Five to compete at national level

Kent State students won 15 journalism awards from a regional competition that included 375 nominations from Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Kent State’s winners

First place

• James Everetts, “S-CHIP”, Television Feature

• James Everetts, “SCRAM”, Television General News Reporting

• Christopher Sharron, “Cartoons from Kent, Part I”, Editorial Cartooning

• CyBurr Staff, “CyBurr”, Best Affiliated Web site

• TV2 Staff, “TV2 News at 5:30/6:30”, Television Newscast

Second place

• Elise Franco, “The Attention on Adderall”, Non-Fiction Article

• Kyle Miller, “Holiday Eating”, Television General News Reporting

• Christopher Sharron, “Cartoons from Kent, Part II”, Editorial Cartooning

• Black Squirrel Radio Staff, “Cleveland Browns Draft Report”, Radio Sports Reporting

• The Burr Staff, The Burr, Best Student Magazine

Third place:

• Steven Bushong, “Remembering Scene One”, Non-Fiction Article

• Jill Byerly, “African Night”, Feature Photography

• Kyle Miller, “Dancing”, Television Feature

Daily Kent Stater Staff, Daily Kent Stater, Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper

• UHURU Magazine Staff, UHURU Magazine, Best Student Magazine

Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards, given by the Society of Professional Journalists, are presented annually in 12 regions across the country for contributions to student-run media from college campuses.

There are 39 categories in print, photography, television, radio and online entries. Students won five first-, second- and third-place certificates.

Black Squirrel Radio won a second-place award for best sports reporting, and UHURU won third for best student magazine. Both Mark of Excellence Awards were firsts for BSR and UHURU.

“This is a milestone for us because we have never won an award,” said Marianne Warzinski, BSR adviser. “It is really great to be recognized for the hard work the students have put in. I hope we can display the award in the station because I think it would be a great motivator for the students.”

UHURU editor TaLeiza Calloway said it is an honor to receive an award from a professional organization.

“This is the first publication we did after the magazine was not published for two semesters,” Calloway said. “At the time, we were rebuilding. This is an award for the magazine’s presence on campus again. The staff is now more motivated to do well because their work has been taken seriously.”

The contest was open to anyone enrolled in a college or university in 2007.

Judging was based on accuracy, significance, clarity, respect for the audience and resources available to the student.

Entries are first judged on the regional level, and first-place winners in each category and region go on to compete for national honors. The national round of judging will take place in April, and national first-place winners will be honored at the 2008 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference.

Ginny Frizzi, chair of the Awards & Honors Committee, said 468 first-place entries will move on to the national level.

“The students received the awards for journalistic excellence,” Frizzi said. “The awards not only provide recognition, but it is good to put it on a resume. It is something that is an asset to anyone who wins one.”

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Brittany Senary at [email protected].