Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

Home > SPJ News > Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

3/22/2022

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 1 with 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 1 comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. 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 1 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 (Large)
Winner: SEAS doctoral student, 30, dead following stabbing on 123rd and Amsterdam — by Elizabeth Karpen, Dia Gill, Irie Sentner and Zachary Schermele, Columbia University
Finalist: Harvard graduate student union strike — by staff of The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College
Finalist: Charles Lieber trial — by Isabella B. Cho, Brandon L. Kingdollar and Mayesha R. Soshi, Harvard College

Breaking News Reporting (Small)
Winner: Two white supremacy-related decals found on campus — by Leighah Beausoleil, Framingham State University

General News Reporting (Large)
Winner: Interstate 81's impact on Syracuse community, then and now — by Maggie Hicks and Sarah Alessandrini, Syracuse University
Finalist: Asian community fears attacks and harassment — by MeiJun Lei, The City College of New York
Finalist: Comfort women Ramseyer series — by Ariel H. Kim and Simon J. Levien, Harvard College

General News Reporting (Small)
Winner: Deconstructing the police narrative — by Devin Yingling, Saint Joseph's University
Finalist: ‘Shape of the College’ draft met with criticism — by Alexis Manore, Alyshia Korba and Caitlin Holtzman, Ithaca College

In-Depth Reporting (Large)
Winner: Our poisoned kids — by Sydney Gold, Syracuse University
Finalist: BLK in the ADK — by Kamal Morgan, Syracuse University
Finalist: The crimson klan — by Simon J. Levien, Harvard College

In-Depth Reporting (Small)
Winner: ‘This will change us:’ Swarthmore considers upscale condo proposal in downtown — by Owen Mortner, Swarthmore College
Finalist: From Afghanistan to Albany — by Rayan El Amine, Vassar College
Finalist: In plain sight: A controversial faith group finds a home at Simmons — by Iz Indelicato, Simmons University

Feature Writing (Large)
Winner: Violence for migrants at the border — by Pamela De La Cruz, University of Pennsylvania
Finalist: When Yale harbored a Nazi — by Zachary Groz, Yale University
Finalist: Inuit midwives' mission to improve maternal and newborn health in Nunavik, Quebec — by Miriam Gladstone, McGill University

Feature Writing (Small)
Winner: The Diffenderfers: A sibling bond — by Dylan Manfre, Rider University
Finalist: Southside’s small shops: A glimpse into the struggle behind the scenes — by Sharon Jo, Lehigh University
Finalist: Service animals support students — by Sofia Rositani, Southern Connecticut State University

Sports Writing (Large)
Winner: Why doesn’t Syracuse University pay Otto the Orange? — by Christopher Cicchiello, Syracuse University
Finalist: In a ‘lighter equals faster’ culture, runners must combat a culture of disordered eating — by Elizabeth Karpen and Jade Justice, Columbia University
Finalist: Ten years after — by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University

Sports Writing (Small)
Winner: The rise and return of track star James Green — by Dylan Manfre, Rider University
Finalist: Gender equity issues persist within Ithaca College athletics — by Connor Glunt, Ithaca College

Editorial Writing
Winner: The Daily Free Press — by Abbigale Shi and Bini Ollivier-Yamin, Boston University
Finalist: The Harvard Crimson — by Editorial Board, Harvard College

General Column Writing (Large)
Winner: The wheelchair quarterback — by Joey Pagano, Syracuse University
Finalist: Columns — by Margo Moran, Syracuse University
Finalist: What we owe — by Caleb Dunson, Yale University

General Column Writing (Small)
Winner: The Lehigh-LGBTQ+ experience — by Alana Bonfiglio, Lehigh University
Finalist: Keep ‘community’ in community colleges; Even $15 per hour isn't enough in NJ — by Amandeep Sidhu, Mercer County Community College

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Dino Babers' 2021-22 season — by Anish Vasudevan, Roshan Fernandez and Connor Smith, Syracuse University

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Large)
Winner: The NJIT Vector — by executive board/staff, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Finalist: The Hofstra Chronicle — by staff, Hofstra University
Finalist: Best of The Heights — by staff, Boston College

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Small)
Winner: The Ithacan — by staff, Ithaca College
Finalist: The Wesleyan Argus — by Hannah Docter-Loeb and Emma Smith, Wesleyan University
Finalist: The Fairfield Mirror — by Molly Lamendola, Fairfield University

Best Student Magazine
Winner: The New Journal — by staff, Yale University
Finalist: Globalists — by staff, Syracuse University
Finalist: Baked — by staff, Syracuse University

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: The Harvard Crimson — by staff, Harvard College
Finalist: Columbia Daily Spectator — by staff, Columbia University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Upstate Unearthed — by staff, Syracuse University
Finalist: Philadelphia Neighborhoods — by staff, Temple University
Finalist: NYCity News Service — by staff, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

Breaking News Photography (Large)
Winner: Racial reckoning — by TJ Shaw, Syracuse University
Finalist: SWC-UAW forms picket lines at campus entrances — by Jake Borden, Columbia University

General News Photography (Large)
Winner: Candlelight vigil — by Gavin Liddell, Syracuse University
Finalist: Syracuse community protests Columbus statue — by Wendy Wang, Syracuse University
Finalist: It was 20 years ago — by Hunter Smith, The Pennsylvania State University

General News Photography (Small)
Winner: ‘Get it right the first time, that was a hate crime’ — by Mitchell Shields, Saint Joseph's University

Feature Photography (Large)
Winner: A century of experience — by Leah Strong, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Not for you — by Elijah Earnest, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Weeeeeeeee! — by Noah Riffe, The Pennsylvania State University

Feature Photography (Small)
Winner: It's snow time — by Mitchell Shields, Saint Joseph's University
Finalist: Arts Council celebrates Dia de los Muertos — by Elijah Parkman-Williams, Mercer County Community College

Sports Photography (Large)
Winner: Rugby tackle — by Teagan Staudenmeier, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Hockey fan — by Leah Strong, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: The agony of defeat — by Lily LaRegina, The Pennsylvania State University

Sports Photography (Small)
Winner: Teams still on the field even as semester ends — by Alessandro Rivero, Mercer County Community College

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Symptom tracker; CARES money; Email blast — by Liam Simonelli, Mercer County Community College

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Visualizing 81 — by staff of The NewsHouse, Syracuse University
Finalist: The Bronx is buffering — by staff of NYCity News Service, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: Seeking mercy — by staff of NYCity News Service, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

Broadcast/Online News Videography
Winner: Special delivery from Atlantic Terminal Squad — by Anthony Ruiz, City College of New York
Finalist: Selling your soul — by Noah Riffe, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Fire in the Bronx — by Samantha Alvarez, The City College of New York

Broadcast/Online Feature Videography
Winner: The late shift — by Hevidar Jankir, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Two City College of New York students choose return to campus — by Kainoa Presbitero, The City College of New York
Finalist: Balkan folk dancing brightens pandemic life — by Flora Lennihan, The City College of New York

Broadcast/Online Sports Videography
Winner: The comeback year — by Annie Boos, Syracuse University
Finalist: The diminutive Nottoli — by Lily LaRegina, The Pennsylvania State University

Data Visualization
Winner: International students struggle to learn across time zones as COVID-19 keeps them out of New York — by Jun Yi Zhang, Melissa Wang, Jessica Li and Michelle Xu, Columbia University

Audio

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Our poisoned kids — by Sydney Gold, Syracuse University
Finalist: Court is back in (person) session — by Yessenia Moreno, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

Radio Feature
Winner: Kayak paddle to save the ecosystem — by Olivia Bensimon, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: Dolphin researchers look to NYC whale-watching to understand rising numbers — by Aaron Tremper, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: How can a computer create art? — by Cole Strong and T. Michael Collier, Syracuse University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Health care proxies in the time of COVID — by Yessenia Moreno, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Finalist: When a woman goes to jail — by Emily Nadal, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Ithaca v. RPI football broadcast open — by Matthew Sosler, Ithaca College

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: Ithaca Now, 4-4-2021 — by Jay Bradley, Clayton Davis, Himadri Seth, Madolyn Laurine and Bridget Bright of WICB News, Ithaca College

Podcast
Winner: Looking for Violet — by Carmen V Borca-Carrillo, Fordham University
Finalist: Sex work after Gilgo | Getting to the Root — by Alexandra Whitbeck, Hofstra University
Finalist: A legacy revealed episode 5: A knife to carve a turkey — by Raquel Coronell Uribe and Sixiao Yu, Harvard College

Broadcast

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Students protest rape culture — by John Perik, Ricky Sayer, Chilekasi Adele and Lindsey Fine, Syracuse University
Finalist: Storm causes widespread flooding in Ithaca — by Grant Johnson and Emily Hung, Ithaca College

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Surfs up, surf pups! Annual dog surfing competition returns to Huntington Beach — by Sophia Giordano, Emerson College
Finalist: Skyline apartment hearing — by Colby Yablon, Syracuse University
Finalist: Excavation uncovers more about Ithaca's Underground Railroad history — by Emily Hung, Ithaca College

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: ‘Safe at home’ - smiling through the pain — by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Retired Professor Marvin Druger's lasting legacy at Syracuse University — by Ricky Sayer, Syracuse University
Finalist: Gym uses mixed martial arts to empower Dorchester youth — by Sophia Giordano and Angel Salcedo, Emerson College

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Transparency - private emails, public business — by NCC Spotlight Team, Syracuse University
Finalist: Tackling the opioid crisis — by Jordan Broking, Ithaca College
Finalist: Ten years after: Key figures remember moments and lessons from the Sandusky scandal — by Preston Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania State University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: ‘The Dopest Dude’ on Penn State’s basketball team — by Zach Gershman, The Pennsylvania State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Centre County Report — by Hope Burley,Connor Griffin, Isabel Hayes and Kyle Cannillo, The Pennsylvania State University
Finalist: Good Day Ithaca — by Megan Sileo, Roxanne Palladino and Lauren Dague, Ithaca College
Finalist: Temple Update — by Yu Chen, Blake Nutis and Niccolas Uff, Temple University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: ICTV Reports - A city of progress — by Riley Garand, Paige Tolan and Julia Davis, Ithaca College
Finalist: The Temp — by student staff, Rochelle Davis, Temple University
Finalist: COVID-19 year-in-review/CitrusTV special report — by Erin Lyons, Josh Meyers, Katie Lane and Ricky Sayer, Syracuse University

All Platforms

Immersion Journalism
Winner: Visualizing 81 — by staff of The NewsHouse, Syracuse University
Finalist: Live oaks and dead folks — by Jonathan Harris and Hanna Martin, Syracuse University
Finalist: Forging ahead with a winter adventure — by Sonny Cirasuolo, Syracuse University

Cultural Criticism
Winner: Why do we crave creepy shows?; Bridgerton challenges racial expectations; Little free libraries — by Kayla Jannetti, Mercer County Community College
Finalist: Columns — by Sean Cabot, Framingham State University
Finalist: Harvard Crimson Cultural Criticism — by Sofia Andrade, Harvard College

Arts/Fashion Journalism
Winner: Wear me this — by Sujena Soumyanath, Boston University
Finalist: Inside the fight to #SaveOurStages: Independent venues struggle to survive the pandemic year — by Sam D. Cohen, Harvard College

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Winner: The real flavor of Syracuse — by Julia Fesser, Syracuse University

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