UA Media Planning Board Presents Honors

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Media Planning Board presented its 2005 awards at a reception held recently in the Ferguson Center Ballroom.

The annual reception recognizes contributions to all the enterprises of the UA Office of Student Media, which include The Crimson White newspaper, the Corolla yearbook, radio station WVUA (90.7 FM), the Marr’s Field Journal undergraduate literary magazine, the Black Warrior Review graduate literary magazine, the Southern Historian history journal, and the state’s scholastic journalism outreach program, the Alabama Scholastic Press Association.

Daniel Sieber, operations manager for University Printing, received the Sarah L. Healy Award. The Healy Award, named for UA’s longtime dean of women, is UA’s top honor given for service to student media. Healy was an avid supporter of student publications and a member of the Media Planning Board.

Four UA student employees were honored with James E. Jacobson Awards. Southern Historian editor Christian McWhirter of Caledon Village, Ontario, received the Jacobson Award for management. Graham Flanagan of Tuscaloosa, WVUA station manager and CW photographer, received the Jacobson Award for service. Reporter Marlin Caddell of Birmingham (35215) received the Jacobson Award for writing. Photographer Elliot Knight of Opelika received the Jacobson Award for photography.

The Jacobson Awards are named for James E. Jacobson, retired Birmingham News editor who was also editor of The Crimson White while at the University.

Chad Anderson of Huntsville, WVUA sports director, received the Walter C. Densmore Jr. Award for service in business and marketing.

Bobby Puppione of Castro Valley, Calif., received the James W. Oakley Chairman’s Award for commitment to student media. Puppione is a senior in the UA College of Communication and Information Sciences, president of the Communication and Information Sciences Student Executive Council and member of the Media Planning Board. The award is named for former Centreville Press publisher Jim Oakley, C&IS placement director and longtime chair of the Media Planning Board.

Individual publications also presented awards to staff members. On the Crimson White staff, Tiffany Schwarz of Huntsville received the Lewis Each Editor’s Award as the year’s top editorial staff member. The award honors Winston Lewis Each Jr., a former Crimson White sports writer who died of cystic fibrosis in 1998. Ben Glasscock of Birmingham (35242) received the James L. Tucker Jr. Memorial Character Award. The award honors James L. Tucker Jr., a Crimson White advertising sales representative who was killed in an automobile accident in 1996.

Also honored by The Crimson White were: Shera Fingerman of Birmingham (35243) and Elizabeth deShazo of Homewood outstanding sales performance; Shannon Etheridge of Huntsville, most valuable team member in creative services; Joey Dotson, most improved staff member; Meagan Nichols of Sprott, most valuable editor; Buddy Hughes, the David C. Johnson Award for most valuable sports staff member; Stephen Dawkins of Columbiana, most valuable reporter; Heather Henderson of Daphne, best all-around journalist; Tiffany Schwarz of Huntsville, most valuable designer; and Dennis Pillion of Hoover, the Greg Hammett Award most improved sports staff member.

The Corolla Editor’s Award went to Brittani Tingle of Madison, Miss., and Whit Cross of Vestavia Hills.

Honored by WVUA (90.7 FM) were: Erick Forsyth of Tuscaloosa, best DJ of the year; J.J. Roper of Roanoke, best new DJ of the year; Jason Lange of Cottondale, director of the year, “Faster Louder!” best specialty show; J.J. Roper, Yahweh Andrews of Saraland, Cory Dumas of Pleasant Grove, Brendan Moore of Tuscaloosa and Tim Neunzig of Tuscaloosa, true to the game; and Mark Leech, Sarah Snow, Brendan Moore and Jon Ezell, all of Tuscaloosa, and Chad Anderson of Huntsville, outstanding service and dedication.

Honored by Marr’s Field Journal: Jessica Emrick of Bessemer, most dedicated staff member, and Justin Cook of Arab, Patrick Winegar of Opelika, Whitney Miller of Birmingham (35242), Anna Crabtree, Gus Von Hahn-Powell and Sarah Zahorchak, all of Huntsville, Gabriel Ford of Ashville, and Brittani Tingle of Madison, Miss., outstanding service and dedication.