Region 2 Mark of Excellence winners announced in Richmond, Va.

Home > SPJ News > Region 2 Mark of Excellence winners announced in Richmond, Va.

4/16/2018

Update 5/30/18: Due to a regional disqualification, results of the Online/Digital News Videography category have changed and are reflected below.

Contacts:
Christine Cordial, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, awards@spj.org
Anna Gutierrez, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, communications@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 2 with 2017 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 2 comprises Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 14 at the Region 2 Conference. 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 Excellence in Journalism conference in Baltimore.

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 2 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact Christine Cordial via email or phone at 317-920-4788.

This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries.

Newspapers

Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Following the homicide of Richard Collins - by Staff of The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Public Safety investigating racist incident involving bananas - by Staff of The Eagle, American University
Finalist: Watson booted from SA presidential race after harassment, stalking charges - by Andrew Goudsward, Cayla Harris and Elise Zaidi, The George Washington University

Breaking News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Demonstrators gather at RDU Airport to protest immigration ban executive order - by Alex Hager, Elon University

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: One year into new dining plan, students still struggle to pay for meals - by Cayla Harris and Kelly Hooper, The George Washington University
Finalist: VCU gave the contact information of more than 30,000 students to a progressive political group - by Fadel Allassan, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: UMD Trump supporters say they feel voiceless on a liberal campus - by Natalie Schwartz, University of Maryland, College Park

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Sexual assault: It happens here, too - by Diego Pineda, Elon University
Finalist: Elon administration grapples with legal demands, safety concerns of immigration ban - by Bryan Anderson, Elon University
Finalist: Who are the candidates? - by Emmanuel Morgan, Elon University

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: ‘It’s real’: a seven-part look at how sexual assault is handled at the University of Maryland - by Staff of The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: The Russia-AU connection: University's Russian cultural institute stirs controversy - by Katherine Saltzman, American University
Finalist: VCU “dreamers” in limbo awaiting Trump DACA decision - by Fadel Allassan, Virginia Commonwealth University

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The undocumented general - by Hannah Denham, Washington and Lee University
Finalist: Amid national debate, Farmville quiet about Confederate statue in its own backyard - by Halle Parker, Longwood University

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: 'I can never escape' - by Taylor Swaak, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: ‘Undocumented and unafraid’: For DACA students at Maryland, studying and living requires resilience - by Natalie Schwartz, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: AU theater department reaffirms commitment to diversity through classes and productions - by Daniella Ignacio, American University

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Greensboro school welcomes 320 students new to the U.S.; Two students share insight - by Praveena Somasundaram, Guilford College
Finalist: Two years after accident, former Elon student Gabriela Rosales shows promising recovery - by Diego Pineda, Elon University

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Back to business: Antoine Brooks defied odds to star for Maryland football - by Daniel Bernstein, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Playing in silence: As athletes continue protesting racism, Maryland's remain silent. Why? - by Kyle Melnick, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Three setbacks, one big comeback - by Jason Huber, Appalachian State University

Sports Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Four years later, senior women's lacrosse players see impact left on program - by Tommy Hamzik, Elon University
Finalist: Inside the revival of Elon's football program - by Emmanuel Morgan, Elon University
Finalist: A surprising change: Cignetti arrives at Elon - by Alex Simon, Elon University

Editorial Writing
Winner: In the face of hate, UMD community must not grow numb; UMD officials must acknowledge student concerns, not deflect them; Email from mock trial coaches highlights misunderstanding of diversity - by The Diamondback Editorial Board, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: SA leadership hasn’t accomplished much and it’s time for them to step up; D.C. should eliminate statute of limitations for sex-related crimes; GW should take these steps to improve female representation in top leadership positions - by The GW Hatchet Editorial Board, The George Washington University

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Essay: Don’t speak for veterans, taking a knee is not about them; The Midwest is more than cornfields and conservatives; Asian-Americans need to break the silence when other groups face discrimination - by Renee Pineda, The George Washington University

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Homophobia alive and well; Mental illness affects everyone; Where I'm 'really' from is here - by Olivia Ryan, Elon University
Finalist: The guardian angels of Elon University; Technology doesn't control us; Remembering Dr. King's words - by Stephanie Ntim, Elon University
Sports Column Writing
Winner: Press Box columns - by Zachary Joachim, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Take Elon football seriously; Men's basketball after Duke loss; Don't kneel out of conversation - by Emmanuel Morgan, Elon University
Finalist: Maryland football must step up in Texas’ hostile road environment; Maryland football’s upset over Texas is one of its best wins in program history; Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon has his most experienced trio ever - by Kyle Melnick and Daniel Bernstein, University of Maryland, College Park

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Pendulum - by Staff of Elon News Network, Elon University
Finalist: The Commonwealth Times - by Staff of The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University

Magazines

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: African-American struggle for freedom & civil rights commemorated in Brown's Island monument - by Caitlin Barbieri, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Why Us? The alt-right’s assault on American University - by Ben Weiss, American University
Finalist: Nickelus F.: Provocative composition - by Leah Dickshinski and Dina Alemu, Virginia Commonwealth University

Best Student Magazine
Finalist: Ink Magazine - by Staff of Ink Magazine, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: AWOL Magazine - by Evangeline Lacroix, Andrea Lin and Claire Osborn, American University

Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Protesters opposing Capital Pride block streets, parade reroutes at least twice - by Olivia Anderson, The George Washington University
Finalist: Firefighter responds to five-alarm blaze at College Park apartment complex - by Tom Hausman, University of Maryland, College Park

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Activists, lawmakers demand Attorney General Sessions resign - by Megan Shiffres, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: American University hosts town hall to address racist incident targeting black women - by Anthony Holten, American University

General News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Can I have a hug? - by Abigail Bekele, Guilford College

Feature Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Atlantic marine monument - by Ellen Kanzinger, Washington and Lee University
Finalist: I-81: a hell of a ride - by Ellen Kanzinger, Washington and Lee University

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Hero worship - by Jordan Stephenson, Towson University
Finalist: A year in review - by Evan Berkowitz and Tom Hausman, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Thriving underground: the 16-year story of Epsilon Iota, AU’s unrecognized fraternity - by Samad Arouna, American University

Photo Illustration (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: The move-in edition - by Stephanie Hays and Caroline Brehman, Elon University
Finalist: Falling into dance - by Alex Toma and Diego Pineda, Elon University

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Flipped quarterback - by James Allen, James Madison University
Finalist: Diving catch - by Connor Woisard, James Madison University
Finalist: Rams ground Ospreys in shootout, can’t close Cavaliers - by Erin Edgerton, Virginia Commonwealth University

Sports Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Swoope's scorching start - by AJ Mandell, Elon University
Finalist: Going dancing - by Alex Simon, Elon University
Finalist: Homecoming face-off - by Abigail Bekele, Guilford College

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Midterm week; Gun violence; Net neutrality - by Eva Shen, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: The glass; Facts; Existential snacks - by Jacque Chandler, Virginia Commonwealth University
Finalist: Untitled; Cooking after 10 hours of studying; Thanksgiving - by Steck Von, Virginia Commonwealth University

Radio

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Lexington church named after R. E. Lee changes its name - by Faith Pinho, Washington and Lee University

Radio Feature
Winner: Music and sounds, powered by the sun - by Faith Pinho, Washington and Lee University
Finalist: Fighting diabetes with outdoor adventure - by Julie Rothey, Virginia Commonwealth University

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: When it's over - by The Dive, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: One credit news - by Staff of WVCW, Virginia Commonwealth University

Television

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Winding Way house fire - by Kinsey Grant, Washington and Lee University
Finalist: Restaurant crash - by Becca King and Hallie Miller, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Baltimore detective funeral - by Carly Kempler and Jamal Francis, University of Maryland, College Park

Television General News Reporting
Winner: ViewFinder: a chief's promise - by Emily Kallmyer, Jojo Dominick and Ryan Eskalis, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: A look into the dark web - by Perry Elyaderani, Elon University
Finalist: Cathedral bells - by Alex Flum, University of Maryland, College Park

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Bob Benson mirror artist - by Julianne Maxwell, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Yoga enthusiasts get help from some four-legged friends - by Hallie Miller, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Water bottle man - by Becca King and Alex Flum, University of Maryland, College Park

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: ViewFinder: Aging - by ViewFinder Fall 2017 Team, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Afghan Vet: One aid worker shares his journey to America - by Megan Smedley, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Maryland prepares to open dispensaries - by Carly Kempler and Hallie Miller, University of Maryland, College Park

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: Dragon boating - by Becca King and Jamal Francis, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Olympic curling - by Alex Flum and Jamal Francis, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Yoyo master - by Alex Flum and Jamal Francis, University of Maryland, College Park

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: ViewFinder: Opioid crisis - by Staff of ViewFinder, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: ELN Morning - by Grace Morris, Brooke Wivagg and Elizabeth Bilka, Elon University
Finalist: Elon Local News - by Staff of Elon News Network, Elon University

Online

Online News Reporting
Winner: On her own - by Hallie Miller and Ellie Silverman, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Maryland’s mysterious Russian compound gathers dust, awaits its fate - by J.F. Meils and Jamal Francis, University of Maryland, College Park

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: Chasing the Northern Lights - by Evan B. Dupuis, High Point University
Finalist: Carol Dudley guides students on career path for 30 years - by Victoria Jones, Howard University
Finalist: Agreeing to disagree: Political pundits play nice in new group - by Faith Pinho, Washington and Lee University

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Home sick - by Staff of Capital News Services, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Southern prisons have a cellphone smuggling problem - by Matt Riley, Duke University
Finalist: "It's real": a seven-part look at how sexual assault is handled at the University of Maryland - by Staff of The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: Pro sports leagues, teams spend millions lobbying Washington - by Staff of Capital News Services, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Major League Baseball players prefer hip-hop songs to get pumped up - by Chris Rogers-Spatuzzi, Jake Gluck and Gillian Vesely, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: VCU drops ball on student-athletes graduation rates - by Sean Boyce, Virginia Commonwealth University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: CNSMaryland.org - by Staff of Capital News Services, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: The GW Hatchet - by Staff of The GW Hatchet, The George Washington University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: River Reflections - by Staff of CPJW, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Finalist: The Rockbridge Report - by Staff of The Rockbridge Report, Washington and Lee University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: "It's real": a seven-part look at how sexual assault is handled at the University of Maryland - by Staff of The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: Major League Baseball players prefer hip-hop songs to get pumped up - by Chris Rogers-Spatuzzi, Jake Gluck and Gillian Vesely, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: To build staff, Jay Gruden relied on his NFL coaching social network - by Daniel Chavkin, University of Maryland, College Park

Videography

Broadcast News Videography
Winner: ViewFinder: On the call - by Emily Olsen, University of Maryland, College Park

Broadcast Feature Videography
Winner: ViewFinder: Take you there - by Jay Reed, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: ViewFinder: Fostering new lives - by Henrietta Biayemi, University of Maryland, College Park

Online/Digital News Videography
Winner: Award vacated after winning entry was disqualified.
Finalist: DACA supporters block intersection near White House - by Keren Carrion, The George Washington University
Finalist: ViewFinder: Treatment at last - by Alex Littlehales, University of Maryland, College Park

Online/Digital Feature Videography
Winner: ViewFinder: Going home - by Tina Vo and Pearl Mak, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: ViewFinder: Don't go gentle - by Tina Vo, University of Maryland, College Park
Finalist: ViewFinder: Fighting to move on - by Tina Vo, University of Maryland, College Park

Online/Digital Sports Videography
Winner: Beating the buzzer: Wizards keep games tight to the end - by Evan Berkowitz and Gabe Fernandez, University of Maryland, College Park

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