Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University’s student newspaper and yearbook have continued their tradition of winning national Pacemaker awards.

The College Heights Herald and the Talisman won the awards Saturday at the ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Kansas City. The Pacemaker awards, co-sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press and the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, are considered to be the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.

WKU was the only university to take home national Pacemakers in both newspaper and yearbook competition.

The Herald, which competes in the four-year non-daily newspaper category, has won the national Pacemaker 11 times. The Talisman has nine national Pacemakers for yearbooks, including two straight awards since resuming publication in 2003.

“It’s quite a tribute to the students who produce Herald and Talisman for both publications to win their top national award,” said Robert Adams, director of Student Publications. “In addition to the top-notch students who work on the newspaper and yearbook, we have other advisers and a support staff who contribute significantly to our success.”

This year marks the sixth time the Herald and Talisman have won national Pacemakers at the same convention. Others were 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988 and 2003.

Herald editors for the fall 2004 and spring 2005 semesters were Danny Schoenbaechler and Shawntaye Hopkins, both of Louisville. Schoenbaechler is a copy editor at the Anniston (Ala.) Star, while Hopkins is serving as Herald editor again for the fall 2005 semester. Adams is Herald adviser.

J. Michael Moore, a May 2005 graduate from Franklin, Tenn., was editor of the 2004 Talisman. He is publications coordinator for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Talisman advisers are Adams and Jackie Bretz.

The Herald also swept the Best of Show competition at the awards program Sunday morning. The paper won Best of Show for non-daily broadsheet newspapers for the Oct. 13 issue and its new student orientation issue, View of the Hill, placed first in special sections.

Matt Rountree, a May master’s graduate from Elizabethtown, and Nicole Koestel, a Louisville junior, were in charge of View of the Hill. Rountree is brand manager at The Courier-Journal. JoAnn Thompson, Student Publications business manager, and Adams oversee the summer publication.

The 2005 Talisman placed fourth in the Best of Show competition for yearbooks under 300 pages. Katie Clark, a Bowling Green senior, was editor of the 2005 Talisman.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Robert Adams at (270) 745-6278.