JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 13, 2025 — Five members of the Cardinal & Cream staff earned recognition in the Southeast Journalism Conference鈥檚 annual Best of the South awards competition.
The Cardinal & Cream is 黑料论坛鈥檚 student publication, with daily news, sports, arts and entertainment and feature stories posted online at . A magazine issue is published once per semester.
Josiah Mancha won first place as best arts and entertainment writer, while Olivia Bell placed first as best opinion/editorial writer.
Abby Kraus finished second as best magazine designer. Amy DeGroot won third place as best sports writer. Faith Orr tied for fifth place as best artist/illustrator.
The Cardinal & Cream website placed fourth as best website.
鈥淭he SEJC membership seems to grow each year, with many large state schools competing for a few coveted awards,鈥� said Ted Kluck, associate professor of communication arts and adviser for the Cardinal & Cream. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of how my students have excelled year after year against the best competition in the nation, and I鈥檓 especially proud of how they keep Christ pre-eminent and haven鈥檛 changed subject matter to appease cultural whims. Their continued success is a testament to their talent, and the joy we experience in our work.鈥�
The awards were presented during the SEJC annual event held Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi.
The annual conference draws journalism students from 42 member colleges and universities in all states across the Southeast. These universities include both large state schools such as University of Memphis, Mississippi State, University of Alabama, University of Florida and University of Kentucky, as well as private institutions like Belmont University, Samford University and Harding University.