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Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced
CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, 317-920-4786, lharry@spj.org
Zoλ Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 1 with 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.
SPJs Region 1 comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. 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 MediaFest22 convention in Washington, D.C., Oct. 27-30.
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 1 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards Lou Harry by email or 317-920-4786.
This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries. New MOE categories were added this year for cultural criticism, arts/fashion journalism and food/restaurant journalism.
Print/Online
Breaking News Reporting (Large)
Winner: SEAS doctoral student, 30, dead following stabbing on 123rd and Amsterdam by Elizabeth Karpen, Dia Gill, Irie Sentner and Zachary Schermele, Columbia University
Finalist: Harvard graduate student union strike by staff of The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College
Finalist: Charles Lieber trial by Isabella B. Cho, Brandon L. Kingdollar and Mayesha R. Soshi, Harvard College
Breaking News Reporting (Small)
Winner: Two white supremacy-related decals found on campus by Leighah Beausoleil, Framingham State University
General News Reporting (Large)
Winner: Interstate 81's impact on Syracuse community, then and now by Maggie Hicks and Sarah Alessandrini, Syracuse University
Finalist: Asian community fears attacks and harassment by MeiJun Lei, The City College of New York
Finalist: Comfort women Ramseyer series by Ariel H. Kim and Simon J. Levien, Harvard College
General News Reporting (Small)
Winner: Deconstructing the police narrative by Devin Yingling, Saint Joseph's University
Finalist: Shape of the College draft met with criticism by Alexis Manore, Alyshia Korba and Caitlin Holtzman, Ithaca College
In-Depth Reporting (Large)
Winner: Our poisoned kids by Sydney Gold, Syracuse University
Finalist: BLK in the ADK by Kamal Morgan, Syracuse University
Finalist: The crimson klan by Simon J. Levien, Harvard College
In-Depth Reporting (Small)
Winner: This will change us: Swarthmore considers upscale condo proposal in downtown by Owen Mortner, Swarthmore College
Finalist: From Afghanistan to Albany by Rayan El Amine, Vassar College
Finalist: In plain sight: A controversial faith group finds a home at Simmons by Iz Indelicato, Simmons University
Feature Writing (Large)
Winner: Violence for migrants at the border by Pamela De La Cruz, University of Pennsylvania
Finalist: When Yale harbored a Nazi by Zachary Groz, Yale University
Finalist: Inuit midwives' mission to improve maternal and newborn health in Nunavik, Quebec by Miriam Gladstone, McGill University
Feature Writing (Small)
Winner: The Diffenderfers: A sibling bond by Dylan Manfre, Rider University
Finalist: Southsides small shops: A glimpse into the struggle behind the scenes by Sharon Jo, Lehigh University
Finalist: Service animals support students by Sofia Rositani, Southern Connecticut State University
Sports Writing (Large)
Winner: Why doesnt Syracuse University pay Otto the Orange? by Christopher Cicchiello, Syracuse University
Finalist: In a lighter equals faster culture, runners must combat a culture of disordered eating by Elizabeth Karpen and Jade Justice, Columbia University
Finalist: Ten years after by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University
Sports Writing (Small)
Winner: The rise and return of track star James Green by Dylan Manfre, Rider University
Finalist: Gender equity issues persist within Ithaca College athletics by Connor Glunt, Ithaca College
Editorial Writing
Winner: The Daily Free Press by Abbigale Shi and Bini Ollivier-Yamin, Boston University
Finalist: The Harvard Crimson by Editorial Board, Harvard College
General Column Writing (Large)
Winner: The wheelchair quarterback by Joey Pagano, Syracuse University
Finalist: Columns by Margo Moran, Syracuse University
Finalist: What we owe by Caleb Dunson, Yale University
General Column Writing (Small)
Winner: The Lehigh-LGBTQ+ experience by Alana Bonfiglio, Lehigh University
Finalist: Keep community in community colleges; Even $15 per hour isn't enough in NJ by Amandeep Sidhu, Mercer County Community College
Sports Column Writing
Winner: Dino Babers' 2021-22 season by Anish Vasudevan, Roshan Fernandez and Connor Smith, Syracuse University
Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Large)
Winner: The NJIT Vector by executive board/staff, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Finalist: The Hofstra Chronicle by staff, Hofstra University
Finalist: Best of The Heights by staff, Boston College
Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Small)
Winner: The Ithacan by staff, Ithaca College
Finalist: The Wesleyan Argus by Hannah Docter-Loeb and Emma Smith, Wesleyan University
Finalist: The Fairfield Mirror by Molly Lamendola, Fairfield University
Best Student Magazine
Winner: The New Journal by staff, Yale University
Finalist: Globalists by staff, Syracuse University
Finalist: Baked by staff, Syracuse University
Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: The Harvard Crimson by staff, Harvard College
Finalist: Columbia Daily Spectator by staff, Columbia University
Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Upstate Unearthed by staff, Syracuse University
Finalist: Philadelphia Neighborhoods by staff, Temple University
Finalist: NYCity News Service by staff, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Art/Graphics/Multimedia
Breaking News Photography (Large)
Winner: Racial reckoning by TJ Shaw, Syracuse University
Finalist: SWC-UAW forms picket lines at campus entrances by Jake Borden, Columbia University
General News Photography (Large)
Winner: Candlelight vigil by Gavin Liddell, Syracuse University
Finalist: Syracuse community protests Columbus statue by Wendy Wang, Syracuse University
Finalist: It was 20 years ago by Hunter Smith, The Pennsylvania State University
General News Photography (Small)
Winner: Get it right the first time, that was a hate crime by Mitchell Shields, Saint Joseph's University
Feature Photography (Large)
Winner: A century of experience by Leah Strong, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Not for you by Elijah Earnest, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Weeeeeeeee! by Noah Riffe, The Pennsylvania State University
Feature Photography (Small)
Winner: It's snow time by Mitchell Shields, Saint Joseph's University
Finalist: Arts Council celebrates Dia de los Muertos by Elijah Parkman-Williams, Mercer County Community College
Sports Photography (Large)
Winner: Rugby tackle by Teagan Staudenmeier, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Hockey fan by Leah Strong, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: The agony of defeat by Lily LaRegina, The Pennsylvania State University
Sports Photography (Small)
Winner: Teams still on the field even as semester ends by Alessandro Rivero, Mercer County Community College
Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Symptom tracker; CARES money; Email blast by Liam Simonelli, Mercer County Community College
Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Visualizing 81 by staff of The NewsHouse, Syracuse University
Finalist: The Bronx is buffering by staff of NYCity News Service, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: Seeking mercy by staff of NYCity News Service, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Broadcast/Online News Videography
Winner: Special delivery from Atlantic Terminal Squad by Anthony Ruiz, City College of New York
Finalist: Selling your soul by Noah Riffe, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Fire in the Bronx by Samantha Alvarez, The City College of New York
Broadcast/Online Feature Videography
Winner: The late shift by Hevidar Jankir, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Two City College of New York students choose return to campus by Kainoa Presbitero, The City College of New York
Finalist: Balkan folk dancing brightens pandemic life by Flora Lennihan, The City College of New York
Broadcast/Online Sports Videography
Winner: The comeback year by Annie Boos, Syracuse University
Finalist: The diminutive Nottoli by Lily LaRegina, The Pennsylvania State University
Data Visualization
Winner: International students struggle to learn across time zones as COVID-19 keeps them out of New York by Jun Yi Zhang, Melissa Wang, Jessica Li and Michelle Xu, Columbia University
Audio
Radio News Reporting
Winner: Our poisoned kids by Sydney Gold, Syracuse University
Finalist: Court is back in (person) session by Yessenia Moreno, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Radio Feature
Winner: Kayak paddle to save the ecosystem by Olivia Bensimon, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: Dolphin researchers look to NYC whale-watching to understand rising numbers by Aaron Tremper, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: How can a computer create art? by Cole Strong and T. Michael Collier, Syracuse University
Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Health care proxies in the time of COVID by Yessenia Moreno, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: When a woman goes to jail by Emily Nadal, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Ithaca v. RPI football broadcast open by Matthew Sosler, Ithaca College
Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: Ithaca Now, 4-4-2021 by Jay Bradley, Clayton Davis, Himadri Seth, Madolyn Laurine and Bridget Bright of WICB News, Ithaca College
Podcast
Winner: Looking for Violet by Carmen V Borca-Carrillo, Fordham University
Finalist: Sex work after Gilgo | Getting to the Root by Alexandra Whitbeck, Hofstra University
Finalist: A legacy revealed episode 5: A knife to carve a turkey by Raquel Coronell Uribe and Sixiao Yu, Harvard College
Broadcast
Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Students protest rape culture by John Perik, Ricky Sayer, Chilekasi Adele and Lindsey Fine, Syracuse University
Finalist: Storm causes widespread flooding in Ithaca by Grant Johnson and Emily Hung, Ithaca College
Television General News Reporting
Winner: Surfs up, surf pups! Annual dog surfing competition returns to Huntington Beach by Sophia Giordano, Emerson College
Finalist: Skyline apartment hearing by Colby Yablon, Syracuse University
Finalist: Excavation uncovers more about Ithaca's Underground Railroad history by Emily Hung, Ithaca College
Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Safe at home - smiling through the pain by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Retired Professor Marvin Druger's lasting legacy at Syracuse University by Ricky Sayer, Syracuse University
Finalist: Gym uses mixed martial arts to empower Dorchester youth by Sophia Giordano and Angel Salcedo, Emerson College
Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Transparency - private emails, public business by NCC Spotlight Team, Syracuse University
Finalist: Tackling the opioid crisis by Jordan Broking, Ithaca College
Finalist: Ten years after: Key figures remember moments and lessons from the Sandusky scandal by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University
Television Sports Reporting
Winner: The Dopest Dude on Penn States basketball team by Zach Gershman, The Pennsylvania State University
Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Centre County Report by Hope Burley,Connor Griffin, Isabel Hayes and Kyle Cannillo, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Good Day Ithaca by Megan Sileo, Roxanne Palladino and Lauren Dague, Ithaca College
Finalist: Temple Update by Yu Chen, Blake Nutis and Niccolas Uff, Temple University
Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: ICTV Reports - A city of progress by Riley Garand, Paige Tolan and Julia Davis, Ithaca College
Finalist: The Temp by student staff, Rochelle Davis, Temple University
Finalist: COVID-19 year-in-review/CitrusTV special report by Erin Lyons, Josh Meyers, Katie Lane and Ricky Sayer, Syracuse University
All Platforms
Immersion Journalism
Winner: Visualizing 81 by staff of The NewsHouse, Syracuse University
Finalist: Live oaks and dead folks by Jonathan Harris and Hanna Martin, Syracuse University
Finalist: Forging ahead with a winter adventure by Sonny Cirasuolo, Syracuse University
Cultural Criticism
Winner: Why do we crave creepy shows?; Bridgerton challenges racial expectations; Little free libraries by Kayla Jannetti, Mercer County Community College
Finalist: Columns by Sean Cabot, Framingham State University
Finalist: Harvard Crimson Cultural Criticism by Sofia Andrade, Harvard College
Arts/Fashion Journalism
Winner: Wear me this by Sujena Soumyanath, Boston University
Finalist: Inside the fight to #SaveOurStages: Independent venues struggle to survive the pandemic year by Sam D. Cohen, Harvard College
Food/Restaurant Journalism
Winner: The real flavor of Syracuse by Julia Fesser, Syracuse 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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