Penn State Greater Allegheny students and faculty were honored at the 61st Annual Golden Quill Awards in Pittsburgh. From left: Rosemary Martinelli, Carlin Whalen, Ryan Amarantes, and Aria Majcher.
McKEESPORT, Pa — Penn State Greater Allegheny students took home three awards and two finalist recognitions Wednesday night in the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s 61st Annual Golden Quill Awards, held at the Rivers Casino, North Shore, Pittsburgh.
The Golden Quills competition honors professional and student excellence in print, broadcast, photography, videography and digital journalism in Western Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Ohio and West Virginia. This year more than 1000 entries were received for the competition.
Student Excellence in Journalistic Craft Achievement – Page Layout/Design for the GA-Zette
"Good page layout overall. Designer understands the importance of modular design. Headlines, text, photos, cutlines and bylines establish and follow newspaper’s style," a judge commented.
Student editors who contributed to the production of the GA-Zette this past year and were recognized with this award included Melanie Kawai McGinniss, Carlin Whalen, and Nathanial Rega, all communications graduates, and Ryan Amarantes, a current MDS major.
Student Excellence in Journalistic Craft Achievement – Editorial Cartoon
Winner: “Lecture Laughs: The collective works of Samuel Adekola.”
"Entry does show an aptitude for the style of editorial cartoons and addresses a topic relevant to students," a judge commented.
Student Excellence in Written Journalism — Criticism
Winner: “Naathan Phan, Hayden Allcorn amaze all in multi-faceted show, ‘The History of Magic: Part 1,’” Ryan Amarantes
"This magical article balances descriptions that put the reader in the audience's seat with a thoughtful analysis of the magicians themselves," a judge commented.
Aria Majcher, a biobehavioral health major, was recognized as a finalist in the same category for her entry “Unimpressive Don Toliver's performance, lack of crowd interaction and passion”
Additional Mentions
In addition to winning a Golden Quill for excellence in page layout and design, Carlin Whalen, who recently graduated from University Park’s Bellisario College with a degree in journalism also was recognized as a finalist in the Student Excellence in Written Journalism – Profile category for his sports retrospective called “The legendary career of Pittsburgh broadcaster, Bill Hillgrove.”
Later in the evening, Rosemary Martinelli, assistant teaching professor of marketing and communications and faculty adviser to the GA-Zette, also accepted a Golden Quill Award for Excellence in Broadcast/Video Journalism, Traditional Feature, in a category traditionally won by Pennsylvania TV stations, for her ongoing multiplatform journalism project with a feature entitled, “Humanities Works: Band Together, in concert with those on the spectrum.” The entry was produced in conjunction with Paul Ruggieri of Glass Valley Media LLC.
Also during the awards ceremony, the Press Club honored David Newell, also known as Mr. “Speedy Delivery” McFeely on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” with its President’s Award, for lifetime achievement to the industry. Newell was the PSUGA commencement speaker in spring 2023.
