FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Abbi Martzall, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-920-4791, awards@spj.org
Maggie LaMar, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, mlamar@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards winners from Region 5. The MOE Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism from a calendar year.

SPJ’s Region 5 comprises Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 2 at the Region 4/5 Spring Conference in Cincinnati. 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 2016 (EIJ16), Sept. 18-20 in New Orleans.

Entries 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 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 at least 10,000 students and small schools have 9,999 or fewer students.

See the list below for details on the Region 5 winners, and direct any MOE Awards questions to Awards Coordinator Abbi Martzall..

Note: The list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award-entry process.

Art / Graphics
Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Laquan McDonald remembered at prayer vigil - by Geoff Stellfox , DePaul University

Breaking News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Protest in Bowman Park - by Rebeca Bagdocimo, DePauw University

Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Maasai women: Breaking out of the Boma - by Sydney Combs, University of Chicago
Finalist: Teenage pregnancy in the Dominican Republic - by Jennifer Gonzalez, Luke Nozicka , Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Finalist: 72 hours from the ones he loves - by Nick Wagner, Western Kentucky University

Feature Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Chef Scott of Yama Sushi - by Sam Caravana, DePauw University
Finalist: Kid Quill thrills college kids with Old Gold performance - by Rebeca Bagdocimo, DePauw University

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Snow Day - by Nick Wagner, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Prayer vigil for Paris, Baghdad and Beirut - by Breanna Daugherty, Ball State University
Finalist: Gun owner portrait - by Brittany Greeson, Western Kentucky University

General News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Festival of Balloons - by Sam Caravana, DePauw University

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Ball State University tagline redefined - by Alex White, Samantha Brammer, Ball State University
Finalist: Between two worlds - by Breanna Daugherty, Tyson Bird, Ball State University

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: DePaul's bench mob - by Josh Leff, DePaul University
Finalist: Illini football celebrates a different kind of win - by Tyler Courtney , University of Illinois
Finalist: Football photo - by Nick Wagner, Western Kentucky University

Sports Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Men's basketball gets back on roll - by Kameron Casey, University of Indianapolis
Finalist: Rider Kiesner with flaming whips at the St. Paul Rodeo - by Sam Caravana, DePauw University
Finalist: Women's basketball road trip unsuccessful - by Kameron Casey, University of Indianapolis

Magazines
Best Student Magazine
Winner: Ball Bearings Magazine Fall 2015 Edition - by Executive Staff of Ball Bearings Magazine, Ball State University
Finalist: North by Northwestern winter 2015 magazine - by Staff of North by Northwestern, Northwestern University
Finalist: Al Bayan Magazine Winter Issue 2015 - by Medha Imam, Naib Mian , Northwestern University

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: Science in the sky - by Jasper Scherer, Northwestern University
Finalist: Still waters - by Kelsey Roadruck and Haley Ward, Indiana University
Finalist: The grade escape - by Anne Li, Northwestern University

Newspapers
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: Best All-Around Daily Newspaper - by The Daily Illini staff, University of Illinois
Finalist: The Daily Northwestern - by Staff, Northwestern University
Finalist: Indiana Daily Student - by Staff, Indiana University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The DePaulia Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper - by The DePaulia staff, DePaul University
Finalist: Ball State Daily News - by Ball State Daily News staff, Ball State University
Finalist: College Heights Herald - by Herald staff, Western Kentucky University

Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Task force recommends Northwestern begin academic year in August, still maintain quarter system - by Alice Yin, Northwestern University
Finalist: Steer cleared - by Joshua Huff, Michael Reaves, University of Kentucky
Finalist: Hindsight 2020: WKU suspends swim team for five years - by Shelby Rogers, Trey Crumbie, Western Kentucky University

Editorial Writing
Winner: OUR VIEW - by Ball State Daily News Staff, Ball State University
Finalist: Policy update restricts demonstrations; Updates to demonstration policy don't go far enough - by Loyola Phoenix Staff , Loyola University Chicago
Finalist: The DePaulia editorial board - by Editorial Board, DePaul University

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Composing the future: The journeys of three DePaul musicians as they prepare for graduation - by Kirsten Onsgard, DePaul University
Finalist: Fighting time and genetics - by Matt Sexton, Northern Kentucky University
Finalist: The unsettled - by Alden Woods, Indiana University

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Marissa Allen feature - by Troy Kelleher, North Central College
Finalist: Highest grossing biopic tells origins of rap super group N.W.A. - by Sydney Hart, Kentucky State University
Finalist: Female students, faculty share what they love about STEM - by Mercadees Hempel, University of Indianapolis

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Tim Balk column entry - by Tim Balk, Northwestern University
Finalist: St. Paul's rape case raises concerns surrounding sexual assault; The US can learn from Germany's - by Morgan Christian , Loyola University Chicago
Finalist: Freedom of speech, not xenophobia; Intertwining solidarity and activism; Listen first - by Naib Mian, Northwestern University

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Under the radar - by Joe Friedrichsen, Chris Yingling, Taylor University

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The guardian - by Michael Majchrowicz, Indiana University
Finalist: Coverage of Sandra Bland's Death - by Sophia Bollag and Ally Mutnick, Northwestern University
Finalist: Recreational drug, dietary supplement abuse rising - by Casey Smith, Ball State University

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: No more noodles - by Cassidy Grom, Chris Yingling, Taylor University
Finalist: Tenure still on hold...but not for all? - by Robyn Thompson, Kentucky State University
Finalist: Brother Jed and Campus Ministry USA protests - by Nicole DeCriscio and Madison Dudley, DePauw University

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The pursuit of joy: A battle for faith, hope and integrity - by Dan Klapheke, Eastern Kentucky University
Finalist: The DePaulia's Gerald Koocher coverage - by Brenden Moore, DePaul University
Finalist: In focus: As University recruits more low-income students, textbook costs still a barrier - by Shane McKeon, Northwestern University

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: A rock and a hard place - by Aprile Rickert, Indiana University Southeast

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Tim Balk Football column entry - by Tim Balk, Northwestern University
Finalist: Peter Bailey-Wells columns - by Peter Bailey-Wells, University of Illinois
Finalist: North by Northwestern.com sports columns - by Andy Brown, Austin Siegel, Northwestern University

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Mr. Western - by Kyle WIlliams, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Ball State pockets $1.2 million for Texas A&M game - by Robby General, Ball State University
Finalist: NU-Qatar women's basketball finds unity on the court - by Alex Lederman, Northwestern University

Sports Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The irony of silence - by Lincoln Reed, Eric Andrews, Chris Yingling, Taylor University
Finalist: Basketball player to cut hair for purpose - by Anna Wieseman, University of Indianapolis
Finalist: Gary Kinkead retires after 21 seasons - by Leeann Doerflein, University of Indianapolis

Online
Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: idsnews.com - by Staff, Indiana University
Finalist: WKUHerald.com - by Herald staff, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Ball State Daily - by Ball State Daily News staff, Ball State University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Inside NU - by Inside NU, Northwestern University
Finalist: North by Northwestern- by Staff, Northwestern University
Finalist: The Medill Justice Project - by Staff, Northwestern University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Campus grows, parking shrinks - by Tori Lentz, Wyatt Nolen, Lindsey Rudd, Kody Kahle, Northern Kentucky University
Finalist: Passing - by Sarah Turbin, Alex Duner, Hyunjee Lee, Northwestern University
Finalist: The aftermath - by Miranda Carney, Ball State University

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: Dream and the war - by Kae Holloway, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: The unsettled - by Alden Woods, Ike Hajinazarian and Anna Boone, Indiana University
Finalist: 'I was raped': A DePaul student’s rape and the university’s code of conduct - by Rachel Hinton, Shelley Mesch, DePaul University

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Kentucky divide main story - by Josh Beal, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Waiting for help - by Megan Jula, Indiana University
Finalist: Investigating potentially wrongful convictions: The Medill Justice Project - by Staff, Northwestern University

Online News Reporting
Winner: Investigating injustices: The Medill Justice Project - by Staff, Northwestern University
Finalist: Seizing the future - by Benjamin Thomas Payne, Augustana College (Rock Island)
Finalist: The DePaulia's Dean Koocher coverage - by Brenden Moore, Matthew Paras, Mariah Woelfel, Megan Deppen, DePaul University

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: More than a decade of drought: An oral history of the 2003-04 Blue Demons - by Matthew Paras, Kirsten Onsgard, Mariah Woelfel, DePaul University
Finalist: Grown-man decision - by Dakota Crawford, Ball State University
Finalist: Two of a kind - by Austin Siegel , Northwestern University

Radio Broadcast
Radio Feature
Winner: Chicago street vendor - by Jessica Ramos, University of Illinois
Finalist: Graduation fears - by Riane Lenzner White, University of Illinois
Finalist: Performance anxiety - by Amelia Mugavero, University of Illinois

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: International off campus study - by WGRE News, DePauw University
Finalist: WZND Birds I View - While you were sleeping - by Mike Miletich, Elizabeth Cook, Illinois State University
Finalist: DePauw student allocations - by Robert Sherman, Paige Berliner, Ellie Locke, Sydney Lewis, DePauw University

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Bernie Sanders returns to quad cities area for second time since launching presidential campaign - by Benjamin Thomas Payne, Augustana College (Rock Island)
Finalist: Red meat scare - by Jonathan Joffe, University of Illinois
Finalist: Emily Pomorski news reporting - by Emily Pomorski, Illinois State University

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Bryer Lehr sports reporting - by Bryer Lehr, Illinois State University
Finalist: Sam Ostrowski sports reporting - by Sam Ostrowski, Illinois State University

Television Broadcast
Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Northwestern News Network - Chicago Show - by Northwestern News Network staff, Northwestern University
Finalist: Northwestern News Network: SportsNight (11/12/2015) - by Alex Lederman, Axel Boada, Zack Becker, Northwestern University
Finalist: Northwestern News Report - by Geordan Tilley, Orko Manna, Isa Gutierrez, Northwestern University
Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Swim team suspension - by Josh Holland, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Up in arms: Campus reacts to concealed carry - by Abby Anstead, Northern Kentucky University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Maasai women "carry each other" - by Sydney Combs, University of Chicago
Finalist: Lesson unplanned: Teenage pregnancy and a lack of education in the Dominican Republic - by Jennifer Gonzalez, Luke Nozicka, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Finalist: Graduation Day: The journey of Liza Gabrek - by Brandon Wilson, Northwestern University

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Mayoral election - by Hannah Hoffman, Ashley Holden, DePaul University
Finalist: Benjamin Netanyahu's address to congress - by Jesse Kirsch, Northwestern University
Finalist: Good Day DePaul general news reporting- by Chloe Atkins, DePaul University

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Artificial turf - Jaclyn Driscoll - by Jaclyn Driscoll, DePaul University

Television News and Feature Photography
Winner: Golden knights - by Reporter Josh Holland. Photojournalist on ground. Daniel Blommel, Western Kentucky University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: "I'll do it through you down here" The Kyle Cody story - by Megan O'Brien, Northwestern University
Finalist: Good Day DePaul sports reporting- by Sarah Gorden, DePaul University

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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