Last modified: Monday, March 24, 2008
IU's student newspaper, yearbook win national awards named in honor of their late adviser
Adams had directed student media at IU since 1989
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's student newspaper and yearbook were honored with "best of show" awards that also served to remember the publication's late adviser, Dave Adams.
Dave Adams
The Indiana Daily Student and the Arbutus each won the David L. Adams Apple Award for Best of Show at the College Media Advisers (CMA) national convention in New York City. Only one publication wins in each category. The competition was judged by New York City media professionals.
CMA is a national organization that helps student media professionals improve their operations. Adams died suddenly last summer and had served as IU director of student media since 1989.
"Renaming the Apple Awards in honor of Dave Adams is a wonderful tribute to the impact Dave had on student media, both at Indiana University and across the country," said Nancy Comiskey, interim director of IU student media in the IU School of Journalism. "Dave was a tireless advocate for student journalists and First Amendment freedoms, and he would be so proud of this honor and of his students who won the awards."
Carrie Ritchie, editor-in-chief of the spring 2008 IDS, and Lauren Cooper, editor of the Arbutus, each said it meant a great deal to them and their staffs to win an award named for their late advisor.
"This year has been such a struggle because when he passed away, a lot of us had felt that we'd lost a third parent. He did everything for us," Ritchie said. "To come out to this conference and win the award that had been named for him, so fittingly, meant the world to us. We couldn't have asked for a more special award."
Cooper added, "He was a driving force in our success. He would be so proud of our achievements, and I hope that the strong tradition of excellence he built at IU Student Media continues in his memory."
The IDS won for its Feb. 14, 2008, issue, which featured the controversy over the NCAA investigation of Kelvin Sampson's violations. The Arbutus won for the 2007 yearbook.
Such awards are regularly part of the publications' traditions. They frequently are honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press.
At the same conference, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association presented its awards for the 2006-07 academic year. The spring 2007 IDS won a Gold Crown Award (Kacie Foster was editor-in-chief). The fall 2006 IDS won a Silver Crown Award (Michael Zennie was editor). The 2007 Arbutus also won a Silver Crown Award.
Only nine Crown Awards were given to daily newspapers and only 10 yearbooks were winners.
"These awards are a terrific recognition of the hard work and professionalism of the students on the IDS and Arbutus staffs," Comiskey added. "I am amazed every day by how much time and effort they put into producing these publications at the same time they're taking classes and participating in other campus activities. They are talented young journalists and true professionals."
