Steven Porter, news editor of The Sojourn, Indiana Wesleyan University’s student newspaper, has won a major statewide award for his opinion writing.
Porter received first-place honors from the Hoosier State Press Association, a trade association of 175 daily and weekly paid-circulation newspapers across Indiana, in a December 3rd ceremony in Indianapolis. Each year, the HSPA partners with the Indiana Collegiate Press Association, which represents 42 publications at the state’s institutions of higher education, to recognize excellence in student journalism.
“I’m so grateful to receive this honor,” Porter said. “The staff set short- and long-term goals at the beginning of this semester, and I said I wanted to help The Sojourn win two awards this year. So it’s like I’ve won twice – once as a writer and then again as a team member.”
The annual competition puts all entries in one division, meaning IWU goes up against much larger schools like Indiana University, Purdue and Notre Dame. In fact, Indiana Wesleyan was the only evangelical Christian school honored this year.
“Steven is a coherent, erudite writer,” said Dr. Kyle Huckins, The Sojourn’s faculty adviser. “His opinion pieces generally include logical thought and solid reporting, the hallmarks of good work in this category of journalism.”
IWU last year won the first HSPA honors in the school’s 90-year history. The 2011 award marks Indiana Wesleyan’s first recognition from the association for opinion writing.
