DUBUQUE, Iowa – Loras College media studies students and LCTV (Loras College Television) earned top honors at the Upper Midwest Chapter National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Upper Midwest Chapter/Foundation Student Production Awards.
Loras students received five Crystal Pillar awards on the night and were nominated in eight categories.
“This was one of those nights that our students will remember for a long time,” Craig Schaefer, chair of the communication & fine arts division, said. “Seeing their talents recognized on such a large stage was a great testament to their creativity and hard work. And, of course, it’s also a very significant nod to our faculty and staff.”
The award ceremony, typically held in Minneapolis, Minn., streamed live on YouTube due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Loras students and staff gathered online to watch and celebrate together.
The following student works received Crystal Pillar Awards:
LCTV News (win in Newscast category) – October 2, 2019 episode, Producer: Amber Krieg (’20), Anchors/Assoc. Producers: Maggie Wedlake (’20) & Asia Singleton (’20)
Rings of Saturn (win in Music Video Category) – Colton Bachar (’20), Independent project
A Love Affair (In Brief) (win in Short Form: Fiction) – Krieg & Caroline Breitbach (’20), Practicum 493 project
LabStrong Water Purification System (win in Commercial category) – Ben Friedman (’20), Internship project
Notes from the Road (win in Photographer category) – Seth Kilburg (’19), Senior Capstone project
The following students received nominations:
SportsZONE (nomination in Sports: Program/Series) – October 30, 2019 episode, Producers: Nate Kaiser (’22) & Dana Majerczyk (’20), Anchors: Pat Hunt (’20) & Kaiser, Assoc. Producer: CJ Ponton (’20)
Loras Football vs. Simpson (nomination in Sports: Live Event) – November 9, 2019 – Commentary by Hunt & Kaiser, Director Jon Quinn (’21), Producer Kourtney Huppert (’23)
Esther (nomination in Long Form: Fiction) – Sarah Mueller (’19), Senior Capstone project
“Some schools are strong in a particular area, but the diversity of our student work is what sets us apart. Short film, music video, newscast, commercial work, sports, and photography – that’s a broad range of creative work. That’s really the identity of our program. They create it all,” Schaefer said.
The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) is a membership organization dedicated to excellence in television by honoring exceptional work, past and present; providing professional development and outreach; and nurturing the next generation of television professionals – within in the six-state region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska).
