FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Abbi Martzall, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-4791, awards@spj.org
Maggie LaMar, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, mlamar@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists gladly recognizes the 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards winners from Region 7. The MOE Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism from a calendar year.

SPJ’s Region 7 comprises Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 16 at the Region 7 Spring Conference in Overland Park, Kan. 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 Sept. 18-20 in New Orleans. 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, medium have 9,999 to 5,001 students, and small have fewer than 5,000 students.

See the list below for details on the Region 7 winners, and direct any MOE Awards questions to Awards Coordinator.

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

Art / Graphics
Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Forging tradition - by John J. Happel, University of Missouri-Columbia

General News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: President Obama at KU - by Chad Phillips, Baker University

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Columbia's sweet treats - by Alex Menz, University of Missouri-Columbia

Photo Illustration (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Close 2 the heart - by Taylor Schley, Baker University

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Freshman Erika Kinsey competes in the high jump - by Andrew Mather, University of Central Missouri

Sports Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Football vs. William Penn - by Khadijah Lane, Baker University
Finalist: Playoff Football vs. Point University - by Khadijah Lane, Baker University
Finalist: Men's Tennis vs. Friends - by Chad Phillips, Baker University

Magazines
Best Student Magazine
Winner: Vox Magazine - The Killing State - by Vox staff, University of Missouri-Columbia

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: The death penalty in Missouri from A to Z - by Vox staff, University of Missouri-Columbia
Finalist: Race on campus - by Vox staff, University of Missouri-Columbia
Finalist: A generation on edge - by Laura Heck, University of Missouri-Columbia

Newspapers
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: Iowa State Daily March 6, Oct. 9 and Dec. 4, 2015 editions - by Danielle Ferguson, editor in chief, Iowa State University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Baker Orange Newspaper - by The Baker Orange Staff, Baker University
Finalist: Muleskinner - by Muleskinner staff, University of Central Missouri
Finalist: The Standard - by The Standard staff, Missouri State University

Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: WPD arrest armed man near schools - by Leah Wankum, University of Central Missouri
Finalist: Man makes off with cash from UMB Bank - by Leah Wankum, University of Central Missouri

Editorial Writing
Winner: Three editorials from the Baker Orange - by The Baker Orange Staff, Baker University

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Our way of life - by Emily Barske, Iowa State University

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The art and psychology of the selfie - by Taylor Shuck, Baker University
Finalist: The Mine considered 'home' by many - by Taylor Shuck, Baker University

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Three columns by Lauren Freking - by Lauren Freking, Baker University
Finalist: National Sexual Assault Awareness Month - by Je'Nell McCrary, St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Bills to allows religious student groups to restrict membership - by Leah Wankum, University of Central Missouri
Finalist: Sidewalk smokers rejoice: UCM updates tobacco policy - by Steven Spears, University of Central Missouri
Finalist: Students hold a protest to show support for Mizzou - by Han Zhao, Nicole Roberts, Missouri State University

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Dorm keys raise security concerns - by Viktoria Muench, Lindenwood University
Finalist: No guns allowed? Kansas campuses may have to alter weapons policies - by Lauren Freking, Baker University

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The emergency care crisis in Uganda - by Jae Lee, Washington University in St. Louis
Finalist: Mandate draws attention to sexual misconduct on campus - by Mykaela Cross, Baker University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Three sports columns by Jim Joyner - by Jim Joyner, Baker University
Finalist: Three sports columns by Nathalia Barr - by Nathalia Barr, Baker University

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Mike Riley isn't following his father's footsteps anymore - by Chris Heady, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sports Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: From palm trees to cobblestone: Journeyman QB to end college career at LU - by Phil Scherer, Lindenwood University
Finalist: Cornell Brown goes from Baldwin High to Baker U - by Jim Joyner, Baker University
Finalist: Mateer drives to the top - by Chad Mullen, Baker University

Online
Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: KJHK.org - by KJHK 90.7 FM, University of Kansas
Finalist: Lindenlink - by Emily Adair, Phil Brahm and staff, Lindenwood University
Finalist: thebakerorange.com - by The Baker Orange Staff, Baker University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Urban Plains - by Kayli Kunkel, EIC, Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Finalist: The Tack ONLINE - by The Tack ONLINE staff, Buena Vista University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Addressing nitrates in Des Moines' drinking water - by Faith Brar and Amanda Horvath, Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Finalist: Living under a rock in the digital age - by Stephanie Steiner & Krystal Schulte, Buena Vista University
Finalist: Road work will cause delays on major route along Lindenwood campus - by Phil Brahm, Lindenwood University

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: The death penalty in Missouri from A to Z - by Vox staff, University of Missouri-Columbia
Finalist: La Cienega - by Mara Klecker, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Finalist: A guide of love: the bond between a service dog + a freshman in college - by Kiley Wellendorf, Buena Vista University

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Addressing nitrates in Des Moines' drinking water - by Faith Brar and Amanda Horvath, Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Finalist: Sexual assault awareness continues to increase at UNL - by Jordan Huesers, College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Online News Reporting
Winner: UNL student veterans’ lives and college experiences - by Benjamin Schoenkin, College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Radio Broadcast

Radio Feature
Winner: Thomas Merton's personal belongings resurface in Missouri nearly fifty years after his death - by Emerald O'Brien, University of Missouri
Finalist: New app hopes to change classroom culture - by Rodney Davis, University of Missouri
Finalist: Nate ruess, next gen climate, reverb and Iowa - by Zachary Schmidt, Chelsey Goetz, and Chase Harrison, Buena Vista University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Exploring the paths of Missouri's special education - by Ashley Reese, Heather Adams, University of Missouri
Finalist: Rain Pryor: That daughter's crazy - by Danielle Peterson, University of Kansas
Finalist: Nebraska euthanasia debate - by Benjamin Schoenkin , College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Radio News Reporting
Winner: OSHA investigates heartland dairy after third death in three years - by Michaela Tucker, University of Missouri
Finalist: Bosnians remember when their city became 'one big concentration camp' - by Emerald O'Brien, University of Missouri
Finalist: How a 27-year-old amendment helped change the face of downtown Columbia - by Emerald O'Brien, University of Missouri

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Husker countdown- Nebraska-BYU football suspensions - by Tommy Rezac, College of Journalism and Mass Communications
Finalist: Michael Andrew: Olympic dreams - by Sam Davis, University of Kansas
Television Broadcast
Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: LCTV News - by Allison Wong, Payton Van Vors, Dimitri Villanueva, Rachel Choice, Loras College

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Drag show: A new man - by Conor Dunn, College of Journalism and Mass Communications
Finalist: Small town eats and yummy treats - by Chelsey Goetz, Buena Vista University

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Yik Yak takes Lindenwood by Storm - by Michelle Sproat, Lindenwood University
Finalist: Body of Jane Doe exhumed - by Kristine Gipperich, Lindenwood University
Finalist: Alzheimers: forgotten lives - by Erica Nett, College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Stop heroin - by Caitlin Baker, Lindenwood University

Television Sports Photography
Winner: Lindenwood University men's water polo hosts tournament - by Michelle Sproat, Lindenwood University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: Rodeo Club - by Joy Carey, College of Journalism and Mass Communications

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