Northern Light editor wins award

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association announced March 17 that The Northern Light feature editor, Mary Lochner has been awarded first place for the news feature category in the 2007 Gold Circle Awards. The annual event, held in New York City, receives nearly 13,000 entries from around the country in its 75 categories each year.
"This is a very positive reflection on The Northern Light, and it brings national recognition to our organization and our school," Lochner said. "I'm also excited that issues related to education for Alaska Natives received a broader audience via this competition."

The winning article, titled Heritage key to education for Natives, appeared in the Oct. 31, 2006, edition of The Northern Light. Lochner's award was the only one for The Northern Light this year, though columnist Paul Brynner received an honorable mention in last year's competition. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association serves to unite student editors and faculty advisers nationwide. It is owned by Columbia University and operated as a program affiliated with its Graduate School of Journalism.