The New Jersey Press Foundation congratulations winners of the 2007 Better College Newspaper Contest.
The the students listed below will be honored at the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association's Spring Conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m, Thursday, April 10, 2008, at the Trenton Marriott Hotel. The judges' comments on the entries will be distributed at the conference.
Students and faculty members must register for the luncheon before April 1. The cost is $15 per person; however, there is no charge for first-place award recipients who will be the guests of NJPF.
The keynote speaker for the luncheon is Rich Jaroslovsky, a Bloomberg News executive and nationally recognized expert on how newspapers of the future will be delivered electronically. He was the founding president of the Online News Association and was the first managing editor of the Wall Street Journal's online edition.
Sixteen college newspapers submitted 261 entries in January 2008. The contest was judged in February and March by active or former editors, writers and photographers from newspapers that are members of the New Jersey Press Association.
Our warmest congratulations to all of the winners! We thank all of those who entered the competition.
Students and faculty advisers are urged to notify NJPF of any misspellings of names. E-mail us at foundationprograms@njpa.org .
CONTEST RESULTS
FOUR YEAR COLLEGES
News Writing
25 Entries
First Place: Mike Caputo, The Rider News, Rider
University
Second Place: Olivia Tattory, The Rider News, Rider University
Third Place: Steven Williamson, The Daiy Targum, Rutgers University
Honorable Mentions: Jeff Frankel, The Rider News, Rider University; Andrew
Medeiros, The Setonian, Seton Hall University; Joseph Hannan and James Queally,
The Signal, The College of New Jersey; Stacy Jones, The Whit, Rowan University
Feature Writing
27 Entries
First Place: Jess Decina, The Rider News, Rider
University
Second Place: Michael Duquette, The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Third Place: Alicia Feghhi, The Montclarion, Montclair State University
Honorable Mention: Laura Montkowitz, The Rider News, Rider University
Opinion Writing
22 Entries
First Place: Larissa Klein, The Daily Targum, Rutgers University
Second Place: Miruna Seitan, Equinox, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Third Place: Leo Rommel, The Rider News, Rider University
Honorable Mentions: Vanessa Cubillo, The Gothic Times, New Jersey City University; Jonathan Guito, The Whit, Rowan University
Sports Writing
16 Entries
First Place: Paul Mullin, The Rider News, Rider
University
Second Place: Charles White, The Equinox, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Third Place: Leo Rommel, The Rider News, Rider University
Honorable Mentions: Giuseppe Barone, The Setonian, Seton Hall University;
Brett Hertell, The Setonain, Seton Hall University
Arts and
Entertainment/Critical Writing
23 Entries
First Place: Jess Decina, The Rider News, Rider University
Second Place: Michael Duquette, The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Third Place: Nicole Capatasto, The Daily Targum, Rutgers University
Honorable Mentions: Vincenzo Capone, The Gothic Times, New Jersey City University; Kamala Lane, The Whit, Rowan University
Enterprise/Investigative
Reporting
16 Entries
First Place: Matthew Fair, The Signal, The College of New
Jersey
Second Place: Rachel Misenko, The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Third Place: Kayleigh Horvath, The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Honorable Mention: Steven Williamson, The Daily Targum, Rutgers
University
Photography
12 Entries
First Place: Justina Villanueva, The Montclarion,
Montclair State University
Second Place: Cristina Villaflor, The Gothic Times, New Jersey City
University
Third Place: Dan Bracaglia, The Daily Targum, Rutgers University
Honorable Mention: Rob Hoffman, The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Layout and Design
8 Entries
First Place: The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Second Place: The Rider News, Rider University
Third Place: The Montclarion, Montclair State University
Honorable Mention: The Whit, Rowan University
General Excellence
8 Entries
First Place: The Signal, The College of New Jersey
Second Place: The Setonian, Seton Hall University
Third Place: The Daily Targum, Rutgers University
Honorable Mention: The Whit, Rowan University
Sweepstakes Trophy
To be announced at the awards luncheon on April 10
CONTEST RESULTS
TWO YEAR COLLEGES
News Writing
17 Entries
First Place: Suzanne Penna, Viking News, Ocean County College
Second Place: Diego M. Ortiz, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Third Place: Michelisa Lanche, The Torch, Bergen Community College
Honorable Mentions: Amanda Ferrante, The Torch, Bergen Community College;
Nolan Bohorquez, The Youngtown Edition, County College of Morris
Feature Writing
15 Entries
First Place: Shawn Aiken, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Second Place: Melanie Hooper, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Third Place: Michelle Adams, Viking News, Ocean County College
Honorable Mention: Keith Allen and Greg Gaughan, Campus Press, Camden County
College
Opinion Writing
15 Entries
First Place: Michelisa Lanche, The Torch, Bergen Community College
Second Place: Dan Cassidy and the Editorial Board, Viking News, Ocean County College
Third Place: C.J. Moore, Campus Press, Camden County College
Honorable Mentions: Lonnie Affrime, Campus Press, Canden County College; David Nugent, Viking News, Ocean County College
Sports Writing
10 Entries
First Place: Brendan Kuty, The Youngtown Edition,
County College of Morris
Second Place: Sam Constantino, Viking News, Ocean County College
Third Place: Justin Shelby, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Arts and
Entertainment/Critical Writing
15 Entries
First Place: Amanda Ferrante, The Torch, Bergen Community College
Second Place: Kelly Lackner, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Third Place: Kristina Mondo, Viking News, Ocean County College
Honorable Mention: Laura Hogan, Campus Press, Camden County College
Enterprise/Investigative
Reporting
9 Entries
First Place: Shawn Aiken, The Youngtown Edition,
County College of Morris
Second Place: Jessica Hyndman, Campus Press, Camden County College
Third Place: Christine Chow, Quo Vadis, Middlesex County College
Honorable Mention: Suzanne Penna, Viking News, Ocean County College
Photography
12 Entries
First Place: Mike Mullen, Viking News, Ocean County
College
Second Place: Diego M. Ortiz, The Youngtown Edition, County College of
Morris
Third Place: Desiree Lara, The Voice, Cumberland County College
Layout and Design
6 Entries
First Place: Campus Press, Camden County College
Second Place: The Torch, Bergen Community College
Third Place: The Youngtown Edition, County College of Morris
General Excellence
6 Entries
First Place: The Torch, Bergen Community College
Second Place: The Voice, Cumberland County College
Third Place: The Youngtown Edition, County College of Morris
Honorable Mention: Quo Vadis, Middlesex County College
Sweepstakes Trophy
To be announced at the awards luncheon on April 10
CONTEST JUDGES
News Writing – Scott Muller, news editor, Herald
News, West Paterson; Jay Langley, editor, and Sallie Graziano, copyeditor,
Hunterdon County Democrat, Flemington
Feature Writing –Mark Rosman, managing editor, Greater Media Newspapers,
Freehold; Kit Cone, former editor and publisher, The West Essex Tribune,
Livingston
Opinion Writing – Jay Langley, editor, and Rick Epstein, managing editor,
Hunterdon County Democrat, Flemington; Larry Benjamin, editorial writer, Asbury
Park Press, Neptune
Sports Writing – Ray Ollwerther, former executive editor, Asbury Park Press
and Home News Tribune
Arts & Entertainment Writing – Kit Cone, former editor and publisher, The
West Essex Tribune, Livingston; Peter Callas, managing editor, and Nora O'Dowd,
features editor, The Times of
Trenton
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Clyde Leib, former managing editor, The
Trentonian
Photography – Glenn Garvie, vice president-production, North Jersey Media
Group, West Paterson; Jaimie Winters, editor, South Bergenite, Rutherford
Layout and Design – Randy Bergmann, editorial page editor, Asbury Park
Press, Neptune
General Excellence – James Flachsenhaar, executive editor, Daily Record,
Parsippany
SPECIAL NOTE: The contest judges were given the option of awarding ties and one or more honorable mentions, as well as to withhold awarding prizes. All decisions are based on their judgment of the quality of the entries.
