Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Louisville

Home > SPJ News > Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Louisville

4/9/2019

Contacts:
Matthew Kent, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, mkent@spj.org
Jennifer Royer, SPJ Director of Communications and Marketing, 317-361-4134, jroyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 5 with 2018 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 5 comprises Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 6 at the Region 5 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 San Antonio.

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 5 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact Matthew Kent 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: Bomb threat at University of Kentucky – by Staff of Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Finalist: Reports of a man with a gun on campus – by Staff of The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University
Finalist: Lenti makes sudden exit after more than 30 years – by Shane Rene and Benjamin Conboy, DePaul University

Breaking News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Butler victim advocate Sara Minor to resign from university – by Marisa Miller, Butler University

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Student: ‘I didn’t want there to be a girl after me’ – by Mackenzie Manley and Sam Rosenstiel, Northern Kentucky University
Finalist: Salvadoran woman finds refuge in Evanston church, attempts to reunite with daughter – by Julia Esparza, Northwestern University
Finalist: Lawmakers in last-minute push to make members of Congress liable for sexual harassment – by Libby Berry, Northwestern University

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: Butler Dining Services – by Staff of The Butler Collegian, Butler University
Finalist: Flooding affects Midwest – by Zoë Berg and Maia Gibson, University of Indianapolis
Finalist: Future Greyhound victim of Florida school shooting – by Abby Land, University of Indianapolis

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: She saw something – by Rick Childress, University of Kentucky
Finalist: Eminent domain – by Laurel Demkovich, Indiana University
Finalist: Campus Safety stopped and frisked mostly minorities and mostly innocent people in the last two years – by Michael McDevitt, Loyola University Chicago

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: Butler cheer coach suddenly dismissed after 19 years and nobody will say why – by Dana Lee, Butler University

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The man in black – by Jack Evans, Indiana University
Finalist: Answering the call – by Liz Meuser, Indiana University
Finalist: Meet Hotel Tango’s new cat Fatty. His tail was allegedly bitten off by an alligator. – by Sarah Bahr, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Theatre seniors direct works for Student Engagement Series – by Maia Gibson, University of Indianapolis
Finalist: Queer life in the Butler Bubble – by Camille Arnett, Butler University

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Andrew Henderson, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Jane Recker, Northwestern University
Finalist: Marissa Martinez, Northwestern University

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Madeleine Lucchetti, Butler University
Finalist: Byron Mason, DePauw University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Abigail Schnable, Loyola University Chicago
Finalist: Henry Redman, Loyola University Chicago

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: A new hope – by Jordan Guskey, Indiana University
Finalist: Donor’s match – by Casey McCarthy, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: NU grad earns fellowship with MLB commissioner, hopes to become league’s first female GM – by Benjamin Rosenberg, Northwestern University

Sports Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Butler’s Matt Howard at a crossroads in professional basketball career – by Drew Favakeh, Butler University
Finalist: Student athletes expected to follow drinking policies set by department and team – by Joslyn Fox, DePauw University

Editorial Writing
Winner: Staff of Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Finalist: The Daily Northwestern Editorial Board, Northwestern University
Finalist: Staff of Loyola Phoenix, Loyola University Chicago

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Daily Northwestern – by Staff of The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Ball State Daily News – by Staff of The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University
Finalist: Loyola Phoenix – by Staff of Loyola Phoenix, Loyola University Chicago
Finalist: The DePaulia – by Staff of The DePaulia, DePaul University

Magazines

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: Diagnostic deficit – by Elizabeth Guthrie, Northwestern University
Finalist: The star of Norwegian knitwear – by Emma Sarappo, Northwestern University
Finalist: Laughing matters: How and why female comedians crack jokes about sexual harassment – by Megan Lebowitz, Northwestern University

Best Student Magazine
Winner: North by Northwestern – by Staff of North by Northwestern, Northwestern University
Finalist: We Demand Change – by Staff of Ball Bearings, Ball State University
Finalist: BlackBoard Magazine – by Staff of BlackBoard Magazine, Northwestern University

Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Pension protest – by Silas Walker, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Noblesville Schools lockdown – by Stephanie Amador, Ball State University
Finalist: Kentucky’s win over Florida – by Arden Barnes, University of Kentucky

Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The meaning of heritage – by Stephanie Amador, Ball State University
Finalist: Piano player – by Jorday Prather, University of Kentucky
Finalist: Cape-able – by Silas Walker, Western Kentucky University

Feature Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Hidden spaces – by Tilly Marlatt, DePauw University
Finalist: Dawgs with style: Alexa Renfro – by Adam Cvik, Butler University
Finalist: Funky hair – by Meghan Olson, Southern Connecticut State University

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Samuel Myers, University of Kentucky
Finalist: Ethan Gerling, University of Indianapolis

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: MLK commemoration includes new arts festival – by Noah Frick-Alofs, Northwestern University
Finalist: Rainbow vigil – by Arden Barnes, University of Kentucky
Finalist: She was beaten and robbed three blocks from Loyola. Campus cops didn’t tell students. – by Michael McDevitt, Loyola University Chicago

General News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Stevoncé at the Annual Drag Show – by Kyle McGinnis, University of Indianapolis
Finalist: Flooding affects Midwest – by Zoë Berg, University of Indianapolis

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The marijuana double standard – by Terence K. Lightning Jr., Ball State University
Finalist: Centuries in the making – by Katherine Pach, Northwestern University
Finalist: Pause ends for 12 Ball State IFC fraternities, 1 left on probation – by Stephanie Amador, Ball State University

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Football: Isaiah Bowser’s big day gives Northwestern much-needed offensive spark – by Noah Frick-Alofs, Northwestern University
Finalist: Captured: Northwestern football at Music City Bowl – by Allie Goulding and Lauren Duquette, Northwestern University
Finalist: Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan – by Paige Grider, Ball State University

Sports Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: LaVall Jordan – by Jimmy Lafakis, Butler University

Radio

Radio Feature
Winner: Every student’s dream? How some high school students really feel about four-day school weeks – by Mia Mamone, Northwestern University
Finalist: Plane crash: 3 years later – by John Murray, Illinois State University
Finalist: Secretary of State preview – by Ashley Antonini, Illinois State University

Radio News Reporting
Winner: E-cig wrap – by Ashley Antonini, Illinois State University
Finalist: Trump Tower lawsuit – by Avery Van Etten, Northwestern University
Finalist: Redbird’s rising – by Blake Haas, Illinois State University

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: NCAA ISU volleyball recap – by Julie Martin, Illinois State University
Finalist: Meat the birds: Keyshawn Evans – by Neil Doyle, Illinois State University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Cascade leaves the WIC – by Abby Carpenter, Ally Low, Mary Grace Cusumano and Shelby Schoen, DePauw University

Television

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Improve NU challenge – by Emanuella Evans, Northwestern University
Finalist: Muncie Police toy box – by Emerson Lehmann, Ball State University
Finalist: Prescription drug abuse – by Andrew Lamparski, Indiana University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Outcry art exhibit – by Melody Mercado, DePaul University
Finalist: Race in the limelight: How Charlottesville is moving forward – by Michelle Baik, Northwestern University
Finalist: Local circus – by Meredith Struewing, Indiana University

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Compressor station divides: A series – by Michelle Baik, Northwestern University
Finalist: Van Dyke verdict – by Rosbelis Quinones, DePaul University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: DePaul Loyola basketball – by Evan Rogerson, DePaul University
Finalist: DePaul Tennis team – by Paul Steeno, DePaul University
Finalist: Woman sports reporter – by Agathe Muller and Jennifer Nazha, DePaul University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Good Day DePaul – by Karyn Lacey and Daniele Laguckaite, DePaul University
Finalist: Northwestern News Report – by Staff of Northwestern News Report, Northwestern University
Finalist: NewsLink Indiana Election Night 2018 – by Seth Tocco, Tanner Holbrook, Cameron DeBlasio and Emily Poe, Ball State University

Online

Online News Reporting
Winner: Tennessee death row inmates ask for electrocution over lethal injection. It’s a form of protest. – by Stavros Agorakis, Northwestern University
Finalist: The marijuana double standard – by Riley Eubanks, Ball State University
Finalist: What’s left behind – by Brynn Mechem, Ball State University

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: The pride of Paoli – by Laurel Demkovich, Emily Berryman and Hannah Boufford, Indiana University
Finalist: Abandoned citizens: One research team’s fight against the U.S. deportation system – by Darby Hopper and Ashley Hackett, Northwestern University

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Never the same – by Helen Gibson, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Our Music My Body brings conversations about consent to music festivals, shows – by Marissa Nelson, DePaul University
Finalist: Making a good grade in mental health is an increasingly tough assignment – by Rusmus Straka, Western Kentucky University

Online Opinion & Commentary
Winner: Letting it linger – by Cody Corrall, DePaul University
Finalist: The butterfly effect – by Mikayla Rose Price, DePaul University

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: ‘Look what he was able to do’: The growing legend of Isaiah Bowser – by Davis Rich, Northwestern University
Finalist: Drifting under the radar – by Samantha Smith, DePaul University
Finalist: Sliding into tradition – by Riley Eubanks, Ball State University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: The Ball State Daily News – by Staff of The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University
Finalist: Ball Bearings – by Staff of Ball Bearings, Ball State University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Fourteen East Magazine – by Staff of Fourteen East Magazine, DePaul University
Finalist: READ Magazine – by Staff of WKU SJ&B, Western Kentucky University
Finalist: Fleischaker-Greene First Amendment scholars: The right to protest – by Staff of F-G Scholars, Western Kentucky University

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Diary of a derby mom – by Merritt Mclaughlin, Ball State University
Finalist: Gaining momentum: March for Our Lives across the nation – by Staff of Fourteen East Magazine, DePaul University
Finalist: A walk up Michigan Avenue – by Christopher Silber, DePaul University

Podcast
Winner: Shooting at Mercy Hospital hits home for nursing students – by Christopher Hacker, Loyola University Chicago
Finalist: ReTale – Is the customer always right? – by Dylan Van Sickle, DePaul University

Videography

Online/Digital News Videography
Winner: A video portrait of election day in Evanston – by Staff of The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University
Finalist: Protests erupt during Kavanaugh confirmation vote – by Beverly Banks, Dorothy Mills-Gregg and Brock Hall, Northwestern University

Online/Digital Feature Videography
Winner: Life of Rohingya refugee in Chicago – by Poppy Shen and Hangda Zhang, Northwestern University
Finalist: NU alumna protests against Chicago-based poke chain – by Jessica Liu and Christopher Vazquez, Northwestern University
Finalist: Beyond the binary: NU transgender students face obstacles navigating the housing process – by Christopher Vazquez, Northwestern University

Online/Digital Sports Videography
Winner: Sights and faces of Fight Night 2018 – by Grace Pritchett and Michelle Hanks, Western Kentucky University

Broadcast News Videography
Winner: The wild is closer than it appears – by Tilly Marlatt, DePauw University

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