Spring 2008 – Fall 2009 News (most recent first)
Wildcat Staffers Honored at Awards Reception
Nearly 100 Daily Wildcat staff jammed the patio May 2 at Old Chicago on Campbell Avenue for the annual awards reception (once known as a banquet, but now downsized). Students enjoyed platters of appetizers and salads and pizzas while cheering on awards recipients. A dozen Daily Wildcat Alumni Awards were meted out–recognizing graduating seniors and their contributions to the paper on behalf of generations of Wildcat alumni. Staff awards were also presented for excellence in a range of fields, from reporting to sales, from photography to accounting, from design to customer service.
The winner of the 2009 George Morley Award for Achievement in Advertising and Business was Harry Lex, an account exec. Harry has been one of the paper’s top sales reps for the last two years and broke into our operation as a classified ad rep.
Lance Madden, sports writer, was honored with the 2009 Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity in Journalism. Lance has also served as sports editor and editor in chief of the Summer Wildcat.
Please welcome as new Wildcat alumni, 2009, the winners of “your” Daily Wildcat Alumni Awards:
- Lauren LePage (editor in chief)
- Ari Wasserman (sports writer, asst sports editor)
- Cody Calamaio (reporter, news editor)
- Kate Saavedra (multimedia and online editor)
- Sheldon Smith (photo editor)
- Michael Ignatov (photographer)
- Harry Lex (account exec)
- Nate Palmer (account exec, sales manager)
- Mariah Pollock (accounting assistant)
- Allison Hornick (editor in chief, managing ed)
- Noe Kaur (designer, delivery driver)
- Will Utech (classified ad rep)
Gabrielson, Giblin win Pulitzer Prize
The 2009 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting was awarded April 20 to alumni Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin for their 5-part series on Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arapaio that ran last year in the East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) The Pulitzer committee praised Gabrielson and Giblin for “their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff’s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crimes and other aspects of public safety.”
Reinesch Scholarship Winner
Kourtnei Briese, a junior marketing major, has been named the 2009 winner of the Christopher Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship. Kourtnei has been an advertising rep at the Wildcat for the last 3 semesters. The scholarship is worth $1,000.
Established in 2005 by Chris Reinesch — himself a former Wildcat ad rep — the Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship recognizes an outstanding junior or senior in the Wildcat’s advertising or business areas.
Daily Wildcat Alumni Reception Coming Up in Phoenix
Daily Wildcat alumni living in the Phoenix area will get the chance to re-connect April 30, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., at Coach and Willie’s, 412 S. Third St., Phoenix. Tom Collins (’98), Dave Cieslak (’01) and Mark Woodhams (director, Arizona Student Media) will host. The evening includes a cash bar and light hors d’ouevres.
Daily Wildcat Named Best in Region
The Arizona Daily Wildcat has won first place as “best college daily” in the Society of Professional Journalist’s Mark of Excellence awards for Region 11. The award was presented at the SPJ conference on April 4. Region 11 is particularly competitive because it includes the California schools, not to mention ASU. The Wildcat came in second place last year for this award. Reporters Lance Madden and Bryan Roy also earned first place in the SPJ competition for breaking news coverage (Lute Olson’s resignation and stroke). First place winners compete for a national Mark of Excellence award.
Two Wildcat Alums Win Polk Award
Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin were named winners Feb. 16 of a 2008 George Polk Award for their 5-part series on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio that ran in the East Valley Tribune. The series exposed Arpaio’s campaign against illegal immigrants. The Polk Award, one of journalism’s top prizes, honors a CBS reporter killed covering the Greek civil war in 1949.
NJ Press Association Awards former Wildcat reporter
Former Wildcat reporter and news editor Lisa Rich ’06 has won first place for enterprise reporting in the New Jersey Press Association’s 2008 awards contest. Lisa, who until recently reported for the Trenton Times, won for her story “Family kept in dark about death” — an investigation into unclaimed bodies in a New Jersey morgue.
Wildcat Alumni Gather in Tucson
About 150 Daily Wildcat alumni and guests turned out Nov. 8 to induct a new class into the Wildcat Hall of Fame and honor a group of young alumni for their accomplishments. Held at the Marriott Hotel near the UA, the reunion was a lively gathering across the Wildcat generations and included a number of Wildcat families and children–as well as at least 6 Wildcat couples (couples who met at the Wildcat and later married).
The venerable Don Carson ’54 smoothly emceed the Hall of Fame inductions. Daniel Scarpinato ’04, a political reporter for the Arizona Daily Star, and Wildcat adviser Mark Woodhams presented the Young Alumni Awards.
Spring 2008 News
Awards Won by The Wildcat This Year
Associated Collegiate Press
ACP Pacemaker Finalist — General Excellence
ACP Online Pacemaker Finalist
College Newspaper
Business & Advertising Managers
1st place — Best Classifieds Section
1st place — Best color ad
2nd place — Promotional Section (Valentine’s)
Society of Professional Journalists
Regional Mark of Excellence Awards
1st place — Editorial Writing (Connor Mendenhall)
1st place — Sports Column Writing (Michael Schwartz)
2nd place — Sports Column Writing (Lance Madden)
2nd place — Best All Around College Daily (curses, Daily Bruin!)
2nd place — Sports Writing (Nina Conrad)
2nd place — Photo Illustration (Jake Lacey)
Annual Wildcat Awards Reception Honors Our Own
More than 100 Daily Wildcat staff from the news, production and business sides got together upstairs at Gentle Ben’s May 3 for an end-of-the-year awards reception. Here are some winners:
Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity — Tom Knauer
George Morley Award for Achievement in Advertising — Justin Rediger
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Newswriting — Shain Bergan and Yusra Tekbali
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Commentary — Connor Mendhall
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Sportswriting — Ari Wasserman
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Photography — Andy Russell
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Arts Writing — Allison Warren
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Arts Reviews — Justyn Dillingham
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Sales — Jinanda Sheth
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Accounting — Mariah Pollock
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Classified Advertising — Kate Stromberg
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Illustrations — Nate Dahl
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Copy Editing — Alex Jeffries
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in News Design — Liz Dimino
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Customer Service — Kelly McLintock
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Account Management — Kelsey Allen
Daily Wildcat Award for Excellence in Ad Design — Robert Mion, Mike Hume
Reinesch Scholarship Goes to Lex
The Christopher Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship — a $1,000 scholarship generously donated by a former ad rep — went this year to junior Harry Lex, a Wildcat account executive. The scholarship recognizes enterprise and achievement in our business area. Harry has been a classified ad rep, a sales coordinator and account exec.
Chris Reinesch, who helps manage his family’s Phoenix-area company Southwest Rocks Products, established this scholarship 4 years ago. Thanks, Chris!
The Graybeard Award Lives On
The brainchild of former EIC Brett Fera, the Graybeard Award was first presented last year “on behalf of all former editors of the Wildcat” to recognize a graduating senior’s “sustained achievement” on the paper. This year’s winner was Tom Knauer, a 5-year veteran who served as sports editor, copy chief and news editor during his time at the Wildcat.
Seniors Take Home Alumni Award
14 Wildcat seniors were honored at our awards reception with a Wildcat Alumni Award. These awards, established in 2002, are given on “behalf of the alumni of the Daily Wildcat to recognize career excellence on the paper.” Candidates generally have worked at least 2 years on the Wildcat. This year’s honorees:
Nicole Santa Cruz, reporter, EIC
Melissa Krueger, sports editor, managing ed
Michael Schwartz, sports writer, sports editor
Jamie Ross, arts editor, copy chief
Daniel Brelsford, online editor
Tom Knauer, sports editor, copy chief, news editor
David Kemper, photographer, photo editor
Jake Lacey, photographer, photo editor
Jutsin Rediger, account exec, sales manager
Kelsey Allen, senior account exec
Jinanda Sheth, senior account exec
Garrett Standrowicz, sales coordinator, account exec
Nick Miller-Cabianca, senior account exec
Emily Mann, advertising designer
Daily Wildcat Alumni 