Society of Professional Journalists Names Ithacan Website Best in the Northeast

 The Society of Professional Journalists has named The Ithacan’s website the Best Affiliated Newspaper Website in the Northeast Region for 2016. The website received the first place Mark of Excellence Award at the SPJ Region 1 conference April 8 at John Jay College of CUNY in New York.

The website now goes on to compete against the winners in the other 11 SPJ regions for the national Mark of Excellence Award. That award will be presented at the SPJ national convention Sept. 7–9 in Anaheim, California. The SPJ is the largest professional organization of reporters and editors in the country.

In addition, the Ithacan’s print newspaper was honored as a Finalist in the Best All-Around Nondaily Newspaper category.

(Shown in photo, from left: Ithacan Webmaster Evan Sobkowicz ’17 and Editor-in-Chief Kayla Dwyer’17 with the awards.)

New York Press Association Names The Ithacan Best College Newspaper in New York State

The Ithacan has been named the Best College Newspaper in New York State for 2016 by the New York Press Association. The award, the NYPA's top collegiate honor, was announced April 8 at the organization's annual convention at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Ithacan Editor-in-Chief Kayla Dwyer ’17, Webmaster Evan Sobkowicz ’17 and Proofreader Ben Gaynor ’17 attended the convention and accepted the award on behalf of the paper. The award was for work produced during calendar year 2016 (Kira Maddox ’16, spring editor-in-chief; Kayla Dwyer ’17, fall editor-in-chief). 

 In addition to being named the best overall college paper in the state, The Ithacan and its staff members received the following awards:

Awards for the Paper

First Place for General Excellence

First Place for Editorials

First Place for Sports Coverage

Second Place for Design

Third Place for Website 

Awards for Individuals

First Place for News Story — Sophia Tulp ’19 and Faith Meckley ’18

Third Place for News Story — Lauren Murray ’18 and Matt Hornick ’18

Honorable Mention for News Story — Vinica Weiss ’17

First Place for Feature Story — Faith Meckley ’18

Third Place for Feature Story — Mary Ford ’17

First Place for Photography — Yana Mazurkevich ’18

Third Place for Photography — Caitie Ihrig ’18

Ithaca College Publications Board Names Aidan Quigley ’18 2017–18 Ithacan Editor in Chief

The Ithaca College Board of Student Publications has selected junior Aidan Quigley ’18 as the 2017–18 editor in chief of The Ithacan. Quigley was appointed to the position by Diane Gayeski, dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications, at the conclusion of the board’s annual meeting and candidate interview session on April 3. 
Quigley is a journalism major and politics minor from Trumbull, Connecticut, who has previously served as a reporter, assistant news editor, news editor and managing editor for the paper over the past three years. A Park Scholar, he is spending the Spring 2017 semester studying in Washington, D.C., where he is also interning as a breaking news intern at Politico. He has previously interned a reporter at the Westbury (Conn.) Republican-American and as a Rapid Response Team intern at the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. This summer he will intern at Newsweek in New York City.
Among his stated goals for The Ithacan are the enhancement of the paper’s digital-first online strategies and increased collaboration with other Park School student media. He will officially assume the editor in chief position on May 4.

Meeting the Family

At our last Ithacan editorial board meeting before leaving for the spring National College Media Convention in New York last weekend, I told the board that I would be bringing the current editors who would be participating in the conference  to “meet the family” — namely our New York Ithacan alumni — at our annual spring dinner. I compared it to an extended family reunion where you meet a whole bunch of cool, interesting cousins you never knew you had.

From left: Jake Leary, Scott McDermott,
Graham Hebel, Fernando Ferraz
and Connor Lange.

And a family reunion is what it always feels like. This year’s group spanned more than two decades, from the class of 1997 to the current freshmen attending the conference. Forty of us turned out on Monday night despite the impending blizzard scheduled to start at midnight. The photo section was well-represented, with eight former and current editors present, including a rare appearance by Scott McDermott! And Jill Agostino stopped by — her first dinner with the New York crew since the Times moved her back to the city from D.C. (where our alumni are still missing her). 

Evin Billington, Miles Surrey,
Aaron Edwards and Frances Johnson

The alumni lineup consisted of Jill Agostino ’86, Nicolas Barajas ’08, Evin Billington ’16, Jaclyn Cataldi ’15, Jack Curran ’15, Jared Dionne ’13, William Earl ’09, Aaron Edwards ’12, Evan Falk ’09, Max Gillilan ’16, James Hawver ’07, Graham Hebel ’13, Frances Johnson ’16, Sami Khan ’02, Kira Maddox ’16, Scott McDermott ’97, Tucker Mitchell ’16, Casey Musarra ’11, Gillian Nigro ’14, Rachel Orlow ’13, Taylor Palmer ’14, Steven Pirani ’16, Matt Quintanilla ’07, Deepa Shah ’06, Elizabeth Sile ’11, Shawn Steiner ’13, Miles Surrey ’15, Andy Swift ’09, Andrew Weiser ’11, Jennifer Williams ’16, Stacey Coburn Williams ’07, Chloe Wilson ’14 and Vicky Wolak ’14.

Jim Hawver, Matt Quintanilla, Deepa
Shah and Stacey Coburn Williams

Current students who attended were Editor-in-Chief Kayla Dwyer ’17, Assistant Multimedia Editor Connor Duffy ’20, Photo Editor Fernando Ferraz ’17, Assistant Photo Editor Connor Lange ’19, Assistant Life & Culture Editor Jake Leary ’20 and Assistant Multimedia Editor Matt Maloney ’20.

Jack Curran, Gillian Nigro and Kira Maddox

Kayla Dwyer, Libby Sile and Bill Earl

It was terrific to see everyone, as always. Thank you to the good people at Heartland Brewery and Chophouse at on W. 43rd St., who made sure we had a good time, as they have for many years now. And special thanks to Deepa Shah, without whose organizational talents — and generosity — these events would be a lot more difficult to manage. 

Andrew Weiser, Casey Musarra
and Evan Falk

Shawn Steiner, Jennifer Williams
and Steve Pirani

Taylor Palmer and Chloe Wilson

The Happy Couple Returns

Former Ithacan managing editor Whitney Faber ’12 and fiancé Chris Roach ’11 returned to campus today to make arrangements for their Sept. 16 wedding in the college chapel. The couple, who live in Boston, stopped by the Ithacan to check out our new office. It was great to see them again and have the chance to congratulate them on their engagement, to introduce them to current editor-in-chief Jack Curran, managing editor Kira Maddox, news editor Kayla Dwyer, Life & Culture editor Steven Pirani, design editor Grace Clauss, assistant design editor Allie Teodore and webmaster Evan Sobkowicz. Plus it’s always fun watching alumni who graduated before Sept. 2013 react to our new space.

Lauren DeCicca’s Photo Selected for Time’s ‘Defining‘ Instagrams of 2014

A photo by former Ithacan photo editor Lauren DeCicca ’11 has been selected by Time magazine as one of “29 Instagrams That Defined The World in 2014.” The photo, captioned “Goodbye Thingyan, catch ya next year!” can also be viewed on Instagram. 

Lauren returned to campus in September during a visit back to the States and sat down for a Q&A with Ithacan Life & Culture editor Evin Billington. Check out the audio slideshow here. 

Throwback Thursday: Musical Memories

#tbt It was five years ago this week that the members of the great class of 2009 left Ithaca to make their way in the world. At a post-Commencement party at Erica Hendry, Andy Swift and Tahleen Ovian’s apartment we were treated to the finest in musical entertainment.

Grant and Ellick Headline in Alumni Magazine

Ithacan alumni are are well represented in the latest issue of IC View, the Ithaca College’s alumni magazine. Kelli Grant ’04 wrote the cover story, “Start Me Up: The Rise of the Entrepreneur,” which takes a look at six alumni who have launched their own successful businesses. And the magazine interviews Adam Ellick ’99 about the dramatic story of Malala Yousafszai’s emergence as an education activist and leader in the movement for women’s rights in Pakistan. Ellick’s documentary work for the The New York Times is credited with first bringing  her story to the attention of the American public.

Throwback Thursday: Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism, March 2009

#tbt Erin Geismar ’09, Jennifer Nevins ’09 and Tricia Nadolny ’09 at the Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism, March 2009. The conference attracted the best teachers and practitioners of narrative journalism to Boston each year to speak and conduct workshops for hundreds of attendees. As a result of the impact of the economic downturn on the Nieman endowment, 2009 was the last year the foundation sponsored the conference.

Marissa Tejada ’00 Publishes Novel

Former Ithacan writer Marissa Tejada ’00 is publishing her first novel. Chasing Athens, a romantic comedy and contemporary romance novel will be released by e-book romance publisher Musa Publishing on April 25.
As Marissa describes it in her press release, “Set in Athens, Greece, the Greek Islands and Ithaca, New York, Chasing Athens follows Ava Martin, a heartbroken American expat, whose new husband unexpectedly ditches her after their move abroad. Instead of returning to the States, she makes an abrupt decision to stay. Despite pressure from her mother, uncertainty over her divorce and issues with her long-estranged father, she's determined to make it on her own. With her Greek friends, she laughs and learns while facing culture shock, language barriers and the charm of Mediterranean men, until a life-threatening emergency back home in sleepy Ithaca, N.Y., forces her to confront her disappointing past, and forces her to redefine the meaning of home.”
The book will be available on the Musa Publishing website, as well as through Amazon and Kindle.
Since graduating from IC, Marissa has worked around the country as a television reporter and anchor, as well as in public relations. She is currently living in Athens as a full-time freelancer and blogger specializing in culture, food and wine, technology and travel writing.

Dinner at Viva

Just finished an enjoyable dinner at Viva Taqueria with, from left, former photo editors Rachel Orlow ’13 and Shawn Steiner ’13, as well as our current special projects manager, Elma Gonzalez ’14. Also present, but not shown, was the consistently camera-shy Kelsey O’Connor. Shawn and Rachel were passing through town on their way back to New York.

Throwback Thursday: Spring 2003

#tbt "Go Philly Sports!" Sports Editor Brian Delaney ’04 and Assistant Photo Editor Carly Chamberlin ’05.

Congratulations Team Newsday!

Newsday was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the Public Service category this year “for its use of in-depth reporting and digital tools to expose shootings, beatings and other concealed misconduct by some Long Island police officers, leading to the formation of a grand jury and an official review of police accountability.” Congratulations to our Ithacan alumni at Newsday — Erin Geismar ’09, Kaydi Poirier ’11 and Casey Musarra ’11! The Ithacan’s current multimedia editor, Deanna Romanoff ’14, will be joining the Newsday team as an intern this summer as well.

Throwback Thursday: Spring 2003

#tbt Opinion Editor Joe Geraghty ’04 and Editor-in-Chief Ellen Stapleton ’03 in Spring 2003. Written on the back of the photo: “And I thought Joe wanted me in the picture with him for sentimental value…”

Ithacan Named Best in New York State

Ramya Vijayagopal and Sabrina Knight with
the Ithacan’s awards at the 2014 NYPA convention.

The Ithacan has once again been named the Best College Newspaper in New York State by the New York Press Association. The award, the NYPA's top collegiate honor, was announced today at the organization’s annual convention at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Ithacan News Editor Sabrina Knight ’16 and Contributing Writer Ramya Vijayagopal ’17 accepted the awards on behalf of the paper. 

The awards are for work produced during calendar year 2013 (Kelsey O’Connor, spring 2013 editor-in-chief; Megan Devlin, fall 2013 editor-in-chief).

In addition to being named the best overall college paper in the state, The Ithacan and its staff members received the following awards:

Awards for the Paper
First Place for Best Website
First Place for Best Sports Coverage
Second Place for Editorial Writing
Third Place for General Excellence
Honorable Mention for Design

Awards for Individuals
First Place for Column Writing — Ramya Vijayagopal
Second Place for Column Writing — Rachael Hartford
First Place for Photography — Shawn Steiner
Third Place for Photography — Durst Breneiser

Shawn Steiner’s winning photo: Baritone saxophone player Mike Brown
plays for the audience at the Streetlight Manifesto concert. The Ithacan,
April 18, 2013, p. 14.

Throwback Thursday: 1998

#tbt The Ithacan wouldn’t be what it is without it’s advertising staff bringing in the bucks. Here are Business Manager Bonnie Flock ’01 (right) and Sales Manager Allie Ello ’99, way back in 1998. And to be fair to Allie, who had her back to the camera, here’s her good side, from that series of portraits Jay Miller’s editorial board took in front of that weird towel. 

Jack Curran Named 2014–15 Editor-in-Chief

The Ithaca College Board of Student Publications has appointed junior Jack Curran as editor-in-chief of The Ithacan for 2014-15. 
Curran, from Ballston Spa, N.Y., is currently the paper’s online news editor. He is a double major in journalism and economics. 
In addition to his work as an editor and staff writer at The Ithacan, he has served as an editorial intern at the investigative news website “City Limits” in New York City and as an assistant producer at ICTV’s Newswatch 16.
His term as editor-in-chief will begin at the end of the current academic year in May.

More Awards from New York

The Ithacan wrapped up the spring National College Media Convention in New York today by topping off its Gold Crown Award with winning Second Place for Best Newspaper and Third Place for Best Facebook Page in the Apple Awards Best of Show Competition.

Ithacan Wins CSPA Gold Crown

From left, Assistant Sports Editor Miles Surrey, Assistant Accent Editor
Steven Pirani, CSPA Director Edward Sullivan, Online Editor Jack Curran
and Assistant Photo Editor Tucker Mitchell at the award presentation
ceremony at the conference.

The Ithacan has been a been presented with a Gold Crown award by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at the spring National College Media Convention in New York City. The Gold Crown awards are the highest honors presented by CSPA.

The award recognizes overall excellence in publications that work “to combine their digital and print publications as one.” This award was for work produced during the 2012–13 academic year (Kelsey O’Connor, editor in chief). It was presented in a ceremony on March 14 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel.

‘Loose Canons’ Wins PEGASYS Award

Congratulations to former Ithacan sports editors Matt Kelly ’13 and Taylor Palmer ’14 for winning Best in Show in this year's Tompkins County PEGASYS Awards for their ICTV police comedy, “Loose Canons.”  The show follows the adventures of “two endearing, goofball cops” who “solve crimes nobody else can.” 
The show will now be sent on by Time Warner to the Hometown Awards, a national competition for access programs held by the Alliance for Community Media.