Editors and the staff of Louisiana Tech’s student-run newspaper, The Tech Talk, received top honors from the regional Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence awards for Region 12. The Tech Talk staff received first place in Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper. Patrick Boyd, a senior journalism and English double major, received first place in General News Reporting, and Anna Claire Thomas, a senior journalism major, received first in Sports Column Writing. “We are proud that our student newspaper has earned top honors for this region,” said Dr. Reginald Owens, head of the journalism department. “I am also proud of the individual achievements by our student journalists. They work hard to produce a good publication. This validation from the Society of Professional Journalists is well deserved. We have a good student-journalist team that helps to carry on the storied legacy of this department.” SPJ Region 12 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. This year’s award winners were announced Saturday in Lafayette.