June 6, 2022 3:20 a.m.

The Mainstream student media publications at Umpqua Community College has won eight awards out of the seven categories they applied for through the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Collegiate Newspaper Contest.

A release said publications all over Oregon enter the competition.

Mainstream advisor Melinda Benton said “This competition is the most prestigious media contest in the state for both professional and collegiate publications”. She said the awards show how hard UCC students work and how much they learn.

The release said since the beginning of 2021, the small staff has had no more than eight students at once, yet competed against much larger schools.

The Mainstream staff wrote a series that won first place and focused on Douglas County fires and local efforts for fire safety, clean-up and reforestation. In addition to this series, staff won second in Best News Story and Best Series and third in Best Writing, Best News Story, Best Section, Best Feature Story and Best Series.

For more information about the program, contact the advisor at: Melinda.Benton@umpqua.edu.