May 31, 2005

Student photographers dominate competition

by Bonnie Marx

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Student photographers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale left their competition in the dust at the Illinois Student Best of Photojournalism contest May 6-7 at Northwestern University in Evanston.

Sponsored by the Illinois Press Photographers Association (the statewide organization of photojournalists affiliated with the National Press Photographers), the contest is open to college students and student interns throughout the state.

For the third consecutive year, Derek Anderson, an SIUC photojournalism major and 2004 SIUC graduate, took honors as the Student Photographer of the Year. Anderson, of Galva (405 NW 11th St.), who worked as a staff photographer for the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper at SIUC, took home 10 awards in all in the 2004 contest.

SIUC students won the three top spots and an honorable mention in the Student Photographer of the Year competition. Max Bittle of Carterville (12762 Greenbriar), an SIUC sophomore and staff photographer at the Carterville Courier, earned second-place honors in the category and Amber Arnold, a 2004 SIUC graduate from Manitowoc, Wis. (2629A Goodwin Road) took third place. Anthony Soufflé, an SIUC sophomore and Daily Egyptian staff photographer from Collinsville (1021 Portland), scored one of the three honorable mentions.

Other SIUC students winning honors were: Katherine Fortune, Murphysboro (305 N. 14th St.); Roger Darrigrand, Carbondale (316 E. College St.); John Henry, Carbondale (1015 Autumn Point); Meredith Mercier, Carbondale (615 Rigdon); Amanda Whitlock, Carbondale (700 W. Main St.).

The nine SIUC students won 32 of the 44 awards in the contest. The other 12 awards were spread among five other Illinois universities and colleges.

The SIUC winners are all students of James D. Kelly and Phillip W. Greer, faculty members in the School of Journalism.

"Professor Greer and I are very proud of our students accomplishments," Kelly said. "These honors reflect well on their dedication to the profession. SIUC students have won the Student Photographer of the Year award five years in a row now. Recognition like that says something very positive about our photojournalism program and the quality of our student newspaper."

Promoting excellence in undergraduate academics is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.

For a complete list of winners in the professional and student competitions and portfolios of the top winners, see www.medillnppa.org/convention.html.

The winners of the Illinois Press Photographers Association Student Best of Photojournalism for 2004 are (by category):

Student Photographer of the Year Portfolio

First Derek Anderson, SIUC

Second Max Bittle, SIUC

Third Amber Arnold, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Anthony Soufflé, SIUC; Stephen Haas, Eastern Illinois University at Charleston; Scott Bort, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

News

First Max Bittle, SIUC

Second Derek Anderson, SIUC

Third Derek Anderson, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Derek Anderson, SIUC; Amber Arnold, SIUC; Derek Anderson, SIUC

Feature

First Amanda Whitlock, SIUC

Second Benjamin Pancoast, Columbia College Chicago

Third Meredith Mercier, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Agnello Chase Dean, Millikin University at Decatur; Max Bittle, SIUC

Sports Action

First Derek Anderson, SIUC

Second Max Bittle, SIUC

Third Scott Bort, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Honorable mentions: Stephen Haas, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston; Scott Bort, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sports Feature

First Max Bittle, SIUC

Second Derek Anderson, SIUC

Third Stephen Haas, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Honorable mentions: Joshua Lott, Harold Washington College; John Henry, SIUC; Benjamin Pancoast, Columbia College Chicago

Portrait/Personality

First Joshua Lott, Harold Washington College

Second Derek Anderson, SIUC

Third Max Bittle, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Amber Arnold, SIUC; Katy Fortune, SIUC; Derek Anderson, SIUC

Pictorial

First Max Bittle, SIUC

Second Anthony Soufflé, SIUC

Third Amber Arnold, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Amber Arnold, SIUC; Roger Darrigrand, SIUC

Picture Story

First Derek Anderson, SIUC

Second Amber Arnold, SIUC

Third Max Bittle, SIUC

Honorable mentions: Anthony Soufflé, SIUC; Scott Bort, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign