April 4, 2012
Collegian writers recognized in Society of Professional Journalists' regional competition
Caroline Sweeney, senior in English, and Mark Kern, junior in journalism, won first place in the breaking news category of the Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence contest Saturday.
The article the pair wrote, based on a lenghty interview, was published in the Collegian in December 2011 as the Syracuse scandal was unfolding in its basketball program. ABC News quoted from the Collegian article. First-place regional winners advance to the national round of judging.
In addition, Karen Ingram, senior in English, won third place in general news for her article "Aggieville invaded by staggering zombies hunting for food." It was published in the Collegian in October 2011.
The Society of Professional Journalists' Region 7 includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across the society's 12 regions.
The honorees were awarded certificates on Saturday during the Region 7 Society of Professional Journalists' spring conference at the Iowa State University Memorial Union in Ames. National winners will be announced in late April.