2010 staff awards

The Battalion received the Sweepstakes Award for the first time at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association against eight other universities in the division, including Big 12 rivals Baylor and Texas Tech. The Battalion team received awards in most of the categories at the convention April 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Battalion is a part of Division 1 that includes newspapers that are published three or more times per week.

Amanda Casanova, 2009-2010 Battalion editor-in-chief, said the recognition is evidence of a team that cares about the newspaper's quality and topics that interest the student body. "I think the award is a testament to the dedication of the staff," she said. "We were not chasing an award, but it's a great thing for us to be proud of."

The Sweepstakes Award is presented in each newspaper division and is based on point accumulation in the individual and overall contests. The Battalion led its division with a total of 71 points. Categories included editorial, in-depth reporting, news photo, page one design and others.

"I have always boasted about this staff, and I'm glad to see other people recognizing them for their superb work. It was a great honor to receive the prestigious sweepstakes award for The Battalion's first time," 2010-2011 Battalion editor in chief, Matthew Woolbright said. "Amanda started our campaign on the right foot and we were able to continue the excellence. I'm excited to see this team continue to get accolades for their skills and efforts; these individuals are destined for greatness."

Two staff members received national recognition for individual design work in the Associated Collegiate Press 2010 Newspaper Pacemaker Award. JD Swiger and Evan Andrews were awarded for their design work on Page One, Implications of Social Networking. The Design of the Year competition, honoring visual excellence in the college press, is co-sponsored by Adobe Systems. First Place winners received free Adobe software.