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

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.

Some High-Profile Magazine Work

Work by two Ithacan alumni has been prominently featured in the national press recently. 

Sean Fennessey ’03 has published “Remembering Harry,” a piece commemorating the career of wayward musical genius Harry Nilsson, in Grantland, and “The Man Who Will Save Your Musical Soul,” a profile of vinyl record champion Dick Vivian by Byard Duncan ’09, has appeared in GQ. Interesting stories by two of the best writers to have passed through The Ithacan's doors. Check them out.

The Ithacan Is Moving!

The Ithacan’s May 2 issue, the last of the Spring 2013 semester, was also the last one that will be produced in Park 269. It's the end of one era and the beginning of another as The Ithacan prepares to move from its long-established home to a new state-of-the-art newsroom space. 

 In recognition of the paper’s accomplishments and its overall role in journalism education in the Park School, Dean Diane Gayeski is moving The Ithacan to Park 220 (you know, the room with all those windows) and the room next door (219). We're tearing down the wall between them to create an open, digital-first environment.

And it’s going to be more than just The Ithacan office: Designed by Syracuse architects King and King, the new space will provide opportunities for converged media coverage with “Newswatch” and other Park student media. There will be a camera and space dedicated for TV stand-ups, a sound booth and other features designed to encourage collaboration between The Ithacan, ICTV and the two radio stations. 

Out with the old: Park 269

Alumni from more than two decades will never forget those long Wednesday nights in Park 269. Some will remember it for the excitement, the camaraderie, thrill of getting the paper done. Others will remember an airless, windowless room with florescent lights, oppressive heat and too many chairs. It was both, of course, and so much more.

And in with the new: construction as of Monday

On to the Next Phase

As another academic year ends, our new alumni are finding their way in the world.

Molly Apfelroth (Year in Review design editor, 2013) has accepted an internship at the Cohn and Wolfe Global Communications and Public Relations Agency in New York.

Kari Beal

Kari Beal (Multimedia editor, Fall 2012) has been hired as an online and video associate producer at the Los Angeles Times.

December 2012 grad Lara Bonner (chief proofreader, 2010–11; managing editor, spring–fall 2012) has been hired as an editorial/layout assistant at IBISWorld in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Kacey Deamer with Professor
Mead Loop

Kacey Deamer (online news editor 2012–13) is entering the master’s program with a focus on climate change journalism at the University of Southern California, where she received an Annenberg Fellowship.


Shea O’Meara (Accent editor, 2011–12; Opinion editor 2012–13) has been accepted in the New York City Teaching Fellowship program and will be teaching in a New York City high school while pursuing a master's degree. She hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. in peace and conflict resolution or public policy.

Another Class Joins the Alumni Ranks

Nicole Ogrysko and family

Commencement 2013 saw the members of the largest class in Ithaca College history take that first step from the world of education into the beginnings of their careers.
Commencement speaker David Boreanaz ’91 urged them to work hard in pursuit of their dreams.
“You have to earn it,” he said. “Earn it. No one is going to give you anything in this life. Earn it.”
Graduation is always a bittersweet moment for the students who have been deeply involved at The Ithacan. Eager as they are to move on to the next stage of their lives, working with each other week in and week out for four years, they form bonds not easily replaced. It’s no wonder so many of them maintain those connections throughout their lives.

Michelle Boulé

Danielle D’Avanzo

One thing I tell each year’s incoming editorial board is how important it is to recognize and take advantage of the opportunity before them: It may be a very long time, if ever, before they will have so much control over a publication as important to its community as The Ithacan is to Ithaca College. There is no substitute for that kind of experience. Now the time has come to take the lessons they learned here and, quite literally, make the world a better place.

Graham Hebel

Ithacan students who stayed involved with the paper through their senior year include Molly Apfelroth, Nathan Bickell, Michelle Boulé, Andrew Casper, Alexa d’Angelo, Danielle D’Avanzo, Kacey Deamer, Jared Dionne, Gerald Doherty, Alexandra Evans, Kelsey Fowler, Graham Hebel, Qina Liu, Taylor Long, Kelsey O’Connor, Shea O’Meara, Nicole Ogrysko, Rachel Orlow and Shawn Steiner. They leave well-prepared for the challenges ahead of them.

Kerry Tkacik and her
mother Mary