General Newspaper Excellence

• Division A

1. The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley
2. Daily Bruin, UCLA
3. Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge

• Division B

1. The Orion, CSU Chico
2. The Chimes, Biola University
3. The Lumberjack, CSU Humboldt

• Division C

1. The Advocate, Contra Costa College
2. El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
3. The Sun, Southwestern College

General Web Site Excellence

1. Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
2. Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
3. Golden Gate Xpress, San Francisco State University

General Magazine Excellence

1. The Bull, Pierce College, Spring/Summer 2011
2. El Sol, Southwestern College, Summer 2011
3. Osprey, Humboldt State, Spring 2011

General Newspaper Excellence

• Division A

1. The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley
   “The Daily Californian has excellent content with a balance of news, entertainment and sports. There is a sense that the newspaper understands its audience and the university’s legacy. Columnists choose their subjects well to relate to a student audience. Presentation is clean and does not rely on gimmicks. Use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media in identifying and reporting stories is smart. There are well-organized, concise references to content on the web site. Overall, it is the quality newspaper we would expect from such a respected university.”
2. Daily Bruin, UCLA
3. Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge

• Division B

1. The Orion, CSU Chico
   “It is the Orion from Cal State Chico that gets our top nod for general excellence, delivering page after page of compelling news stories and imaginative features. Stories theoretically targeted to a university audience also appeal to a more general reader – it’s hard to go wrong with intelligence, smart humor and useful, accessible information. There are surprises — recipes, health stories, world news briefs and a thumbs-up, thumbs-down feature packed with genuine wit and college attitude – including kudos-worthy hard news such as an impressive analysis of university presidents’ salaries. The Orion’s visually appealing Daily Dose page is a welcome alternative to the ho-hum events calendar (it can actually compete with a picture of baby goats, which is saying something). More pages reveal adventures involving unisex bathrooms, beer-buying, and cheese, plus a delightful history of Chico’s obscure laws; add to that a well-designed sports section and creative feature work, and the takeaway is this: general excellence. In short, we wanted – rather, we were compelled – to keep reading.”
2. The Chimes, Biola University
3. The Lumberjack, CSU Humboldt

• Division C

1. The Advocate, Contra Costa College
   “The Advocate ranked in first place because it provided a rich, attractive package of information anyone would be wise to seek out. Each edition of the newspaper included a strong mix of hard news, features and opinion. The pieces were written with clarity and authority. The standouts included 1) the ongoing coverage of the college’s budget woes and what they mean to students and staff; 2) the A1 features such as the ones on youth boxing and the threats facing dance courses; and 3) the special treatment of the section on the athletes of the year. The photos, headlines, graphics and layouts were engaging, which helped make the newspaper look and feel valuable. Whereas producing just one section creates a world of challenges, The Advocate offered readers multiple sections of high quality. Wow! It appropriately focused on topics of particular interest to students, but did so without resorting to oversimplification. It really covered everything: budgets, burglaries, race relations, sports, energy efficiency, entertainment, editorials (including cartoons), and much more. The package included a pair of strong Spotlight section stories, one on crime and the other on the role of community colleges during tough times. We even liked the Newsline briefs column for the service it provided readers. The newspaper showed that it respects its audience by taking on serious issues. Simply put, The Advocate impressed the judges with its ambition and professionalism. Congratulations.”
2. El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
3. The Sun, Southwestern College

Best Overall Design

• Division A

1. Daily Bruin, UCLA
2. Spartan Daily, CSU San Jose
3. Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge

• Division B

1. The Orion, CSU Chico
2. Golden Gate Xpress, CSU San Francisco
3. The Corsair, Santa Monica College

• Division C

1. El Don, Santa Ana College
2. Twanas, UC Santa Cruz
3. The Advocate, Contra Costa College

Best News Series

• Division A

1. Sean Greene, The Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
   “Absolutely spectacular three-day series chronicling the mission of a student group representing UCLA and UC Irvine on a medical/educational mission to Vietnam. Dazzling art by Morgan Glier complemented by gorgeous layout in print and a beautiful Web presence.”
2. Staff, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge
3. Jessica Rossoni, Jason Willick, Damian Ortellado, Amruta Trivedi, The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley

• Division B

1. Kathryn Watson, The Chimes, Biola University
   “Good examination of student loans that specifically deals with Biola students and their needs. Lots of detail.”
2. Staff, City on a Hill Press, University of California, Santa Cruz
3. Teresa de Luz, Kelly Ward, Jen Moreno, Kenny Lindberg, Ben Mullin, Andre Byik, Juniper Rose, California State University, Chico

• Division C

1. Staff, Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern University
   “Fascinating coverage of the problems of cross-country runner Ayded Reyes, who ran afoul of immigration laws before leading her team to a conference championship.”
2. Vanessa Duffy and John Ferrara, El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
3. N/A

Best Breaking News Story

• Division A

1. Staff, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge
   “The Sundial demonstrated the brave new world of multimedia in handling a breaking news story with a central page filled with useful and timely elements along with video to strengthen the coverage.”
2. Weiru Fang and Anjuli Sastry, The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
3. Sean McMinn, Mustang Daily, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

• Division B

1. City on a Hill Press Staff, University of California, Santa Cruz
   “Solid online package coverage of Day of Action rally, with extensive coverage in text supplemented by videos.”
2. Branden del Rio, Campus Times, University of La Verne
3. Greg Toumassian, Chris Bashaw, The Poly Post, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

• Division C

1. Staff, El Don, Santa Ana College
   “Good coverage of a difficult subject: a professor as the victim in a murder-suicide, with complementary online elements.”
2. Sabina Gallier, Mountaineer, Mount Sac
3. Deborah Graham, The Tempest, Solano Community College

Best News Story (non-breaking)

• Division A

1. Lyell Marks, Spartan Daily, CSU San Jose “Funding delays in YUH improvement.”
   “Many news stories this year chronicled the crushing impact of state budget problems on higher education, but the Spartan Daily’s coverage was particularly enterprising and public-service driven. The newspaper’s report on the university’s inability to renovate an unhealthy building goes to the heart of what good journalism is supposed to do, highlighting an important issue with proper context and accountability for the parties who have yet to fix it.”
2. Jordan Bach-Lombardo, The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley, “Radical changes may be on the table for UC.”
3. Emily Suhr, Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge, “Alumnus challenges military regulations.”

• Division B

1. KC Crowell, Golden Gate Xpress, CSU San Francisco, “Not Your Parent’s Protest Any Longer.”
   “The subject was how personal technology had changed activism. The reporter’s opening lede, which played on a famous Bob Dylan protest song, was clever. From then on, the writing just seemed to get better and more colorful, and funny too. If that wasn’t enough, the story was very well reported. It was a smart story too. I could see a version of this story being enterprised as a front page feature in the L.A. Times or other large papers.”
2. Sam Pearson, The State Hornet, CSU Sacramento, “Modern Policy on Plagiarism: No Disclosure.”
3. Michael Bebernes, Golden Gate Xpress, San Francisco State, “Uneven Playing Fields.”

• Division C

1. Sam Attal, The Advocate, Contra Costa College, “Colleges owe state $1.5 million.”
   “Faced with a budget deficit of $15.5 million for 2011-12, the Advocate newspaper showed how administrative negligence at two colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District are required to pay the state a combined $1.5 million because the deans of the colleges failed to secure contracts from instructors who worked at a third-party cosmetology school. The story not only holds those accountable for the administrative blunders that eventually cost the colleges and its students money and classes, but it reminds us that at a time, when universities and colleges across the state face  budget cuts, high tuitions and fewer classrooms, it’s now more important to hold those responsible for costly negligence.”
2. Kayla Figard, The San Matean, College of San Mateo, “Tsunami warning system alerts coast.”
3. Kristopher Rowberry—The Argonaut, Notre Dame de Namur University—“On Shaky Ground.”

Best Feature Story

• Division A

1. Katie Dowd, The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley, “Scar tissue.”
   “Katie’s narrative was the best way to deliver Tony Renda’s story. Her descriptions gave readers a deeper understanding of who this player is and what it took to make him great without him having to explain it himself. Little snippets of dialogue are all she needs to pepper in to her narration to let the reader hear Renda’s voice. The story reads like a true sports story without it only being a sports story. It’s got heart, and anyone can read about that.”
2. Devin Kelly, Daily Bruin, UCLA, “Back from Libya.”
3. N/A

• Division B

1. Joey Blen-Kahn, City on a Hill Press, UC Santa Cruz, “Killing Them Softly.”
   “A sober, balanced and well-researched review of California’s tortuous relationship with the death penalty. The writer delves into the legal struggle over the use of the death penalty – exploring in great detail, for instance, state officials’ efforts to obtain the drug sodium thiopental after it became clear that the supply had expired. But these explorations of legal machinations are smartly paired with more personal reflections – from a victims’ rights advocate and from the author, who juxtaposes San Quentin’s location with the city across the bay.”
2. Hailey Vincent, The Orion, CSU Chico, “Professor overcomes immigration struggles.”
3. Chelsea Hawkins, UC Santa Cruz, “Forgotten But Not Gone.”

• Division C

1. Brett Abel, The Advocate, Contra Costa College, “Bouyant Gibson survives shipwreck.”
   “Brett Abel was able to take a story about a man who survived a shipwreck, and turn the experience into a detailed narrative.  Abel tells the tale of Charles Gibson’s experience through fascinating anecdotes and colorful quotes. He keeps the reader engaged through his use of detail and variety in sentence structure.”
2. Albert Fulcher, Ernesto River, and Serina Duarte, The Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern  College, “Winning the race for her life.”
3. John Ferrara, El Vaquero, Glendale Community College, “Herb walk takes hikers to new heights.”

Best Editorial

• Division A

1. “Bertie should be removed,” University of California, Los Angeles, The Daily Bruin, 4/11/2011
   “A strong editorial voice complements and demands action after strong reporting reveals abuses. That’s what this editorial does so well, laying out the situation the news staff uncovered and official acts in response, with a reasonable insistence that real and perceived conflicts and abuses be addressed quickly and appropriately to repair institutional credibility and respect.”
2. “UPD needs to keep us safe,” California State University, Fresno, The Collegian, 10/3/2011
3. “Housing crisis unacceptable,” San Jose State University, The Spartan Daily, 9/24/2011

• Division B

1. “Campus intersection: Accident waiting to happen,” San Francisco State University, Golden Gate Xpress, 11/9/2011
   “One important key to a solid editorial is solid reporting, demonstrated here with anecdotes and data, building a case to support proposed fixes to a safety concern that reaches beyond the campus community.”
2. “Major mistakes put campus safety into question,” Loyola Marymount University, The Los Angeles Loyolan, 3/24/2011
3. “Engage your senses,” The Roundup, Pierce College, 3/9/11

• Division C

1. “Dear Dr. Nish…,” Southwestern College, The Southwestern  College Sun, 10/13/2011
   “A powerful open letter by the newspaper staff, making it clear that the student voice is paramount as a new president arrives at a campus beset by managerial problems. This is public advocacy of the finest order, delivered with passion and heart.”
2. “Vets deserve respect,” Southwestern College, The Southwestern College Sun, 10/14/2011
3. “UC Davis incident must not be repeated,” Matt Foresta, Mount San Antonio College, Mountaineer News, 12/6/2011

Best Personal Opinion Column

• Division A

1. “Cal, are you experienced?” Casey Given, The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley, 11/14/2011
   “Rich with local color, Casey’s column unwinds slowly but enjoyably, taking larger national story of the Occupy protests and telling readers what it should mean for the UC Berkeley campus community.”
2. “Beware! Asian invasion and infiltration.” Hansook Oh, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge, 3/22/2011
3. “There is a reason why I vote.” Chris Marian, Spartan Daily, San Jose State University, 10/19/2011

• Division B

1. “Dressing For Your Life.” Blair Stenvick, City on a Hill Press, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1/27/2011
   “Blair writes about the shock of finding that a favorite clothing store supports the wrong political cause. We get the hint this will be a fun read from the start (‘What’s more important: civil rights or the perfect pair of pants?’). And the nice writing continues throughout (‘I had come out of the proverbial closet less than a year earlier, but as I looked into my literal closet …’).”
2. “Still Hungry: An Education Unfulfilled.” Chelsea Hawkins, City on a Hill Press, University of California, Santa Cruz, 11/10/2011
3. “Forget bringing sexy back—rappers Y.G., Tyga and Nipsey Hussle want to bring sexism back.” Tymeesa Rutledge, The Campanil, Mills College, 5/3/2011

• Division C

1. “Careless Whispers.” Robert Wojtkiewicz, El Don, Santa Ana College, 10/17/2011
   “Robert’s column on political correctness run amok begins at a Texas high school but brings the issue home for any student or educator. He pulls off what can be a difficult combination, delivering a balanced assessment of the issue while also making his opinion very clear.”
2. “Patriarchal control wage ‘war on women.’” Cassidy Gooding, The Advocate, Contra Costa College, 4/6/2011
3. “Congress needs to drop the SOPA.” Nick Sestanovich, The Tempest, Solano Community College, 12/7/2011

Best Arts & Entertainment Story

• Division A

1. Maddie Shannon–California State University, Fresno—The Collegian, 3/18/2011
   “Although the story was an advance on the showing of a documentary on soil, the writer went beyond an interview with the filmmaker. The feature was localized with quotes from a plant science professor on campus and an organic vegetable grower in Madera, who told us why the subject matter was so important to the agriculture business in the San Joaquin Valley and to food consumers. All the while the writer didn’t lose sight of the storyline of the film or forget the important details of the showing on campus. Who knew dirt could be so interesting?”
2. Lenika Cruz—University of California, Los Angeles—Daily Bruin, 10/19/2011
3. Ryan Lattanzio—University of California, Berkeley—The Daily Californian, 12/12/2011

• Division B

1. Derek Lactaoen—Humboldt State—The Lumber Jack, 4/27/2011
   “The writer covered all the bases in the story of art censorship on campus. Good lede describing the piece of art in question with supporting paragraphs on the stated policy of the university and quotes not only from the artist, but from another art student, the coordinator and greenhouse manager of the building where the art display had been removed and other school officials. Nicely constructed.”
2. Lauren Soldano—Mills College—The Campanil- 3/1/2011
3. Emily Rome—Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles Loyolan, 9/26/2011

• Division C

1. Jason Truong—Santa Ana College—El Don, 5/9/2011
   “Mouth-watering story on the mass appeal of M&M Donuts. Great anecdotal lede. The short-and-sweet piece was so descriptive I could smell and taste those blueberry donuts.”
2. Nick Sestanovich—Solano Community College—The Tempest, 10/19/2011
3. Derek Stowe—Glendale Community College—El Vaquero, 11/22/2011

Best Arts & Entertainment Column/ Criticism

• Division A

1. David Liu—University of California, Berkeley—The Daily Californian, 9/8/2011
   “Published just days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Liu’s film piece brought together the stamina and renewal of New York City reflected in two films, ‘Gangs of New York’ and ‘25th Hour.’ A unique approach to the anniversary that was well thought out and crafted.”
2. Madeleine Clarke Flynn—University of California, Los Angeles—Daily Bruin, 7/18/2011
3. N/A

• Division B

1. Bonnie Horgos—Mills College—The Campanil, 11/15/2011
   “The writer isn’t afraid to say what she thinks of the collaboration of Lou Reed and Metallic on the album ‘Lulu.’ The review doesn’t end there. She backs up her opinion with specific examples, without going overboard and mentioning every track on the album. She even offers suggestions of how it might have been better.”
2. Amanda Robbins—University of California, Irvine—New University, 10/25/2011
3. Spencer Devine—San Francisco State University—Golden Gate Xpress, 12/7/2011

• Division C

1. Larissa Bates—University of California, Santa Cruz– Twanas, Fall 2011
   “Digging deep beneath the surface of this film, the writer interrupts Pedro Almodovar’s ‘The Skin I Live In,’ helping the reader delve into all the nuances of the screen adaptation.”
2. Lindsay Needels, University of California, Santa Cruz—Twanas, Fall 2011
3. N/A

Best Sports Story

• Division A

1. “The Other Side”, Jack Wang, The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
   “I like everything about this story from the innovative idea, to the well-conceived structure, to the artful writing. Graduate assistants are an important yet often overlooked part of a football program, so it was fascinating to learn about the challenges of their everyday life. Moreover, the story does a great job of weaving in big-picture information without ever losing the human faces of the story: Wiegand and McKinley.”
2. “Scar Tissue”, Katie Dowd, Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
3. “Rivals to brothers”, Gilberto Manzano, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge

• Division B

1. “‘Big Mike’ gets his big chance”, Brian Evans, Sonoma State Star, California State University, Sonoma
   “Although the feel-good story of a student manager turned player isn’t new ground, what sets this one apart is the crisp writing and solid reporting. By interviewing numerous sources, Evans gets numerous great anecdotes and details about “Big Mike’s” metamorphosis. As a result, readers are drawn to his underdog story and can’t help but share his joy by the end.”
2. “Athletics Scandal Revealed”, Ian Massey, New University, University of California, Irvine
3. “Snow, Mud and Victory”, Kaci Poor, Humboldt State Lumberjack, California State University, Humboldt

• Division C

1. “Winning the Race of Her Life”, Albert Fulcher, Ernesto Rivera, Serina Duarte, Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern College
   “When a story of national significance came to their campus, this trio of writers took full advantage. The result is a compelling profile of Ayded Reyes and her harrowing experience after being unable to prove U.S. citizenship to the police. What I liked best about this piece was the effective anecdotal lede, the handful of sources the writers spoke with and the fact that the tone of the story is spot-on. I’d have liked to see a stronger nut graf alluding higher in the story to the fact that she’s safe now, she has become a national story and she won a significant cross-country race, but that’s my only major quibble.”
2. “Bat Regulations Stifle Offense”, Shawn Ashe, el Don, Santa Ana College
3. “Swing it Like You Mean it”, Eric Lomeli, el Don, Santa Ana College

Best Sports Column

• Division A

1. “Honor blessings with humility”—Ryan Eshoff (UCLA Daily Bruin)
2. “Stop dreaming about football, focus on what you have”– Tracy McDannald (California State University, Long Beach)
3. “Hitting the brakes on the Penn State scandal”—J.J. Jenkins (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

• Division B

1. “Dealing with the loss of an excellent Lion”—John Wilkinson (Loyola Marymount University)
2. “Over the line”—Allie Colosky (California State University, Chico
3. “Baseball shines light”—Mark Gillman (Pierce College)

• Division C

1. “Packed Gym rallies support for Capoot”—Brett Abel (Contra Costa College)
2. “This Just In”—Justin Enriquez (Mt. San Antonio College)

Best News Photography

• Division A

1. Stefan Agregado–California State University, Long Beach—Daily 49er, 11-17-2011
   “Excellent perspective demonstrates that closer is better when covering the news. Great expression on the faces of the students as they are arrested. By far, the best news photo coverage of tuition-hike protests. (Lack of photo credit on the page is not consistent with the bold-face byline for editor in chief for writing the story.)”
2. TIE: Kyusung Gong–California State University, Long Beach—Daily 49er, 12-8-2011; AND Jasna Hodzic–University of California, Davis—California Aggie, 11-21-2011
3. Brian O’Malley– San Jose State University—Spartan Daily, 5-11-2011

• Division B

1. Elijah Nouvelage—San Francisco State University–Golden Gate Xpress, 11/3/2011
   “Photographer photographed uninhibited by police presence during a tense police shutdown of Occupy Oakland. Great job!”
2. Orlando Dominguez—Cerritos College—Talon Marks, 5/4/2011
3. Paul Alvarez—Santa Monica College—Corsair, 12/3/2011

• Division C

1. Shaun Carmody—College of San Mateo—The San Matean, 9/20/2011
   “A tender moment and good composition gives the photo a strong aesthetic. Well done.”
2. Diana Inocencio—Southwestern College—The Southwestern College Sun, 2/18/2011
3. Albert Fulcher—Southwestern College—The Southwestern College Sun, 3/19/2011

Best Sports Photography

• Division A

1. Stefan Agregado– California State University, Long Beach—Daily 49er, 3/14/2011
   “Fantastic emotion during a 49er loss. This win demonstrates the power of emotional reaction versus peak sports action photos. After the play is finished, revealing emotion can speak volumes about the outcome of a game. Great job!”
2. TIE: Blaine Ohigashi—University of California, Los Angeles—Daily Bruin, 11/5/2011 AND Vernon McKnight—San Jose State University—Spartan Daily, 9/19/2011
3. Isaac Arjonilla—University of California, Los Angeles—Daily Bruin, 10/10/2011

• Division B

1. Mark Nessia—California State University, Bakersfield—The Runner, 1/19/2011
   “Peak wrestling action reveals a humorous moment during competition. Great expression on wrestler.”
2. UD (cq)—Pierce College–Roundup, 4/6/2011
3. Michael Yanow—Santa Monica College—Corsair, 11/23/2011

• Division C

1. George Morin—Contra Costa College—The Advocate, 3/23/2011
   “Good action as young kids engage in an adult sport – a boxing match. All gloves and no punch.”
2. Jiamay Austria—Southwestern College—Southwestern College Sun, 3/19/2011
3. James Choy—Mt. San Antonio College—Mountaineer, 11/15/2011

Best Features Photography

• Division A

1. Vernon McKnight—San Jose State University—Spartan Daily, 9/22/2011
   “A clean background helps emphasize the action here.”
2. Evan Walbridge—University of California, Berkeley—Daily Californian, 4/14/2011
3. Tessie Navarro—California State University, Northridge—Daily Sundial, 10/6/2011

• Division B

1. Laura Chau—Cerritos College—Talon Marks, 2/9/2011
   “An inspirational story requires an inspirational photo to go with it. A young man with cerebral palsy engages in hip-hop dancing despite his physical handicap. His crutches provide lift and set up his next movement. Fine work!”
2. Erik Verduzco—San Francisco State University– Golden Gate Xpress, 8/30/2011
3. Mike Villa—Biola University—The Chimes, 2/17/2011

• Division C

1. Shaun Kelly—Glendale Community College—El Vaquero, 6/8/2011
   “Very nice dance photo with good peak action.”
2. George Morin—Contra Costa College—The Advocate, 3/9/2011
3. Roger Lai—Glendale Community College—El Vaquero, 5/25/2011

Best Photo Illustration

• Division A

1. Isaac Arjonilla—University of California, Los Angeles—Daily Bruin, 10/28/2011
   “Nice photo treatment to meld multiple images into one dominant image for a Homecoming section cover. Also, very nice use of display type to complete the page design. Great job!”
2. Tessie Navarro—California State University, Northridge—Daily Sundial, 3/24/2011
3. Michael Uribes and Matt Weir—California State University, Fresno—The Collegian, 4/4/2011

• Division B

1. TIE: Jose Romero—Pierce College—Roundup, 11/16/2011;
   “Nicely executed illustration with falling dollars  adding intrigue. Strong lighting and composition, as well.”
   and 
   Nick Paris and Luise Leong—University of California, Santa Cruz—City on a Hill Press, 5/19/2011
   “Great team work with Leong providing a graphic styling of food items and Paris following through with strong lighting and composition.”
2. Jacob Horn—Humboldt State—The Lumberjack, 2/16/2011
3. Kenzie O’Keefe—Loyola Marymount University—The Loyolan, 2/16/2011

• Division C

1. TIE: David Deridder—Santa Ana College—El Don, 4/25/2011;
   “One of the simplest—in all divisions. With simple food elements and strong display type that adds meaning to the photo, Deridder has created an image that hooks a viewer and turns them into a reader. Great job! ”
   and 
   Beatrice Alcala and Albert Serna—Mt. San Antonio College—Mountaineer, 12/6/2011
   “Stunning joint effort on a delicate subject — suicide. Great photo treatment with just the right touch on subject  expression and blood projection. Like we say, a delicate  subject with delicate visual elements. A white background  keeps it simple and a short headline and subhead gets the  message across: ‘Suicide On The Rise: More than half of  American students have considered suicide.’ ”
2. Ian Cervantes—Glendale Community College—El Vaquero
3. N/A

Best Photo Series

• Division A

1. Stefan Agregado—California State University, Long Beach—Daily 49er, 11/17/2011
   “Agregado managed to keep his cool and went head on into the action as police arrested student protestors. Fantastic job capturing multiple moments during a protest. Obscene gestures, police arrests, pepper spray treatment. Fantastic Job!”
2. Jasna Hodzic, Brian Ngyuen —University of California, Davis—The California Aggie, 12/9/2011
3. David Herschorn—University of California, Berkeley—The Daily Californian, 11/17/2011

• Division B

1. Michael Yanow—Santa Monica College—The Corsair, 11/16/2011
   “Lucha VaVoom is loaded with visuals — macho men dressed as comic book heroes, scantily clad vixens, brutal wrestling action, and rabid fans. Yanow captures all the elements of the competition. Sure it’s like shooting ducks in a pond, but Yanow came with both barrels loaded and wasn’t shy about getting in close to the wrestling action, the fans and the women.”
2. UD (cq), Jose Romero, Joe Kukuczka—Pierce College—The Roundup, 5/18/2011
3. Catherine Wong—Humboldt State—The Lumberjack, 10/5/2011

• Division C

1. Sam Attal and George Morin—Contra Costa College—The Advocate, 3/23/2011
   “Good action and reaction in this boxing photo story. While the kids box, parents are ready to celebrate their victory. Great job!”
2. Diana Inocencio—Southwestern College—Southwestern College Sun, 5/28/2011
3. N/A

Best News-Page Design

• Division A

1. Abby Jones, Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge, 9.18.11 edition
   “We loved using the towers as the 11 portion of the head. We’ve seen variations before but this was very clean. That, coupled with the quote from President Bush, worked very well. Teasers across the bottom also were strong and we were glad to see the lighter screen for readability. The word Remembering fought a tiny bit with the masthead. Maybe a gray might have worked. Overall solid, well-designed page.”
2. Cosette Macari, Daily 49er, CSU Long Beach, 11.17.11 edition
3. Staff, Collegian, CSU Fresno, 11.18.11 edition

• Division B

1. The Orion 11.16.11 edition, Liam Turner and Tercius Bufete
   “Even with a lot going on this was a nice page. Our favorite touch was pushing the masthead down for the women’s soccer story (Story B1 needed to be bigger to recognize it as a teaser though). Also, text on the PICKET and VOLLEYBALL teasers is too small … cut the wording down and pump up the point size …Nice headline hierarchy on the page. Clear lede story w/ the stabbing. CSU hed could have said more by shrinking point size a bit or adding a subhed. Nice clean rail down the side and clean index at bottom.”
2. Staff, Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University 4.4.11 edition
3. Kat Mabry & Jose Romero, Roundup, Pierce College 11.16.11 edition

• Division C

1. Amy Ellison, El Don, Santa Ana College 11.21.11 edition, page 4- Making the Grade
   “We liked this page a lot. Fun illustration even if wasn’t  staff-generated and the story on briefly touched on the cost. We also liked the graphic at the bottom, well done. Besides the source on the graphic downpage we would have liked to see credit given (hopefully to a staffer)”
2. George Morin & Sam Attal, The Advocate, Contra Costa College 5.4.11 edition
3. Robert Wojtkiewicz, El Don, Santa Ana College, 11.21.11 edition, page 7- Bottle shock

Best Sports-Page Design

• Division A

1. Emily Smith & Ashley Villannera, The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley, 9/18/2011
   “Clean design, good use of background images and color.”
2. Dalton Runberg, Fresno State, The Collegian, 8/31/2011
3. Monique Muniz, Cal State Northridge, The Daily Sundial, 3/10/2011

• Division B

1. Natalie Yemenidjian, Golden Gate Xpress, San Francisco State, 10/19/2011
   “Very clean design. Nothing too fancy, but it works well. Good use of graphics, like the schedule and  scoreboard, and pull quotes.”
2. Mark Gillman, The Roundup, Pierce, 4/27/2011
3. Staff, Loyola Marymount, 11/14/2011

• Division C

1. Eric Lomeli, El Don, Santa Ana, 9/12/2011
   “Might have been the best sports design in the contest.Strong use of informational graphics really makes the pages pop. Using down markers for four keys was very nice; school logos were used in moderation. Good use of art, especially the soccer photo.”
2. Sam Attal, The Advocate, Contra Costa, 9/21/2011
3. Serina Duarte, Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern College, 12/12/2011

Best Features-Page Design

• Division A

1. Marianne Tan, Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge, 2.24.11 edition
   “Not the first time we’ve seen the film reel but nicely done and thank you for crediting MCT, so many neglect that.  Very nice touch on breaking down the voting procedures  for all the award shows. Great page, clear winner.”
2. Staff, The Daily Collegian, CSU Fresno, 3.9.11 edition
3. Marianne Tan, Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge, 2.10.11 edition

• Division B

1. Liam Turner & Lindsay Smith, The Orion, CSU Chico, 10.28.11 edition,
   ”A faux Facebook page is tough to pull off and you did it very well. No dominant elements on this page but it  works and we have to acknowledge the enormous amount of work that went into this page as well. Just a solid page with a lot of information and a lot of work to pull it all together.”
2. Staff, The Chimes, Biola University, 12.1.11 edition
3. Joann Pak, The Campanil, Mills College 5.10.11 edition

• Division C

1. Dariush Azmoudeh, The Advocate, Contra Costa College, 5.18.11 edition
   “We liked the black backdrop. Were glad to see you pump up the type and go sans serif for readability. Dropping in the movie review helped the page, could have been moved up about 4 inches and type could have been a bit bigger on the review bug but it worked well … Typically, we’re not crazy about funky fonts but for ‘Thor’ it worked. Nice page.”
2. Rosa Castaneda & Mark Corre, Twanas (For all humanity) Fall 2011 edition, UC Santa Cruz
3. Shavod Culberson, El Don, Santa Ana College, 9.26.11 edition

Best Headline Portfolio

• Division A

1. Alonso Tacanga, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge
   “Clever, dramatic lead headlines also told stories and carried the pages.”
2. Angelica Lai, Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
3. Samantha Tata, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge

• Division B

1. William Courtney, Corsair, Santa Monica College
   “Good match of words and photo on football page. Clever wordplay on other heads.”
2. Coburn Palmer, Roundup, Pierce Colelge
3. Angelica Cadiente, Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University

• Division C

1. Danielle Lim, Twanas, University of California, Santa Cruz
   “Headline on fascinating hipsters story made it a must-read.”
2. Jane Pojawa, El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
3. N/A

Best Infographic

• Division A

1. Tessie Navarro, Daily Sundial, CSU Northridge, 8.29.11 edition
   “Tracking budget cuts with a pulse chart was a stroke of genius. Kudos for creator. The flatline at the end was the kicker for us. Secondary text in each bug could have been a  bit bolder, same with italic explainer. Clean graphic, well executed.”
2. Amy Sherrard, The Daily Bruin, UCLA, 5.18.11 edition
3. Patrick Schwarz, The Daily Titan, CSU Fullerton, 11.16.11 edition

• Division B

1. Esmeralda Ramirez, The Orion 3.23.11 edition, CSU Chico
   “Lots of information presented well, slightly overwhelming at first glance. The timeline was crucial to help understand the graphic. Radiation dose levels was very interesting. For people who will take the time to soak all the info in. Radioactive events legend was in an awkward spot, would’ve worked better below the timeline for clarity. Nice graphic, well done.”
2. Kaci Poor, Scottie Lee Myers, Josh Aden, Humboldt Jack 2.23.11 edition, CSU Humboldt
3. Louise Leong, City on a Hill (Santa Cruz) 11.10.11 edition, UC Santa Cruz

• Division C

1. George Morin & Sam Attal, The Advocate 10.26.11 edition, Contra Costa College
   “Nice, easy-to-read infographic. The subject matter  merited doing an entire page, so good job devoting  the space to the topic. Our favorite element is the  Before, During, After element in each category. The  top of the page was a bit cluttered, we liked the  CUTTING CRIME logo but it fought with the main hed  at the top.”
2. Shawn Ashe, El Don 4.11.11 edition, Santa Ana College
3. Alexandra Waite & Sam Attal, The Advocate 9.14.11 edition, Contra Costa College

Best Cartoon

• Division A

1. Rebeka Franklin, The Daily Collegian, CSU Fresno
   “A lovely technical style with a clear editorial message  delivered with a clever premise.”
2. Thomas Gintjee, Daily Bruin, UCLA
3. CSU Long Beach, Rob Eich, The Daily 49er

• Division B

1. Devon McMindes, The Orion, CSU Chico
   ”Simple, but powerful imagery used to convey a  strong editorial point of view.”
2. Loyola Marymount, The Los Angeles Loyolan, Cartoonist: Jackson Turcotte
3. Louise Leong, City on a Hill Press, UC Santa Cruz, “Link arms in protest”

• Division C

1. Phillip Temple, The Tempest, Solano Community College,
   “The  graphic comic-book style used by this artist  was particularly  effective, and the images used convey an easily understood  message: students are about to get clobbered by budget cuts.”
2. David Rogers, The Advocate, Contra Costa College, “Occupy Couch”
3. Carlos Magana, Southwestern College Sun, Southwest College, “Flag cartoon”

Best Back to School or Orientation Issue

• Division A

1. University of California, Berkeley, The Daily Californian
   “The issue had a theme, was newsy and presented valuable information for students on cutbacks, the chancellor’s policies and viewpoints and the  relocation of Cal football to AT & T Park in San Francisco. The article on a controversial consulting firm’s methodology for finding campus budget savings was sophisticated. The design was innovative and heavy on data analysis and graphics, although a bit busy. I thought more attention could be paid to simplifying and enlivening language and to purging jargon from the copy – i.e.  contracts to “migrate “ public safety radio networks to “facilitate” better communication. The paper staff also needs to lighten up, with perhaps some humor or human interest stories. But the photo essay on late-night life on Telegraph Avenue was excellent and the briefs on athletes in sports, great and small, were nice. The  5 Twitter accounts students should follow was an extremely useful and entertaining little article.”
2. University of California, Los Angeles, The Daily Bruin
3. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, The Mustang Daily

• Division B

1. University of California, Santa Cruz, City on a Hill Press
   “The cover photo-illustration was clever, if a bit risqué, and attractive. The stories were well-written, fair and clear. I liked how the editors divided the sections into campus governance news and city news. The topics in both sections were important to students.  I liked how writer Arianna Puopolo raised the point that the chancellor did not provide dollar and cents figures to back up his claim he got rid of an administrator to save money. But I wondered why the official who was fired was not quoted. The big feature on an innovative course in which students researched an 86-year-old Japanese man’s journey from WWII Japanese imperial soldier to Watsonville nursery owner was first-rate, and another story on cycling hazards was a good service feature. The student-drawn illustrations were a nice touch.”
2. San Francisco State University, Golden Gate Xpress
3. Humboldt State University, The Lumberjack

Best Special Section

• Division A

1. “Baseball & softball 2011,” California State University, Fresno, The Collegian, 2/16/2011
   “Play ball! Imaginative design and solid writing make this section a treat to read and a go-to guide for Bulldog fans.”
2. “New performing arts center,” California State University, Northridge, The Daily Sundial, 2/3/2011
3. “Cal Day,” University of California, Berkeley, The Daily Californian, 4/16/2011

• Division B

1. “Budget issue,” University of California, Irvine, New University, 2/1/2011
   “The impressive feat here was taking the news of continuing financial troubles in the context of state budget talks and weaving a connective thread explaining the potential impact through every aspect of the university’s life. Outstanding work.”
2. “Remembering Sept. 11,” University of the Pacific, The Pacifican, 9/8/2011
3. “From Joints to Juice,” Humboldt State University, The Lumberjack, 4/20/2011

• Division C

1. “Cutting crime,” Contra Costa College, The Advocate, 10/26/2011
   “Brilliant execution on a critical topic for the college community. So many things to admire, from the exhaustive reporting across the article topics, to the strong editorial voices. Two aspects are superlative – useful infographics and the emphasis on solutions so students can share the responsibility for their safety and find help when they need it.”
2. “Another change,” Southwestern College, The Sun, 2/11/2011
3. “Accreditation,” Southwestern College, The Sun, 10/13/2011

General Web Site Excellence

1. Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
2. Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
3. Golden Gate Xpress, San Francisco State University

Best Blog

1. The Daily Clog, University of California, Berkeley
2. Notes from the Field, University of California, Berkeley
3. Off the Press, University of California, Los Angeles

Best Multimedia Presentation

1. San Francisco State University, Nelson Estrada
2. University of California, Berkeley, Dream State, Staff
3. University of California, Los Angeles, Vietnam, Staff

Best Use of Social Media

1. University of California, Berkeley, Occupy– Staff
2. University of California, Berkeley, School shooting– Staff
3. California State University, Northridge– Alonso Tacanga

Best podcast

1. University of California, Los Angeles, Armen Madikians
2. Pierce College, Erich Anapol
3. California State University, Chico, Ashley Nakano

Best audio slideshow

1. San Francisco State University, Elijah Nouvelage
2. Pierce College, Angela Tafoya
3. University of California, Los Angeles, Morgan Glier

Best video

1. University of California, Los Angeles, the Daily Bruin, James Barragan & Rei Estrada
2. University of California, Berkeley, The Daily Californian, Kelly Fang, Anya Schultz, Sarah Jedlicka, Kevin Ho Nguyen, Jeff Capps, Gina Palefsky
3. California State University, Fresno, The Collegian, Jeff Phillips

General Magazine Excellence

1. The Bull, Pierce College, Spring/Summer 2011
2. El Sol, Southwestern College, Summer 2011
3. Osprey, Humboldt State, Spring 2011

Best Magazine Story

1. Tyler Curtis, San Francisco State University, Xpress Magazine, 10/19/2011
2. Rhett Creel, Southwestern College, Southwestern College Sun, 12/2011
3. TIE: Yoon Song, Cal State Long Beach, Dig Magazine, April 2011 AND Jacob Ruffman, University of California, Los Angeles, Prime, Fall 2011

Best Magazine Personal Opinion Column

1. Philip Cao, Mt. San Antonio, Substance, Spring 2011
2. Arnavaz “Rosie” Fatemi, Pierce College, The Bull, Fall 2011
3. Verzhine Nikoghosyan, Glendale Community College, The Insider, Spring 2011

Best Magazine Photo

1. Erin Stone, Pierce College, The Bull, Fall 2011
2. Josue Valesquez, Mt. Antonio College, Substance, Spring 2011
3. Roger Lai, Glendale Community College, The Insider, Spring 2011

Best Magazine Review

1. Marlene Pinedo, Mt. San Antonio College, Substance, Spring 2011
2. Brandon Widder, Humboldt State, Osprey, Fall 2011
3. Samantha Sincock, University of La Verne, La Verne Magazine, Winter 2011

Best Magazine Web site

1. Substance, Mt. San Antonio College
2. Insider, Glendale Community College
3. Prime, University of California, Los Angeles