Mass Communication, Media Arts majors achieved their highest number of awards in a single year in the College Broadcasters Inc. and Broadcast Education Association competitions.
A mockumentary about a thief who steals chairs, an inspiring digital short about lessons learned from weaving textiles. A moody short film in which illegal wizardry leads to a lovers’ quarrel. A heartfelt documentary about a neighborhood association. These York College of Pennsylvania student-produced videos varied greatly in genre and scope, and each took home an award from the 2024 College Broadcasters Inc. conference.
The York College Mass Communication program celebrated four award-winning projects at the CBI conference in October in Seattle, marking the highest number of awards that the program has received in a calendar year.
CBI award winners
CBI recognized York College students in several competition categories:
Brendan Bilo ’26, Film and Media Arts major, earned third place in the Short Film category for a mockumentary titled “Stolen,” about a thief who can’t help stealing chairs.
Marcos Repolle ’25, Mass Communication major, and Javier Pioquinto ’24, Film and Media Arts, placed fourth in the Short Film category for “Wizard Affairs.”
Clara Weber Hill ’24, Mass Communication, won second place in the Digital Shorts category with her piece on Dean Andrew Barnes and his work as a weaver.
Clara Weber Hill and Akira Camacho-Romero ’26, Mass Communication, earned third place in the Short Documentary category for “NENA,” about the Northeast Neighborhood Association in York.
‘Consistency and commitment’
“The projects we’ve entered continue to be quality work,” says Jeffrey Schiffman, Lecturer in Communication and WVYC radio station manager. “The consistency and commitment from students and faculty have really set us apart.”
York College ranks 34th in the nation with the Broadcast Education Association for the overall creative achievement of its students and institutional excellence in media. Schiffman points to the College’s comprehensive, hands-on approach as key to the success of the program, which teaches students to produce high-quality work that will stand out in their portfolios.
The intentionally scaffolded design of the College’s Communications curriculum builds skills progressively, which helps students gain deep, well-rounded knowledge.
“Many schools introduce audio in just the first two weeks of an editing or digital production course. We have five or six courses specifically focused on audio,” Schiffman says. “We’re a little program, but we tell our students that if you can put out quality work, that’s going to get you jobs. You’re going to stand out.”
Quality, meaningful projects
For Clara, her piece about NENA, which she originally created for her Advanced Production course, has particular meaning. Working closely with the team at Chrystal’s Place, a community resource center run by NENA, she witnessed the impactful work of this organization.
“I remember the first time I walked into the resource center. It was packed, and everyone was so kind and patient. There was so much love in that building,” she says.
“When I first stepped foot into Chrystal’s Place, I was floored,” Akira, Clara’s project collaborator, adds. “I found myself in a sea of language and culture where I felt comfort as a Caribbean migrant myself.”
Akira describes the experience as profoundly personal. The most rewarding part of participating in the competition was knowing her work would help spread the word about an organization that was making a positive impact on so many lives.
BEA award winners
In addition to the CBI awards, earlier in October, two faculty members and one student won awards in the BEA OnLocation competition.
Emily Rund, York College photographer, videographer, and Adjunct Professor, won in the Sports category for a piece on the Women’s Wrestling squad.
Schiffman won in the Audio category for his entry about Jennifer Engler, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, and her Build a Kid assignment.
Chase Hellwig ’25, Mass Communication major, won an Award of Excellence in the Audio competition for a separate piece on the Build a Kid assignment.
A comprehensive curriculum
Clara credits York College’s all-inclusive Mass Communication curriculum and the way that her courses have built on one another with helping her to succeed. She used the skills she gained in video production, audio production, and communication theory in her award-winning projects. She hopes her career in communications will include work on other meaningful projects, such as her NENA endeavor.
“This work has inspired me to ensure I take the time to work on projects that make me happy and have meaning,” she says.
