contests, participants filled the Fresno State University Center auditorium to receive both individual and staff awards.

After the dust settled, The Feather staff received numerous individual awards, but was unable to take home the All-Valley award it had received three times in the past four years. San Joaquin Memorial’s newspaper, The Red and Blue, received the award.

“I am proud that so many students competed and represented our school so well,” Greg Stobbe, Feather adviser, said. “It just goes to prove that any one of us can be excellent and compete against schools 10 times our size.”

White, whose editorial on the dangers presented by a nuclear-armed North Korea, received honorable mention. The article can be read online in the archive section of this paper.

“I’m happy to have won,” White said. “It makes all my hard work seem more worthwhile.”

Bullard High School won the overall Sweepstakes competition. The Stagg Line from Stockton High finished second and took the most individual awards.

“I was encouraged by the eight individual awards,” Stobbe said. “I was especially proud of Bradley for culminating his four years of experience in winning the newspaper design contest.”

Ten journalism students will next travel with Stobbe to New York City to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual conference from March 16-22.