Here’s the big deal:
In the Best of the South contest Samford students won 11 honors.
Ninth place in best special event reporter: Chelsea Pennington
Eighth in best graphic news designer: Sarah Norville
Eighth in news-editorial artist/illustrator: Zach Brown
Eighth in best newspaper: Samford Crimson
Sixth in best arts/entertainment writer: Matt Harrison
Sixth in best video news program: Samford News Network
Fourth in best magazine: Exodus
Third in best news writer: Sydney Cromwell
Third in best op/ed writer: Evan Elmore
Second in best TV feature news reporter: Ally Reece
Winner, best journalism research paper: Lauren Cherry
That’s against students from 51 other member schools. We are very proud of the hard work the students put in, and the recognition they are receiving from industry professionals. We’re doing something right and so are the students.
Anyway, there is a lot more from the conference on my Twitter feed. I’ve been live-tweeting the excellent panels, a panel session on a case study of the 2012 Mickey Shunick murder in Lafayette, La. and a panel on the “neglected health beat.”
Last night I judged contestants in the onsite sports photography contest. One of our writers, Clayton Hurdle, the Crimson’s sports editor and the guy in the center above, took part in the sports writing contest. Zach Brown the Crimson’s editor in chief and Sydney Cromwell, the news editor, took part in contests today. The winners of those will be announced tomorrow.
The food at the conference has been amazing, by the way. At our buffet dinner tonight we had crawfish étouffée with steamed white rice, beef stroganoff, tossed salad, corn maque choux, steamed broccoli. At lunch today we had what we were told were the best po’ boys for miles around.
Here’s the daytime view from my room on the 14th floor:
And looking the other way up the Vermilion River.
Here’s my view at sunset.
From the parts that I was fortunate to see the host school, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette has a lovely campus. One more half-day of conference tomorrow, and then we head back home. And more pictures to come, at some point.
And now I’m going to go try another midnight 5K.
I do not know what is happening.
