Media Releases

North Central College students earn national, state honors for broadcasting, journalism

Mar 10, 2017

North Central College students earned national and state honors for their work with WONC-FM 89.1, the College’s student-run radio station, and The North Central Chronicle, the College’s student-run newspaper.

Student broadcasters at WONC earned five first-place awards during the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) competition March 4 in New York City. Taking home awards for Best Artist/Band Interview were seniors Samantha Attebery of Minooka, Ill., and Elizabeth Baumgartner of Naperville. Baumgartner also received the Best Promotions Director award, Best Podcast and, along with junior Peter Schiller of Deerfield, Ill., and Attebery, the Best Use of YouTube award. Seniors Dominic Guanzon of Downers Grove, Ill., and Cora Georgiou of Orland Park, Ill., earned the Best Program Promotion award.

Other North Central students honored with IBS finalist awards were William Dawes of Woodridge, Ill., Blane Erwin of Aurora, Ill., Abe Lyall of Chicago, Anthony LaParry of Union, Mo., Allie Sroka of Yorkville, Ill., and Lily Yood of Chicago. 

Attebery, Baumgartner, Dawes, Erwin, Guanzon and Schiller received multiple finalist awards. In total, 11 students received 18 awards, including five first-place awards.

In 2015, the IBS named WONC Best Overall Radio Station in the nation. The station also won the 2016 Associated Press Spot News Award for its live coverage of a tornado in Rochelle, Ill. WONC is among the most honored collegiate radio stations in the United States and has won national and state awards in commercial and collegiate competitions. It has a 30-mile listening radius and potential audience of four million people.

[WONC winners (from left): Peter Schiller ’18, Dominic Guanzon ’17, Blane Erwin ’18, Lizzie Baumgartner ’17, Samantha Attebery ’17, Will Dawes ’17, John Madormo, faculty advisor.]

The staff of WONC, North Central College's award-winning student-run radio station.

The North Central Chronicle earned nine awards for newswriting, design and photography during the Illinois College Press Association contest Feb. 20-21 in Chicago. 

Standout awards included placing second in the state in two categories: Overall General Excellence (for schools with enrollment under 4,000 students) and in the very competitive Shoot Chicago photo contest. The Chronicle also placed third in the Entertainment Supplement category.

Senior Stephanie Passialis of Batavia, Ill., earned three awards for two news stories and a feature story other than sports. Senior Deidre Ewers of Milledgeville, Ill., earned third place for Feature Page Design. 2016 graduates Xanic Lopez of Berwyn received third place in the Sports Photo category, and Crystal Madrigal of Joliet earned second place in the Feature Photo category.

Information about WONC is available at northcentralcollege.edu/wonc-fm-891, and the Chronicle at northcentralcollege.edu/chronicle. The newspaper maintains a multi-platform student media organization at ncclinked.com.