On May 2, the Hastings College Society for Collegiate Journalists held its induction ceremony and awards night celebration. In the National Contest, the chapter received 11 awards for work on KFKX, the campus radio station, The Collegian, the weekly newspaper, and HC Media Online, the web presence for HC Media.

In addition to honoring the National Contest winners, the chapter inducted six new members and honored outgoing seniors.

New Hastings SCJ Chapter inductees from L to R: Danielle Shenk, Andy Chase, Kirsten Gilliland, Will Ryan, Jerod Fox and Austin Druse.

Hastings graduating seniors from L to R: Anna Lichti, Nikki Sherrill, McKenzie Wedel, Allen Hamil, Austin Remm, Austin Penfield, and Brianna Turek.

The Chapter also recognized long-time adviser Sharon Behl Brooks as she retires from Hastings College after 37 years of dedicated service. Brooks was the 2011 winner of the SCJ Barker Adviser of the Year Award. Current and former students came together to recognize her dedication to SCJ and student journalism at a banquet.

Sharon Behl Brooks, Hastings SCJ Chapter adviser, is retiring this year after 37 years of service at Hastings.

Past and present students came together to honor Brooks on her retirement.

Congratulations to our Hastings chapter on a wonderful induction ceremony and celebration! And, the SCJ National Office and leadership team would like to thank Sharon for her dedication to SCJ and extend our warmest wishes to her on her retirement!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

The Salem College SCJ Chapter hosted its first-ever Collegiate Publications and Journalists Conference on Saturday, April 30.

At the conference, the chapter welcomed participating students from Salem College, Winston-Salem State University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Guilford College, NC State University and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

The day-long conference featured nine speakers, including a keynote address by Kaitlin Montgomery, editor-in-chief of NC State’s newspaper, The Technician.

Salem Chapter President Emily Ramser, Vice President Katherine Williams and Secretary Kristen Maikoo coordinated the event, which Ramser said she hopes will become an annual event.

For more details, check out this article from The Salemite.

Congratulations to Salem College Chapter on organizing an important and successful SCJ-sponsored event!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

Thanks to our Marywood University chapter for sharing these great photos of their national award winners! The Chapter took home 10 awards and four honorable mentions in the national contest for the students’ work at The Wood Word, the campus newspaper, and TV-Marywood, the campus television station.

Marywood chapter winners from L to R: Katlynn Whitaker, Rachel Looker, Paul Capoccia, Satara Dickey, Brigid Edmunds, Alex Weidner, and Amanda Duncklee. Absent from photo: Anne Zukowski, Jessica Bonacci, and Evan Felser.Photo credit/Paul Sevensky

They also awarded senior Brigid Grace Edmunds, the 2015/2016 chapter president, with the SCJ Medal of Merit. Edmunds also served as news editor at The Wood Word and news director at TV-Marywood.

Seniors Satara Dickey and Patrick Kernan were awarded the SCJ Certificates of Merit. Dickey served for the past year as the Editor-in-Chief at The Wood Word. Kernan served for the past year as managing editor of The Wood Word. All three will graduate with their bachelor of arts degrees in broadcast journalism in May.

L to R: Satara Dickey, Patrick Kernan, and Brigid Edmunds. Photo credit/Kim Del Valle

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

Thanks to Carrie Moniot for sharing these great photos of the Robert Morris University 2016 National Contest winners, posing with University President Christopher B. Howard! Robert Morris took home 14 awards, including 2nd place for Television News Show Overall Excellence. Congratulations to all!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

Thanks to SCJ President and adviser of the Buena Vista University chapter for sending us these great photos. At their April 21 induction ceremony, they welcomed 10 new members into their chapter, honored five graduating seniors, and celebrated 17 national contest awards. Congratulations to all!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

The 2016 Society for Collegiate Journalists National Contest results are in! The judges had many good things to say about the amazing collegiate journalism happening on our Chapters’ campuses.

Robert Morris University SCJ award winners pose with University President Christopher B. Howard / Photo courtesy Carrie Moniot

Congratulations to the following SCJ chapters, who shared 160 National Contest Awards!

Buena Vista University
Clarion University
Eastern Illinois University
Elizabethtown College
Evangel University
Hastings College
Keane State College
Marywood University
North Carolina State University
Robert Morris University
Savannah College of Art and Design–Atlanta
Slippery Rock University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Tennessee Tech
Virginia Wesleyan College
Youngstown State University

For a full listing of the 2016 National Contest Award winners, complete with judges comments, download the SCJ Contest Spreadsheet.

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

Last month I had the pleasure to once again attend the amazing College Media Association conference in New York City, our nation’s media capital. As usual, those few days were jam-packed with great sessions, critiques, media tours—all of the things so many of us have come to look forward to about CMA.

Students from Buena Vista University explore the city while at CMA NYC 2016.

Students from Buena Vista University explore the city while at CMA NYC 2016.

BVU student Skylar Gorsett presented during a recent CMA NYC 16 session.

But the one thing I love best about CMA is the fact that it celebrates great student journalism. The conference offers so many ways to highlight student work that stands out as gutsy, creative, or even just thought-provoking. Whether it’s at the Apple Awards, the convention’s photo shootout competition, or engaging in a lively conversation with students who simply tried something out of their comfort zone, there’s nothing like offering a high five when it’s deserved.

And the fact is that it’s often well-deserved. In a climate that has been hostile to student and professional journalists on so many fronts over these past months, the work that you all do matters even more than you might think. We need to shout it from the mountaintop when student journalists challenge their communities, and even each other, to grapple with tough issues. We need to hold up as examples those who dedicate countless hours to service. And we need to publicly recognize those teams that work seamlessly to advance the ideals of SCJ and educate others about the First Amendment.

The Society for Collegiate Journalists offers two opportunities to recognize excellence among its chapters and members. The first is the annual national contest, to which many of you have submitted individual and collective works. We’re excited to be announcing those winners very soon!

But the other opportunity for recognition comes in the form of the major awards, which include:

• Edward E. McDonald Chapter of the Year Award
• Arthur H. Barlow Student Journalist of the Year Award
• Sheridan Barker Adviser of the Year Award
• Louis Ingelhart SCJ Freedom of Expression Award
• Outstanding New Chapter
• Outstanding New Adviser
• Mary Beth Earnheardt Award for Service

You can locate the descriptions of each of these awards here: https://scjnational.org/contest-awards/ and I encourage you to consider nominating yourself, an outstanding asset to your student media team, your adviser, or your chapter. The deadline for nominations is June 1, 2016, and nominations are all done online. The Executive Council will meet to discuss nominations and we will announce the winners at our Biennium Meeting in Atlanta, GA on October 25.

We look forward to seeing many nominations for the outstanding effort so many of you are putting forth.

Andrea Frantz, Ph.D. is associate professor of digital media at Buena Vista University, Iowa. She was installed as SCJ President at the 2014 Biennial. She’s an advocate of student journalists and the First Amendment. She blogs periodically about SCJ and other news.

As we look ahead to all that’s to come in 2016, we thought it would be fun to take a look back on all that’s happened at SCJ in 2015. Here’s a review, by the numbers:

Active Chapters: 29

Members inducted: 159

Graduation cords presented: 90

New Chapters: 2

•  Southeastern Louisiana University (reinstated, last active in 2002); 11 new members
•  Salem College (newly initiated); 8 new members, 1 graduation cord

SCJ also sponsored the adviser lounge at the College Media Association’s (CMA) convention in NYC in March 2015. Our president, Dr. Andrea Frantz, along with Mr. Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center,  presented sessions at the Fall 2015 CMA convention in Austin. In addition, several members of the National Council were able to meet there as well.

Mark your calendars, as 2016 will bring our biennial meeting Oct. 26-30 to the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, in conjunction with the fall College Media Association convention. Our business meetings will be on Oct. 26, with additional sessions throughout the convention.

We’ll also be in New York for the Spring 2016 convention, so watch for SCJ-sponsored sessions in your program!

As always, we are here to help, so if we can support your local chapters in any way, just be in touch with Dr. Sally Renaud, executive director, in the National Office. And, send us your photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ events, and graduation!

We hope you have a wonderful spring semester!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.

The National Board of the Society of Collegiate Journalists, a national honorary society for collegiate mass communication, announces its 2015 individual winners: the Arthur H. Barlow Award for Student Journalist of the Year, Edward E. McDonald Chapter of the Year Award, Outstanding New Adviser Award and the New Chapter of the Year Award. Each award recognizes the accomplishments of students, advisers or chapters that have shown exceptional work in journalism and philanthropy. Plaques were presented to all winners at their institutions.

Arthur H. Barlow Award for Student Journalist of the Year

Leah Fleischel, Robert Morris University

Her adviser, Anthony Moretti, wrote:

“Under Leah’s tenure, RMU Sentry Media completed its digital-only rollout, twice covered the President of the United States during speaking appearances in the Pittsburgh area and streamlined its leadership positions. RMUSM now is a better product with a firm commitment to news coverage, and a better operation than when she assumed the editorship.”

Ms. Fleischel also received a $500 stipend.

Edward E. McDonald Chapter of the Year

Marywood University

The chapter is active with two events annually, including News Engagement Day. SCJ members handed out local newspapers free-of-charge to students and encouraged them to engage with campus and local media through social media.

Lindsey Wotanis, chapter adviser, wrote:

“I’m very proud of the work our chapter has done in such a short amount of time not only to establish itself, but also to make a positive impact on our campus.”

The Marywood University Chapter accepted the Edward E. McDonald Award  Chapter of the Year Award at their annual induction ceremony held on November 13, 2015. Photo courtesy Marywood University.

New Chapter of the Year/ Outstanding New Adviser

Ohio Northern University/Dr. Shane Tilton

These awards recognizes a newly established or reactivated (no longer than six years and no shorter than two years) chapter that shows enthusiasm and is a welcome new member of the SCJ family and a mentor who has advised a chapter (new or existing) for a period of no longer than six years and no shorter than two years. The adviser actively assists a chapter and its members participate in SCJ activities such as inductions, contests and philanthropy.

Tilton makes sure to help his students feel comfortable telling the hard stories they feel are important to their local community, as well as coordinate key speakers discuss the industry with his members.

ONU Chapter adviser Shane Tilton and Chapter president Ashlee McDonnell accept the Outstanding New Chapter Award. Photo courtesy Ohio Northern University.

Congratulations, all!

Don’t forget! Please send along photos of induction ceremonies, SCJ-sponsored events, and the like so we can share your good news with the rest of our SCJ family. Email pictures and information to scjnationaloffice@gmail.com.