DePaul Students Receive Inaugural Catholic Press Association Awards

DePaul University students were recognized by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada (CPA) for their work in writing, visual arts and multimedia in the first Student Awards Program of the association. All of the award winning entries were published in The DePaulia, and the university swept two award categories, Online Media and Writing.

The winners were announced at the annual Catholic Media Conference in St. Louis on June 3.

“The work of these young communication professionals shows that the time-honored ethics and standards of good journalism are being taught in our Catholic universities today,” said CPA President Matt Schiller, business manager for Catholic New York newspaper, in announcing the winners. “We are proud of their accomplishment and delighted to spotlight their good work and the universities that are helping them become the next generation of journalists and communication professionals.”

The award winners and judges’ comments are as follows:

Catholicism
Second Place (Tie)
“Pope Francis addresses political and spiritual issues in D.C.” by Brenden Moore, ’17. Judges’ comments: “Author seamlessly integrates Pope Francis’ remarks with comments from pilgrims. Nice work.”

“Millennials embrace Pope Francis” by Megan Deppen, ’16 Judges’ comments: “Author shows a command of the English language, integrating a variety of voices in a seamless article.”

Graphic Art or Photograph (Single)
First Place
“Laquan McDonald remembered at prayer vigil Monday” by Geoff Stellfox, ’16. Judges’ comments: “Photograph captures strong emotional moment revolving around a national issue. Signage in background gives necessary context.”

Third Place
“DePaul’s bench mob celebrates a basket” by Josh Leff, ’18. Judges’ comments: “Dramatic photo with crisp emotion.”

Online Multimedia
First Place
“Adjunct Agony: Uncertainty for part-time professors at DePaul” by Emily Brosious, ’15, Matt Koske, ‘17 and Julian Hayda, ’15. Judges’ comments: “A compelling story that should interest students as they learn and as they prepare for career. The graphic effectively plotted the rise in the number of adjunct professors, the text told the full story and the video added emotion and expression to the whole story. The interviews that made up the videos were very well produced. The voices were clear, the locations held the viewers interest and the views expressed were elaborated on in the text. A very good example of informed and research investigative journalism.”

Second Place
“More than a decade of drought: An oral history of the 2003-04 Blue Demons” by Matthew Paras, ‘16 and Kirsten Onsgard, ‘16. Judges’ comments: “Through a combination of audio clips, a video interview, a timeline and still photos this item offers a very detailed review of DePaul’s last team to make it the NCAA basketball tournament. Interesting quotes from the coach are the heart of this material and drive the story forward. This is a rewarding piece for fans of college basketball.”

Third Place
“The reality of crime: Theft highest among crimes reported at DePaul” by Courtney Jacquin, ‘15. Judges’ comments: “A relevant story for both students and their parents. The thefts on campus are alarming and this story shows them through a striking graphic and a useful interactive map showing the crime locations. The text of the story details the injuries and violation experienced by the victims of the crimes. By focusing on a particular student the story has a personal connection. Good portraits add visual appeal and make the design of the news page flow.”

Honorable Mention
“‘I was raped:’ A DePaul student’s rape and the university’s code of conduct” by Rachel Hinton, ‘17 and Shelley Mesch, ‘16. Judges’ comments: “A fact-filled article that describes how students are demanding that a rise in on campus sexual violence be dealt with at this university. This is news reporting done well. The external links bring supporting materials to the reader. The photos show the concern of the student demonstrators. The facts are detailed and explained.”

Writing
First Place
“DePaul, other universities make strides, still struggle to fight sexual assault” by Courtney Jacquin, ‘15. Judges’ comments: “This article is well organized, an interesting lead, data packed. The author used clear and concise information, backing it up with solid sources. Well done.”

Second Place (Tie)
“The right to joke: Which topics can satirists tackle after Charlie Hebdo?” by Emily Brandenstein, ‘16. Judges’ comments: “Immediately, I am drawn in by a great lead. This well balanced use of facts and history addresses a timely and important issue and reveals new information that a reader may not have thought of — the mark of a good writer! I also appreciate the way the lead is brought back at the end. Very well done.”

“‘The year it all fell apart’: A DePaul student’s journey to find housing” by Jessica Villagomez, ‘17. Judges’ comments: “This article is off to a great start right from the beginning. Compelling lead brings the reader along for the ride. The author chose excellent sources to back up her main point. I find very little to critique in this article. Overall a very impressive read.”

Third Place
“In 30th DePaul season, Doug Bruno still has goals to reach” by Ben Gartland, ‘17. Judges’ comments: “Well structured article full of sound information, compelling quotes and all around good writing. It is concise in length and presents a good balance of news and human interest. It is very well done.”

Honorable Mentions
“Composing the future: The journeys of three School of Music students as they prepare for graduation” by Kirsten Onsgard, ‘16. Judges’ comments: “This is a very well written human interest piece. It is well organized and keeps the readers attention throughout the entire article. It is a diverse trilogy of students, each with a different story to tell. Excellent.”

“Ty Corbin’s last stand” by Matthew Paras, ‘16. Judges’ comments: “Right away I am drawn in by the lead. It is interesting and captivating. This article is competently written by someone who has educated himself well and is obviously interested in his topic. It was easy to stay involved from beginning to end. Well done.”

The Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada serves the professional development and spiritual growth of its members. Its 225 member publications have a combined print circulation of approximately 10 million subscribers, with many more accessing content through digital channels.