UCA student media — The Echo, The Scroll, The Vortex and News6 — won over 80 awards at the 2025 Arkansas College Media Association awards hosted at NorthWest Arkansas Community College on April 11. 

The Vortex won magazine of the year. The Echo won runner-up for newspaper of the year and website of the year. The Scroll won third place for yearbook of the year. 

David Keith, Echo adviser and ACMA president, said, “ “I am proud not only of The Echo but of all the student media at UCA. These awards show how these students consistently produce work that professionals and others in the field recognize as outstanding. The students work long hours because they want to produce much-needed news and other content for the campus, and being honored for their work is a well-deserved reward.”

Senior Torrie Herrington, editor-in-chief of The Echo, won newspaper editor of the year. Senior Emily Roesch was runner-up for yearbook editor of the year.

Senior Brenna Metts, entertainment editor for The Echo, was runner-up for photographer of the year. Junior Harley Walls, editor of The Scroll, won third place for photographer of the year. 

The Scroll won 14 awards in the yearbook category. 

• First place in academic writing for “Black History Month – Black Mental Health in America” (Harley Walls)

• First place in introduction theme page/opening for “The Journey to Finding Yourself” (Emily Roesch, Harley Walls)

• First place in special features writing for “Student Feature – Madison Ogle” (Harley Walls)

• Second place in closing for “Live Yourself Authentically” (Harley Walls)

• Second place in academic layout for “Next in Narcan” (Emily Roesch, Harley Walls)

• Third place in feature photo for “Find Yourself” (Harley Walls)

• Third place in feature layout for “President Houston Davis Goes Here, Goes Everywhere” (Emily Roesch)

• Third place in divider for “Greek Life” (Harley Walls)

• Third place in cover for “Find Yourself” (Anna Wade)

• Third place in sports photo for “Football” (Harley Walls)

• Honorable mention in academics photo for “Pie an Exec” (Emily Roesch)

• Honorable mention in divider for “Sports” (Harley Walls)

• Honorable mention in sports layout for “Women’s Basketball” (David Green)

• Honorable mention in special features writing for “Student Feature – Jeromy Hunt Jr.” (Emily Roesch)

Walls said, “It was so amazing. This year was the first year I felt like I could enter projects that I helped create. Being an editor last year with Emily Roesch and seeing how our hard work paid off by getting a bunch of awards for a yearbook we created with our staff from scratch was a huge accomplishment.” 

The Vortex won 13 awards in the magazine category. 

• First place in art/illustration for “In dreams I wake” (Paley Honeysuckle)

• First place in fiction writing for “A House is Not a Home” (Dean Prince)

• First place in cover design for “Vortex Magazine Fall 2024 Cover” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in nonfiction writing for “Buried Beside the Chinaberry Tree” (Marshall Cunningham)

• First place in poetry layout for “Burning Midnight Poems” (Phoebe Bee)

• First place in poetry for “Epiphanies and Blue Jay” (Blaze Robb)

• First place in contents page design for “Vortex Magazine Spring 2024 Table of Contents” (Emma Forbes)

• Second place in art/illustration for “No. 3 Yellow” (Emily Schick)

• Second place in fiction writing for “Notes of a Scientist” (Desire Wilson)

• Second place in cover design for “Vortex Magazine Spring 2024 Cover” (Emma Forbes)

• Second place in nonfiction writing for “Finding Home in Louisiana” (Alexander Comeaux)

• Second place in poetry layout for “Spinal Stitches” (Phoebe Bee)

• Second place in poetry for “Contemptus Mundi” (Marshall Cunningham)

Kas Armstrong, editor of The Vortex, said, “I felt that it was important for Vortex to get back into ACMAs because I want people to know about us. Vortex winning magazine of the year is just one of the many ways all of Vortex’s hard work and passion for the arts here at UCA gets recognized.” 

The Echo won 12 awards in the online category and 27 awards in the newspaper category. 

In the online category, The Echo won: 

• First place in feature photo for “Poets proclaim passion at Love Slam” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in personality profile for “Artist crafts cloth masterpieces” (Anna Yanosick)

• First place in reviews for “‘Short n’ Sweet’ showcases spice” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in newswriting for “Hendrix College students stage walkout for Palestine” (Anna Yanosick)

• First place in editorials/commentary/blogs for “Harris needs more than Gen-Z marketing” (Torrie Herrington)

• Second place in newswriting for “Counseling Center offers aid during Suicide Prevention Month” (Torrie Herrington)

• Second place in reviews for “Netflix’s ‘Damsel’ in need of rescue” (Gabe White)

• Third place in newswriting for “Housing offers temporary rooms” (Torrie Herrington)

• Third place in reviews for “The Dare debuts funk punk album” (Zoe Zolliecoffer)

• Third place in in-depth reporting for “Men’s soccer team imposed language fine” (Emily Kennard)

• Third place in sports photo for “UCA conquers inaugural game” (Torrie Herrington)

• Third place in arts and entertainment for “Retrofest revives vintage video games” (Anna Yanosick)

• Honorable mention in personality profile for “Euphonium professor plays Carnegie Hall” (Torrie Herrington)

In the newspaper category, The Echo won:

• First place in sports story for “Women’s soccer outscores with penalty kick” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in cartoon strip for “Perfume commercial” (Elizabeth Lopez)

• First place in sports photo for “UCA claws Cardinals” (Meredith Lipsey)

• First place in front page layout for “The eclipse issue” (Brenna Metts)

• First place in newswriting for “Fake ID use widespread in Conway” (Anna Yanosick)

• First place in feature photo for “Deltas win homecoming step show” (Brenna Metts)

• First place in in-depth news for “Athletics says to ignore media” (Emily Kennard)

• First place in general column for “Public schools fail queer kids” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in news photo for “Students strep, stroll at expo” (Torrie Herrington)

• First place in editorial cartoon for “Your vote matters” (Mary Lyle)

• Second place in headlines for “Chem club creates bonds” (Torrie Herrington)

• Second place in feature page layout for “Lifestyle – issue 15” (Brenna Metts

• Second place in feature photo for “Freshmen fight for victory” (Torrie Herrington)

• Second place in editorial cartoon for “Man sleeping by buzzer” (Mary Lyle)

• Third place in feature writing for “Club screens ‘Jaws’ on river” (Torrie Herrington)

• Third place in review writing for “New horror flick bare as a corpse” (Torrie Herrington)

• Third place in sports story for “Bears knock off Lions for homecoming victory” (Dylan Hardin)

• Third place in feature page layout for “Lifestyle – issue 9” (Brenna Metts)

• Third place for meeting/speech for  “SGA rejects dance team request for funding” (Kathryn Bland)

• Third place in newswriting for “Cat caretakers speak about UCA colony” (Brenna Metts)

• Third place in news photo for “Queen shares her spotlight” (Brenna Metts)

• Third place in sports column for “Pitch clock not causing injuries” (Grahl Pruitt)

• Third place in editorial cartoon for “UCA temporary housing” (Mary Lyle)

• Third place in personality profile for “Artist inks lunar landscapes using ballpoint pens” (Gabe White)

• Honorable mention in sports story for “UCA dethrones Royals for fifth ASUN victory” (Emily Kennard)

• Honorable mention in sports photo for “UCA battles with Ospreys” (Torrie Herrington)

• Honorable mention in meeting/speech for “SGA asks itself for $14,207 for office furniture” (Kathryn Bland)

News6 won eight awards in the television category. 

• First place in feature for “Central Park” (Rodney Rodgers) 

• First place in news reporting for “Espresso at Evergreen” (Ashtyn Henderson)

• First place in political coverage for “Year One of Sanders” (Jason Gregory)

• Second place in feature for “Bethlehem House” (Ashtyn Henderson)

• Second place in sports reporting for “South Side Bee Branch Adds Football” (Rodney Rodgers)

• Second place in news reporting for “The Thriving Carwash Industry” (Jason Gregory)

• Third place in news reporting for “Harbor Home” (Rodney Rodgers)

• Third place in sports reporting for “Hendrix Lacrosse” (Jason Gregory)