The "Anchor" won recognition during the 15th Annual Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention, held on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Erin L'Hotta, the weekly paper's editor-in-chief, received third place in the Column Writing competition for editorial "Why am I numb?," published in the Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005, edition. The column considered the way that the reaction in the U.S. was more intense to the attacks of 9/11 in 2001 than to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.

More than 210 students from 33 colleges and universities attended the convention, which was organized by the Associated Collegiate Press.

The convention featured competition in a variety of categories, including individual recognition for several types of writing (news, editorials, reviews, features and sports, as well as columns), news photography and page design; and "Best of Show" recognition for four-year broadsheets, four-year weekly tabloids, four-year less-than-weeklies, two-year publications, special sections, arts and entertainment, and art and literature.

In addition to Hope, the Michigan schools with newspapers that won awards were Grand Valley State University and Northern Michigan University. The other states with papers that won recognition were Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Founded in 1921, the Associated Collegiate Press is the largest membership association that exists exclusively for college journalists, and has more than 22,000 student members worldwide. Member organizations include student newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations and online publications at any public or private four-year or two-year college or university, or technical, professional or graduate school.

A total of seven "Anchor" staff members attended the convention. In addition to L'Hotta, who is a senior from Winfield, Ill., the students who attended were sports editor Jenny Cencer, a junior from Washington, Mich.; features editor Evelyn Daniel, a sophomore from Dearborn; campus editor Nicholas Engel, a sophomore from Grand Blanc; copy editor Lindsey Manthei, a sophomore from Petoskey; senior staff writer Kurt Pyle, a senior from Zeeland; and photography editor Jared Wilkening, a junior from North East, Md. They were accompanied by faculty advisor Kathy Nathan and her husband, Mike.