Columbia Scholastic Press Association

NEW YORK, NY - The Columbia Scholastic Press Association announced its top awards for collegiate publications at the 2013 College Media Convention

This year 1,344 digital, newspapers, magazines and yearbooks published during the 2011-2012 academic year were eligible for judging in the 2013 Crown Awards Program.  All entries were judged at Columbia University from December 8-10, 2012 by the Board of Crown Judges. Publications were judged on writing/editing, design, content, concept, photography, art and graphics.    

This year CSPA judged digital only, print magazine, print newspaper and print yearbook as well as a new category - hybrid, a membership classified as a publication that works to combine their digital and print publications as one. While most hybrids grew from print newspapers that added digital platforms, several magazines became hybrids too.  

CSPA created the hybrid membership as a response to publications moving from print to pixels.   

For this first year of hybrids, as the board of judges examined the publications, they found some publications were still stronger as either print or digital. They chose to move these publications into one category or the other. This gave the staffs an opportunity not to be penalized for their attempt to combine their print and digital production. There will be no further judging.

The Awards Convocation for Collegiate Crown recipients took place during the College Media Convention, on Sunday, March 10, 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City.Edmund J. Sullivan, executive director of the CSPA, presented the plaques to those winners who attended the Convention. Remaining awards will be mailed beginning April 1st.

The 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 and operated by Columbia University since 1925, 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: Jenny Dial, assistant sports editor; Houston, TX; Nancy Hastings, retired adviser, Highland, IN; Sean Kelly, visual journalist and illustrator, Fairfield, CT; Mark Murray, coordinator of technology systems, Arlington Independent School District, Arlington, TX; Cheryl Pell retired journalism professor, East Lansing, MI; Jessica Rodriguez, multi-media editor, Union City, NJ; Randy Stano, professor, University of Miami, Miami, FL; C. Bruce Watterson, education consultant, Rome, GA; Randy Yeip, graphics editor, New York, NY; Kathleen Zwiebel, retired adviser, Pottsville, PA.

College Hybrid Publication Gold Crowns

Columbia Spectator (Spring 2012) | columbiaspectator.com, Columbia University, New York, NY;
Iowa State Daily (Fall 2011) | iowastatedaily.com, Iowa State University, Ames, IA;
Iowa State Daily (Spring 2012) | iowastatedaily.com, Iowa State University, Ames, IA;
The Daily Collegian | collegian.psu.edu, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA;
The Daily Pennsylvanian (Spring 2012) | thedp.com, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
The Ithacan (Fall 2011) | theithacan.org, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY;
The Ithacan (Spring 2012) | theithacan.org, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY;
The Shorthorn (Spring 2012) | theshorthorn.com, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX.

College Magazine Gold Crowns

Café Cultura, Miami Dade College, Hialeah, FL;
Collage: A Journal of Creative Expression, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN;
Fictionary, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL.

College Newspaper Gold Crowns

Indiana Daily Student (Fall 2011), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
Indiana Daily Student (Spring 2012), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
The Flare (Spring 2012), Kilgore College, Kilgore, TX.

College Yearbook Gold Crowns

Arbutus, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
Bugle, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA;
Ibis, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL;
Red Cedar Log, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI;
Talisman, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY.

College Hybrid Publication Silver Crowns

Ball State Daily News (Fall 2011) | bsudaily.com, Ball State University, Muncie, IN;
Ball State Daily News (Spring 2012) | bsudaily.com, Ball State University, Muncie, IN;
Campus Times  (Fall 2011) | laverne.edu/campus-times, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA;
Campus Times (Spring 2012) | laverne.edu/campus-times, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA;
The Rocky Mountain Collegian (Spring 2012) | collegian.com, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO;
The Walk | thewalkmagazine.com, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

College Magazine Silver Crowns

Blue Moon, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA;
Hair Trigger 34, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL;
The Bridge, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA;
Voices, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL;
Windhover, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

College Newspaper Silver Crowns

el Don (Fall 2011), Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA;
el Don (Spring 2012), Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA;
Northwest Missourian (Spring 2012), Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO;
The Baylor Lariat (Fall 2011), Baylor University, Waco, TX;
The Baylor Lariat (Spring 2012), Baylor University, Waco, TX;
The Crimson White (Spring 2012), The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL;
The Daily Princetonian (Spring 2012), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ;
The Oklahoma Daily (Fall 2011), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK;
The Oklahoma Daily (Spring 2012), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.

College Yearbook Silver Crowns

Agromeck, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC;
Ouachitonian, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, AR;
Sooner, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK;
Tower, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO.