I’m sending this out for the May 24 long weekend in case the world ends on Saturday, May 21, 2011.
Awards:
Centennial Journalism students and professors collected lots of kudos in May at awards ceremonies recognizing the best in community newspapering, broadcasting, writing, and investigative journalism.
Former TorontoObserver.ca associate editor Alexis Dobranowski’s newspaper Vaughan Today won second place as Best Community Newspaper Site at the OCNA awards in Niagara Falls. She also won a second place in business and finance reporting for a story on two partners in a micro distillery.
Read the story here:
Congrats to @Editor Eric, Eric McMillan, Editor in Chief of the Toronto Observer Scarborough newsroom, because his Town Crier newsrooms (his day job) won first place for their special education section at the same OCNA awards.
And, Fast Track student @Aileendonnelly, Aileen Donnelly, (2010) who just finished interning at the National Post, won third place at the OCNA awards for student news writing for her story in the Toronto Observer.
Dylan Robertson, a U of T/Centennial joint journalism student, was a finalist at the CAJ awards in Ottawa , for best investigative story by a student. He was nominated for his look into changes in the university of Toronto’s social sciences department. Sadly he was beaten by a team of about 15-crack computer assisted reporting students at Kings College in Halifax.
Yamri Tadesse of the U of T/Centennial joint journalism program, won Best Spot News (Audio) for her quirky radio story on the most popular sex gadget on sale in Scarborough, for Valentine’s Day. The story aired on Observer Radio News and was posted to TorontoObserver.ca. The award comes from the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada, and the ceremony May 28 in Victoria. Yamri is making plans to attend and collect the prize and the cash award.
Where our grads are now:
Tristan Carter, UTSC/JJ 2010 is at the Vaughan Today where his byline is all over their online site. Read his story about a cancer patient looking for a donor here.
Sarina Adamo USTC/JJ 2011 is interning at Scrapbooking and Cards Today magazine, and Luggage Leathergoods and Accessories magazine. Both contacts were made when Sarina and her Beat Magazine student colleagues Angela Rotundo and Sarah Moore won the IPAO (Independent Publishers Association of Ontario) award for best new niche magazine and came to pitch their Social Shift Magazine to the publishers earlier this winter.
Minshu Mo, Centennial Fast Track 2010 is working full time at the Today Commercial News, the top free Chinese language daily in Toronto, and the only Canadian Chinese paper accessible in Mainland China, according to the media kit. Head office is on Progress Avenue in Scarborough.
Dharm Makwana (Centennial three year grad 2007) is in Vancouver where he got married in September. After several years with Metro News doing stories and video, he became Editor in Chief. After Sun News Network hired someone else, he went back to being a reporter for three months. He recently started a new web editor gig at The Province. Dharm says he would be happy to provide lots of good war stories and tips for students. He’s on Facebook and @Dhmakwana on Twitter.
Thandiwe Vela (UTSC/ JJ 2008) is reporting with Northern News Service for the summer for the he Yellowknifer. And the temp today was 9 Celcius! They publish 2 x a week circ. 5,400 and 6,100 according to Wikipedia. Almost like the Toronto Observer! She interned at the Toronto Star radio room, and worked there for a year, worked in Edmonton, and now is spending her summer in the north. Follow her on Twitter @ThandiVela