The Samford Crimson and The Local won six awards at the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) this year.
FIRST PLACE
Best Magazine Designer, Grace Watters
Best Magazine Writer, Rebekah Crozier
SECOND PLACE
Best Graphic/Data Journalist, Ashleigh Jones & Faith Holley
THIRD PLACE
Best Advertising Staffer, Lola Casey
Best Op/Ed Writer, Andrew White
FIFTH PLACE
Best Newspaper Designer, Andrew White
The conference was hosted at Mississippi State from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. The Crimson’s own Editor-in-Chief Andrew White took home two awards, and the PR Manager Lola Casey received one.
Crimson alumnae Ashleigh Jones, Grace Watters, Rebekah Crozier and Faith Holley won awards for their work done in issue eight of The Local, published November of 2023.
Crozier, former Editor-in-Chief of The Samford Crimson, stated:
“I’m so honored to have received an award at SEJC this year, especially as an alumna. But it would be wrong of me to take any credit as the story that won isn’t mine – it’s the story of Reyna, an asylum seeker from Guatemala. This is why I write – so women like Reyna can have the chance to tell their stories, stories that may not be heard otherwise. I’m so grateful to the Samford journalism department for the opportunity to share her story. This department has been so essential to getting me to where I am today, and I’m so glad I got to represent it one more time at SEJC.”
Additionally, the weekend offered multiple panels for attendees ranging from sports coverage to integrating AI in the newsroom. The Best of the South Banquet hosted keynote speaker Ross Dellenger, Mississippi State alumnus and nationally renowned sports reporter, who spoke to his truth of, “write simple, report hard.”
Currently, the host school of SEJC 2026 is still undecided.
Arts & Life Editor
