Published on March 1, 2024 by Olivia Koepp  
SEJC 2024 Conference Students
Photograph Courtesy: Olivia Koepp

Samford University's Howard College of Arts and Sciences Communication and Media students and staffers from The Samford Crimson, Samford's student-produced newspaper, received 17 awards from the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) last weekend. The annual conference recognizes media work by student journalists throughout the South and was held this year at Troy University in Troy, Alabama.

College journalism programs submit media work before the conference for the “Best of the South” media competition recognizing both individual and outlet work. Samford's Communication and Media and The Crimson newspaper staffers earned 12 awards in the Best of the South competition. During the conference, an on-site media competition assesses student media work in real-time. Samford students earned five awards from the onsite competition.

The list of awards includes:

Best of the South: Individual Awards:

  • Second Place, Collegiate Journalist of the Year: Harper Harwell.
  • Second Place, Best Radio Feature Reporter: Claire Trammell.
  • Second Place, Best Multimedia Journalist: Aly Durban.
  • Third Place, Best Feature Writer: Noelle Neader.
  • Third Place, Best Magazine Designer: Claire Trammell.
  • Fifth Place, Best News Writer: Harper Harwell.
  • Fifth Place (tie), Best Opinion/Editorial Writer: Rebekah Crozier.
  • Seventh Place (tie), Best Sports Writer: Andrew White.

Best of the South: Outlet Awards:

  • First Place, Best Television Station: Samford News Network (SNN).
  • Second Place, Best Video Newscast: Samford News Network (SNN).
  • Third Place, Public Service Journalism: The Samford Crimson.
  • Third Place (tie), Best Magazine: The Local.

SEJC Onsite Competition Winners from Samford:

  •  Second Place, Sports Photography: Meg Robinson.
  • Second Place, Feature Photography: Christiana Hewlett.
  • Second Place, Media Law Competition: Rebekah Crozier.
  • Second Place, TV News Producing: Courtney Robeson.
  • Third Place, Feature Writing: Ashleigh Jones.

“It was a great way to be surrounded by young journalists,” said Harper Harwell, Editor-in-Chief of The Crimson and second-place winner for journalist of the year for Best of the South. “If you have an opportunity to go to a professional conference like SEJC, I definitely recommend it. It might seem like a hassle, and it might seem expensive...I would say to go because it can open your eyes to new possibilities and introduce you to people you wouldn’t know otherwise."

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.