The Burr won first and second place in the first-person category of the (AEJMC) Magazine Division鈥檚 student magazine contest.
Senior magazine journalism major Christina Bucciere received the first-place award for her article 鈥淢y Upright Life,鈥� which was featured in the December 2013 issue.
Seth Porges, freelance writer for magazines such as In-Style, Rolling Stone and Forbes and judge of the first-person category, referred to Bucciere鈥檚 article as 鈥渁n immersive account of going through a serious medical ordeal.鈥�
鈥淭he best first-person stories allow the reader to experience something they wouldn鈥檛 otherwise, through the eyes of the writer. That is done here,鈥� Porges added.
Nick Shook, who graduated from Kent State this year with a degree in news journalism, was awarded second place for his article "Head Games,鈥� which was featured in the May 2014 issue of The Burr.
Porges called Shook鈥檚 article 鈥渁n eye鈥恛pening account of what it鈥檚 like to undergo head trauma.鈥�
鈥淲e hear a lot about concussions and sports injuries, but precious little from the [point of view] of the folks who endure them,鈥� commented Porges. 鈥淭his Story does so in a very effective and straightforward manner.鈥�
There were 270 entries from 28 universities in this year鈥檚 AEJMC student magazine contest.
鈥淭his is one of the most competitive student magazine contests in the nation, and one of the few that gives cash prizes ($100) to the winners of each category,鈥� said Professor Jacqueline Marino, who serves as Immediate Past Head for the AEJMC Magazine Division. Marino added that the judges are all magazine professionals and some have been judging the contest for years.
鈥淭he winning entries often stand out for some reason鈥攅xtra thoughtful analysis, in-depth reporting, illuminating writing. They aren't just good; They are exceptional in some way,鈥� said Marino.
鈥淚 am thrilled for Christina and Nick. To win first and second place in the first-person category is a real honor for Kent State. Both wrote unforgettable pieces,鈥� said Marino.
