Ithacan Wins CSPA Gold Crown and Apple Award

From left, Assistant News Editor Natalie Shanklin, Online News Editor
Max Denning, Editor-in-Chief Jack Curran, Photo Editor Corey Hess,
Assistant Sports Editor Jon Beck and Assistant News Editor Aidan
 Quinn accepted theCSPA Gold Crown Award in New York City.

 The Ithacan was presented with a Gold Crown award by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at the spring National College Media Convention on March 13 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in New York City. The Gold Crown awards are the highest honors presented by CSPA.

 The award was in the “hybrid” category, described as “a publication that works to combine their digital and print publications as one.” The award was for work produced during the 2013–14 academic year (Megan Devlin ’14, editor-in-chief).

 The judges’ commented that, “It’s so easy to find ‘must read’ stories in every issue of The Ithacan. The paper excels at campus news reporting on relevant topics. Substantive research and strong interviewing skills are evident throughout The Ithacan. Facts, stats, surveys, and infographics expand the coverage. Editorial leadership is evident on the ‘Opinion’ page. The tag line ‘at your fingertips’ introduces a reader-friendly digital site with diversified coverage on serious topics, such as racial inequality. The website has engaging bloggers who comment on everything from the minutiae of everyday college life to anthropomorphic advertising. Diversity is the key to The Ithacan’s success.”

 The Ithacan was one of only four newspapers in the country to win the Gold Crown in the “hybrid” category. The others were the Indiana Daily Student (Indiana University), The Iowa State Daily (Iowa State University) and the Rocky Mountain Collegian (Colorado State University).

From left, Hess, Quigley, Denning,
Beck and Shanklin with the latest
Apple in The Ithacan’s orchard.

 In addition, The Ithacan took the First Place Apple Award for Best Tweet and Third Place for Best Homepage in the convention’s on-site Best of Show awards at the March 14 closing session.

Founded in 1925, the CSPA is owned by Columbia University and operated as a program affiliated with its Graduate School of Journalism. The Crown Awards, first presented in 1982, are the organization's highest recognition of overall excellence.

Ithacan Ranked Gold Medalist in Annual CSPA Newspaper Critique

The Ithacan has been named a Gold Medalist for the 2013–14 academic year in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual college newspaper critique.

Among the judge’s comments, “Congratulations on publishing an outstanding print and digital newspaper and your Gold Medalist and All Columbian honors. You entertain, inform, practice enterprise journalism and serve as a student forum, all in an exceptional manner.”

Each year the CSPA evaluates member papers on overall content, news, depth reporting, features, opinion/editorial, sports, arts/entertainment, editing/headline writing, and design/graphics based on more than 150 specific criteria. This year the paper scored 963 on the critique’s 1,000-point scale. The CSPA consistently ranks The Ithacan as a Gold Medalist, its highest category. All Columbian Honors are given within a scorebook section when the sectional total reaches 95% or more of the possible points.

Ithacan Students Honored for Individual Work

Jennifer Williams, “Here Comes the Sun”

Five Ithacan students have been honored with 2014 Gold Circle Awards in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual competition honoring work by individuals in collegiate publications. The 2014 awards are for work produced during the 2013–14 academic year.  The individuals honored were:

• Jennifer Williams ’16, Second Place for Single Feature Photograph for “Here Comes the Sun” (The Ithacan, April 3, 2014)
• Gillian Nigro ’14, Certificate of Merit for News Writing for “Who's Your Daddy?” (The Ithacan, April 17, 2014)
• Jackie Eisenberg ’14, Certificate of Merit for General Feature Story for “Break Out” (The Ithacan, March 20, 2014)
• Corey Hess ’16, Certificate of Merit for Single Sports Photograph for “Who’s on First?” (The Ithacan, April 24, 2014)
• Durst Breneiser ’15, Certificate of Merit for Single Sports Photograph for ”Raising the Bar” (The Ithacan, December 12, 2013)

The 2014 competition attracted 11,407 entries.

Corey Hess, “Who’s on First?’

Durst Breneiser, “Raising the Bar”

Lauren DeCicca Shortlisted for “30 Under 30”

Lauren DeCicca ’11 made the 2015 shortlist of in the “30 Under 30” an annual ranking honoring talented young photographers under the age of 30. The competition is sponsored by IdeasTap, Magnum Photos and The Photography Show. Her work was featured in a September 2014 interview in The Ithacan.

Kevin McCall ’12 is Assistant SID at Marist

Former sports editor Kevin McCall ’12 is an assistant sports information director at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He has overseen publicity for seven of the Division I institution’s 23 varsity sports teams and created content for the Marist Athletics website since he began the position in September. Kevin had been interning in the New York Mets media relations department. 

Compelling Work from Aaron Edwards

In addition to producing digital news, Aaron Edwards ’12 has been busy reminding us what a talented writer and journalist he is. In December, his piece “Diversity: Don’t Talk About It, Be About It” was featured as part of the “Predictions for Journalism 2015” series on the Nieman Foundation’s NiemanLab site. And now “My Grandfather Rests on a Hill That Leads to Heaven” — his moving account of attending his grandfather’s funeral in Jamaica — has appeared on BuzzFeed. Check them out!

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. 

Thank You, Twitter

Twitter certainly picked an interesting place to cut off the subject line when I shared that last post.

NewsPro Ranks Ithaca College Journalism Program #11 in Country

Ithaca College’s journalism department made NewsPro’s 2014 list of the top-25 journalism programs in the country, coming in at #11. You can find the complete story in their December 2014 issue, along with the Park School’s latest promotional ad.

The Fall Conference in Philly

Four current students attended this fall’s National College Media Convention Oct. 29–Nov. 2 in at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia. Managing editor Kira Maddox, assistant news editor Taylor Zambrano, assistant sports editor Kristen Gowdy and design editor Grace Clauss attended three days of workshops run by journalism professionals and college newspaper advisers. Kira also co-moderated a discussion session on diversity in the newsroom, and I presented a session titled, “Philosophy for Journalists: Journalism and the Problem of Suffering.”

Chris Baxter ’08 presents at the conference.

In addition, alumnus Chris Baxter ’08, currently a reporter with the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger,  presented two conference sessions which were scheduled as the result of his having been a recipient of the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists for 2013, sponsored by the University of Michigan, in the Excellence in Local Reporting category for his story, “Private Schools, Hidden Riches,” which investigated spending practices at New Jersey private schools for students with disabilities.
The Ithacan was presented with Finalist Awards in the National Newspaper Pacemaker and National Online Pacemaker competitions. The Pacemaker is widely regarded as “the Pulitzer Prize” of collegiate journalism.” In addition, the paper won 7th place in the conference’s on-site Best of Show competition in the newspaper category and 8th place in the website category.

From left, Taylor Zambrano, Kira Maddox, Kristen Gowdy
and Grace Clauss with the Ithacan’s Pacemaker Finalist
Awards.

The high point of the trip, apart from the cheesesteaks, was getting together with our Philadelphia alumni. We’ve built up a small concentration of alums there, so we got them together with the students attending the conference. Most of them were able to make it to dinner at Smokin’ Betty’s for an evening of good food and good conversation.

Clockwise from left, design editor Grace Clauss, Tricia Nadolny ’09, assistant
 news editor Taylor Zambrano, Josh Mellman ’09, Cory Francer ’10, Michelle
 Skowronek Horner ’11, assistant sports editor Kristen Gowdy, Noria
 Litaker ’06, Chris Baxter ’08 and managing editor Kira Maddox.

Alumni Weekend 2014

This year’s Alumni Weekend celebration wasn’t quite on the scale of 2013, when we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Ithaca College’s communications school, but it still provided an opportunity see get together with some old friends and for current students and alumni to interact. Several visitors dropped by the office, and we had a chance to join a few of them for dinner at the ever-popular Viva. 

From left, former editor-in-chief Erin Geismar ’09, former
editor-in-chief Erica Hendry ’09, former photo editor Max
Steinmetz ’08, and current news editor Kayla Dwyer ’17. Erin
is currently Long Island editor for Newsday.com, Erica is
a digital producer for NPR in Washington, D.C., and Max is
completing his M.F.A. thesis in creative and professional
 writing at Western Connecticut State.

From left, former editor-in-chief Libby Sile ’11, current
editor-in-chief Jack Curran ’15 and current news editor
Kayla Dwyer ’17 at the Big Desk in the Ithacan office.
Libby is currently an associate editor with Departures
Magazine at Time Inc.

Tricia Nadolny Talks to the News Staff

Former Ithacan news editor Tricia Nadolny ’09, now a city hall reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, skyped in on October 5 to give our staff advice about how to pursue a career in journalism. She offered useful suggestions on how to build a portfolio of work, pursue internships and work toward professional success. Her own career can serve as a worthy model for students just starting out.

That’s PROFESSOR Delaney to You

Former sports editor Brian Delaney ’04, now a lecturer in our journalism department, collaborated with Professor Anthony Adornato to present a Saturday morning workshop on interviewing skills for our campus chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists on Sept. 27. He did a great job — he’s a natural in front of a classroom. Or he may just have been in a good mood because he’d recently gotten married.

He Has The Ithacan in His Blood

Laura Bauman Shalem ’06 with son Isaiah
and husband Avi in the Ithacan office.

Young Isaiah Shalem dropped by the Ithacan office, perhaps to make plans for his future career. His mother, former Ithacan sales manager Laura Bauman Shalem ’06, still holds the record for advertising sales. With that background, he’s bound to go far. 

It’s Ithacan Brew Fest Time!

Andy Swift ’09 and Michelle Barrie ’10

Labor Day means many things — honoring the achievements of American workers, a long weekend and the unofficial end of summer foremost among them — but for IC grads who worked at The Ithacan, it mostly means Ithacan Brew Fest. Once again our dedicated alumni made the trek upstate (or in some cases from as far as D.C.), this time to a house they rented in Trumansburg. Everyone brought a beer native to their home, so there were a lot of new experiences to be had. This year’s editor-in-chief, Jack Curran, and managing editor, Kira Maddox, joined us and met their glorious predecessors. This is a tradition that seems to have staying power.

Cory Francer ’10 and Tricia Nadolny ’09

Andrew Lovell ’08 and Max Steinmetz ’08

Jackie Palochko ’11 and
Nic Barajas ’08

And, of course, Erica Hendry ’09

“On the Cover of the Rollin’ Stone...”

One of our former students who turns up in this blog from time to time is someone who didn't actually graduate from Ithaca College — Patrick Doyle. As a student here through 2008 he was one of our best Accent writers and was the assistant section editor, in line to become Accent editor, when he decided to transfer to NYU. During the process of earning his degree there, he interned at Rolling Stone, where his was eventually hired as a writer and then promoted to associate editor. Earlier this month he published his first Rolling Stone cover story, on Willie Nelson. 

Patrick has always kept in touch with me and his Ithaca classmates, and has never made a secret of how much his Ithacan experience contributed to his development as a writer and editor. And I’ve never made a secret of how proud we are of his success. Congratulations Patrick!

Margie Obreza Chetney’s Work Honored

Margie Obreza Chetney ’99 with Michael Veley,
 director and chair of SU’s Department of Sport
Management 

Former Ithacan sports editor Margie Obreza Chetney ’99 was presented with Syracuse University’s Falk College Rising Star Award on August 21. The award goes to an employee who has worked for Falk College for less than two years and has, among other things, shows outstanding initiative, works independently but is also a strong team player, demonstrates a positive attitude and shows significant efforts and accomplishments in a short amount of time.

Sounds like the Margie I remember.


Margie works in the university’s Department of Sport Management, where she oversees all of the its communication, social media, and newsletters, while also working with sport management students and professors on a daily basis. She left the newspaper business in 2013 after spending 14 years at The Post-Standard in Syracuse as a reporter, copy editor and assistant editor. Switching its emphasis to a more digital format led to several changes at the newspaper, and Margie saw the time of transition and uncertainty as a chance to take her career in a new direction.

Margie lives in Syracuse with her husband, Matt, and their two children, Haylee, 6, and Jake, 4. Margie is also busy on the bowling lanes, winning three Syracuse city titles in May 2014.

Good Times in Our Nation’s Capital

From left, Lena Yue ’10, Erica Hendry ’09, Nate Weixel ’08,
Max Steinmetz ’09 at the alumni dinner.

It was an exciting time in Washington, D.C., last weekend, when I was able to combine my annual dinner with our Washington alumni on Aug. 7 with attending the Aug. 9 wedding of one of our best former editors-in-chief, Beth Quill ’06, and Seth Zuckerman.

The D.C. dinner is always one of my favorite parts of summer, although it has the bittersweet quality of usually being the last fun thing I do before going back to work for the fall semester. Combine it with a wedding (the 14th wedding of an Ithacan alum I’ve attended) and there's nothing bitter about it.

Senior Miles Surrey, Kate Sheppard ’06 and Caitlin Connelly
Ellsworth ’05 at the alumni dinner.

The Bride: Beth Quill ’06

Bonnie Flock Tabasco ’01 and Mike Tabasco ’00 at the dinner.

We had a great time this year, as usual. Dinner was at our favorite spot, the Old Ebbitt Grill, and it brought out the usual cast of characters, plus a few new ones. This year’s crowd included Caitlin Connelly Ellsworth ’05, Charlie Ellsworth ’04, Erica Hendry ’09, Noria Litaker ‘06, Alexandra Palombo ’11, Max Steinmetz ’09, Kate Sheppard ’06, Bonnie Flock Tabasco ’01 and Mike Tabasco ’00, Megan Tetrick ’03 and her husband Brad Hopewell, Kerry Tkacik ’13, Nate Weixel ’08 and Lena Yue ’10. Current students Deanna Romanoff and Miles Surrey were also on hand. Jill Agostino ’86 was in New York on New York Times business the night of the dinner, so Erica, Max and I had brunch with her on Sunday.

Alex Palombo, Kerry Tkacik and
Yue again!

Enjoyable though the dinner was, however, the high point of the weekend was Beth’s wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, and the word “radiant” doesn’t do her justice. The ceremony was held at the St. Thomas Apostle Church in Woodley Park, and the reception at St. Francis Hall, adjacent to one of the coolest/creepiest American monasteries I know, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America. (I love that place! I’ve visited it many times.) Nothing creepy about the reception though — just a lot of people coming together to celebrate a wonderful couple. It was also a nice chance to spend more time with people I like: Anne Walters Custer ’05, Noria Litaker ’06, Lyndsey Runaas ’06 (that’s Dr. Runaas to you) and Kate Sheppard ’06 and her husband Deen Freelon. I always tell current students that becoming involved with The Ithacan is like becoming part of a family, and it’s never more evident than at times like this.

The newly married bride and groom
come down the aisle.

Noria Litaker ’06, Kate Sheppard ’06, Lindsey Runaas ’06,
Beth Quill ’06, some goon photobombing, and Anne Walters
Custer ’06 at the wedding.

Some Summer Visitors

I had the pleasure of joining up with some alumni who returned to Ithaca to enjoy our beautiful summer weather during the past week. Former Ithacan news editor Aaron Mason ’02 came from Buffalo, former Managing Editor Jennifer Hodess Gonzalez came from Long Island and former Photo Editor Melissa Thornley Bloomrose came from Washington, D.C., along with children and friends, for a weekend visit, which prompted lunch at Viva on Saturday.

Back, from left, Ed Drantch, Aaron Mason ’02, Jennifer Hodess
 Gonzalez ’02, Melissa Thornley Bloomrose ’02 and Sarah
 Lentz ’02. Front, Isabella Gonzalez (standing), Eleanor
Bloomrose (in stroller). Henry Bloomrose was also there,
although he seems to have vanished for the photo. He was
probably off on superhero business.

Then last night another former news editor, Alex Leary ’97, who is also living in D.C., took a break from visiting family in Cortland to join me for dinner at ... where else? It was nice to see them all again. And I'm glad I got to see Melissa and Alex here, since they won't be in D.C. when I get there this weekend for my annual visit.

Alex Leary ’97