For immediate release
Contact:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210,
lrochester@spj.org
Karen Grabowski, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 215,
kgrabowski@spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 4 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2009 calendar year. This year, the contest received over 3600 entries.
The honorees were awarded certificates on April 10 during the Region 4 SPJ Spring Conference held at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center in Cleveland, Ohio. First place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in early May.
The winners are listed below. For additional information on the Mark of Excellence awards, please contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at 317-927-8000 ext. 210.
2009 Region 4 Winners
Four Year College/University Finalists:Breaking News Photography First Place: Trading Post Fire - Jake May, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Drug Bust photo - Tessa Bargainnier, Kent State University.
Third Place: College Fest Photo 2 - Daniel R. Doherty, Kent State University.
Editorial Cartooning First Place: Christopher Sharron, Kent State University.
Second Place: Christopher Sharron, Kent State University.
Third Place: Jacob Bowen, Eliot Slenk, Grand Valley State University.
Feature Photography First Place: Focusing on the fun - by Ashley Miller, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Epic catch - by Carrie Kirk, Marshall University.
Third Place: Elvis impersonator - by Jake May, Central Michigan University.
General News Photography First Place: Waiting for trial: Man sits in solitude before court case begins - by Zach Tuggle, The Ohio State University.
Second Place: Splashed on the curb - by Carrie Kirk, Marshall University.
Third Place: Protesters rally - by Becky Reaver, Grand Valley State University.
Photo Illustration First Place: Haunted Campus - by Jake May, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Kiss at the seal - by Libby March, Central Michigan University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Sports Photography First Place: Alone in the locker room - by Jake May, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Welcome Home - by Christina McGinnis, Bowling Green State University.
Third Place: Sit on it - by Sean Proctor, Central Michigan University.
Best Student Magazine First Place: Key magazine , Bowling Green State University.
Second Place: EJ Magazine, Michigan State University.
Third Place: The Burr Magazine, Kent State University.
Non-Fiction Magazine Article First Place: Food Not Waste: Three Decades at the Center of a Movement - by Haley Walker, Michigan State University.
Second Place: When Grass Isn't Green: Marijuana farms on public lands aren't kind to the environment - by Andrew Norman, Michigan State University.
Third Place: The Moment: National Equality March - by Jinae West, Kent State University.
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper First Place: The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia University.
Second Place: The BG News, Bowling Green State University.
Third Place: Daily Kent Stater, Kent State University.
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper First Place: The Duquesne Duke, Duquesne University.
Second Place: The Oakland Post, Oakland University.
Third Place: Independent Collegian, The University of Toledo.
Breaking News Reporting First Place: Rao on the move - by Jackie Smith, Heidi Fenton, Lindsay Knake and Jake Bolitho, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: George Ross named next university president - by Sarah Schuch, Brad Canze and Connor Sheridan, Central Michigan University.
Third Place: Vote of no confidence - by Colleen J. Miller, Oakland University.
Editorial Writing First Place: Daily Kent Stater Editorial Board, Kent State University.
Second Place: David Ryan, West Virginia University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Feature Writing First Place: Saying goodbye to my daughter, the soldier - by Kathy Cubert, The Ohio State University.
Second Place: Soul-searching journalist - by Vincent D. Scebbi and Hasan Dudar, The University of Toledo.
Third Place: Thinking Outside the Fence, Lancer Staff, Urbana University.
General Column Writing First Place: Columns by Shawn Klocek - by Shawn Klocek, Duquesne University.
Second Place: C.G. Shields Column Entries - by Charles Shields, West Virginia University.
Third Place: Letters from Afghanistan - by Sara Yoke, Marshall University.
General News Reporting First Place: Tailgate series - by Lindsay Knake, Joe Borlik, Jake Bolitho and Maryellen Tighe, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Coverage of Professor Gertrude Steuernagel's death - by Christina Stavale, Jenna Staul, Kent State University.
Third Place: Report clears VP of wrongdoing - by Jackie Valley, Kent State University.
In-Depth Reporting First Place: Duquesne's freedom fighters - by Marissa Rosenbaum, Duquesne University.
Second Place: An educated guest: parents purchase homes for kids at college to save on costly campus housing - by Tim Devaney, Cornerstone University.
Third Place: Student Health Care series - by Sarah Schuch, Central Michigan University.
Sports Column Writing First Place: Thomas Gallick, Kent State University.
Second Place: Tom Bragg, Marshall University.
Third Place: Tim Devaney, Cornerstone University.
Sports Writing First Place: Back to its roots - by Joey Nowak, Michigan State University.
Second Place: Burdette's milestone didn't come easy - by Brian Gawthrop, West Virginia University.
Third Place: WVU rifle champions again - by Tony Dobies, West Virginia University.
Best Affiliated Web Site First Place: statenews.com - by State News Staff, Michigan State University.
Second Place: Newsrecord.org - by News Record Staff, University of Cincinnati.
Third Place: cm-life.com - by Central Michigan Life Staff, Central Michigan University.
Best Independent Online Student Publication First Place: grandcentralmagazine.com - by Grand Central Magazine Staff, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: Great Lakes Echo - by Rachael Gleason, Michigan State University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Online Feature Reporting First Place: The Gulf Coast: The Long Road Back - by John Hitch, Kent State University.
Second Place: A Mothers Journey - by Jon Offredo Sarah Moore, West Virginia University.
Third Place: Lake Huron sinkholes - by Sarah Coefield, Michigan State University.
Online In-Depth Reporting First Place: Cleaning Coal - by Sarah Coefield, Elisabeth Pernicone, Yang Zhang and Rachael Gleason, Michigan State University.
Second Place: The Learning Curve - by Kate Stark, Kathleen Morton, Laura Bryant and Danny Lauter Kath, Miami University.
Third Place: Special Report: Public Pools, Public Health - by Haley Walker, Alice Rossignol and Emma Ogutu, Michigan State University.
Online News Reporting First Place: College Fest Riot Coverage - by KentWired staff, Kent State University.
Second Place: Faculty strikes - by Masudur Rahman, Oakland University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Best All-Around Radio Newscast First Place: Central Beat, Staff, Central Michigan University.
Second Place: No Award.*
Third Place: No Award.*
Radio Feature First Place: Jam Session - by Maureen Savage, Western Michigan University.
Second Place: The Legend of Dr. Kim - by Adam Cavalier, Marshall University.
Third Place: Holocaust Survivor - by Leannda Carey, Marshall University.
Radio In-Depth Reporting First Place: Generation Y Michigan - by Lauren Silverman, The University of Michigan.
Second Place: The Longest Yards - The 2008 Marshall Football Season in Review - by Adam Cavalier, Marshall University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Radio News Reporting First Place: Salvation for the Powerless - by Adam Cavalier, Marshall University.
Second Place: Proposed Animal Ban - by Leannda Carey, Marshall University.
Third Place: A Place For Prayer (But Is It Appropriate?) - by Tara Cavanaugh, The University of Michigan.
Radio Sports Reporting First Place: From the Herd to the Hornets: J.R. VanHoose - by Adam Cavalier, Marshall University.
Second Place: Enter Sandman - by Leannda Carey, Marshall University.
Third Place: Who's At Wideout - by Adam Cavalier, Marshall University.
Best All-Around Television Newscast First Place: UT:10 News - by Philipp Levering, Ashley Roth, University of Toledo.
Second Place: WVU News - by WVU News, West Virginia University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Television Breaking News Reporting First Place: Overcrowded Jails - by Karilynn Galiotos, West Virginia University.
Second Place: Dow Finsterwald Day - by Evan Millward Lucas Eichar, Ohio University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Television Feature Photography First Place: The Pumpkin House - by Brooks Taylor, Marshall University.
Second Place: No Award.*
Third Place: No Award.*
Television Feature First Place: Last WWI Hero - by Geoff Coyle, West Virginia University.
Second Place: Izzo on Broadway - by Shelly Childers, Michigan State University.
Third Place: The Pumpkin House - by Brooks Taylor, Marshall University.
Television General News Reporting First Place: Texting while Driving - by Johnny Lewnau, Michigan State University.
Second Place: Pets & Economy - by Sarah Jaeger, Michigan State University.
Third Place: Animal Advances - by Jessica Dupnack, Michigan State University.
Television In-Depth Reporting First Place: The Night Shift - by Sarah Coefield, Mary Hansen, Marla Kalmbach, Lou D'Aria, Michigan State University.
Second Place: No Award.*
Third Place: No Award.*
Television News Photography First Place: Animal Advances - by Jessica Dupnack, Michigan State University.
Second Place: Combat Water Survival Training - by Brooks Taylor, Marshall University.
Third Place: No Award.*
Television Sports Reporting First Place: UConn Continues On - by Ben Eshenbaugh, West Virginia University.
Second Place: Iraq to Gridiron - by Chip Fontanazza, West Virginia University.
Third Place: Record Breaking Rocket - by Philipp Levering, University of Toledo.
Two Year College/University Finalists:Best Affiliated Web Site First Place: The Columns online - by Molly Born, editor and Bryan Bumgardner, web assistant editor, Pierpont Community and Technical College.
Second Place: No Award.*
Third Place: No Award.*
*
Judges are not required to select first, second or third place winners.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. For more information about SPJ, please visit
www.spj.org.
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