Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Las Vegas

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4/1/2019

Contacts:
Matthew Kent, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, mkent@spj.org
Jennifer Royer, SPJ Director of Communications and Marketing, 317-361-4134, jroyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 11 with 2018 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 11 comprises Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands and Nevada. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of March 30 at the Region 11 Conference. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other regional MOE winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism conference in San Antonio.

MOE Awards entries are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. Judges were directed to choose entries they felt were among the best in student journalism. If no entry rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, including both graduate and undergraduate: Large schools have at least 10,000 students and small schools have 9,999 or fewer students.

The list below details all Region 11 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact Matthew Kent via email or phone at 317-920-4788.

This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries.

Newspapers
Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Medina found guilty of first-degree murder in trial by jury – by Sharon Zhen, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: Former LBSU employee visited campus offices before allegedly committing double homicide – by Kat Schuster and Sarah Vehrs, Long Beach State University
Finalist: Power restored campus wide after transformer fire – by Staff of Ka Leo O Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Breaking News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: La Verne earthquake rattles students’ nerves – by Christian Shepherd, University of La Verne
Finalist: Student detained after gun threats – by Christian Shepherd, University of La Verne
Finalist: House explosion shakes Claremont – by Aryn Plax, University of La Verne

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: New staffing law, old struggles bedevil California nursing homes – by Ethan Millman, Arizona State University
Finalist: Undocumented UC Berkeley student detained by Border Patrol, ICE in San Diego – by The Daily Californian News Staff, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: Seattle skatepark visionary is mourned, but his company rolls on – by Derek Hall, Arizona State University

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: Families stranded as two Eagle Rock charter schools close – by Megan Purdome, Occidental College
Finalist: California wildfire coverage – by David Gonzalez and Jaycie Thierry, University of La Verne
Finalist: Coverage of migrant children held in La Verne – by Christian Shepherd, University of La Verne

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: In rural Pennsylvania, family detention a world away from the border – by Renata Cló, Arizona State University
Finalist: UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly considers leaving ASUC after half century of tension – by Hannah Piette, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: CAPS faces challenges to effectively meet student needs for long-term services – by Kristie-Valerie Hoang, University of California, Los Angeles

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: Police assault homeless black man outside of protest – by Katy Stegall, Southwestern College
Finalist: Athletic director lawsuit coverage – by Maggie Duffy and Julian Willnow, Occidental College
Finalist: Occidental purchases properties for veteran housing, tenants displaced – by Eliot Brody and Max Harrison-Caldwell, Occidental College

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Nagaland’s teachers are renting out their government jobs – by Caleb Hampton, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: Desperation, fear and uncertainty: A housing project threatens eviction on a historic block – by Terry Nguyen, University of Southern California
Finalist: For crew of 2,100 passenger cruise ship, frenetic turnaround day in Seattle starts and ends the job – by Derek Hall, Arizona State University

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Bickford makes leap in frog science – by Catalina Diaz, University of La Verne
Finalist: Ruth Sax is a survivor – by Andrew Perez, Southwestern College
Finalist: The retro Ruff Riders – by Perla Luna, Santa Clara University

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Sex on Tuesday – by Rizza Estacio, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: Are you there, UCLA? It’s me, Mom – by Mariah Furtek, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: After Dark – by Nina Young, University of California, Los Angeles

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The Oval Office goes to Oprah?; Parkland Tragedy is about gun control, not mental health; Too important to ignore – by Jay Fuchs, Santa Clara University
Finalist: Sex columns – by Siobhan Eagen and Alyssa Pajarillo, Southwestern College
Finalist: From Pluto to Plato – by JoseLuis Baylon, Southwestern College

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Spirit, life and laughter — Mima Mirkovic is Cal volleyball’s own comedian – by Surina Khurana, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: ‘I’m losing those memories’: Ex-Cardinals among thousands in concussion suit – by Nate Fain, Daniel Perle and Veronica Graff, Arizona State University
Finalist: Propelled by run game, Bruins snatch Victory Bell back from Trojans with 34-27 win – by Hanson Wang, University of California, Los Angeles

Sports Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Hurdles of life – by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran, Southwestern College
Finalist: Ex QB a national phenomenon – by Justin Dottery, Southwestern College
Finalist: The man with the golden voice – by Jimmy Flynn, Santa Clara University

Editorial Writing
Winner: Daily Bruin editorials – by Staff of Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: The Daily Californian editorials – by The Daily Californian Editorial Board, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: The Daily Wildcat editorials – by Staff of The Daily Wildcat, University of Arizona

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Daily Californian – by Staff of The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: Daily Bruin – Staff of Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Daily Aztec – by Staff of The Daily Aztec, San Diego State University
Finalist: The Corsair – by Staff of The Corsair, Santa Monica College
Finalist: Ka Leo O Hawaii – by Staff of Ka Leo O Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Magazines

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: Declined help, declining help – by Teddy Rosenbluth, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: No hurdle too high – by Madison McCann and Meghan Sweeney, Long Beach State University
Finalist: First line of defense – by Spencer Croce, University of La Verne

Best Student Magazine
Winner: PRIME Fall 2018 – by Daily Bruin staff, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: Collegian Times – by Staff of Collegian Times, Los Angeles City College
Finalist: State Press Magazine – by Parker Shea and Savanah Yaghsezian, Arizona State University

Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Arizona students gather to remember victims of Texas school shooting – by Ellen O’Brien, Arizona State University
Finalist: Getting moved out – by Miyung Kim, El Camino College
Finalist: USAC Election Board announces new undergraduate student government council – by Ken Shin, University of California, Los Angeles

Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Honoring tradition: All-Indian rodeo brings together tribes for riding and dancing – by Anya Magnuson and Nicole Neri, Arizona State University
Finalist: Footsteps into America: A migrant’s journey of struggle, hope and the unknown – by Nicole Neri, Arizona State University
Finalist: Chuck the condor takes flight – by Anwar Torres, Los Angeles City College

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: The Bottom Line editorial cartoons – by Natalie Dye, University of California, Santa Barbara

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: IV party attains unprecedented power with election victories – by Juan Gonzalez, University of California, Santa Barbara
Finalist: UCLA Army ROTC cadets participate in their biannual field training – by Liz Ketcham, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: Women’s March 2018 – by Ken Shin, University of California, Los Angeles

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The elephant in the room – by Stella Atzenweiler, Kevin Weinhold, Alex Czaja and Parker Shea, Arizona State University
Finalist: Meghan Scudero balances roles to prove both the pen and the soccer ball are mighty – by Axel Lopez and Amy Dixon, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: Fraternities affected by alcohol ban will hold responsibility for its enforcement – by Amy Dixon, University of California, Los Angeles

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Ballyard Brawl mixes it up in Haymarket Park – by Nicole Neri, Arizona State University
Finalist: Long jump – by David Wilson, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Finalist: Going up for a header – by Darwyn Samayoa, El Camino College

Radio

Radio Feature
Winner: Demystifying Bollywood – by Devika Girish and Melissa Duenas, University of Southern California
Finalist: Dimelo: Dia de Los Muertos at Hollywood Forever Cemetery – by Marcela Valdivia, University of Southern California

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Struggling to Breathe in the Bay Area – by Kaitlin Benz, University of California, Berkeley School of Journalism
Finalist: Vote 16 pushes to lower voting age – by Jon Reed, University of Southern California
Finalist: Animal evacuation following massive fires – by Megan Manata, University of Southern California

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: From Where We Are: November 8, 2018 – by Staff of Annenberg Radio News, University of Southern California
Finalist: From Where We Are: November 13, 2018 – by Staff of Annenberg Radio News, University of Southern California

Television

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Children of Havasupai write letters to White House opposing new uranium mine – by Lillian Donahue, Arizona State University
Finalist: AFM disease – by Samantha Lomibao, Arizona State University

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Midterm election coverage – by Staff of Cronkite News, Arizona State University
Finalist: Shooter expel vote – by Emily Richardson, Arizona State University
Finalist: March for our Lives coverage – by Staff of Cronkite News, Arizona State University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Art class dementia – by Samie Gebers, Arizona State University
Finalist: DACA attorney – by Tomas Rodriguez, California State University, Northridge
Finalist: LA City Council works to regulate electric scooters – by Madeline Ottilie, University of Southern California

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Concrete change – by Courtney Mally, Marissa Roper and Maya Patrose, Arizona State University
Finalist: Puerto Rico rebuilds – by Southwest Borderlands Initiative students and Cronkite Noticias, Arizona State University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: ACL brothers – by Anthony Totri, Arizona State University
Finalist: The art of baton twirling – by Chaz Frazier, Arizona State University
Finalist: Blind football player – by Matt Lively, Arizona State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Annenberg TV News: November 11, 2018 – by Chris Cheshire, Courtney Burke, Cici Pan and Nick Alfano, University of Southern California
Finalist: March for our Lives team coverage – by Hayley Brand, Kevyn Gessner and Azucena Martinez, Arizona State University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: Cronkite Sports Report: Season 10, Episode 6 – by Staff of Cronkite News – Phoenix Sports Bureau, Arizona State University

Online

Online News Reporting
Winner: Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers in Israel – by Caron Creighton, University of California, Berkeley
Finalist: Footsteps into America: A migrant’s journey of struggle, hope and the unknown – by Chris McCrory, Arizona State University
Finalist: Oakland homeless camp residents face frequent thefts – by Brian Perlman, University of California, Berkeley

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: Border towns struggle with students who live in Mexico, learn in Arizona – by Aydali Campa, Arizona State University
Finalist: Living in the margins: ‘Ecovillages’ take sustainability to personal level – by Gabriel Sandler, Arizona State University
Finalist: Caught between DACA and ACA, Dream’s hopes for kidney transplant dim – by Rebecca Spiess, Arizona State University

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: In a hole: Arizona official lack funds to find, secure at least 100,000 abandoned mines – by Chris McCrory, Arizona State University
Finalist: ‘Justice for who? Unequal treatment is the norm in Fresno – by Reis Thebault and Alexandria Fuller, University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Finalist: Social media: Where voices of hate find a place to preach – by Kianna Gardner, Arizona State University

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: Protecting Tillman’s legacy – by Jack Harris, Arizona State University
Finalist: Pulling no punches – by Isaac Colindres, Arizona State University
Finalist: Punching through Parkinson’s – by Ben Leibowitz, Arizona State University

Online Opinion & Commentary
Winner: Charles Dominguez columns – by Charles Dominguez, Arizona State University
Finalist: David Marino columns – by David Marino, Arizona State University
Finalist: Andi Blodgett columns – by Andi Blodgett, Arizona State University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: PRIME – by Staff of Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: The Union – by Staff, El Camino College

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: The State Press – by Staff of the State Press, Arizona State University
Finalist: Dimelo – by Staff of Dimelo, University of Southern California, Annenberg
Finalist: Downtown Devil – by Staff of Downtown Devil, Arizona State University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Feeding Change: Puerto Rico’s push for food independence intertwined with debate over statehood – by Jenna Miller, Arizona State University
Finalist: ‘Justice for who?’ Unequal treatment is the norm in Fresno – by Reis Thebault and Alexandria Fuller, University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Finalist: Leaving Tracks – The capture of wolf no. 1553 – by Jenna Miller, Adriana De Alba and Eric Jakows, Arizona State University

Podcast
Winner: Elijah’s (w)hole story: Faith and fraud in Lemuria – by Cat Schuknect, University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Finalist: In the know: The “gravely disabled” – by Keshav Tadimeti and Teddy Rosenbluth, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: The impact of Israel’s deposit law on single mothers – by Caron Creighton, University of California, Berkeley

Videography

Online/Digital News Videography
Winner: Turning Point USA holds Campus Clash at USU, protestors respond – by Adam Pacheco and Alexandra Apatiga, Long Beach State University
Finalist: Bird vs. Urber: Which is faster? – by Dean Hughes, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: UCLA Scientists create biomechanic stingray – by Dean Hughes, University of California, Los Angeles

Online/Digital Feature Videography
Winner: Faces of UCLA: Understanding Sikhism – by Kitty Hu, University of California, Los Angeles
Finalist: Freshmen rap group emerges from a Tempe dorm room – by Ariel Salk, Arizona State University
Finalist: Drag queen Lorelei dazzles in one-woman show – by Rachel Lee, University of California, Los Angeles

Broadcast Feature Videography
Winner: Operation Restoring Hope – by Matt Lively, Arizona State University
Finalist: Native woman starts her dream company – by Lillian Donahue, Arizona State University
Finalist: Art class dementia – by Samie Gebers, Arizona State University

Broadcast News Videography
Winner: Helping with cleanup after record storms – by Lillian Donahue, Arizona State University
Finalist: Las Vegas shooting survivor – by Samie Gebers, Arizona State University

Broadcast Sports Videography
Winner: In Arizona, more Navajo take to the dirt for ‘Rez golf’ – by Jake Trybulski and Drake Dunaway, Arizona State University

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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