Globe Media is looking for another dominant year in the annual Intercollegiate Broadcast Systems (IBS) awards. Goshen College students have snagged 19 total nominations for the upcoming Student Media Awards with samples of their work. On top of that, 91.1FM The Globe (WGCS) received its twelfth-straight Best College Radio Station nomination.

For the individual nominations, GC students are going up against colleges of all types, from large schools like Indiana University to more selective schools like Northwestern University. Jason Samuel, general manager for Globe Media and associate professor of communication, said that he is “ecstatic with our representation within the contest,” even though it’s not the most nominations they’ve ever had.

The two nominees for student management awards are both sophomores: Dante Stanton was nominated for best college radio sports director, and Amelia Turnbull was nominated for best college radio news director. 

Both awards highlight individual excellence in radio; Samuel said that for them to be awarded to underclassmen is “incredible.”

“It says a lot about the type of students and department we have here,” Samuel said. “Despite having less experience, their talent, creativity, and storytelling is on par” with students from bigger schools who might have had twice as many years in the studio.

Stanton, the Globe sports director, is enthused by the prospects of national recognition after all the work he has put in.

He described a “long, exhausting process” of submitting his work for nominations, where Samuel would advise and help workshop every piece “until it was perfect.” The sophomore submitted 27 pieces, with each submission being revised and redone “four to five times, at least.” It paid off, as he received seven total nominations.

Turnbull, the Globe news director, agreed that the nomination process was labor intensive. “I started working in November,” she said. She earned six nominations.  

Gabriella Klopfenstein, student station manager for the Globe, said that the “learn as you go” environment that she tries to facilitate lends itself well to allowing new members to “jump in, learn from others and flourish.”

She also loves how the first- and second-years are willing to try new things, even if they are outside of their area of expertise.

“At one meeting, I asked someone if they would be willing to cover a subject area that they weren’t familiar with,” Klopfenstein said. “They said ‘no, but I’d love to learn’ — and that’s the type of mindset we love to see.”

Turnbull said that she was worried after the seniors from last year left that with only sophomores in positions of leadership, the staff would struggle. However, she said, “the freshmen really stepped up.” 

Seth Smith Kauffman and Tyson Miller, two first-years in the communications department, picked up a combined four nominations this year, which Turnbull said “was pretty impressive.”

For Stanton, the early success is not his end goal, but rather a milestone. Stanton said, “I feel more confident than last year, maybe winning some awards … and I’m honored by this possibility.”

And as for the future? Stanton says, “I can’t wait for senior year … the sky’s the limit.”