FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2016, 12:00 p.m. CDT
Contact Jason Hogue, Peru State College Marketing and Communications, 402.872.2429


 Peru, Nebraska- The Peru State Times, the college's student newspaper, earned five Golden Leaf Awards at the annual Nebraska Collegiate Media Association (NCMA) spring conference, held April 16 at Doane College.  The Golden Leaf Awards are presented each spring recognizing student media excellence in print, radio, television, and web.

The Times competed against other NCMA member schools, including Wayne State College, Chadron State College, Doane College and Hastings College. The judges for the newspaper competition are working journalists and editors from around the country.

Peru State Times Faculty Advisor and Assistant Professor, Kristi Nies, said, “The competition is tough each year and to come home with five Golden Leaf Awards is quite an accomplishment.  I look forward to taking these students back next year."

Nikhil Mirdha (India), Ju Young Lee (Garden Grove, CA), Zak Ruei (Omaha, NE), Meheret Gebremariam (Ethiopia) won third place in Feature Writing for "My American Experience.” Astrid Moore (Bayan Lepas, Malaysia) received an honorable mention in Investigative/In-Depth Reporting for her article on Peru State’s budget process.

Marisa Pribnow (Lincoln, NE) won second place in Sports Reporting for her article on Interim Head Baseball Coach Josh Oltmans. Anna Naber (York, NE) won second place in Advertisement Design. The Peru State Times Editorial Staff received an honorable mention for Overall Layout and Design.

Nies was also named NCMA President for the 2016-2017 academic year. Nies will work with Nebraska’s small colleges to nurture and facilitate media and journalism experiences for students.

###

For more information, visit www.peru.edu or call 1-800-742-4412.

About Peru State College: Nestled in the historic hills of the Missouri River, the “Campus of a Thousand Oaks" is Nebraska’s oldest college and will celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2017.  Peru State College’s constant commitment to academic excellence has resulted in a unique and innovative mix of online, traditional, undergraduate and graduate programs.  Similarly, the college's ongoing student engagement promotes inquiry, discovery and innovation on-campus and across the region.  Peru State College is committed to being a good steward of education, students, the region and Nebraska for another 150 years.