Colonnades, Elon News Network and Phi Psi Cli collect 11 first-place awards, as well as three Best of Shows, at the annual North Carolina College Media Association gathering hosted on Feb. 26.
For the first time in two years the North Carolina College Media Association hosted its annual conference and awards program in person, gathering student media organizations from across the state to educate, inspire and celebrate the students’ accomplishments.
At the Feb. 26 conference, hosted at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, Colonnades Literary and Art Journal, Elon News Network and Phi Psi Cli yearbook were recognized in 17 different categories and collected 11 first-place awards. Additionally, Colonnades, ENN and The Pendulum were honored with Best of Show awards.
The awards contest included hundreds of entries from more than 20 college media outlets from across the state. A list of Elon winners can be found at the bottom of the release.
Nyah Phengsitthy ’23, a communication design and media analytics double major, paced Elon’s student winners, collecting four first-place awards. The Odyssey Scholar won the contest’s Feature Writing, News Writing, Illustration/Graphic and Single- or Two-Page Design categories. Phengsitthy serves as the managing editor of The Pendulum, ENN’s newspaper.
To adhere to COVID-19 protocols on UNC’s campus, four representatives were invited from each university. Elon’s student representatives included Kathryn Williams ’22, Phi Psi Cli editor-in-chief, Kyra O’Connor ’23, ENN executive director, and Avery Sloan ’25, ENN politics editor. Tommy Kopetskie, Phi Psi Cli’s adviser, also attended the conference.
Newspaper—Small School
Best of Show – Newspaper
The Pendulum – Issues from Feb. 17, 2021, and Sept. 8, 2021
Best of Show – Online
Elon News Network – www.elonnewsnetwork.com
Digital Storytelling
First place: Courtney Weiner, Abby Gibbs, Samantha Casamento and Amanda Gibson – “Under their wings”
Honorable Mention: Mackenzie Wilkes – “A Taxing Divide”
Feature Writing
First place: Nyah Phengsitthy – “Elon University’s growing campus brings adaptability concerns for students with physical disabilities”
Second place: Kyra O’Connor – “Explaining impostor syndrome”
Illustration/Graphic
First place: Nyah Phengsitthy – “How we’ve changed in four years”
Third place: Caroline Bunder – “Australians have ended mass killings, so why can’t Americans?”
News Writing
First place: Nyah Phengsitthy – “Without a trace”
Second place: Mackenzie Wilkes – “Addressing chemicals in the Haw River”
Opinion Writing
First place: Shannon Segnious – “Did your activism help or hinder the fight for justice?”
Third place: Alysha Camm – “Australians have ended mass killings, so why can’t Americans?”
Photography
First place: Luke Johnson – “Pro-choice protesters”
Third place: Clare Grant – “Men’s basketball”
Single- or Two-Page Design
First place: Nyah Phengsitthy and Clare Grant – “Commencement edition cover”
Second place: Ted Thomas – “Top 10 articles of the year”
Sports Writing
First place: Caitlin Rundle – “Changing the game: name, image, likeness”
Literary Magazine
Best of Show
Colonnades
Fiction
First place: Christy Dickman – “Bug and Postcard”
Second place: Eliza Sanders – “The Thing About Nothing”
Nonfiction
First place: Laura Braley – “Cape Cod Story”
Second place: Olivia Parker – “The Weight of Life”
Yearbook
Student Life Copy
Third place: Kyra O’Connor – “Happy Retirement, Don Grady!”
Honorable mention: Emery Eisner – “Queer Life on Campus”
Sports Copy
Third place: Kathryn Williams – “A Year Like None Other”
Honorable mention: Jacob Kisamore – “Club Sports: COVID Edition”
Photography
First place: Willem Butler – “Candace Rhodes”
Honorable mention: Simeon Phillips – “Follow the Brick Road”
Inside Spread Design
Second place: Kathryn Williams – “Follow the Brick Road”
Honorable mention: Rachel Cifarelli – “Say Their Names”