For the second year in a row, The University of Southern Indiana’s student newspaper The Shield was named Division II Newspaper of the Year at the annual Indiana Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) conference. The conference was held April 5 in Indianapolis.

Last year, The Shield shared the honor with Butler University’s The Butler Collegian. ICPA defines Division II newspapers as non-daily publications with school enrollment of more than 3,001 full-time students.

The students brought home 40 awards (including Newspaper of the Year) — 15 first-place, 13 second-place, and 12 third-place. Fifteen students won individual awards, and The Shield staff as a whole earned several awards. Last year the staff won 28 awards.

“It is gratifying to see The Shield and the students who work so hard get the recognition they deserve,” said Dr. Wayne Rinks, chair of the Department of Communications.

The Shield won seven staff awards: First place for Best Use of Twitter; Second place for Best Facebook page; Third place for Best Single Issue; Third place for Best Themed Issue; Second place for Best Breaking News Reporting; First place for Best Staff Editorial; and Division II Newspaper of the Year.

Individual award winners were:

Jimmy Pyles and Kelsey Turner: Second place, Best Special Issue

Shannon Hall: Second place, Best Stand-Alone/Pullout Section

Jessie Hellmann: First place, Best Breaking News Reporting; Third place, Best Sports Feature Story

James Vaughn: First place, Best Non-Deadline News Reporting; First place, Best News or Feature Series

Jimmy Pyles: First place, Best Opinion Column; Third place, Best Sports Page; Third place, Best Feature Page; Second place, Best News Photo; Second and third place, Best Feature Photo; First and third place, Best Sports Photo

Zane Clodfelter: Second place, Best Sports Column; First place, Best Sports News Story

Jimmy Pyles and Jake Tapley: First place, Best Entertainment Column

Jessica Stallings: Second place, Best News Feature Story

Dennis Marshall: Second place, Best Sports News Story

Jimmy Pyles, Kelsey Turner, and Danielle Waninger: First place, Best Overall Design

Kelsey Turner: First place, Best Front Page; First place, Best Feature Page; First place and second place, Best Photo Essay or Picture Story; First and second place, Best Informational Graphic

Jimmy Pyles and Zach Rothenberger: Second place, Best Special Section Front/Cover

Ean Edwards: Third place, Best Editorial Cartoon

In the Advertising category, winners were:

Kaitlin Crane: Third place, Best Ad Design in Special Section or Supplement

Dixie Halber: Third place, Best Electronic Ad – House

Kelsey Ziliak: Third place, Best Self-Promotional Campaign

Jimmy Pyles: Second place, Best Rate Card

In other conference business, James Vaughn was elected president of the 2014-15 ICPA board, and Erin Gibson, advisor to The Shield, was elected to a third term as executive director. Jimmy Pyles served as ICPA president and Jessie Hellmann and Kelsey Turner served on the board in 2013-14.

The Scholars Retreat House in New Harmony, Indiana, has been renamed the James A. Sanders Scholars Retreat House, following an announcement at the May meeting of the University of Southern Indiana Foundation Board of Directors. The naming honors Sanders, an Evansville native and antiques expert, for his dedication to USI—his generosity, time and expertise, impacting programs, faculty and thousands of students.

In 1985 Sanders left his career as an educator to become USI’s first director of Historic New Harmony. While in that role, he developed new educational exhibits, involved residents of New Harmony in University programming and continued historic preservation efforts.

His leadership assisted in forming the University’s Art Collection Committee, on which Sanders continues to serve and offer his expertise in American antiques. At USI, he established endowments for the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries, Presidential Scholarships, a distinguished professorship and the University’s art collection fund. He received an honorary degree from USI in 2001.

For nearly 20 years, he has served on the USI Foundation Board of Directors, connecting countless individuals to USI through his international network. The James A. Sanders Scholars Retreat House welcomes individuals from around the world who come to experience all that New Harmony offers.

In addition to the naming, Sanders was presented with a pastel drawing of the retreat house created by Katie Waters, USI professor of art.

Worthington receives Nicholson Leadership Award
Betty Worthington, longtime supporter of the University of Southern Indiana, received the Suzanne A. Nicholson Leadership Award for her leadership and service in promoting the University. The award was presented at the USI Foundation Board of Directors May meeting.

Worthington has been a leader at USI for many years, serving the University as a generous friend. She is a close friend of USI’s first president, Dr. David L. Rice, and honored him by underwriting an oil portrait of him on the 25th anniversary of his presidency. In 2013, she continued the tradition, underwriting a portrait of current president, Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett.

Established in 2006, the Suzanne A. Nicholson Leadership Award is named for the director emerita of USI Development who led the USI Foundation for 20 years. The award is given to a person who embodies the late Susie Nicholson’s dedication and spirit in meeting the needs of the University. When Nicholson announced her retirement in 2005, Bob Roeder, a member of USI’s first graduating class of 1971, suggested that the USI Foundation Board of Directors begin a tradition that would honor her 20 years of service to the University and the USI Foundation. The recipient of this annual award is chosen by the executive committee of the USI Foundation Board of Directors.

Evansville, IN, – The Project 21â Scholarship Program at Tropicana Evansville is part of an industry-wide initiative to stop casino gambling by people under the age of 21. Tropicana Evansville achieves this objective by using one of the best tools available – education. Students between the ages of 17 and 21 are given the chance to design and submit a poster, a video or a written essay to educate other young people that it is not permissible in Indiana to gamble in a casino under the age of 21. Tri-state area high schools, technical schools, and colleges have participated in this scholarship program over the past several years. Three $2,000 scholarships are awarded each year to the best entries. Tropicana Evansville has awarded over $40,000 in scholarships to area students since the Evansville program began.

The 2014 Project 21â Scholarship winners are:

Elizabeth Myers, South Knox High School, Vincennes – Poster
Elizabeth will attend Ball State University in the fall.

Lee Walker, F.J. Reitz High School, Evansville – Video
Lee will attend Hawaii Pacific University in the fall.

Aniesa Ricketts, F.J. Reitz High School, Evansville – Essay
Aniesa will attend University of Southern Indiana in the fall.

Photos attached:
(1) Myers, Elizabeth of South Knox High School
(2) Walker, Lee of F.J. Reitz High School
(3) Ricketts, Aniesa of F.J. Reitz High School

About Tropicana Evansville
Tropicana Evansville is a $110 million entertainment facility that includes a 2,700 passenger riverboat casino, a 250 room hotel, a 96 room boutique hotel, an executive conference center, a 1,660 vehicle parking garage and Riverfront Pavilion housing pre-boarding facilities, retail shops, restaurants and lounge area.

More than 16,000 students eat school lunches every day in the EVSC. And now, those students, their families and anyone in the community, have the option of eating lunches throughout the summer at nine EVSC schools – Caze, Cedar Hall, Dexter, Glenwood, Lodge, McGary, Tekoppel, Lincoln and Evans. Lunches will be free to those 18 and younger and only $2.50 for individuals over 18.
The EVSC is able to offer the summer lunches as part of the United States Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
School sites, dates and times for the summer lunch program include:
Caze Elementary School
June 2 – 27
June 30 – July 18
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cedar Hall Community School
June 2 – June 27
June 30 – July 18
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Dexter Elementary School
June 2 – 27
June 30 – July 18
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Glenwood Leadership Academy
June 2 – 27
June 30 – July 18
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lodge Community School
June 2 – 27
June 30 – July 18
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
McGary Middle School
June 30 – July 18
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tekoppel Elementary School
June 2 – July 18
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lincoln School
June 2 – 27 (Breakfast)
May 27 – May 30
June 2 – 27
June 30 – August 1
8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Noon – 1 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Noon – 1 p.m.
Evans School
June 16 – 27
July 14 – 25
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.