2018 California Journalism Awards Campus Contest winners

The table below displays the 2018 California Journalism Awards Campus Contest winners sorted by category.

The table is sortable by the column headers (Publication, Award, Category, Entry Title, Credit and Judge’s Comments) but you probably want to zero in on your own publication. The easiest way to do that is to use the search box to type in the name of your publication.

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First-place and second-place plaques were presented at the 2018 California Journalism Awards Luncheon on Saturday, May 4 at The Westin Long Beach. If no one from your publication was present to receive your plaque, we will ship it to you.

Certificates will be mailed to all other finalists in each category.

Category	Award	Organization	Entry Title	Credits	Judge's Comments
General Excellence	1st	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	2/20/2018 & 2/21/2018	Kyle Bender, Sarah El-Mahmoud	If I were a student I would read this paper. Very impressive. Smart story selection. Nice combination of on- and off-campus news. Stories are reported and edited well. The design is very clean. Nice use of photos.
General Excellence	2nd	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	11/1/2018 & 11/8/2018	The Santa Clara	Smart, aggressive coverage of a contentious topic, not only through the article but also related opinion pieces. Overall presentation, story selection and layout are excellent. Sports section is impressive with nice use of photos. Headlines are catchy without being juvenile.
General Excellence	3rd	CSU Long Beach-Daily 49er	5/7/2018 & 5/9/2018	Daily 49er Staff	Nice work. The Staff clearly is in touch with what students are interested in and recognize news when they see it (The Big Event). Couple of minor issues to keep an eye on, such as spelling errors and wrong words (peak vs. peek). Really nice use of photos for the volleyball team championship. Overall job well done.
General Excellence	4th	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	2/20/2018 & 2/22/2018	Harini Shyamsundar, Karim Doumar	Dedicating an entire issue to a topic as serious and as relevant as sexual assault is an undertaking, and the Staff clearly knew what they were doing. Intelligent pieces that answer the "why should I care" question. The second issue demonstrates a nice blend of local and campus-focused reporting. Clean headlines and consistent style.
General Excellence	5th	CSU Chico-The Orion	11/28/2018 & 12/5/2018	Natalie Hanson, Christian Solis, Alex Grant, Josh Cozine	Very impressive work to not only cover a tragedy but to also focus on how the Camp Fire affected the campus community and students. Nice use of photos. Layout could be stronger. Be careful not to overwhelm readers; sometimes fewer stories that are more well-developed is a better option than trying to cover everything.
General Excellence	1st	City College of San Francisco-The Guardsman	11/6/2018 & 11/28/2018	The Guardsman Staff	Interesting graphics, modern layout. Solid writing, good reporting.
General Excellence	2nd	Orange Coast College-Coast Report	10/17/2018 & 10/31/2018	Coast Report Staff	Very clean throughout. Conservative, but professional approach.
General Excellence	3rd	Santa Monica College-Corsair	11/20/2018 & 12/4/2018	Corsair Staff	Not afraid to tackle big issues. Could have tied to campus a bit more.
General Excellence	4th	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	2/14/2018 & 2/28/2018	The Advocate Staff	Solid throughout.
General Excellence	5th	Santa Ana College-el Don	10/29/2018 & 12/10/2018	Lizeth Fuentes, Jason Solares, Nikki Nelsen, Diego Devia	Taking chances can work — and can fail. A little of both here.
General Excellence	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	3/2018 & 4/2018	The Gazette Staff	An excellent newspaper, full of information and great headlines, graphics and advertising. As a school newspaper, this paper covers a wide range of topics. Good job!
General Excellence	2nd	Harvard-Westlake School-The Chronicle	3/21/2018 & 4/25/2018	Danielle Spitz, Josie Abugov	Excellent newspaper, with large photos, compelling layouts and excellent graphics. Loved the Spring Into Action graphic and Q&A Sports feature with the large photo. Not a fan that every page seemed to be a section front.
General Excellence	3rd	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	10/2018 & 12/2018	Owen Murphy	Layouts are all horizontal, need some vertical elements on the page. Layouts on some pages confusing, especially when stories are broken by placement of photographs. Good writing and excellent headlines, especially "Abundance of freshmen creates deficits of desks." Publication covers school, local, regional and national news and all the sports, NFL, NBA, MLB, one wonders if students/readers needed this information in a school newspaper, or could they have learned about the Warriors' NBA titles somewhere else.
General Excellence	4th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	10/5/2018 & 10/26/2018	The Olympian Staff	Solid opinion pages, lots of views from students. But Opinion pages on Oct. 26, 2018 edition are Pages 4, 5 and 8 — weird. Put them together. Also in that edition, there are three photos pages without page numbers. Overall, good mix of stories, good editorials, layout, headlines and excellent use of photos. Loved the Lunt story with photo, nicely written.
General Excellence	5th	Sanger High School - Hi-Lights	4/26/2018 & 5/24/2018	Von Balanon, Moises Buitrago, Berenice Vargas, Celyssa Aguilar	Lots of information, good end-of-year graduation issue. Layout is good, plenty of graphics and neat story ideas, but overall the writing should be sharper, less repetitive with more focus on writing sharper, better and shorter ledes. The athlete of the month features is a good idea, but there's no sense in asking a question and then having the athlete repeat part of it in their answer. Should be rewritten. Loved the Life of a pilot feature and graphic, very strong.
Writing	1st	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Survival	Kristie-Valerie Hoang	This is a beautifully written story with a vivid and compelling lede. This could easily have become an anecdotal piece based on a few people's accounts of their cultural identity, but figures are woven in throughout to support the narrative. Those supporting figures never interrupt the storytelling, but bolster it briefly then get out of the way in favor of a character-driven narrative.
Writing	2nd	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	Juuls at School are Smokin’	Kimi Andrew	A compelling lede uses a real story from a regular person on the street. The story is packed with facts and figures quotations from experts, very information-rich, but the best part is the observations of campus life and interviews with regular students. This helps keep the story interesting, such as the student reselling e-cigarettes, which diverges from the predictable smoking-is-bad-for-you script.
Writing	3rd	San Diego State University-The Daily Aztec	Greeks need to get it together	Daily Aztec Editorial Board	This is a persuasive and compelling opinion piece. The writers are specific and clear, and every sentence conveys something clear and substantive. They've done significant reporting, too, and cite Greek Life misconduct on other campuses as well. The authors are not afraid to be bold and say exactly what they mean.
Writing	4th	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Titans quietly suspend player accused of domestic violence	Harrison Faigen	This is a deeply reported and well constructed story. The writing goes point by point through the evidence the reporter gathered, explaining decisions along the wayâ€”like why a domestic violence victim's name is included, and how administrators pointed them directly to the text of a lawâ€”to the reader. The story answers the questions a reader would have, clearly and precisely.
Writing	5th	San Diego State University-The Daily Aztec	Port of entry closure threatens SDSU's transborder commuters	Daniel Guerrero, David Santillan	This story opens with a powerful lede, then picks up the story of an individual to illustrate a story that affects more people.
Writing	1st	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Book by book: Rebuilding a post-fire identity	Lauren A. Spates	Excellent read. The topic was compelling, but it was framed in an interesting, unique way that captured the reader's attention. The story was not overwritten, which is a danger with stories that carry a level of emotion or trauma. Instead, it was measured but had solid details with strong organization. Well done.
Writing	2nd	Orange Coast College-Coast Report	Life is a gamble	Kassidy Dillon	Strong piece of writing. The entry point was interesting, drawing the reader in. The details add to the compelling nature of the story, interwoven with reaction from those affected.
Writing	3rd	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Rise and grind: The student-athlete hustle	Isaiah Cappelen	This was a solid job, looking at the daily grind for student-athletes. The organization was strong, with effective use of language and strong quotes.
Writing	4th	Santa Ana College-el Don	Loss of Custodial Staff Result in Heavier Workload	Marta Konorska	I enjoyed this read. The lead was strong, drawing readers in and, also, highlighting the impacts of the decision. Overall, the writer put a face on the issue in a compelling way, using solid organization that ensured a smooth flow.
Writing	5th	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Finding tranquility in chaos	Lauren A. Spates	This was a good read, looking at the impacts on mental health and students in the aftermath of a wildfire. While overwritten at times, the overall structure and organization was good. Insights from those affected was presented in a compelling way alongside data and statistics.
Writing	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Athletes upset with unprompted retribution	Akhil Shah	Well researched. Glad to see comments from both sides of the issue, allowing admin to share its side. Well written.
Writing	2nd	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	History Bowl team makes history with trip to nationals	Roman Peregrino	Love the nod to history and tradition. Well written.
Writing	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Administration seeks new discipline method	Elliott Hyman	Very well researched. Buried the lead a bit with restorative justice being that low, but well written and well researched.
Writing	4th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	Trojans oppose Trump on birthright citizenship	Brittany Bin	Good reporting on an national issue localized. A great basis for community journalism.
Writing	5th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	"Four Men in Paris" wows audiences	Talaya Francois	interesting, well thought-out review of performance brushing on important topic.
Enterprise News Story or Series	1st	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Declined Help, Declining Health	Teddy Rosenbluth	Comprehensive story that utilizes graphics, photos, pull outs to keep the reader engaged. Well rounded reporting looking at the issue from 360 degrees.
Enterprise News Story or Series	2nd	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Contaminated groundwater under OC	Daniel Inga, Tyrah Majors, Wendy Chavez	Good job bringing to light a serious issue that could affect quality of life among the student population.
Enterprise News Story or Series	3rd	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Many Fullerton restaurants violate health codes	Tatiana Diaz, Omar Sanchez, Jacob Tatham, Kristine Janarilla	Detailed research provides key look at the issue. Would have scored higher with customer voices.
Enterprise News Story or Series	4th	CSU Long Beach-Daily 49er	CSULB continues to grapple with identity crisis	Kat Schuster	Interesting topic with a good graphic illustrating the confusion. Good use of official comments as well as student voices.
Enterprise News Story or Series	5th	Sonoma State University-Sonoma State Star	Rise in Campus Rapes, But Not in Warnings	Braden Cartwright	Story does a good job shedding light on a serious topic.
Enterprise News Story or Series	1st	El Camino College-The Union	13 percent of EC students are homeless	Jose Tobar	By telling the story of homeless students so well, the journalists gave voice to an often overlooked segment of students. By mixing excellent portraits with information on the causes and economics of homelessness, this is an informative and human look at a very real problem.
Enterprise News Story or Series	2nd	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	School’s out for summer: admin cuts summer courses	Brandon McCapes, Rachel Edelstein, Seamus Reed, The Oak Leaf Staff	Comprehensive coverage of proposed course cuts. Each story equally strong with excellent info on the impact the cuts would have on student. Great use of quotes.
Enterprise News Story or Series	3rd	Glendale College-El Vaquero	Some Call for Extended DSPS Services	Kenya Barboza	Balanced, incisive coverage of the lack of resources for students, with clear evidence that this is a budgetary issue. Great example of how hard work by journalists can illuminate a problem and, it is hoped, lead to solutions.
Enterprise News Story or Series	4th	San Diego City College-City Times	Blackout Coverage	Brian Mohler	Excellent sustained coverage of ongoing blackouts. Great sourcing with engaging details of the blackouts. Clear, clever writing. A pleasure to read.
Enterprise News Story or Series	5th	Glendale College-El Vaquero	America's Hate Problem	Marian Sahakyan	Excellent example of how local reporting can be used to illuminate a national trend, in this case anti-semitism. A very real and heartfelt examination.
Enterprise News Story or Series	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Doug Mason resigns	Spencer Cova	Excellent hard news feature and watch dog reporting.
Enterprise News Story or Series	2nd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	FBLA group ousted from state event	Max Schwartz
Enterprise News Story or Series	3rd	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	Climate change debate continues to heat up	Fabian Aguilar	Reporting and writing about climate change is complex. Good job tackling such a difficult issue to explain to mass audiences.
Enterprise News Story or Series	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	March for our Lives	Sidney Zabell
Enterprise News Story or Series	5th	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	Smoke saturates San Francisco skies	Harrick Wu
Profile Story	1st	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	The people of People’s Park	Malini Ramaiyer, Miles Brown, Luz Rioja, Ian MacGregor	Obviously a lot of time went into this profile of a public space and "its people." Descriptions and details humanizes the subjects. Timely and relevant, videos add another dimension.
Profile Story	2nd	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	Senior Soloist in the Spotlight	Erin Fox	Well-written, nice hook. Well-rounded depiction of the subject as a complete person.
Profile Story	3rd	Claremont Colleges-The Student Life	From Walk-On To National Champion: Tyra Abraham On Her Running Career That Almost Wasn’t	Torrey Hart	Very tight concise, the definition of a well-written profile.
Profile Story	4th	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	The Man with the Golden Voice	Jimmy Flynn	Good story, well written, could be shorter. A look at a rather unusual career path.
Profile Story	5th	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Wayne Arnold motivated by family	Harrison Faigen	Good, nice hook. Could be tightened up a little.
Profile Story	1st	San Diego City College-City Times	Undocumented students share success stories	Brian Mohler	Relevant, focused and strong writing, offering a unique chance to hear the voices of a population we don't hear often, putting a human face on a national issue.
Profile Story	2nd	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	“All that education for nothing”: One reporter recounts his path to the Pulitzer	Lauren A. Spates	Well-shaped and engaging storytelling about a journalist's how and why.
Profile Story	3rd	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Daisy Garnica: A real life phoenix	Dakota McGranahan	An extremely revealing and vulnerable look into a student's challenges with mental health and dealing with great loss from the wildfire. The writer told her story with care. The photos were also beautiful.
Profile Story	4th	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Despite prejudice, transwoman shines pride, confidence	Anthony Kinney	The writer offers a rare and compellingly written glimpse into the life of a young trans woman.
Profile Story	5th	El Camino College-The Union	For this EC freshman, the sky is the limit, and her journey is just getting started	Melanie Chacon	Descriptive and detailed profile of a young athlete that paints a vivid picture of both her personality and drive. The photos were fantastic.
Profile Story	1st	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	Lunt kicks through gender barriers	Ria Panjwani	LOVE this story, very unique angle and the lede is great. The quotes are great and incorporate a lot of the nuances of females playing male-dominated sports.
Profile Story	2nd	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	Remembering Giants legend Willie ‘Stretch’ McCovey	Steven Rissotto	Much better job with the lede than on the Aretha Franklin one. Tells me right away why I should care that this person died. I also like that you added quotes from someone who knew Willie, really adds to story.
Profile Story	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Student shines in Russia	Mia Taylor	Good quotes and interesting story, especially like the quote you end with. Lede could be a bit better. It's vague and doesn't tell me what the climber's newfound passion is.
Profile Story	4th	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	Crusader brothers band together to support classmate	Steven Rissotto	The story is really interesting. Would have liked to hear from more people other than Blanchard. Lede could be improved. For profiles, start with the most interesting aspect of the story. In this instance, that would be the loud crack when Blanchard became paralyzed.
Profile Story	5th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	Research-scientist-turned-teacher Dr. Deborah Yager retires	Jenny Pham	Story doesn't mention that she's retiring until very end of the article. If that's what this story is supposed to be about, needs to be the lede. Lots of more interesting information about Yager at the end of the story that would have been better to have at the beginning.
Columns	1st	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Sex on Tuesday	Rizza Estacio	The writer tackles topics that are often difficult to talk about. She is able to engage and reel in readers through her bold writing. I like her honest approach and how she incorporates her personal experiences to put the spotlight on relevant issues. She sheds light on topics and is able to give readers her viewpoint without lecturing to them about what is right or wrong.
Columns	2nd	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Document This	Gladys Torres Avalos	The writer provided new insight into a topic that has been widely debated in recent months. I like that she wrote about her personal experiences and refrained from "lecturing" readers on how they should feel. Nice storytelling qualities.
Columns	3rd	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Are you there, UCLA? It's me, Mom	Mariah Furtek	The writer concisely lays out the issues and solutions while engaging readers through a mix of student stories and facts and figures. She sheds light on topics that are relevant, timely and probably wouldn't otherwise be discussed if not for her column. Nice job!
Columns	4th	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	The Person Inside	Hari Srinivasan	Nice job on giving readers a look at what it's like to be a nonverbal autistic student and the daily challenges you encounter. The columns exposed me to something I didn't know much about, but were written in way that made your experiences something that others can probably relate to when experiencing their own challenges.
Columns	5th	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	White Supremacy / America lacks true perspective	Brandon Angel	Nice job weaving together facts and good writing to engage readers while making your point.
Columns	1st	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Robert Clinton columns	Robert Clinton	Strong voice. Good use of anaphora. Writer is personal and persuasive. I felt like he and I were having a conversation.
Columns	2nd	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Alondra Gallardo columns	Alondra Gallardo	Strong voice. Poses a problem, then offers a solution. Writer gives readers a way to get involved with the solution, and not continue to be part of the problem.
Columns	3rd	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	Our district sustainability plan is not enough—we can do better	Daniel Wallace	Good use of sources and statistics to bolster opinion. Strong voice. Call to action is clear and relevant.
Columns	4th	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Michael T. Barnes columns	Michael T. Barnes	Writer clearly has done his research and his opinions are fact-based. Short, succinct paragraphs entice the reader.
Columns	5th	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	The local “Straw Ban” isn’t helpful, here’s what could be	Daniel Wallace	Writer points out the bigger issue in the rise of pollution. Good combination of sentence lengths. Excellent use of sources.
Columns	1st	Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader	Vanuska’s View	Karl Vanuska	Thoughtful, well-developed arguments on topics relevant to students.
Columns	2nd	Sanger High School - Hi-Lights	District splurges $15,000 despite budget cuts/Redefining the infamous f-word	Emily Hartsell
Columns	3rd	Eastside College Prep - The Eastside Panther	Less sympathy, more empathy; What's the key to holiday cheer? Donuts!	Rayshaun Jordan
Columns	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Toxic Masculinity & Long-term friendships	Cori Caplinger
Columns	5th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	People are lacking ... & Your personal space may	Sarah Withrow
Sports Game Story	1st	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Beach volleyball defeats Florida State, gains program’s first NCAA title	Joy Hong
Sports Game Story	2nd	CSU Bakersfield-The Runner	CSUB loses five straight, stumbles in conference	Vincent Perez	I like how the writer makes the most of a losing season. Good intrigue with the suspended player.
Sports Game Story	3rd	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	All heroes on deck: Analyzing Cal football’s bowl chances with 5 weeks remaining	Josh Yuen
Sports Game Story	4th	Claremont Colleges-The Student Life	Red-Hot Scarlett Scores 32 As CMS Men’s Basketball Outduels Sagehens	Kellen Browning
Sports Game Story	5th	CSU Long Beach-Daily 49er	49ers win first national championship in 20 years	Zackary Handy
Sports Game Story	1st	El Camino College-The Union	Football team advances to playoffs	Justin Bell	Great job on recreating the drama of the game. Summary of the game and the preview of the championship was well done.
Sports Game Story	2nd	Santa Ana College-el Don	Dons Lose to Santa Monica 2-1	Diego Devia	Good job of setting the scene and keeping the pacing of the story tight.
Sports Game Story	3rd	El Camino College-The Union	Warriors hold off Seahawks for first win of the season	Justin Bell	Interesting lead that helped set a mood for the story.
Sports Game Story	4th	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	Vaqueros baseball team defeated in gut-wrenching home game	Jack Davies	Summary of the game was descriptive and well done.
Sports Game Story	5th	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Fire, smoke jeopardize shot at BVC championship	Efrain Valdez	Good job of blending sports and news and giving reader a sense of the teams' frustrations.
News Photo	1st	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Undergraduate student government election results	Amy Dixon	Strong composition, captures the moment and tells a story — hallmarks of great news photography. It also conveys emotion, and the joy and elation are contagious. Minor flaws: the light is a little bright, and it would be good to crop the left side to eliminate the green arm and the random hand. Great shot!
News Photo	2nd	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Wildfire devastation envelopes state	Joshua Arief Halim	Powerful mood. Great creative way to tell this story visually, standing behind the woman surveying the scene. This photograph captures both the scope of the devastation, and the intimacy of the story and conveys emotion that stays with the viewer. I found myself remembering this shot for quite a while. Good framing and balance in composition. Technically solid.
News Photo	3rd	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Anti-Marxism protest returns to Berkeley after last year’s violence, ignites tensions among demonstrators	Amanda Ramirez	This photograph makes you want to keep looking — a good example of strong storytelling. Technically, it's a little too dark on the right side. One concern — as a stand-alone shot, does this photograph correctly capture the event as described in the story? I'm afraid not. I saw that this is one in a package of photographs, so that's OK, and the photo itself is definitely strong. But if it were to stand alone, it would be misleading, so editors need to be careful where and how the photo is played in print or online.
News Photo	4th	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Wednesday’s demonstration outside Royce Hall supported activist Ahed Tamimi	MacKenzie Coffman	Beautiful composition, beautiful light, artistic. Conveys the basic information related to the event, but doesn't capture a lot of energy, which detracts from the impact of the shot.
News Photo	5th	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Chancellor Carol Christ speaks about diversity at ASUC Senate meeting	Allen Zeng	Good informative shot, taking an unusual angle on the event. Photographer made a wise choice to focus on the audience, which allows reader to take in the diversity of the group. (Package should include at least a mug shot of the chancellor, though, since we want to see her face, too.)
News Photo	1st	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	Channels photographer evacuates from Woolsey Fire	Nate Stephenson	An excellent composition that captures the wildfire scene's intensity -the firefighter appears to be walking into hell. I also admire the lighting and color composition. The best in show.
News Photo	2nd	El Camino College-The Union	Budding space engineer	Jack Kan	The girl's facial expression says it all, I cracked up when I saw her. Great work in including the serviceman guiding her, which shows this is not your typical rocket launch.
News Photo	3rd	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Grief, outrage follow police homicide of Stephon Clark	Denis Perez	Excellent cropping and overall composition that portray the scene's drama. This is one of the best shots of Stevante Clark I've seen.
News Photo	4th	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	Channels photographer evacuates from Woolsey Fire	Nate Stephenson	A great composition that appears to be a still from a feature film. The landscape's placement is a fine backdrop to the subject. Professional quality.
News Photo	5th	El Camino College-The Union	Displaced again	Miyung Kim	1st-class work in portraying the homeless situation's desperation and misery. It's an unforgettable sight.
News Photo	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Shocked after crash — Every 15 Minutes event	Sidney Zabell	Powerful image. Captures all the emotions.
News Photo	2nd	Eastside College Prep - The Eastside Panther	#Enough is enough	Vannesa Gurrola	Great image. Tells the story. Gets to the heart of the event.
News Photo	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Victim DOA — Every 15 Minutes event	Sidney Zabell	Compelling image. Grabs the viewers.
News Photo	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Emergency Airlift — Every 15 Minutes event	Sydney Sewell	A strong photo that captures lots of action and reaction. Solid news image.
News Photo	5th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Homecoming royalty (dominant middle image)	Shreya Dodballapur	Captures the energy, color and excitement of a campus news event.
Feature Photo	1st	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Dia de los Muertos	Rachel Hefner	This photograph stopped me in my tracks — the shallow depth of field that resulted in the blurred background, the focused intensity of the subject, the color of the Dia de los Muertos makeup all combined to create an arresting image that demands a viewer's attention. A truly noteworthy effort.
Feature Photo	2nd	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Halloween inspires freaky festival	Sophia Acevedo	The whimsy of the lines of pumpkins, combined with the subtle, just-under-the-radar threat of possible Halloween horror for the visitors walking through the display, made this an especially effective image. Excellent use of leading lines.
Feature Photo	3rd	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	Bollywood Beauties	Nick Kniveton	A fun, celebratory moment, with a shutter speed slow enough to allow just a bit of blurring to emphasize movement. The background color could have been jarring for some, but I thought it worked.
Feature Photo	4th	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Actors perform alongside Japanese-inspired puppets in drama about family, memory	Niveda Tennety	This was the best of the performance/concert photographs — the lighting on the actor was perfect, and the fog suspended above the actor's head gave the image an ethereal, other-worldly quality that was quite powerful. The photographer captured an especially intense stage moment that put readers right in the theater's front row.
Feature Photo	5th	Humboldt State University-The Lumberjack	A dancer's journey	Garrett Goodnight	I loved the way the photographer composed the image so that the dancer, in color, popped against a background that was intentionally chosen because it would appear to be in black and white. While I had some concerns that this photo might have been a better fit in the photo illustration category, it was extremely well executed.
Feature Photo	1st	Santa Monica College-Corsair	A young child waits for his bus to leave a migrant shelter in Tijuana Mexico	Zane Meyer-Thornton
Feature Photo	2nd	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	SBCC Competitive Programming Club helps & challenges students	Vanessa Martinez
Feature Photo	3rd	Santa Monica College-Corsair	Three teenage boys shout to draw attention to people cutting a line for supplies	Zane Meyer-Thornton
Feature Photo	4th	Santa Monica College-Corsair	Hollywood Boulevard Zombie walk	Oskar Zinnemann
Feature Photo	5th	Diablo Valley College-The Inquirer	Navigating the depths of Monterey Bay	Ethan Anderson
Feature Photo	1st	Sanger High School-Hi-Lights	Standing out in the crowd	Jose Soria	Jose Soria’s photo does a great job capturing an image that depicts the seriousness of the subject matter.
Feature Photo	2nd	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	Swimming Sophomores	Talaya Francois	Pep rallies are meant to encourage school spirit and support members of a sports team and this photo captures the enthusiasm and support of the students wonderfully. Great emotion and action.
Feature Photo	3rd	Sanger High School-Hi-Lights	Homecoming	Suriya Siriphoosit	Suriya Siriphoosit’s photo is a fun portrait of two photogenic subjects.
Feature Photo	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Welcome through the window	Sidney Zabell	The expression on the subject’s face is great and draws the viewer’s attention, though, the composition does draw attention away from the smiling face and toward the text on her shirt and nametag.
Feature Photo	5th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	Seniors enjoy the limelight at the Welcome Back Assembly on August 31	Natalie Costello	Great expressions and color, though a little lacking in the “action” department. Changing the angle would add drama and scale to the photo, depending on if it was shot from a high or low perspective.
Sports Action Photo	1st	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Cal men’s basketball loses to Washington State, falls to last place in Pac-12	Joshua Jordan	Excellent action, focus and composition; a professional-quality shot.
Sports Action Photo	2nd	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Baseball takes down San Diego	Gabe Gandara	Good action, focus and composition.
Sports Action Photo	3rd	Claremont Colleges-The Student Life	Pomona-Pitzer Men's Tennis victory	Chloe Ortiz	Good composition and emotion, captures the moment well.
Sports Action Photo	4th	CSU Bakersfield-The Runner	Sebastian Mentel jumps over CSUN goal keeper	Johnathan Wheatley	Good action and composition
Sports Action Photo	5th	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Allman was ready for the spotlight	Jessica Ruiz	Good action and focus.
Sports Action Photo	1st	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Local boxers clash at Fairmont Hotel ballroom event	Denis Perez	Excellent lighting and positioning. Captured the moment. Very well done. Not easy to do this in boxing.
Sports Action Photo	2nd	Santa Ana College-el Don	Soccer	Diego Devia	Wonderful expressions. Viewer can feel the movement and the tension. Excellent work.
Sports Action Photo	3rd	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Horses, jockeys compete at Churchill Downs	Denis Perez	Love the color and angle in this sports feature photo. Wonderful framing. Very compelling.
Sports Action Photo	4th	Santa Barbara City College-The Channels	SBCC football ends season with a one point loss against Pasadena	Thomas Fernandez	Great moment. The viewer is left to wonder what happens next. So many possibilities. Very intriguing.
Sports Action Photo	5th	El Camino College-The Union	Fighting to free herself	Darwyn Samayoa	Beautiful action. Well done.
Sports Action Photo	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Sad football players	Max Schwartz	Photo illustration works well as an entry point into the page. 2ndary photo is effective, too.
Sports Action Photo	2nd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Chasing the ball	Sidney Zabell	The action shot in the middle of the page really catches the intensity of the moment.
Sports Action Photo	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Football defensive line	Sidney Zabell	Catching the emotion of the moment is key in these photos.
Sports Action Photo	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Blocked shot water polo	Sidney Zabell	Nice action shot on water polo, it was a bit soft but still intense.
Sports Action Photo	5th	Castro Valley High School-The Olympian	CVHS Cross Country teams give it their all at NCS championships	Andrew Watanabe	Nice action photo of the cross country guys
Photo Illustration	1st	CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan	Cover art	Andre Gomez, Chris Trinh	A very clean image. Excellent work, an eye-catching piece. Good job with page balance. The illustration is allowed to breathe through the use of open space around it. Good use of color, with the school's complementary colors blending nicely. The elements work well together, positioned so as to keep readers’ eyes trained on the middle of the page.
Photo Illustration	2nd	UCLA-Daily Bruin	UCLA Health reneges on announced $5,000 housing stipend to resident physicians	Liz Ketcham	Excellent work. A very clean presentation. Flawless execution. It conveys the story very well — doctors are losing money.
Photo Illustration	3rd	CSU Bakersfield-The Runner	Thinkin' of a Master Plan	Miguel Fabian, Aqsa Khan, Skylar Carrasco	A good idea, a creative approach. The illustration is striking and it clearly informs readers about the major issues involved with the master plan. Good use of white space. Effective use of color.
Photo Illustration	4th	Santa Clara University-The Santa Clara	Precious Juuls	Michelle Wang	Very good work. It presents a neutral look. The illustration could have made Juul smokers look bad, or it could have made vaping look glamorous/desirable. This avoids both of those, it plays it down the middle, as journalists should.
Photo Illustration	5th	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Meghan Scudero balances roles to prove both the pen and the soccer ball are mighty	Amy Dixon, Axel Lopez	The artist was wise to not overdo this. It’s not too busy. It avoids the visual cliches often seen with stories about athletes and books. The light on her face seems a bit bright, but otherwise the execution is very good.
Photo Illustration	1st	Santa Ana College-el Don	41-year-old Rookie	Jordy Espinoza	Nice treatment of a photo, good color choices
Photo Illustration	2nd	Santa Ana College-el Don	Weed Cover	Nikki Nelsen	Clear message, nice color treatment and overlay of images.
Photo Illustration	3rd	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Injustice breeds social change	Denis Perez	Creative use of photos. Clear message. Good use of smaller elements.
Photo Illustration	4th	Santa Ana College-el Don	Stress 101	Sabrina Zamora	Powerful message, appropriate color.
Photo Illustration	5th	El Camino College-The Union	Smoking ban: Enforced or irgnored?	Ryan Guitare	Good image and use of lighting treatment. Absence of color makes it stronger! Nicely done.
Photo Illustration	1st	Sanger High School - Hi-Lights	Trump Tweets: Make Twitter great again!	Von Balanon	A witty, timely and clear illustration of an important topic. Well done.
Photo Illustration	2nd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Doug Mason resigns	Sidney Zabell	This illustration handles a serious subject with taste on a challenging campus issue.
Photo Illustration	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Pumpkin face	Dylan Rowe	A fun and clever way to represent a celebration of all things fall.
Photo Illustration	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Party scene	Akhil Shah	This illustration tackles an essential topic and adds depth to the article.
Photo Illustration	5th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Litter	Sydney Sewell	A well-executed photo illustration that makes its point clear.
Illustration	1st	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	Ringing in a new life: Recent graduates talk post-college careers, friendships and next steps	Isabella Schreiber	The execution here is wonderful — perfectly complementing the article. It hits the point — containing a diverse student and showing the idea of degree attainment.
Illustration	2nd	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	‘The Black Woman is God: Assembly of Gods’ reveres the Black female artist	Isabella Schreiber	Gorgeous illustration from the perspective of texture and execution. A creative complement to the piece.
Illustration	3rd	UCLA-Daily Bruin	California wildfires	Nicole Anisgard Parra	Timely, well-executed art.
Illustration	4th	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Romance and #MeToo	Claire Sun	Potentially a conversation starter as a piece of art.
Illustration	5th	Humboldt State University-The Lumberjack	I was never silent	Jen Kelly	Timely and well-executed.
Illustration	1st	Santa Ana College-el Don	Santa Ana City Mayor	Alberto Donjuan	effective use of color. Conveys clear message without words.
Illustration	2nd	Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf	Profanity	Rachel Edelstein	Good digital art. Message is clear
Illustration	3rd	Santa Ana College-el Don	Keep the Blunts Rolling	Dennis Guirola	nice art
Illustration	4th	San Jose City College-The Times	Hate crime shocks EVC	Magnolia Lonero	Creative use of color and shape
Illustration	5th	Contra Costa College-The Advocate	Flicks splash onto silver screen	Isaac Benivades	Nice art
Illustration	1st	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Anime	Andrew Yung
Illustration	2nd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Snow globe	Sidney Zabell
Illustration	3rd	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Student Senate	Abbie Gould
Illustration	4th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Dyer Road	Abbie Gould
Illustration	5th	Granite Bay High School-The Gazette	Clashing cars	Andrew Yung, Sidney Zabell
Online General Excellence	1st	UC Berkeley-The Daily Californian	The Daily Californian website	Harini Shyamsundar, Victoria Do, Michael Tamaki
Online General Excellence	2nd	UC Santa Barbara - The Daily Nexus	The Daily Nexus website	Daily Nexus
Online General Excellence	3rd	UCLA-Daily Bruin	Daily Bruin website	Nathan Smith, Mike Zhang, Hongyi Zhang
Online General Excellence	4th	Claremont Colleges-The Student Life	The Student Life website	Hank Snowdon, Meghan Bobrowsky, Ariel So, Kellen Browning
Online General Excellence	5th	Humboldt State University-The Lumberjack	The Lumberjack website	Deija Zavala, Nicole Bravo
Online General Excellence	1st	City College of San Francisco-The Guardsman	The Guardsman website	The Guardsman Staff	Bold design and great coverage of campus stories. Easy to navigate based on interests with category buttons.
Online General Excellence	2nd	El Camino College-The Union	The Union website	The Union Staff	Good use of large typefaces and simple, clean color scheme. Enjoyed the sports profiles and crime map features.
Online General Excellence	3rd	Skyline College-The Skyline View	The Skyline View website	The Skyline View Staff	Simple, clean layout. The 'Honoring our Veterans' and extensive reviews were highlights.
Online General Excellence	4th	Santa Ana College-el Don	el Don website	Lizeth Fuentes, Diego Devia, Nikki Nelsen, Jason Solares	Effective use of photos for a big, bold presentation. Enjoyed the health articles.
Online General Excellence	5th	Diablo Valley College-The Inquirer	The Inquirer website	The Inquirer Staff	Simple green and black color scheme most effective of all entries. Enjoyed 'The Buzz' pieces in the Opinion section.