ĐăÉ«app's School of Journalism and Mass Communication student photojournalists and photojournalism instructors won 12 awards, including Best of Show, at the Ohio News Photographers Associationâs (ONPA) 2012 annual contest, making 2012-2013 the most award-winning year for the schoolâs photojournalism program in the last 30 years. The journalism schoolâs photojournalists previously won significant awards in the Hearst, College Photographer of the Year and Society of Professional Journalists competitions.
David LaBelle, photojournalism program coordinator, attributes the success of the photojournalism program to the joint efforts of the instructors, Jeff Fruit, former director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the schoolâs current director, Thor Wasbotten.
âThe number of overall wins is the fruit of a lot of labor and vision from a lot of people, beginning with Jeff Fruit's commitment to growing the program, Thor Wasbotten's commitment to excellence and competitive spirit to be the best, and photojournalism instructors Gary Harwood and David Foster's numerous contributions of time and money to ensure that students are prepared and able to enter competitions. Harwood led the way with the ONPA entries and set the example with his year-long âTiger Legacyâ project,â LaBelle says.
âIt was a special weekend for our photojournalism students,â Harwood says of the ONPA contest. âThis is a very difficult competition because our students are facing the best work from professional photographers throughout Ohio. Weâve not won 12 awards before in this competition, and we didnât expect it. Weâve never had a weekend like this.â
Senior photojournalism major Chelsie Corso won the Best of Show award, the top honor among all professional and student entries in the contest, for âSisters,â which also earned the top prize in the feature photo competition.
âThis photo was difficult for me to produce,â Corso says. âIt wasn't just a photo subject, but my own family in it. When I won Best of Show, it meant more to me than just a contest. It had personal value to me.â
Among the other honors the School of Journalism received were the Ohio Understanding Award and the Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship. The list of awards and awardees includes:
Best of Show
âSistersâ by Chelsie Corso
Student Photographer of the Year
Second Place: Hannah Potes
Third Place: Coty Giannelli
Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship
First Place: Hannah Potes
James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
âTiger Legacy,â in collaboration with the Massillon Museum, featuring contributing photographers Gary Harwood, David Foster, Adrianne Bastas, Chelsie Corso, Coty Giannelli, Matt Hafley, Jenna Watson, Jessica White and Caitlin Bourqueof the School of Visual Communication Design.
Feature
First Place: Chelsie Corso
Illustration
Third Place: âExorcism,â Brooke DiDonato
Award of Excellence: âMother Nature,â Brooke DiDonato
News Picture Story
Third Place: âCollege Fest,â Coty Giannelli
Pictorial
First Place: âBalloon,â Alexis Pfeifer
Third Place: âFamily Exit,â David Foster
Spot News
Second Place: âFight,â Matt Hafley