College newspapers around Illinois attend the Illinois College Press Association conference each February to have submissions from the past year be judged and awarded.

This past weekend, The Vidette took home 13 awards from the Chicago conference.

Among these awards were two first place awards. Logan Zimmerman, ISU graduate and former Vidette news editor, received first place for headline writing and Derek Brown, ISU graduate and former Vidette ad production artist, won first place for his full-page advertisement submission.

Second place awards received include feature photo for Vidette photographer Andrew S. Avitt, photo essay for Vidette photo editor Brian Jarocki, full-page advertisement for former Vidette ad production artist and current Vidette art director Dan Ferrell, and in-house promotional ad for ISU graduate and former Vidette ad production manager Dan McCall. The staff also received second place in the classified section.

Former Vidette columnist Emily Warner received third place for her column on being vegan for a week last semester.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: News editor Megan Maginity, sports editor Tawni Ricketts, editor in chief Grace Johnson, general manager John Plevka and photo editor Melanie Kaplan at ICPA Saturday afternoon.

The Vidette also earned several honorable mentions.    

The students at the conference had the opportunity to attend various sessions and listen to a keynote speaker.

Photographers, on the other hand, spent their Friday afternoon on the Shoot Chicago assignment. Vidette photo editor Melanie Kaplan said that the editors were given a time limit of about three hours to go around Chicago and shoot photos based on the given theme. This year’s theme was “fun.”

Melanie Kaplan/Photo Editor: The Vidette's photo editor Melanie Kaplan captured this photo for the ICPA's Shoot Chicago assignment. Kaplan took home second place in the competition.

“I didn’t want to go out and do anything that would be considered too touristy or cliché,” Kaplan explained.

Kaplan’s photo of a Tin Man street performer posing with two children won second place.