Ithacan Named Best in the Country

The Society of Professional Journalists has named The Ithacan the Best Non-Daily Newspaper in the Country in its annual Mark of Excellence Awards competition.
The award is for calendar year 2011 (Spring editor in chief Libby Sile ’11; Fall editor in chief Aaron Edwards ’12). Papers submitted issues on or near three dates specified by SPJ. This year’s issues submitted were published on March 3, October 6 and December 1, 2011. The Ithacan won First Place in SPJ’s Northeast Region in March, and then went on to compete against the winners in SPJ’s other 11 regions for the national award.
The award will be presented at SPJ’s national convention in September in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. SPJ is the largest professional organization of journalists in the country.
Congratulations to all the editors and staffers who made this the most successful year in the paper’s history.

Geismar Shows Communities “In Another LIght”

If you haven't been following “In Another Light,” the video interview series on Newsday’s website, you should definitely put it on your regular viewing list. Former Ithacan editor in chief Erin Geismar ’09, now a video journalist at Newsday, reveals the interesting and unusual stories of people in the Long Island communities she covers. A retail executive who is a former NFL player, a high school baseball star who had a brush with celebrity as an American Idol contestant and a Shelter Island bartender who doubles as a magician are among the characters whose stories she has presented. Click here to view Erin’s introduction to the series.

And Speaking of Turning Up in Interesting Places ...

Find the former Ithacan editor in chief in this picture. (Coolest former EIC gig ever!)
Greenville Derby Dames

You Just Never Know Where People Will Turn Up

That’s former assistant photo editor Carly Chamberlin Johann ’05 (third from left), whose field hockey stick is still a key fixture in the Ithacan office.

Ithacan Named Online Pacemaker Finalist

The spring college journalism award cycle has come to an end, but the fall cycle is already beginning. We've just learned that The Ithacan’s website is a finalist for the Online Pacemaker Award for 2012. Widely regarded as “the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism,” the Pacemakers will be presented at the Fall National College Media Convention in Chicago at the end of October.
The website won the Online Pacemaker in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, and was a finalist in 2009.

Stacey Coburn Marries Austin Williams

I love going to Ithacan weddings, so to have two of them just over a month apart has made this a great spring. The latest alum to get married was former Accent and news editor Stacey Coburn ’06, who tied the knot with Austin Williams on March 31 in a ceremony and reception at the Montauk Club in Brooklyn.

The bride walked down the aisle to the music of the Velvet Underground. The ceremony, presided over by Methodist Bishop Alfred Johnson from the Church of the Village, included readings by IC alums Emily Gallagher ’06 and Lara (Marshall) Lisbe ’06.

Stacey was an absolutely beautiful bride, and the reception was great fun. It was also good to catch up with Emily and Lara after a couple of years. Stacey was always one of my favorite students, and it was wonderful to be there and see her so happy. We also danced together, making her the only student I've ever danced with ... except Joe Geraghty 04, at his wedding. But that's another story.

Emily Gallagher reads a poem by
Pablo Neruda.

Lara Marshall Lisbe reads from the
Book of Romans.

Stacey presents the cake.

The Ithacan Has a New Editor in Chief

Kelsey O’Connor, a junior journalism major with minors in Italian, photography and anthropology, has been selected as the paper’s 2012–13 editor in chief. The appointment was made tonight at the annual meeting of the Ithaca College Board of Student Publications.

Currently the paper’s news editor, O’Connor has also served as assistant news editor and assistant photo editor. She has interned at Boston Magazine and worked as a freelancer for the Patch.com website in her hometown of Hamilton, Mass. Her one-year term begins at the conclusion of this academic year in May.

Ithacan Named Best in New York State

From left: Assistant News
Editor Erica Palumbo and
Proofreader Marissa Smith
at the NYPA Convention.

The New York Press Association has named The Ithacan the Best College Newspaper in New York State for 2011. The award was announced yesterday at the NYPA annual convention at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  The award is the top honor in NYPA’s annual Better College Newspaper Competition. 
The paper was also awarded:

• First Place for Design
• Third Place for Editorial Writing

In addition, the following individuals won awards for their work:

• Graham Hebel ’13, First Place, Photography
• Emily Park, Second Place, Photography
• Chris Zivalich ’12, Second Place, Column Writing
• Patrick Feeney ’13, Second Place, News Writing
• Elma Gonzalez ’14, Third Place, Feature Writing

The awards were for papers published during the 2011 calendar year (Libby Sile ’11, spring semester editor in chief; Aaron Edwards ’12, fall semester editor in chief). This is the 10th time The Ithacan has been named best in the state in the past 12 years.