Helmsman garners awards

Current and former Daily Helmsman staff members attended the 2011 Southeastern Journalism Conference Friday, bringing home six awards, including the top award for Best Overall College Journalist of the Year.

The competition — which is known as the Best of the South — is held annually at colleges in the southeast. Ten people are ranked in each category.

Managing Editor Chelsea Boozer was presented with College Journalist of the Year, beating out 41 other universities in the southeast. Stories submitted for consideration of the award included coverage of The University's possible federal violations of the Clery Act as determined in an audit by the Department of Education.

Other winners included Michelle Corbet, who placed ninth in arts and entertainment; former reporter Erica Horton, who placed fifth in features; Boozer, who placed fourth in news; former Editor-In-Chief Scott Carroll, who placed third in the opinion category; former staff member Cole Epley who placed sixth in layout and former Sports Editor John Martin, who placed first in sports.

Carroll's Best of the South award was garnered after judges reviewed editorials he'd written on issues of campus safety, including whether a bill should be passed allowing firearms on campus and the importance of officials utilizing The University's emergency text message system responsibly.

"Most of it is just the staff we get," Carroll said. "We got more motivated and better reporters every semester that I was there, and it made my job easier. The same way with the editorials – the reporters were doing such good work. All of the information I needed to put an opinion on was there in their stories."

Martin, the Best Sports Reporter of the South, was hired as the Memphis beat writer for the Fox Sports affiliate Scout.com last year. He worked as a sports reporter and editor at The Daily Helmsman until he resigned to take the job at Scout.  

He was evaluated based on an article that detailed the possibility of student seats being limited at sport stadiums and an in-depth article about Tigers forward Will Coleman.

"Any time you win an award it's a great thing. I'm sure there were a lot of worthy contestants, so it's nice to bring one home. I'm never shy to take home an award and I'm glad I won," Martin said.

Candace Justice, the general manager of The Helmsman, said that, since it is an independent student newspaper, students are doing the work and winning the awards on their own.

"The Helmsman has just shown time and again that it is a nurturing place for young journalists," Justice said. "The staff every year wins awards like this, but also national awards like Hearst and the IRE."

According to Justice, Boozer is the fifth U of M student to win the top award in the history of the competition.

David Arant, chair of the Department of Journalism, said he is proud of The Daily Helmsman team.

"I'm delighted that our writers and editors are getting the recognition they deserve," he said. "These awards will serve them well as the students seek positions in the profession."