The Cal Times, California University of Pennsylvania’s student newspaper, had two first-place winners in the 57th Golden Quill Awards.

The awards were announced at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Sept. 28, 2021.

Multimedia reporter Kaitlyn Collins won the student category Excellence in Video / Broadcast Journalism – Feature award for her entry “Pick your own flowers at Simmons Farm while social distancing.”

The news video featured safe, outdoor activities available to the public at the Simmons Farm in McMurray, Pa., when many businesses were closed due to the pandemic in October 2020.

Collins, a resident of Dunlevy, Pa., is a senior at Cal U majoring in Communication Studies.

Graphic designer Lily Gongaware won the first-place award in the student category for Excellence in Journalistic Craft Achievement – News or Feature Illustration for her cover page designs of the Cal Times “Valentines Day” and “The Master Plan” editions.

Gongaware majored in graphic design at Cal U. Originally from Delmont, Pa.,  she now resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“We’re very proud of our student achievements,” Jeff Helsel, director of multimedia journalism, said.  “Kaitlyn and Lily are dedicated to the craft of journalism and strive to do their very best. We thank the Press Club for honoring their work.”

The Quills were presented by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania – “honoring professional and student excellence in print, broadcast, photography, videography and digital journalism in Western Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Ohio and West Virginia,” the organization said in announcing the finalists in the spring.

The Cal Times is the student news service, owned and operated by the Student Association, Inc., at California University of Pennsylvania.