Malcolm Moran, professor for Penn State University’s College of Communications

On the surface, the best measure of her credentials would be her first-place finish in the national writing championships of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program for 2007.

It would have been natural for a student to become intimidated by the competition or overwhelmed by the opportunity to travel to San Francisco. Halle treated the challenge the same way she would handle an assignment for The Daily Collegian or a class in the College of Communications. Her reporting began as soon as she arrived. She concentrated on her preparation and her careful work eventually led to her first-place recognition. On a national stage, Halle’s work placed her on the shortest of lists.

When her work was recognized at the highest level, I could not say I was surprised. The only surprise will take place if that honor is not followed by many more.

Terry Casey, editor-in-chief for The Daily Collegian

Halle took over as managing editor last summer and immediately made it clear that we were in a new era of writing. Only the best was accepted, and beat editors were often called into her office to hear how they could improve. Though Halle was strict, she was always fair, and every staff member respected her decisions because of it. The quality of The Daily Collegian has skyrocketed since Halle stepped foot in its office four years ago, and her standards have set a precedent that I expect to last for even longer.

John Harvey, news adviser for The Daily Collegian

Fall Semester 2004 was the beginning of an unusual year for The Daily Collegian. From the start our newsroom was invaded by cameras for the start of a yearlong film project that ended up being a PBS documentary called “The Paper.” In many of the movie’s scenes, you can see in the background, well away from the action, a young and eager first-year reporter with white-blond hair named Halle Stockton.

By her sophomore year she impressed us all so much and was promoted to the coveted police/fire beat. For Halle, this was a turning point. She was a natural cops reporter, tough but thorough, and quickly she developed a reputation as the newspaper’s finest reporter. She also developed a passion for the sport, becoming our resident expert on all things legal. It led her to briefly flirt with going to law school and she became our go-to legal scholar for the next two years.

We promoted Halle to assistant metro editor in what was still only her sophomore year. She rose through the ranks quickly, becoming campus editor and summer news editor before serving one more stint as the police/fire reporter. And in her senior year she served in the critical position of managing editor. Never once did Halle fail to meet those responsibilities.

She’s become a mature leader, an accomplished reporter and patient editor. She is a news junkie from her 10 little toes to the top of her white-blond head.

Source | The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
For 20 years, Ray Gricar prosecuted hundreds of cases in the pale-cream courthouse on a hill overlooking this small Victorian county seat.

Source | The Daily Collegian
A bloody rubber glove found next to the body of a Penn State senior fatally stabbed 93 times in June yielded two DNA profiles -- the victim's and former Penn State football player LaVon Chisley's, police said.

Source | The Hearst Journalism Awards Program
A gray checkered suit couldn’t hide the suggestive teardrop tattoo under Gary Dockery’s right eye. John Long’s navy blue suit did, however, mask burns from scalding water and scissor-inflicted stab wounds.