CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, 317-920-4786, lharry@spj.org
Michelle Lagos, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-927-8000, mlagos@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 4 with 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 4 comprises Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 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 4 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
Winners: More than a thousand students rave on Chittenden, flip cars, no arrests — by staff, The Ohio State University
Finalist: UMich police, FBI identify individual responsible for shooter threat at U-M campus — by Emma Ruberg, Jasmin Lee, Barbara Collins and Liat Weinstein, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Finalist: Football player in critical condition after April 24 shooting — by Christian Booher, Central Michigan University

General News Reporting (Large)
Winner: Nutrition clubs find a place in Columbus — by Sarah Donaldson, Ohio University
Finalist: Skin color matters — by Sarah Donaldson, Ohio University
Finalist: UC athletic department left with decreased revenue and deficit, records show — by Allison Kiehl, University of Cincinnati

General News Reporting (Small)
Winner: Facing financial strain, university cuts programs, 2 tenured profs and facilities department — by Harm Venhuizen and Abigail Ham, Calvin University
Finalist: JCU book writing partnership draws criticism — by Laken Kincaid, John Carroll University
Finalist: COPA students and the Office of Equity and Inclusion hold a virtual town hall to address accusations — by Nardos Haile, Point Park University

In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Shedding light on the darkness of abuse — by Hannah Deane, Cedarville University
Finalist: The story of MSU's last competing diver: Amanda Ling — by Joe Dandron, Michigan State University
Finalist: ‘The Hell Hole’: Fighting for safe rental housing in Bowling Green — by Andrew Bailey and Shaelee Haaf, Bowling Green State University

Feature Writing (Large)
Winner: 24 hours with the Robert Anderson survivor protesters outside Schlissel’s house — by staff, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Finalist: A hidden history, Black history holds deep roots in Athens County — by Kayla Bennett, Ohio University
Finalist: From Oxford to the Philippines: Working as a Cru missionary — by Claudia Zaunz, Miami University

Feature Writing (Small)
Winner: A crowd, a question and a typewriter — by Katia Faroun, Duquesne University
Finalist: Soccer missions — by Chris Karenbauer, Cedarville University
Finalist: Tattoos and christianity — by Maggie Walker, Cedarville University

Sports Writing (Large)
Winner: Beauty vs. body: MSU's female student-athletes share body image struggles — by Jayna Bardahl, Michigan State University
Finalist: ‘Your purpose is to be loud and create change’: Climbing communities address lack of diversity — by Abby Bammerlin, Miami University
Finalist: Star pitcher Sam Bachman has sights set on College World Series — by Jack Schmelzinger, Miami University

Sports Writing (Small)
Winner: JV soccer makes the most of five-game season — by Jamison Van Andel, Calvin University
Finalist: Sartain’s sharp shooting shatters three program records for John Carroll — by Anna Meyer, John Carroll University
Finalist: Flipping and tumbling stereotypes — by Lauren Steen, Miami University

General Column Writing
Winner: Columns — by Bryce Hoehn, Ohio University
Finalist: Columns — by Lyndsey Brennan, Kent State University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Columns — by Michael Vestey, Miami University
Finalist: Casey's callouts — by Casey Smith, The Ohio State University

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Large)
Winner: Central Michigan Life — by staff, Central Michigan University
Finalist: The State News — by staff, Michigan State University

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Small)
Winner: Chimes — by staff, Calvin University

Best Student Magazine
Winner: Fusion — by staff, Kent State University
Finalist: Miami Student Magazine — by staff, Miami University
Finalist: Off the Bluffer Magazine — by staff, Duquesne University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Finalist: The Michigan Daily — by staff, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: The New Political — by staff, Ohio University

Art/Graphic/Multimedia

Breaking News Photography
Winner: Walking out — by Dominick Sokotoff, University of Michigan
Finalist: M.A.C. Avenue after Michigan State's 37-33 victory over Michigan — by Lauren DeMay, Michigan State University
Finalist: ‘Stop the spending’ protest fills Howell streets as Biden comes to town — by Chloe Trofatter, Michigan State University

General News Photography
Winner: Michigan National Guard blocks the road leading to the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, MI — by Becca Mahon, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Feature Photography
Winner: The show must go on — by Dominick Sokotoff, University of Michigan
Finalist: Hundreds march in Dearborn in support of Palestinians — by Jarett Orr, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Finalist: A beautiful country — by Dominick Sokotoff, University of Michigan

Photo Illustration
Winner: SportsMonday: Still got it — by Emma Mati, Julia Schachinger, Allison Engkvist and Jack Silberman, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Sports Photography
Winner: Junior running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown — by Lauren DeMay, Michigan State University
Finalist: Maughmer to the basket — by Ernest Toh, Cedarville University
Finalist: Michigan State football takes down Pitt 31-21 in the Peach Bowl — by Devin Anderson-Torrez, Michigan State University

Broadcast/Online News Videography
Winner: The next generation of innovation — by Ian Gilmour, Michigan State University
Finalist: This is it for us, please let us play — by Sam Britten, Michigan State University

Broadcast/Online Feature Videography
Winner: Urban farming — by Kelly Krabill, Kent State University
Finalist: A new twist in Dewitt — by Regan Holgate, Michigan State University
Finalist: ‘You guys are the stars. You just make me shine, that's all.’ — by Sam Britten, Michigan State University

Broadcast/Online Sports Videography
Winner: One kick at a time — by Ian Gilmour, Michigan State University
Finalist: WVU women's basketball player nominated for prestigious award — by Kierstin Lindkvist, West Virginia University

Data Visualization
Winner: We looked at the 301 high schools with the most applicants to U-M. Here’s what we found. — by Eric Lau, Drishaan Jain, Naitian Zhou and Parth Dhyani, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Audio

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Campus pro choice protests — by Tyler Kennett, Marshall University

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Impact sports update — by Luke Sloan, Michigan State University
Finalist: Hunter Rogan wins scholarship — by Will Price, Ohio University
Finalist: Abi Hugh freshman of the year — by Andrew Rogers, Marshall University

Broadcast

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Zachary Blosser arraignment — by Melissa Meyers, Kent State University

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Asian hate crimes rise across the U.S. — by Alayna Degenhardt, West Virginia University
Finalist: New law poses domestic violence risks — by Natalie Bowman, West Virginia University
Finalist: West Virginia tackles campus carry debates — by Claire O'Neil, West Virginia University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: ‘You guys are the stars. You just make me shine, that's all.’ — by Sam Britten, Michigan State University
Finalist: Bam and Bros. barbershop — by Andre Norrils, Ohio University
Finalist: More green in the southeast — by Regan Holgate and Ian Gilmour, Michigan State University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: WVU women's basketball player nominated for prestigious award — by Kierstin Lindkvist, West Virginia University
Finalist: One kick at a time — by Ian Gilmour, Michigan State University
Finalist: WVU football reopens stadium with eased restrictions — by Irelend Viscount, West Virginia University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Focal Point News — by staff, Michigan State University
Finalist: TV2KSU — by staff, Kent State University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: Special edition: Small towns — by staff, Michigan State University
Finalist: WVU News— staff, West Virginia University

All Platforms

Cultural Criticism
Winner: Fearless (Taylor's version) WILLOW explores a new sound, We don't need gender-neutral clothes — by Lexi Whitehead, Miami University
Finalist: Criticism of ‘Music,’ ‘Love on the Spectrum,’ ‘We Can Be Heroes,’ ‘It Takes Two,’ ‘Centaurworld’ — by Joseph Stanichar, Ohio University
Finalist: Cultural columns — by David Kwiatkowski, Miami University

Arts/Fashion Journalism
Winner: You can't always paint when you're crying — by Ollie Gratzinger, Duquesne University
Finalist: Daily arts ran a marathon, but I didn't, and that's fine — by Kari Anderson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Winner: More than 100 Ann Arbor restaurants closed in the past three years. How closures affect community. — by Emily Blumberg, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Finalist: UT:10 extra! Keegan's restaurant reviews — by Keegan Shannon, University of Toledo
Finalist: To my food editor: Cincinnati chili doesn’t like you either — by Maggie Peña, Miami University

Video Game/Tabletop Game Reporting
Winner: Meet the all-womxn speedrunners of Fleet Fatales — by Joseph Stanichar, Ohio University
Finalist: Game over! No vaccine, no service? — by Becca Lustic, University of Toledo

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