CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, 317-920-4786, lharry@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 8 with 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 8 comprises Oklahoma and Texas. 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 8 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
Winner: How Julius Jones’ life was spared, years after conviction, hours before execution — by Blake Douglas, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Four injured in school shooting — by Taylor Coit and Cole Kembel, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: Emergency officials investigate house fire near Texas State — by Jaden Edison and Brianna Benitez, Texas State University

General News Reporting
Winner: Police called on Black students studying, socializing in Moody Library — by Emily Cousins, Baylor Student Media
Finalist: OU open records access anything but 'prompt, reasonable' due to flaws, vagaries of state law — by Blake Douglas, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Deadly disaster makes history — by Alyson Oliver and Jose Romero, Tarrant County College

In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Tulsa Race Massacre centennial — by The OU Daily staff, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: The Corona Chronicles — by Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference website staff, University of North Texas
Finalist: Recovery in the Time of COVID — by Sean Riedel, University of North Texas

Feature Writing (Large)
Winner: ‘Does god hate’": 2SLGBTQ+ individuals seek affirmation, face religious condemnation — by Jillian Taylor, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: He risked his life as an interpreter for the US. Now Sam Al Helli is in the Navy Reserve — by Adam Morey, Oklahoma State University
Finalist: Dignity in death: Anthropologists work to identify remains of migrants — by Leanne Castro, Texas State University

Feature Writing (Small)
Winner: University veterans remember 9/11 attacks 20 years later — by Daisy Gonzalez-Quezada, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Finalist: Astroworld attendee, student shares perspective on tragic night — by Irma Saenz, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Sports Writing
Winner: Greg Young's rise to Maverick's head coach — by Arianna Vedia, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: Texas Skate Forever: Remembering the ‘skate dad’ of San Marcos — by Aidan Bea, Texas State University
Finalist: Caleb Williams, from BoomSquad to nail salon, is charismatic leader Sooners need for new era — by Mason Young, University of Oklahoma

Editorial Writing
Winner: Editorials: Gamma, COVID-19 and masks — by Camille Rasor, Ava Dunwoody, Baylor University
Finalist: Editorials — by The University Star staff, Texas State University
Finalist: Editorials — by Shorthorn Staff, University of Texas at Arlington

General Column Writing
Winner: Columns — by Aaron Reff, Clarissa Martinez, Denise Treviño, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Finalist: National hot-button issues — by Emily Cousins, Baylor University
Finalist: The Devil is thin — by Julia Fox, Southern Methodist University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: SMU Football: A season of high and lows, and a coach's fall from grace — by Kevin Reynolds, Southern Methodist University
Finalist: Baylor, the Big 12, and a March Madness Cinderella — by Harper Mayfield and Michael Haag, Baylor Student Media

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper
Winner: The Shorthorn — by staff, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: The OU Daily — by staff, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: The Collegian — by staff, Tarrant County College

Best Student Magazine
Winner: Crimson Quarterly — by staff, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: SMU Look — by staff, Southern Methodist University
Finalist: El Espejo magazine — by staff, Southern Methodist University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: The Shorthorn — by staff, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: The Collegian online — by staff, Tarrant County College
Finalist: The University Star Online — by staff, Texas State University

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

Breaking News Photography
Winner: Protestors gather outside Dallas Police headquarters — by Nicholas Badeaux, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: Emergency officials investigate house fire near Texas State — by Jaden Edison, Texas State University
Finalist: Alumni fight giant factory fire — by Logan Evans, Tarrant County College

General News Photography
Winner: Vaccine cringe — by Elias Valverde II, University of Texas at Arlington

Feature Photography
Winner: Mud, sweat and cheers — by Ward Sakeik, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: Austin City Limits music festival — by Natalie Ryan, Texas State University
Finalist: Bubble baseball — by Elias Valverde II, University of Texas at Arlington

Photo Illustration
Winner: Trump's legacy garners mixed reaction — by Elias Valverde II, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: A peek at post-pandemic dating — by Nicholas Badeaux and Vivian Santillan, University of Texas at Arlington

Sports Photography
Winner: Big 12 Championship tackle — by Josh Wilson, Baylor Student Media
Finalist: Bobcats vs. South Alabama — by Vanessa Buentello, Texas State University
Finalist: Men celebrate conference championship — by Riley Fisher, Abilene Christian University

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Cartoons — by Cristina del Coro Trio, University of Texas at Arlington
Finalist: Cartoons — by Amber Davis, Tarrant County College
Finalist: Taxes, minimum wage and world affairs — by Morgan Dowler and Summer Merkle, Baylor University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: U.S. Secretary of Education talks ASPIRE network impact, helping students, teachers — by Asiah Mendoza, Irma Saenz and Joshua Villagomez, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Finalist: Protests, arrests, tears, negotiations: Activism at Texas State leaves Black students with unhealed — by The University Star staff, Texas State University
Finalist: Emergency officials investigate house fire near Texas State — by Jaden Edison and Briana Benitez, Texas State University

Broadcast/Online Feature Videography
Winner: Texas becomes biggest U.S. state to lift pandemic mask mandate — by Armando Villarreal III, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Finalist: Say it with your chest — by Meredith Holser, University of North Texas

Data Visualization
Winner: UTA salary database — by Camille Hill, University of Texas at Arlington

Audio

Radio Feature
Winner: COVID and teachers — by Beth Wallis, University of Oklahoma

Podcast
Winner: Destination: Greenwood — by Beth Wallis, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: The OU Daily — by staff, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Through the Cracks: Unsolved Cases of Oklahoma — by Lacee Mouser, University of Oklahoma

Broadcast

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Students lose home to winter storm — by Sarah Gill, Baylor Student Media
Finalist: Destruction of 4th/5th Street bridge causes problems — by Grace Smith, Baylor University
Finalist: US Gymnasts testify about sexual abuse by Larry Nasser — by Zaria Oates, University of Oklahoma

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Growing up Native — by Katie Smith, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Book vending machine — by Audrey Goodson, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Shelter pets — by Avery John, University of Oklahoma

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Chinese scholar controversy — by Andrew Fancher, University of North Texas
Finalist: McGirt reshaping Oklahoma — by Ralph Bernhardt, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Foster Care during a pandemic — by Lauren Rangel and Ralph Bernhardt, Southern Methodist University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: Under the jersey — by Carson Racich, Lamar University
Finalist: Coach Venables comes home — by Ben Thomas and Jared Thomas, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Chasing a feeling: How Baylor created an acro & tumbling dynasty — by Nate Smith, Baylor Student Media

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: ntTV Nightly News — by staff University of North Texas
Finalist: OU Nightly — by staff, University of Oklahoma
Finalist: Enlace — by Univision Media Lab, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: Lariat TV News Today — by Staff, Baylor University

All platforms

Cultural Criticism
Winner: Columns — by Emma Weidmann, Baylor University
Finalist: Columns — by Gabrielle Tellez, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Arts/Fashion Journalism
Winner: Supporting Style — by Allysann Jackson, Southern Methodist University
Finalist: Art exhibit seeks to usher conversations about race — by Mario Ruiz, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Winner: Locate it local: Tank's Pizza — by Amanda Barela, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Video Game/Tabletop Game Reporting
Winner: UTA varsity Smash Bros. team wins first championship — by Cole Kembel, University of Texas at Arlington

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