For the second year in a row, WEIU-TV News Watch has been awarded an Emmy for student production of the Mid-America chapter.

Kelly Runyon, WEIU news director, said winning another Emmy is a statement of what students put into WEIU.

“It was a thrill to win for a second time,” Runyon said. “It’s just an awesome, awesome statement to how hard the students work on a daily basis and it’s also a wonderful achievement, not only for the news watch team, but also for WEIU and Eastern Illinois University.”

Runyon said without Eastern’s support they would not be able to achieve the things they do.

She said being asked the question of what it was like or how she feels about WEIU winning an Emmy cannot be put into words.

“You can show it through emotion, you can show it through compliments and you can smile and high-five somebody about it, but it’s just really hard to put it into words. It’s thrilling, really.”

About 13 students from WEIU traveled to St. Louis for the 34th Annual Emmy Awards Gala Saturday.

Among the group was Zach Nugent, a technology graduate student, who had been working at WEIU since his freshman year at Eastern in 2006.

“I was here when we were nominated last year and I think the second time, it’s exciting because it shows that we’re consistent,” Nugent said. “It shows that we’ve put out a solid product.”

He said being recognized is the biggest honor because his friends and family get to see why he spends so much time working at WEIU as a “volunteer.”

Runyon, who was not able to come to the event, kept in contact with students throughout the night.

“I was in contact with many of the students that night via texting and via phone and via photos, so I felt like I was there, but I was there in spirit, just not in body,” Runyon said. “It was a depressing day that I wasn’t in St. Louis.”

She said waiting for the results was very stressful but worth it in the end.

Runyon said the Emmys are not a competition, but depend on the criteria they fulfill. She said it was an honor to be in the same “playing fields” as schools like the University of Missouri.

Rachel Morris, a senior journalism major, did not attend the Emmy Gala, but was still excited about the award.

“I didn’t go to the Emmys this year, but it’s still exciting just because you understand the process, you understand how much hard work everyone puts into it,” Morris said.

Morris, who has performed a number of positions at WEIU, started working here in the fall of 2009 and has found a passion.

“Once you get involved here at WEIU, you find that that’s your passion and it’s just something that becomes a part of you and you want to work hard for it because you enjoy it because you love it,” Morris said.

Nugent agreed with Morris that WEIU is a part of them.

“We work so hard and to be able to show off our accomplishments is almost like bringing an “A” home on a report card to your parents where you’re just really proud of it and it just shows that we’ve worked hard,” Nugent said.

On a nightly basis Runyon said she expects the students to produce Emmy-quality work.

“I demand 200 percent from them. It’s not to say that we don’t have bumps and bruises along the way,” Runyon said.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 591-7942 or

[email protected].