FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Chad Hosier, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317.920.4791, awards@spj.org
Ellen Kobe, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317.920.4785, ekobe@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists gladly recognizes the 2013 Mark of Excellence Awards winners from Region 2. The MOE Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism from a calendar year.

SPJ’s Region 2 comprises Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of March 28 at the Region 2 Spring Conference in Washington D.C. First-place winners will move on to the national MOE competition among category winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at Excellence in Journalism 2014 (EIJ14) in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 4 to 6. The awards are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience.

The awards honor the best in student journalism. As such, judges were directed to choose only those entries which they felt were outstanding work worthy of such an honor. If the judges determined that none of the entries rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, which includes both graduate and undergraduate enrollment: Large schools have more than 10,000 students and small schools have fewer than 9,999 students.

See the list below for details on the Region 2 winners, and direct any MOE Awards questions to Awards Coordinator Chad Hosier: awards@spj.org and 317.920.4791. Note: The list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award-entry process.

NEWSPAPERS
Breaking News Reporting (Large)
Winner: “Two UMD students dead after College Park murder-suicide” by The Diamondback Staff, The Diamondback, University of Maryland

Breaking News Reporting (Small)
Winner: “Police: Man with gun on campus may be part of love triangle” by Heather Mongilio, Jared Angle and Stefanie Dazio, The Eagle, American University
Finalist: “Stacks of The Eagle's last weekly issue disappeared” by Heather Mongilio and Zach C. Cohen, The Eagle, American University

General News Reporting (Large)
Winner: “Virginia’s suicide rate highest in 13 years” by Blake Belden and Michael Schuster, VCU Capital News Service and Henrico Citizen, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Nuclear authority generates controversy” by Stephen Nielsen, VCU Capital News Service and Rappahannock News, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Spread of Molly Drug Causes National Concern” by IJ Chan, The Breeze, James Madison University

General News Reporting (Small)
Winner: “Putting passion into practice: Teach for America remains successful despite criticism” by Rebecca Iannucci, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “National minimum wage at lowest real value since 1968, workers barely above poverty line” by Ethan Smith, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Better Food Helps Boost Hospitals' Bottom Line” by Hamlet Fort, The Tennessean, Washington and Lee University

In-Depth Reporting (Large)
Winner: “State prepared for health insurance exchanges opening today” by Yasmeen Abutaleb, The Diamondback, University of Maryland

In-Depth Reporting (Small)
Winner: “Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining: The cost beyond a power bill” by Ethan Smith, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Scared into silence: Sexual assault persists as underreported college crime” by Katherine Blunt, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Subjected to satellite: Rural N.C. communities lag behind the possibilities of developed broadband” by Michael Bodley, The Pendulum, Elon University

Feature Writing (Large)
Winner: “Jayson Blair: 10 years later” by Yasmeen Abutaleb, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Holding on: Friends, family remember Carolina Perez” by Mark Robinson, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Instructor Leaving a Lasting Impression Upon Others” by Kate Durham, The Watauga Democrat, Appalachian State University

Feature Writing (Small)
Winner: “Miss D.C. 2012 speaks on struggle with eating disorder, body image campaign” by David Kahen-Kashi, The Eagle, American University
Finalist: “Seeing black, feeling color: Music education student overcomes disability to express art” by Abby Franklin, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Chickpeas becoming a hot crop for Virginia Farmers” by Andy Soergel, The Roanoke Times, Washington and Lee University

Sports Writing (Large)
Winner: “Brothers Bernhardt” by Aaron Kasinitz, The Diamondback, University of Maryland

Sports Writing (Small)
Winner: “Pay for play: Ugly football games serve more purpose than entertainment” by Andrew Wilson, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “The Ravens call him 'Coach.' Rosburg calls him 'Dad.'” by Josh Paunil, The Eagle, American Univeristy
Finalist: “Back to basics: Kennedy cites 'under control' defense as key to successful 2013” by Andrew Wilson, The Pendulum, Elon University

Editorial Writing
Winner: The Diamondback staff, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: The Pendulum Editorial Board, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: Shane Wade, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University

General Column Writing
Winner: Lauren Redding, Erik Shell and Mike King, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: Trey Mangum, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: Brandi Bottalico, The Towerlight, Towson University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Daniel Gallen and Aaron Kasinitz, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: Colin Kennedy, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Stephen Proffitt, The Breeze, James Madison University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: The Towerlight, Towson University
Finalist: The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University

MAGAZINE
Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: “A Broken Promise: Dowry Violence in India” by Varsha Ramakrishnan, Johns Hopkins Public Health Magazine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Finalist: “The Cost of a Scandal” by Caitlin McCabe, Synapse Magazine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “Starting the conversation - youth suicide awareness” by Lauren LiBetti, Vital Signs Magazine, Centennial College

Best Student Magazine
Winner: Ramble Magazine, VCU Student Media Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Ink Magazine, VCU Student Media Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Forum Magazine, University of Richmond

ART/GRAPHICS
Breaking News Photography (Small)
Winner: “Moral Monday Takes a Stand” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University

General News Photography (Large)
Winner: “Student dies after being in coma for eight months” by Matthew Hazlett, The Towerlight, Towson University
Finalist: “The Life of Loh” by James Levin, The Diamondback, University of Maryland

General News Photography (Small)
Winner: “First Day of School” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University
Finalist: “Coming Home” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University

Feature Photography (Large)
Winner: “Baseball, men’s soccer discontinued” by Matthew Hazlett, The Towerlight, Towson University
Finalist: “VCU students Rob Gibson and Eric Stanley will perform at TEDxRVA” by Zoe Dehmer, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Sculpture major Ginger Kitchen works in the lab with aerogel” by Chris Conway, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University

Feature Photography (Small)
Winner: “Pool Day” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University
Finalist: “Students relaxing in spring” by Al Drago, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Family Farm” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University

Photo Illustration (Large)
Winner: “Washed Out” by Danielle Frater and Christopher Curry, The Towerlight, Towson University
Finalist: “In the Red” by Chris Conway, Mark Robinson and Sagal Hassan, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Bend it Like Banes” by Matthew Hazlett, The Towerlight, Towson University

Photo Illustration (Small)
Winner: “Breaking the bank” by Al Drago, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Would you like mold with that?” by Katy Canada, The Pendulum, Elon University

Sports Photography (Large)
Winner: “Mullins College Cup semifinals celebration” by Christian Jenkins, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Rob Brandenberg” by Chris Conway, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: “Tigers win final game of season on senior day” by Matthew Hazlett, The Towerlight, Towson University

Sports Photography (Small)
Winner: “Cameron Crazies” by Al Drago, The Pendulum, Elon University
Finalist: “Wheel Fan” by Al Drago, The News & Observer, Elon University

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Dan Nacu, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Kyle Saxton, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Chris Kindred, The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University

RADIO
Radio News Reporting
Winner: “North Carolina a leading state for human trafficking” by Mark Haywood, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “UMD Sails” by Brett Hall, WMUC-FM, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Smith receives Medal of Freedom” by Zach Mayo and Louis Fernandez, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Radio Feature
Winner: “Bird-cams aim to explain ‘peacocking’” by Daniel Lane, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “UNC class trains aspiring juke box heroes” by James Kaminsky, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “Bull Riding in Raphine” by Logan Nardo, WLUR-FM, Washington and Lee University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
First Place: “Going Local: Naturally Grown Food in Rockbridge” by Logan Nardo, WLUR-FM, Washington and Lee University

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

TELEVISION
Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: “Jason Swepson fired” by Joe Bruno, Elon Local News, Elon University

Television General News Reporting
Winner: “Elon Dining Problems” by Nicole Chadwick, Elon Local News, Elon University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: “Renaissance Man” by Julia Weaver, ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Cicadas Return” by Leah Villanueva, CNS-TV, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Taking Care of Mom” by Catherine Harrington, ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: “Overcoming Obstacles” by ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Diversity at Elon” by Nicole Chadwick, Jasmine Turner, Megan Foard and Mei Bess, Elon Local News, Elon University
Finalist: “Small Business & Technology” by Ana Namaki, ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: “The Price of Recruiting; Part 2” by Janelle Davis, Sports Extra, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Television News/Feature Photography
Winner: “Larger than Life” by Louie Dane, ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Bookstore Movers” by Ana Namaki, ViewFinder - UMTV, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Shark Tagging” by Josh Birch, Capital News Service, University of Maryland

Television Sports Photography
Winner: “Cost of Recruiting, Part 1” by Janelle Davis, Sports Extra, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “Maggie Bill - Lacrosse and Soccer Player” by Janelle Davis, Sports Extra, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “Out of the Darkness” by Lindsay Simpson, UMTV, University of Maryland

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Maryland Newsline staff, UMTV, University of Maryland
Finalist: Jeff Ackermann, Brian Mezerski and Joe Bruno, News Director Elon Local News, Elon University
Finalist: ViewFinder, UMTV, University of Maryland

ONLINE
Online News Reporting
Winner: “The Other Redskins” by Kelyn Soong, Sean Henderson and Angela Wong, Capital News Service - University of Maryland, University of Maryland
Finalist: “What's at Risk: Sea Level Rise in Maryland” by The Capital News Service staff, Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Half of Richmond’s bridges need work” by William Lineberry and Jeannette Porter, The MMJ Post, Virginia Commonwealth University

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: “Living Galapagos” by Living Galapagos Staff, Living Galapagos, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Finalist: “Half The Battle: For millennial veterans heading home, a decade of war is just the beginning” by Staff of “Half The Battle” project, American University School of Communication, Capital News Service, American University
Finalist: “Heart of the High Country” by Carolina Photojournalism Workshop team, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: “The Other Redskins” by Kelyn Soong, Sean Henderson and Angela Wong, Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Decoding the Code of Student Conduct” by Teddy Amenabar, Darcy Costello and Alex Kirshner, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: “The State of Health Care in the Rockbridge Area” by Katy Stewart, Alex Cummings and Kelly Mae Ross, The Rockbridge Report, Washington and Lee University

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: “The Other Redskins” by Kelyn Soong, Sean Henderson and Angela Wong, Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: “The Boy from Fukushima” by Daniel Popper, Daniel Gallen and Aaron Kasinitz, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Finalist: “From Elon to the NFL Mellette Drafted by Super Bowl Champion Ravens” by Brennan McGovern and Justin Biegel, Elon Local News, Elon University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: “What's at Risk: Sea Level Rise in Maryland,” Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Conowingo Dam” Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: “Over Water Under Fire,” UNC Powering a Nation 2013 Team, UNC Powering a Nation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: CNSMaryland.org, Capital News Service, University of Maryland
Finalist: elonpendulum.com, The Pendulum, Elon University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Finalist: The Rockbridge Report, Washington and Lee University

Best Digital-Only Student Publication
Winner: CNSMaryland.org, Capital News Service, University of Maryland

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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