Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Leah Bailey is Associate Art Director at Cigar Aficionado magazine and has served in similar roles at other magazines. A 2000 graduate of James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, she led their yearbook, The Bluestone, to its first CSPA Gold Crown Award and ACP Pacemaker Award two years in a row. She is a member of the Society of Publication Designers and is working with them to build their student programming and outreach.

Jenny Dial is a sports writer and online reporter for the Houston Chronicle. Dial worked for the Gold Crown-winning Oklahoma Daily for four years and held internships with the United States Olympic Committee and Sports Illustrated on Campus. Dial has covered the Olympics, the NBA finals, the NCAA Final Four, the BCS Orange Bowl, College World Series and the NFL and NBA drafts. She has taught at the CSPA Summer Journalism Workshop. She attended East Central High School in San Antonio, where two yearbooks she edited received CSPA Crown Awards.

Bobby Hawthorne teaches at journalism workshops, conventions and seminars nationwide. In the summers of 1998 and 1999, he taught in Hungary and Romania for the Center for Independent Journalism, which is based in New York City. From 1979-1999, he directed the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Texas' student press association. He is author of several books including The Radical Write and Longhorn Football: An Illustrated History, published in 2007 by the University of Texas Press. Among the awards he has received are Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Gold Key and James Paschal awards, the National Scholastic Press Association's Pioneer Award, the Journalism Education Association's Medal of Merit and the Interscholastic League Press Conference's Edith Fox King Award, given for distinguished service to Texas scholastic journalism. In 1991, he was named a lifetime member by the Texas Association of Journalism Educators, and in 2000 received TAJE's Trailblazer Award. In 2007, he received the CSPA Charles R. O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Carl Towley Award, JEA’s highest award given.

Monica Hill is director of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association based in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously directed the Alabama Scholastic Press Association at the University of Alabama and was copy editor for The Birmingham (Ala.) News.

Mark Murray is Coordinator of Technology Systems for Arlington Independent School District in Arlington, Texas. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Texas Photography Instructors and the consultant for the Photo Imaging Education Association. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops around the country, including the JEA/NSPA conferences, Carolina Journalism Institute, Dallas County Publication Workshop and Flint Hills Summer Publication workshop. During his tenure as photography instructor at Lamar High School in Arlington, he was one of the advisers to élan, Lamar's literary/art magazine, a Pacemaker and Silver Crown winner. He received a Gold Key from CSPA in 2004.

C. Bruce Watterson, chair of CSPAA’s Committee on Judging Standards and Practices, serves as chief communications officer at Darlington School, Rome, GA. He teaches courses in journalism/communication on the college level and lectures to press groups and publication workshops annually. A past finalist for Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Teacher of the Year, he holds the CSPA Gold Key, the NSPA Pioneer Award, the JEA Medal of Merit, the Southern Interscholastic Press Association’s Distinguished Adviser Award and the Kay Phillip’s Service Award from North Carolina Scholastic Media Association. Watterson has been honored by College Media Advisers for his work with the collegiate press nationally. He has been a national officer for CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education). He has spoken on frequently to press groups in 44 states and internationally as part of the Center for Independent Journalism Foundation.

David Wiegand advised the yearbook Aurora and newspaper Warrior's Word for 20 years at Wausau West High School in Wausau, WI. His publications earned numerous writing honors including Gold Circle awards from CSPA, and National Winners from Quill and Scroll. The newspaper earned a Gold Medalist rating from CSPA, All-American status from NSPA and the George H. Gallup honor from Quill and Scroll 10 times. The paper also has been a Pacemaker finalist for NSPA and received a Silver Crown from CSPA.

The 2008 Crown Finalists have been announced.

Click here for the Scholastic Crown Finalists.

Click here for the Collegiate Crowns Finalists.