Ferrum College Iron Blade staff members Kyle Markowitz and Franklin Melton recently received “Best of SNO” awards.
Best of SNO showcases the best student journalism from members of the SNO Network.
Best of SNO awards are given to articles that feature engaging writing, unique angles, and well-executed multimedia elements. Over the last year, 12,000 stories were submitted for the awards, with the publication receiving more than 100 submissions on a daily basis. However, only 15% of the stories are selected to be published.
Markowitz was recognized for his article titled “Kayla Fedison takes First Place at NCHC Conference” where he wrote about Fedison’s presentation and how she came up with her project. “Kayla is a women’s soccer player for the College and her presentation was about her leg contracting while running between your hamstring and your quad. Her project won first place,” Markowitz explained.
Markowitz is grateful for the recognition. “It feels good when your hardwork gets recognized. Being able to have it for resume-building for the future is also something that feels good,” said Markowitz.
In the future, Markowitz hopes to pursue a career in Sports Broadcast Journalism.
Melton’s article titled “Championship Ambitions On and Off the Mat” earned recognition. The piece featured an interview with Ferrum student-athlete Rayshawn Dixon about his heavyweight wrestling career. “He’s been doing really well this year. He’s undefeated and heading to the National Championships this weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Rayshawn has a chance to do something there, so I wanted to write about him, everything that he’s done, and who he is outside of the sport,” said Melton. “I also spoke with the coaches about what kind of person he is. He’s a senior this year, and he deserves all of the praise,” Melton shared.
Melton feels proud of his accomplishment since he put hard work into the story. “It feels great. It was fun to write because I know Rayshawn, and he’s a cool guy. It’s nice to know that I did this for him, and it was recognized for an award,” he said.
Melton is unsure of what his future career path will be, but appreciates the practice and learning more about Journalism to see if it would be the right fit for him.
College President Dr. Mirta Martin shared her congratulations with the students and professor Campbell. “Congratulations to our talented students, Kyle and Franklin, on their well-deserved recognition by SNO for journalistic excellence and for their contributions to The Iron Blade. Your dedication, talent, and hard work have been rightfully recognized. Your success not only brings honor to Ferrum College, it also inspires others to reach for excellence. We are also most grateful for David Campbell who mentors our student writers and whose guidance and dedication have played a pivotal role in nurturing the talent and success of our students. Keep shining your light in the world of journalism!”
