Merrill College students were recently honored with first place awards in the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts, which featured a record number of student and faculty entries from colleges across the country this year.

Terp Weekly Edition, a radio news show produced by students in the college’s radio broadcasting class, won first place in the radio newscast contest category for a show produced last fall that included reports on use of security cameras in dining halls, a Veterans Day commemoration and a story on breast cancer and how it affects both women and men.

Journalism student Amanda Gaines was honored individually with a first place in the radio hard news category for her election night reporting. Journalism lecturer Sue Kopen Katcef, who teaches the radio class, called the two national first-place finishes “incredible and a real testament to the terrific work of our students.”

The news division also had a record number of entries this year and officials of the contest, which was judged by professionals from across the country, said that finishing in the top of any category is a recognition that the students are truly among the best in the nation.

The BEA Festival of Media Arts is an international exhibition of award-wining faculty and student works chosen in the audio, documentary, interactive multimedia, news, scriptwriting and video categories. A record 878 entries were submitted this year across the 13 faculty and student competitions.

Festival winners will receive recognition and exhibition of their works during BEA’s annual convention in Las Vegas, April 22-25.