Columbia Scholastic Press Association

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) announced its top awards for collegiate publications at the annual College Media Convention at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Of the 1,888 current CSPA members eligible to enter the Crown Awards, 1,355 magazines, newspapers and yearbooks actually submitted copies for this particular judging. Judging took place at Columbia University from December 8-11, 2007 by the Board of Crown Judges. Publications were judged on writing/editing, design, concept, photography, art and graphics.

Five newspapers, six magazines, and two yearbooks received Gold Crown Awards while 18 other collegiate publications received the second highest CSPA award, known as the Silver Crown. Gold Crowns have been presented annually since 1982, and Silver Crowns have been given since 1984.

The Awards Convocation took place in the Westside Ballroom of the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, located at 1535 Broadway, New York, NY, on Sunday, March 16th at 3:30 p.m.

Edmund J. Sullivan announced the winners while C. Bruce Watterson presented plaques to those winners attending the event. Sullivan is executive director of professional prizes at the Graduate School of Journalism and executive director of the CSPA. Watterson, chief communications officer at Darlington School, (Rome, GA) is chair of the Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers’ Association’s (CSPAA) Committee on Judging Standards and Practices. Remaining awards will be mailed to winners beginning March 31st.

CSPA is an international student press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges and award programs. Owned by Columbia University since 1925 and operated as an academic program associated with its Graduate School of Journalism, the Association offers three major services: 1) annual competitions and awards for members, including the Crown Awards, 2) planning two conventions (one national, one regional) and a week-long summer workshop at Columbia, plus 3) small press publishing activities to support an e-zine and one to two books per year.

The judging panel included: Leah Bailey, associate art director at Cigar Aficionado magazine, New York, NY; Jennifer Dial, sports writer and online reporter, Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX; Bobby Hawthorne, author and former director of the Interscholastic Press League Conference, Austin, TX; Monica Hill, director of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Mark Murray, coordinator of technology systems, Arlington Independent School District, Arlington, TX; C. Bruce Watterson, chair of CSPAA Judging Standards and Practices, chief communications officer at the Darlington School, Rome, GA; and David Wiegand, retired adviser, Wausau, WI.

For further information, contact the CSPA directly.

College Magazine Gold Crowns

American River Review, American River College, Sacramento, CA;
Blue Moon, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA;
Flux, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR;
Grub Street, Towson University, Towson, MD;
Hair Trigger 29, Columbia College, Chicago, IL;
Windhover, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

College Magazine Silver Crowns

Baily’s Beads, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, PA;
Collage, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN;
Dollars & Sense, Baruch College, New York, NY;
The Bridge, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA;
The Huron River Review, Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI;
The Lens, Carleton College, Northfield, MN.

College Newspaper Gold Crowns

Daily News (Fall ‘06), Ball State University, Muncie, IN;
Daily News (Spring ‘07), Ball State University, Muncie, IN;
Indiana Daily Student (Spring ‘07), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
Iowa State Daily (Spring ‘07), Iowa State University, Ames, IA;
The Daily Pennsylvanian (Spring ‘07), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

College Newspaper Silver Crowns

Daily Texan (Fall ‘06), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX;
Daily Texan (Spring ‘07), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX;
Indiana Daily Student (Fall ‘06), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
Iowa State Daily (Fall ‘06), Iowa State University, Ames, IA.

College Yearbook Gold Crowns

Ibis, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL;
Sooner/Crimson Traditions, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.

College Yearbook Silver Crowns

Aggieland, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX;
Agromeck, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC;
Arbutus, Indiana University at Bloomington, Bloomington, IN;
Illio, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL;
Royal Purple, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS;
Selah, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA;
Talisman, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY;
The Razorback, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.