Both the print Daily Wildcat and the online dailywildcat.com have been named finalists for the prestigious Pacemaker award to be announced at the national college media convention in Orlando this fall. The winner will be picked from 10 finalists. The Pacemaker, presented by the Associated Collegiate Press, recognizes outstanding achievement in college media.

The Wildcat was last named a finalist for both print and online editions in 2007 (though ultimately not a winner in either). The only time the Wildcat swept into the winner’s circle for both awards was in 1998.

“GUTSIEST” COLLEGE PAPER

You’ve got to like this random award for the Wildcat – named one of the 5 “gutsiest” college papers in the country by Mother Jones magazine in its September issue.

9/11 COMMEMORATIVE WRAP GETS KUDOS

Like most news outlets, the Daily Wildcat issued a commemorative edition for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. The Wildcat’s project was in the form of a 4-page “wrap” around the regular Friday, Sept. 9 edition.  The commemorative cover was high-fived around the country for its simplicity and elegance and was picked up on many design and news sites. Here’s a look at it from Charles Apple’s blog at copydesk.org.

I am writing to let you know of a new gift the Wildcat has received. This is a commitment of $50,000 from alumnus Chris Halligan ’89, who was a Wildcat sports writer.  Chris has indicated he wants to support student initiatives, development and training in all areas in the Wildcat workplace.

Chris has also issued a challenge for other alumni and friends to match his gift over the next five years with a goal of $10,000 each year.  In the months ahead we will organize a fund drive to help meet and track this challenge, and we hope you will be able to participate.  If you would like to begin now by donating, please visit our “How to Donate” page.

As the college media landscape evolves, the Wildcat has responded by widening its digital footprint, creating new advertising platforms, and adapting to shifting readership habits. The need to provide our student workforce with the training and tools to meet these challenges will take the support of all of you who value the Daily Wildcat experience and independent campus journalism.

Our thanks to Chris Halligan—a successful technology entrepreneur who was inducted into the Daily Wildcat Alumni Hall of Fame this past March—for initiating this challenge.  “Do good things,” he wrote when making his gift.  With your help, we will.

Mark Woodhams
Director, Arizona Student Media
and Adviser, Arizona Daily Wildcat

The winners are:

• 1st place multi media sports reporting – Colin Darland/Lance Madden
• 1st place editorial writing – Heather Price-Wright
• 1st place news photography—Mike Christy
• 1st place sports column writing – Kevin Zimmerman
• 1st place general column writing – Kristina Bui
• 2nd place news photography – Lisa Beth Earle
• 3rd place best all around college daily – Arizona Daily Wildcat

In other competition this spring, the Daily Wildcat won “best of show” at the Associated Collegiate Press’ national newspaper convention in February, and the dailywildcat.com was named a Pacemaker finalist, also by the ACP.

Winning the signature advertising award – The George Morley Award for Achievement – was Jasmin Bell, a 3-year veteran of our classifieds advertising office.  The Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity, the newsroom’s major honor, was won by Heather Price-Wright, another multi-year veteran who served as opinions editor and copy chief.

A number of graduating seniors were honored for their service to the paper with a Daily Wildcat Alumni Award. On hand to present these awards on behalf of all Wildcat alumni were former EIC Alex Dalenberg and former photo editor Lisa Beth Earle. Winners are (including major positions held):

• Jessica Leftault, Design Chief, Managing Editor
• Mike Christy, Photographer, Photo Editor
• Bethany Barnes, Reporter, Asst News Editor
• Tim Kosch, Sports Editor
• Ken Contrata, Copy Chief, Managing Editor
• Heather Price-Wright, Opinions Editor, Copy Chief
•  Bryan Roy, Online Editor, Sports Writer
•  Brandon Specktor, Arts Editor
•  Christine Bryant, Graphic Designer
•  Sarah Dalton, Sales Coordinator, Advertising Rep
• Grego Moore, Advertising Rep
•  Daniela Saylor, Advertising Rep
•  Jasmin Bell, Classified Advertising

Sarkissian, who now reports for the Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, won first place for both investigative reporting and spot news photography from the Georgia Press Association this spring when he was at the Savannah Morning News.

2011 members of Wildcat Hall of Fame

More than 150 Daily Wildcat alumni and friends gathered at the University Marriott in Tucson on March 26 to induct 13 alumni into the paper’s Hall of Fame and recognize the achievements of 10 young alumni.

It was the 5th induction of a Hall of Fame class and the second ceremony honoring young alumni achievers. The event featured a reception, dinner and presentation program. Jeffrey L. Sklar, editor in chief of the Wildcat in 2002 and 2003, assisted in presenting the young alumni awards. James W. Johnson, professor emeritus of journalism and a member of the Hall of Fame’s 2003 class, introduced the newest Hall of Famers.

Eight decades of Wildcat alumni and staff were represented, from the 1940s to 2010s, demonstrating again the Wildcat’s powerful legacy and impact.

Click here for a pdf of the Hall of Fame program.

Click here for a selection of photos from the dinner and reunion.

From marketing and PR pros to awarding winning journalists to an Iraqi war veteran and author, the 2011 Daily Wildcat Young Alumni Award winners represent high achieving accomplishments. They will be honored at the Wildcat Alumni Hall of Fame banquet and reunion on March 26 in Tucson.

Read more about this year’s young alumni winners. They are:

• Michael Barber, a digital marketing strategist who was a Wildcat account exec
• Dave Cieslak, founder of Scutari and Cieslak PR (and former daily newspaper reporter)  who was Wildcat editor in chief
• Jennifer Duffy, PR manager for the Loews golf resorts in Tucson and Las Vegas who was a Wildcat managing editor
• Ryan Gabrielson, a 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner who was a reporter on the Wildcat
• Djamila Grossman, photographer for the Salt Lake City Tribune and a Wildcat reporter and photographer
• Luke Larson, a Marine veteran of 2 tours in Iraq and author of “The Senator’s Son” who was Wildcat sales manager
• Nate Olivarez-Giles, a reporter with the LA Times and a Wildcat reporter and photo editor
• Nicole Santa Cruz, also a reporter for the LA Times and Wildcat editor in chief
• Daniel Scarpinato, communications director for the Arizona legislature (majority) and a Wildcat editor in chief
• Maxx Wolfson, field editor for Getty Images and a Wildcat sports editor

The Daily Wildcat Young Alumni Award was established in 2008 to recognize outstanding young alumni who have been out of school within the past 10 years. It is presented every two to three years in conjunction with the Daily Wildcat Hall of Fame.

The 2011 Hall of Fame nominees, announced earlier, can be found here.

Former Wildcat editors in chief Joe Cole, Bob Crawford, Gordon Evans and Tom Dau stand with current EIC Colin Darland in the Wildcat newsroom.

A group of about 20 journalism alumni, many celebrating their 50^th (or thereabouts) class reunion, dropped by the Wildcat newsroom on Homecoming day Oct. 23. These alums all worked on the Wildcat, the Desert yearbook or Kitty Kat humor magazine when they were in school. They toured the Wildcat offices and met with editor in chief Colin Darland, sports editor Tim Kosch and news editor Michelle Monroe.

Among the alumni who attended were Jon Alquist, Betsy Bolding, Joe and Marianne Cole, Bob and Jo Anne Crawford, Rosalie Robles Crow, Tom Dau, Gordon Evans, Vincent Flynn and Sydney Wade Flynn, Bob Goldfarb, Jan Harelson, Jim Johnson, Mary Alice Kellogg, Shirley Kirts Link, Dick Moe and Jim and Odetta Price.

Kate Gardiner & Christine (Verges) Gacharna

Read about a new Gardiner/Gacharna photography venture on our Alumni Update page.  Have an update, photo or weblink you want to share? Email us!