CONTACT:
Heather Porter, Programs Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 204
Beth King, Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 211

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 5 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2006 calendar year. This year, collegiate journalists submitted more than 3,300 entries in 39 categories across SPJ’s 12 regions.

The honorees were awarded certificates on April 21 during the Spring Conference held at the University of Louisville. First-place regional winners advanced to the national round of judging, which is currently taking place. Winners will be announced in mid-May.

For additional information on the Mark of Excellence Awards, please contact Heather Porter at 317-927-8000 ext. 204.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

2006 Region 5 Winners:

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Sean Rose, University of Kentucky, “Crash kills 49”
• Second Place: Indiana Daily Student Staff, Indiana University, “IU Mourns”
• Third Place: Corey Paul, Western Kentucky University, “Goat incident shocks campus”

General News Reporting
• First Place: Loka Ashwood, Northwestern University, “While farming potatoes, they take on pollution”
• Second Place: Megan Boehnke, University of Kentucky, “Students who died were legally drunk”
• Third Place: Ashlee Clark, Western Kentucky University, “Largo library wants guards to watch for unruly patrons”

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Adam Sichko, University of Kentucky, “Vanishing Spaces”
• Second Place: Corey Paul and Andrew McNamara, Western Kentucky University, “Goat incident shocks campus”
• Third Place: Meghan O’Kelly, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Race Relations 101”

Feature Writing • First Place: Adam Sichko, University of Kentucky, “Same Drive, Different Spin”
• Second Place: Jenn Rourke, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Death in a Digital Age”
• Third Place: Elizabeth Gibson, Northwestern University, “Diversity brings more faiths here”

Sports Writing
• First Place: Chris Delotell, University of Kentucky, “Family and Faith”
• Second Place: Jake Mitchell and Corey Paul, Western Kentucky University, “Arrests draw negative attention”
• Third Place: no award

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Ashlee Clark, Western Kentucky University, “News Can’t Wait”
• Second Place: William Ploch, Western Kentucky University, “SGA actions an embarrassment to Western”
• Third Place: Nat Walden, Butler University, “Staff Editorials”

Editorial Cartooning
• First Place: Wes Nolen, Western Kentucky University
• Second Place: Phil Dishon, Murray State University
• Third Place: Daniel Abramson, Northwestern University

General Column Writing
• First Place: Joey Leslie, Western Kentucky University
• Second Place: Lisa Baltiston, Butler University
• Third Place: Andrew Martin, University of Kentucky

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Chris Delotell, University of Kentucky, “UK Football”
• Second Place: Tommy Dillard, Murray State University
• Third Place: Nathan Clinkenbeard, Murray State University

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper (published at least 4 times per week)
• First Place: Staff, Indiana University, “Indiana Daily Student”
• Second Place: Staff, University of Illinois at Urbana, “The Daily Illini”
• Third Place: Staff, University of Kentucky, “The Kentucky Kernel”

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper (published less than 4 times per week)
• First Place: Staff, Western Kentucky University, “College Heights Herald”
• Second Place: Staff, Butler University, “The Butler Collegian”
• Third Place: Staff, Murray State University, “The Murray State News”

Magazine Non-Fiction Article
• First Place: Lorena Fernandez, Ball State University, “Surviving the Aftermath of Rape”
• Second Place: Molly K. Brush, Indiana University, “Who Killed Michael Plume?”
• Third Place: Tim Peters, University of Illinois, “The Bar Baron of Champaign County”

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Staff, Indiana University, “INside Magazine”
• Second Place: Staff, Ball State University, “Expo Magazine”
• Third Place: Staff, Northwestern University, “NUde Magazine”

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Aaron Facemire, University of Illinois at Urbana, “15th Congressional District”
• Second Place: Andrew Huggins, University of Kentucky, “Plan crash mourners”
• Third Place: Russell Augustine, College of DuPage, “Storm serves seconds”

General News Photography
• First Place: Keith Smiley, University of Kentucky, “Brown wins SG Presidency”
• Second Place: Joy Lewis, Western Kentucky University, “Rebuilding for Christ”
• Third Place: Andrew Hanson, DePauw University, “Playin’ with Parks”

Feature Photography
•First Place: College Heights Herald Staff, Western Kentucky University, “Retrospect: The Pictures of Spring 2006”
• Second Place: William DeShazer and Albert Ceasure, Western Kentucky University, “Western’s alcohol use: Glass half empty or glass half full?”
• Third Place: Nick Adams, Western Kentucky University, “A Thousand Words”

Photo Illustration
• First Place: K.A. MacDonald and Nina Mehta, Indiana University, “Internet Junkies”
• Second Place: Chris Peric, Butler University, “Welcome Back”
• Third Place: Beck Diefenbach, University of Illinois at Urbana, “The Fight for the Field”

Sports Photography
• First Place: Keith Smiley, University of Kentucky, “CATS party like it’s 1999”
• Second Place: Chris Peric, Butler University, “Gators send Mighty Bruins back to their den”
• Third Place: Aaron Bernstein, Indiana University, “A Bid Farewell”

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Lisa Matuska, Northwestern University, “School Health Programs React to Chicago’s Obesity”
• Second Place: Stephanie Lecci, Northwestern University, “Chicago Smoking Ban Update”
• Third Place: Jessie Hemmelgarn, DePauw University, “Alexandra Robbins”

Radio Feature
• First Place: Michael Koliska, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Giving Shelter”
• Second Place: Donnie Forti, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Books to Prisoners”
• Third Place: Mary Johns, Western Kentucky University, “Colonel Stansbury Homecoming”

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Katie Birge, Kristen Irgens, Steve Powell and Samantha Crispin, DePauw University, “The Nature Park Reflection Center Controversy”
• Second Place: Kelsea Matheny, Jeff Conner, Ashley Clark and Rachelle Lejevune, DePauw University, “Is DePauw Over Programmed?”
• Third Place: Heather Peart, University of Illinois, “Education and Poverty”

Radio Sports Reporting
no awards

Radio Newscast
• First Place: On-Air Staff, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Daily Illini Newscasts”
• Second Place: Staff, Western Kentucky University, “WUHR-FM News”
• Third Place: WNUR News Team, Northwestern University, “WNUR Evening News”

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Lauren Slibeck, Butler University, “Tuxedo Avenue Shooting”
• Second Place: Matt Jennings, DePauw University, “Election Night”
• Third Place: no award

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Lara Suleiman, Northwestern University, “Immigration Rally-Washington D.C.”
• Second Place: McKenzie York, Western Kentucky University, “Earning at Race Tracks”
• Third Place: Juliana TaFur, Northwestern University, “Living to Beat the Odds”

Television Feature
• First Place: Ted Land, University of Illinois at Urbana, “Couch Surfing”
• Second Place: Ted Land, University of Illinois at Urbana, “9/11 Anniversary”
• Third Place: Lynn Olszowy, Northwestern University, “Fairness in Football”

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Lara Suleiman, Northwestern University, “Making Sense of Sound”
• Second Place: Lynn Olszowy, Northwestern University, “Fairness in Football”
• Third Place: WYCC Staff, Northwestern University, “Medill Reporting: In Times of War”

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Lynn Olszowy, Northwestern University, “Fairness in Football”
• Second Place: Christina Wall, Northwestern University, “Wheelchair Rugby”
• Third Place: Matt Brickman, University of Illinois, “Live After Dee”

Television News Photography
• First Place: Ted Land, University of Illinois at Urbana, “High-Tech Champaign”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: McKenzie York, Western Kentucky University, “Unity Step”
• Second Place: Lynn Olszowy, Northwestern University, “Fairness in Football”
• Third Place: Ted Land, University of Illinois at Urbana, “9/11 Anniversary”

Television Sports Photography
no award

Television Newscast
• First Place: Staff, Western Kentucky University, “WKU NewsChannel 12”
• Second Place: News Watch Team, Eastern Illinois University, “WIU-TV News Watch”
• Third Place: NNN Sports Staff, Northwestern University, “SportsNight”

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Indiana Daily Student Staff, Indiana University, “IU Mourns”
• Second Place: Mindy Zacharjasz, Northwestern University, “Rock On: Blogging the Rock”
• Third Place: Dagny Salas, Northwestern University, “Students discuss race relations in Community Conversations”

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Ball Bearings Staff, Ball State University, “Battle for Brotherhood”
• Second Place: Jaki Clark, Kathy Penrith and Desiree Fredick, Ball State University, “Awakened Voices”
• Third Place: no award

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Medill News Service Staff, Northwestern University, “Power Trips”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: Tom Giratikanon and Patrick St. Michel, Northwestern University, “The Red Sea: Talking to Buckeye Nation”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Online Opinion & Commentary
• First Place: Jason Plautz, Northwestern University, “Why You Should Care”
• Second Place: Paul Schrodt, Northwestern University, “Low Culture”
• Third Place: Tom Giratikanon, Northwestern University, “Medill & More”

Best Affiliated Web site
no awards

Best All-Around Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: Staff, Northwestern University, “NorthbyNorthwestern.com”
• Second Place: Staff, Ball State University, “Ball Bearings”
• Third Place: Staff, Northwestern University, “NUComment”

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