For immediate release
Contacts:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210, lrochester@spj.org
Abby Henkel, SPJ Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 215, ahenkel@spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 5 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2011 calendar year. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best collegiate journalism in the U.S.
SPJ Region 5 includes Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across SPJs 12 regions.
The honorees were awarded certificates on April 14 during the Region 5 SPJ Spring Conference held at the Marriott Downtown in Indianapolis, Ind. First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in late April.
The winners are listed below. For additional information on the Mark of Excellence awards, please contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at lrochester@spj.org.
REGION 5 WINNERS
Four-year collegesBreaking News Photography First Place: Five arrested at Kelley protest by Mark Felix, Indiana University
Second Place: Fire near campus sends 12 to hospital by Lauren Pirritano, Loyola University Chicago
Third Place: Election night disappointment by Bartosz Brzezinski, DePaul University
Feature Photography First Place: Train 7473 by Bartosz Brzezinski, DePaul University
Second Place: Tumaini by Corinne Chin, Northwestern University
Third Place: No award*
General News Photography First Place: Elmwood Estate by Samantha Toy, Eastern Kentucky University
Second Place: Firefighter funeral by Dylan Buell, Ball State University
Third Place: Peking acrobats by Elizabeth Wheeler, University of Indianapolis
Photo Illustration First Place: The very depth of low by Jerry Englehart, Jr., Western Kentucky University
Second Place: Inside the SGA budget by Jillian McCarter, Butler University
Third Place: Dance away by Katelin Carter, Ball State University
Sports Photography First Place: Heartbreak in Houston by Maria Porter, Butler University
Second Place: Biting back by Maria Porter, Butler University
Third Place: For Ball State by Dylan Buell, Ball State Universit
Best Student Magazine First Place: North by Northwestern Magazine, Northwestern University
Second Place: ECHO Magazine, Columbia College Chicago
Third Place: Ball Bearings, Ball State University
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper First Place: Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University
Second Place: Ball State Daily News, Ball State University
Third Place: No award*
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper First Place: The Butler Collegian, Butler University
Second Place: Loyola Phoenix, Loyola University Chicago
Third Place: The DePaulia, DePaul University
Breaking News Reporting First Place: When in Rome: Riots hit Europe as students study abroad by Dominic Zinn, DePaul University
Second Place: Heartbreak in Houston: Bulldogs lose championship title to UConn Huskies by Steven Peek, Butler University
Third Place: UMass professor discusses history, effectiveness of brothel law by Audrey Cheng, Northwestern University
Editorial Writing First Place: Rhett Umphress, Benjamin Dashley and Sarah Boswell, Ball State University
Second Place: The Butler Collegian staff, Butler University
Third Place: Loyola Phoenix staff, Loyola University Chicago
Feature Writing First Place: Family, friends of WKU graduate build foundation after son's suicide by Emily Patton, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: The man behind @MayorEmanuel talks fake Twitter, book deal by Patrick Svitek, Northwestern University
Third Place: Chicago's strip search: People are putting bacon in everything by Cheryl Waity, DePaul University
General Column Writing First Place: Benjamin Dashley, Ball State University
Second Place: Samantha Booth, Northwestern University
Third Place: Evie Salomon, Indiana University
General News Reporting First Place: WKU hires Emslie, Baylis' partners by Jonathan Lintner, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: Under the influence by Tahera Rahman, Yara Shams, Nathan Lurz and Dominic Fante, Loyola University Chicago
Third Place: The Parking Series: Students, faculty, staff left with permit, no parking by Hayleigh Colombo, Butler University
In-Depth Reporting First Place: Dirty dumpster on campus? by Stanislav Golovchuk, Loyola University Chicago
Second Place: Flooding poses problem for campus officials by Christopher Goff and Kyler Naylor, Butler University
Third Place: Investigation into Ball State's Title IX compliance continues by Daniel Sipocz, Ball State University
Sports Column Writing First Place: Julien Zeng, DePaul University
Second Place: Brendan Bond, Loyola University Chicago
Third Place: Rhett Umphress, Ball State University
Sports Writing First Place: Baltimore lawyer making a name as pro boxer by Robbie Levin, Northwestern University
Second Place: Brotherly love: Freshman Gordon devoting basketball career to twin brother by Cole Claybourn, Western Kentucky University
Third Place: Women's volleyball: Shondell goes beyond coaching by Andrew Mishler, Ball State University
Nonfiction Magazine Article First Place: Runner's high by Rachel Stark, Indiana University
Second Place: The search for love by Nolan Feeney, Northwestern University
Third Place: Brave new world by Rachel Hoffman, Northwestern University
Best Affiliated Web Site First Place: Ball Bearings (www.ballbearingsonline.com), Ball State University
Second Place: The DePaulia Online (www.depauliaonline.com), DePaul University
Third Place: No award*
Best Independent Online Student Publication First Place: North by Northwestern (www.northbynorthwestern.com), Northwestern University
Second Place: The Red Line Project (www.redlineproject.org), DePaul University
Third Place: No award*
Online Feature Reporting First Place: In the action by Sam Aune, Nick Ritenour, Jared Windler and Valerie Carnevale, Ball State University
Second Place: Handling the rough game: The slow evolution of sports medicine by Sara J. Martinez, Northwestern University
Third Place: 10 remember 9/11: Firefighter Steve Serb by Holly Pennebaker, DePaul University
Online In-Depth Reporting First Place: TIFs in Chicago by ChicagoTalks staff, Columbia College Chicago
Second Place: 10 Remember 9/11 by The Red Line Project's 10 Remember 9/11 team, DePaul University
Third Place: Campus security by ChicagoTalks staff, Columbia College Chicago
Online News Reporting First Place: Chicago blizzard 2011 coverage by The Red Line Project staff, DePaul University
Second Place: Chicago mayoral inauguration coverage by AnnCatherine Brady, Bree Tuch and Blythe Meyer, DePaul University
Third Place: African Children's Choir shares tradition with North America by Amelia Chong, Indiana University Bloomington
Online Opinion and Commentary First Place: Sam Kraft, DePaul University
Second Place: Rachel Metea, Michael Collins and Peter Dziedzic, DePaul University
Third Place: Andrew Cho, Northwestern University
Online Sports Reporting First Place: Wildcat basketball preview 2011-2012 by North By Northwestern staff, Northwestern University
Second Place: NCAA tournament coverage by The Butler Collegian staff, Butler University
Third Place: Chicago's young athletes deal with life in the limelight by Alex Soulier and Lauren Klopmeyer, DePaul University
Editorial Cartooning First Place: Abby Gross, University of Indianapolis
Second Place: Matt Iammarino, DePaul University
Third Place: No award*
Radio Feature Reporting First Place: Coffee roaster by Jill Disis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Second Place: Rockome Gardens by Hilary Osborn, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Third Place: Pipe organ builders by Chloe Pistorius, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Radio In-depth Reporting First Place: Kentucky ag heavily dependent on migrant labor by Cassidy Herrington, University of Kentucky
Second Place: DePauw University's party image by Kelsey Dentinger, Ashley Isaac, Kelly Reeves and Taylor Buchanan, DePauw University
Third Place: Investigation of Marsa Gipson death by Brian Alkire, Anna Olson, Kelsey Christensen and Jordan Davis, DePauw University
Radio News Reporting First Place: Prescription drug recycling by Michelle Fleishman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Second Place: Coups for troops by Joseph Mathis, Western Kentucky University
Third Place: Middle school leadership program by Rose-Ann Aragon, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Radio Sports Reporting First Place: Redbird basketball preview by Chris Highland, Illinois State University
Second Place: Monon Bell football game pregame show 2011 by Ryan Foutty, DePauw University
Third Place: Heating up with Bloomington's new team by Christen Roberts, Illinois State University
Best All-Around Television Newscast First Place: Good Day DePaul, DePaul University
Second Place: WEIU-TV News Watch, Eastern Illinois University
Third Place: News Channel 12 WKU, Western Kentucky University
Television Feature Reporting First Place: Triple amputee finishes 10K by Tommy Parker, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: 2011 Indiana University World's Fare by Qixin Wang, Indiana University
Third Place: Pipe organ maker by Caroline Pahl, University of Illinois
Television In-depth Reporting First Place: Central Illinois honor flight by Caroline Pahl and Spencer Turkin, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
Second Place: Open records by Jacqui Powell, Western Kentucky University
Third Place: No award*
Television General News Reporting First Place: Medal of Honor by Tommy Parker, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: Occupy Chicago coverage by Rashanah Baldwin and Miguel Torres, DePaul University
Third Place: 9/11 tenth anniversary coverage by Courtney Sturgeon, DePaul University
Television Breaking News Reporting First Place: Hope after the storm by Elizabeth Schulze, Northwestern University
Second Place: NCAA stipend by Jeremy Brown, Western Kentucky University
Third Place: No award*
Television Sports Reporting First Place: WKU home win photo essay by Andrew Bennett, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: No award*
Third Place: No award*
Television Sports Photography First Place: Marine turned cheerleader by Zack Ryle, Western Kentucky University
Second Place: WKU football helmet stickers by Alix Casper-Peak, Western Kentucky University
Third Place: No award*
Two-year and community colleges General News Reporting First Place: Board of Trustees election coverage by Nick Davison, College of DuPage
Second Place: JJC culinary team takes home top honors by Kat Boehle, Joliet Junior College
Third Place: Supplemental Instruction and College Dials Up Internet Capacity by Elise Anderson, College of DuPage
Editorial Writing First Place: Nick Davison, College of DuPage
Second Place: No award*
Third Place: No award*
Best Affiliated Web Site First Place: Prospectus News (www.prospectusnews.com), Parkland College
Second Place: No award*
Third Place: No award*
Sports Photography First Place: Shrugged off by Kat Boehle, Joliet Junior College
Second Place: No award*
Third Place: No award*
Photo Illustration First Place: Arbor vitae by Chris Johnson, College of DuPage
Second Place: No award*
Third Place: No award*
* Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in student journalism. Judges are not required to select first, second or third place winners. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit
www.spj.org.
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