SEMO Arrow students earn national honors in 2025 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — Students from Southeast Missouri State University’s Arrow newspaper earned multiple national honors in the 2025 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards, one of the country’s top collegiate media competitions.
The Arrow, SEMO’s student-run newspaper, was recognized across several categories for multimedia storytelling, design and production.
Awards earned by SEMO students include:
First Place
• Creative Pinnacles – Newspaper Spread: “TikTok on the Clock” by Allie Murphree, Lily Niebrugge and Neva Wodochek
Second Place
• General Pinnacles – Series: “Gen Z Faces Political Crossroads: Will Their Votes Shape the 2024 Election?” by Staff
Third Place
• News Pinnacles – Audio Newscast: “Arrow on the Air 2/24” by Alex Barton, Neva Wodochek and Ariangelis Ortiz
• Creative Pinnacles – Editorial Illustration: “TikTok Ban” by Allie Murphree
• Creative Pinnacles – Video Entertainment Program: “What’s Up SEMO – Who Ya Gonna Call (Feb. 26, 2025)” by Pat Buck Jr. and Kyler Messenger
Honorable Mention
• Creative Pinnacles – Newspaper Front Page: “TikTok on the Clock” by Murphree, Niebrugge and Wodochek
• Creative Pinnacles – Vertical Short Video: “Monday Minute Jan. 13, 2025” by Pat Buck Jr. and Jordan Shields
• Sports Pinnacles – Sports Feature (Audio/Visual): “Senior Spotlight: Lexi McCully” by Beto Vaca Diez and Kyler Messenger
“This recognition shows how the mass media program prepares students for today’s convergent media landscape, where journalists must work seamlessly across platforms,” said Dr. Emmanuel Maduneme, assistant professor of mass media and Arrow faculty adviser. “It underscores the value of experiential learning in SEMO’s curriculum, where classroom work translates into professional-caliber content that competes nationally.”
The awards were presented during the College Media Association’s Fall Student Media Convention in Washington, D.C. The Pinnacle Awards honor top college media programs and student journalism nationwide.
Maduneme said the honored students represent concentrations across multimedia journalism, TV and film, advertising and media management. “Their work serves as both a community news source and a hands-on learning laboratory that prepares them for careers in mass media,” he said.
More information about SEMO’s Department of Mass Media is available at Department of Mass Media | SEMO.
