The Blazer staff returned from the recent Illinois Community College Association Spring Conference with 13 awards in tow, including two first place finishes.

The conference, held at Harold Washington Community College in Chicago on April 10 and 11, brought together community colleges from across the state for the annual spring conference and contest.

"I’m very happy for the staff. They work hard, and it’s always gratifying to see their work recognized," said Adviser Bob Marcink.

Managing Editor Krystal Moya took first place in Arts writing for her article on a visiting musician, Brother Kelan Cohran, who performed at the college during the Martin Luther King celebration. Moya also took home third place in news writing and third place in photo spread.

Mike DiNovo took first and second place in sports photos after taking first and third place in the same category last year. He won this year for a football photo of head coach Tom Minnick being doused with Gatorade after a big victory and an action basketball shot. The judge noted that either could have been chosen for first place.

Other award winners included Sports Editor Jim Sheldon, who took home second and third place in sports opinion and honorable mention in sports feature; Joe Dutra, who took second place in Features; Mary Moody, who took second place in Computer Graphics; and Randal Donley, who won honorable mention for Advertising Design.

In Division II, which includes all tri-weekly and monthly newspapers with enrollment of more than 5,000 students, the Blazer won honorable mention for Overall Excellence. The Blazer also won honorable mention for layout.