TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Two University of Alabama student publications were recently named among the best in the nation at the 2004 Spring National College Media Convention in New York City.

The Crimson White (CW), UA’s student-run newspaper, and Marr’s Field Journal (MFJ), UA’s undergraduate-produced literary magazine, were awarded Silver Crowns by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association on March 20.

CW editor Chris Sanders of Smoke Rise, CW managing editor Lauren Davidson of Madison, CW entertainment editor Graham Flanagan of Tuscaloosa and CW student life editor Nick Beadle of Green Hill, accepted the CW’s Crown award. MFJ editor Bonita Weaver of Tuscaloosa and MFJ managing editor Lisa Rudden of Hoover accepted the Crown award for MFJ.

This is the second year in a row that the CW has won a Silver Crown and the first ever for MFJ. This is the first year ever that two UA student-run publications have won CSPA’s Crown award in the same year. Gold Crowns have been presented annually since 1982, and Silver Crowns have been given since 1984.

In addition, 15 UA students took home individual Gold Circle Awards -- including five first-place awards -- in CSPA’s annual competition for individual achievement by student writers, editors, designers and photographers.

Individual award winners from UA are as follows:

• First place, Magazine Cover Design: April DeRome, Melissa Martin and Lisa Rudden, MFJ spring 2003
• First place, Newspaper Sports News Writing: Drew Champlin, “Remembering the Bear: 20 years later,” CW
• First place, Newspaper Sports Column Writing: Alex Merritt, “Class is in session,” CW
• First place, Magazine Open Free Form Poetry: Heather Hamilton, “Tinkerbell (A Manifesto),” MFJ
• First place, Magazine Humor: Joshua Mallory, “How to Overcome Writer’s  Block,” MFJ
• Second place, Magazine Cover Design: Staff, MFJ fall 2002
• Second place, Newspaper Sports News Writing: Drew Champlin, Charlie Gasner and Chris Sanders, “Price rolled back,” CW
• Second place, Magazine Essay: Bonita L. Weaver, “Who I am,” MFJ
• Second place, Magazine Open Free Form Poetry: Suzanah Moorer, “Revisions: Altetter to the Object of My Valentine,” MFJ
• Honorable mention, Magazine Traditional Fiction:
  Rebecca Joyner, “Herself as She sees it,” MFJ
• Honorable mention, Magazine Black and White or Black and White with Spot Color: Staff, MFJ Vol. 13
• Honorable mention, Newspaper News Feature Writing: Nick Beadle and Mike Griffin, “40 years later . . .” CW
• Honorable mention, Magazine Open Free Form Poetry: Maggie Shelledy, “Pandora Doesn’t Live,” MFJ

Of the 1,810 current CSPA members eligible to enter the Crown Awards, 1,514 magazines, newspapers and yearbooks actually submitted copies for this competition. Judging took place at Columbia University from Dec. 14-17 by the Board of Crown Judges. Publications were judged on writing/editing, design, content, concept, photography, art and graphics.

Edmund J. Sullivan, director of the CSPA, presented plaques to those winners attending the convention. The CSPA is an international student press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges and award programs. CSPA has been owned by Columbia University since 1925 and operated as a program of its Graduate School of Journalism.