Butler student newspaper and magazine earn 2024 Kansas Collegiate Media awards

Staff members of the Butler Community College student newspaper The Lantern and student magazine The Grizzly received multiple individual and group awards at the Kansas Collegiate Media (KCM) conference last month.

The Grizzly magazine received five awards. Ella Boozer of Andover was named Journalist of the Year in the two-year division, which includes both newspaper and magazine publications.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized like this! I’m grateful to learn from all the mentors who have been part of my journalism training,” Boozer said. “There is so much good journalism being done in Kansas, [and] I’m so glad to be part of the team at Butler.”

Advised by Amy Hornbaker, The Grizzly produces three-to-four issues throughout the academic year. The staff includes Boozer, Molly Keller of Andover and Everett Salmans of Benton.

The Lantern editor-in-chief Baylor Henry of Wichita earned seven individual awards, and the rest of the staff received 11 awards for a total of 18.

“Getting to work for The Lantern has been such a privilege this year, and KCM was a great experience to round out the semester,” Henry said. “I’m so proud of the staff for the hard work we’ve put into our writing, photography and design, and I’m glad that [our] work was able to be recognized at the conference.”

Advised by Amy Chastain, The Lantern produced seven issues throughout the year, led by Henry and managing editor Alexis DeLong of Cottonwood Falls, KS.

Both publications are long-time members of KCM. This year’s conference was held at the Rhatigan Student Center at Wichita State University April 21-22.

The full list of winners is below, grouped by publication and hometowns.

THE GRIZZLY

ANDOVER

Ella Boozer -  Journalist of the Year / 2nd in Feature Photography / 3rd in Sports Photography / Honorable Mention in Yearbook-Magazine Cover / 1st in Sports Photography (with Student Sports Media)

WICHITA

Jocelyn Vargas - 3rd in Magazine/Yearbook Inside Page or Spread

THE LANTERN  

The Lantern Staff - 2nd in Overall Two-Year Newspaper / 3rd in Feature Writing / Honorable Mention in Sports Feature Writing

EL DORADO

Lehener Arsenio & Joslin Clarck Guega - Honorable Mention in Sports Game/News Writing

NEWTON

Caileane Thurston – 3rd in Event Coverage / Honorable Mention in Breaking/General News  

Caileane Thurston & Oseli Bencomo – 3rd in Event Coverage / Honorable Mention in Breaking/General News

WICHITA

Baylor Henry - 1st in Review Writing / 1st and 2nd in Social Media Promo & Marketing / 3rd in Feature Photography / Honorable Mention in Profile Writing / Honorable Mention in Headline Writing / Honorable Mention in Social Media Reporting

Megan Wilson - 2nd in Editorial Writing  

Three former Lantern staff members were also recognized, including Jennifer Anima-Valdez (2nd in Profile Writing / 3rd in Social Media Promo & Marketing), Adrian Holguin (Honorable Mention in Sports Feature) and John Meyer (Honorable Mention in Review Writing).