Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Mississippi State student newspaper and several of those who produce it twice each week are being recognized for journalism excellence in editorial content, photography and advertising.
At a recent meeting of the Southeastern Journalism Conference, members of The Reflector staff took top awards both for material submitted in advance and work completed on-site during the competition. Established as a literary magazine in 1883, the now full-sized paper was among more than 30 campus publications whose entries were judged by working journalists and journalism educators in the 2005 Best of the South challenge.
The SEJC represents universities and colleges in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This year's annual gathering took place at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
In all, the MSU group won nearly two-dozen honors, including the SEJC On-Site Competition Championship and nine first-place certificates.
Brandon senior Josh Foreman also became the second Reflector editor in five years to be honored with the organization's College Journalist of the Year Award. In addition to a trophy, the communication/journalism major received an accompanying check for $500.
Allison Powe Mathews of Starkville won the top college journalist title in 2001.
"Our students did very, very well this year," said Reflector adviser Frances O. McDavid. "In fact, an adviser from another school observed afterward that we had 'the best journalist and the best journalists.'"
McDavid said Foreman also won first place in the news reporting category for stories he completed as a member of the Madison County Journal staff in Ridgeland, as well as another first-place award for on-site feature writing.
McDavid, a journalism instructor in MSU's communication department, said this year's achievements continue a recent tradition of excellence in SEJC competition by the newspaper staff and its leaders. As an example, she cited last year's editor, Wilson Boyd of Tupelo, who was runner-up in the journalist-of-the-year judging.
"Wilson, who's now a reporter with the Vicksburg Post, also had an award-winning staff, many of whom were among those honored this year," she said.
Other members of the Reflector staff receiving top 2004-05 awards include (by hometown):
BILOXI--Junior communication/journalism major Ross Dellenger, third place in sports writing, and 2004 graphic design graduate Ben Powers, second place in editorial art/illustration.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.--December interdisciplinary studies graduate Craig Peters, third place in submitted feature writing.
COLLINSVILLE--Freshman graphic design and photography major Loren Province, seventh place in submitted advertising staff work.
HAMMOND, La.--Senior Gabe Smith, an English and communication/theater double major, first place in submitted arts and entertainment writing.
HOOVER, Ala.--Senior Pam McTeer, a communication/journalism and foreign languages double major, second place in on-site media ethics and ninth place in submitted feature writing.
PLANTERSVILLE--Senior English major Angela Adair, first place in submitted public service journalism, second place in on-site personal column and fourth place in submitted opinion-editorial writing.
POCAHONTAS, Ark.--Senior communication/journalism major Elizabeth Crisp, first place in page layout design.
STARKVILLE--Junior business information systems major Alex Diaz, fourth place in submitted press photography and first place in on-site feature photography; and senior art major Erin Hazlewood, fourth place in graphic design.
TUPELO--Senior communication/journalism major Kelly Daniels, second place in on-site entertainment writing.
WALNUT--Senior Dustin Barnes, a communication/journalism and foreign languages double-major, first place in both public service journalism and on-site First Amendment essay.