2019 Story of the Year

Announced at the Fall National College Media Convention, Nov. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

RELATED: 2019 Story of the Year finalists

2019 Pacemaker Awards
Newspaper  |  Online  |  Magazine  |  2018 Yearbook

2019 Individual Awards
Reporter  |  Advertisement  |  Cartoon  |  Design  | Local Climate Change Reporting |   Multimedia Story  |  Photo  |  Story


Breaking News Story

First
Aidan Ryan

Kavanaugh Will Not Return to Teach at Harvard Law School
The Harvard Crimson
Harvard College

Second
Michael Santone

Process tainted: Search yields finalists with background of sexual assault
The Advocate
Contra Costa College

Third
Fernando Haro, Omar Rashad, Jun Ueda

Homeless encampment removed from Dominguez Channel; residents displaced
The Union
El Camino College

Fourth
Nick Hazelrigg

OU employs law firm to investigate misreporting of alumni donations
The OU Daily
University of Oklahoma

Fifth
Hannah Lathen, Hannah Onder

Cox suspended 11 days before first football game
Texas Wesleyan University

Honorable Mention
Kat Schuster, Sarah Vehrs
VP of Student Affairs remains on leave pending investigation
Daily 49er
California State University, Long Beach

Honorable Mention
Ada Wood

SGA Vice President: Jones tried to pay for my vote
The Signal
Georgia State University

Honorable Mention
Brynn Mechem

Ball State Theta Chi chapter shut down by national board
The Ball State Daily News
Ball State University

Honorable Mention
Marissa Payne

UI pays nearly $4 million to keep Modern Piping off new project
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Honorable Mention
Staff

U track athlete killed in shooting on campus
The Daily Utah Chronicle
University of Utah


In-Depth News Story

First
Eduardo Medina

I don’t want to leave. I built this house: What happens when student housing forces African-Americans from their homes
The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn University

Second
Lindsey Boyd

Spartan Daily
San Jose State University
Millions misused: San Jose allegedly mishandled $6.3 million per documents

Third
Rick Childress

‘I don’t need therapy’:
Plagued by his past, student veteran continually rejected help
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Fourth
Laurel Demkovich

Eminent domain:
After their land was seized to make room for a new highway, families are crushed under the weight of progress
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University

Fifth
Julia Shanahan

Insulin: A fatal price tag
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Honorable Mention
Jordyn Matez, Sean Porter

Eagle News
Florida Gulf Coast University
The politics behind mental health

Honorable Mention
Melissa Frick

Exploring the dark side of Greek Life:
FOIA request details more than a decade of accusations against Phi Sigma Phi
Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan University

Honorable Mention
Graham Dickie, Raven Rentas

Slipping through the cracks of the U.S-Canada border
The NewsHouse
Syracuse University

Honorable Mention
Michael Tobin

Mold, maintenance requests common occurrences in university East Campus Housing
Daily Emerald
University of Oregon

Honorable Mention
Jubenal Aguilar

Tuition increase will pay for textbooks
The Brookhaven Courier
Brookhaven College


Feature Story

First
Maria Gamez

Seeking purpose in pain
Pursuit
California Baptist University

Second
Brianna Schreurs

40 years of flavor
The Collegian
South Dakota State University

Third
Chase Michaelson

The man who brought King to MSU
The State News
Michigan State University

Fourth
Nell Fitzgerald

First female professors ‘complicate’ the classroom
The Bowdoin Orient
Bowdoin College

Fifth
Laurel Deppen

A life of service: Student served as aide to George H.W. Bush
College Heights Herald
Western Kentucky University

Honorable Mention
Phi Chu

Tending to death
Talisman
Western Kentucky University

Honorable Mention
Jacob Eads

Two among thousands: Meeting Sean Culley and Taylor Nolan
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Honorable Mention
Isabella Nurt

UB students are spending big on fake IDs
The Spectrum
University at Buffalo

Honorable Mention
Jenna Alton

Anti-vaccination movement threatens global health
Daily Universe
Brigham Young University

Elisabeth O’Donnell
In the shadow of scandal: Priests reflect on brotherhood and the sins of the church
The Defender
Saint Michael’s College


Sports Game Story

First
Jack Warrick

The axe is back
Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota

Second
Tyler Roush

Heartbreak: Auburn’s magical season ends at Final Four
The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn University

Third
Ross Burkhart

Longhorns pull off Oklahoma upset in Red River classic
The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin

Fourth
Colton McWilliams

Texas State loses heartbreaker
The University Star
Texas State University

Fifth
Cullen Holt

Lancers take down UCR in crosstown showdown
The Banner
California Baptist University

Honorable Mention
Ildar Sabirov

Gators offense finally clicks to blank Toros
Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University

Honorable Mention
Aaron Jones

McGhee breaks strikeout record in sweep
The Metropolitan
Metropolitan State University of Denver

Honorable Mention
Keegan Casteel

Soccer falls short in PBC championship to PKs
The Colonnade
Georgia College

Honorable Mention
Luke Wilhelm

Back to back! Cardinals rout Walla Walla to secure another NWAC title
The Sentinel
North Idaho College

Honorable Mention
Angel Franco

One for the 12th man
The Battalion
Texas A&M University


Sports Feature Story

First
George Stoia

Concussions, consequence and conscience:
OU football great Rickey Dixon reflects on Hall of Fame career that’s killing him
The OU Daily
University of Oklahoma

Second
Henry Palatella

MVP, 8-time all star, almost Golden Flash
The Kent Stater
Kent State University

Third
Nathan King

Behind the scenes as Auburn coped with heartbreak and celebrated history
The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn University

Fourth
Bella Ross

NFL draft prospect from SDSU accused of emotional, physical abuse
The Daily Aztec
San Diego State University

Fifth
Blake Sandlin

Making Morant:
Ja Morant’s ascent from small town kid to big stage star
The Murray State News
Murray State University

Honorable Mention
Sarah Verschoor

A racist trustee’s name was taken off an IU gym.
Supporters want Bill Garrett’s name on it to right history.
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University

Honorable Mention
Andy Backstrom

Whiplash: In back-to-back years, Logan Hutsko sustained a C6 vertebrae fracture and a bipartite patella, only to return to the ice last fall and finish the season as the Eagles’ leading scorer.
The Heights
Boston College

Honorable Mention
K.J. Edelman

An honest living: How David Falk revolutionized the sports agent industry
The Daily Orange
Syracuse University

Honorable Mention
Matthew Gutierrez

The making of Adrian Autry, SU basketball’s second-in-command
The NewsHouse
Syracuse University

Honorable Mention
Griffin Reilly, Darienne Stiyer

Changing the game: Meet the new generation of women wrestlers redefining the sport
FLUX
University of Oregon


Editorial

First
Staff
de la Torre’s $162,000 inauguration was excessive

The Daily Aztec
San Diego State University

Second
Staff

What idolizing Luke Heimlich says about the OSU community
The Barometer
Oregon State University

Third
Joshua Sanchez

No on GO, You’re Being Played
SAC.Media
Mt. San Antonio College

Fourth
John Clere

We stand against the SGA senator’s bathroom proposal. You should, too.
The Horizon
Indiana University Southeast

Fifth
Matthew Kelly

WSU deserves to meet its presidential finalists
The Sunflower
Wichita State University

Honorable Mention
Natalie Hanson

University urging ‘relocation’ of low-barrier shelter a disappointment
The Orion
California State University, Chico

Honorable Mention
Staff

Satoshi Kanazawa does not belong on Northwestern’s campus
The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University

Honorable Mention
Rafael Garcia, Kyle Hampel, Olivia Rogers

After KSUnite, K-State must back up lofty words with real action
The Collegian
Kansas State University

Honorable Mention
Staff

The college admissions process is broken, and Penn is no exception
The Daily Pennsylvanian
The University of Pennsylvania

Honorable Mention
Staff

TPUSA has a right to free speech but not attention
The University Star
Texas State University


Column

First
Anabelle Childers

Survivor recounts borderline shooting
Pepperdine Graphic
Pepperdine University

Second
Hannah Kueck

With the curve: A look into life with Scoliosis
Stephens Life
Stephens College

Third
Tyler Spinosa

Why it is easier to weaponize language than admit you are wrong
The Connector
Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta

Fourth
Renee Simmons

Permission: Why I didn’t see myself as a sexual assault survivor until I was allowed to be one
The Saber
Columbus State University

Fifth
Isabella Rosario

Doctors said it was all in my head. I actually had POTS
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Honorable Mention
Carolina Diaz

My OCD brain: A look at the obsessive compulsive brain, the role of medication and alternative forms of therapy — from a personal perspective
Xpress Magazine
San Francisco State University

Honorable Mention
Robert Clinton

Techno terror: The Silicon Valley take over
The Advocate
Contra Costa College

Honorable Mention
Jonathan Pressley

Amendment 4 restores student voting rights
FSW Compass
Florida SouthWestern State College

Honorable Mention
Henry Mureithi

Speaking on blackface and past behavior
The Battalion
Texas A&M University

Honorable Mention
Caitlin Holmquist

My butt is one tenth Kim Kardashian’s
The Defender
Saint Michael’s College


Diversity Story

First
Sabrina Abrams

Peabody’s black students report discrimination
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
Johns Hopkins University

Second
Geoffrey Scot

Black students seek agency, vote
Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University

Third
Katy Stegall

Take me to church
The Sun
Southwestern College

Fourth
Logan Potter

Seeking identity in a diversity crisis
The Arbiter
Boise State University

Fifth
Lauren Johnson

Breaking the language barrier
Arches
Mount Mary University

Honorable Mention
Amal Ben Ghanem

No longer afraid: A gay man’s journey to forgive and forget
Etc. Magazine
City College of San Francisco

Honorable Mention
Noah Shoaf

Reaching out with love and understanding
The Ke Alaka’i
Brigham Young University-Hawaii

Honorable Mention
Alexandra Yetter

Casting controversy sparks student discourse on representation
The Chronicle
Columbia College Chicago

Honorable Mention
Katy Gilbertson

The Gender and Sexuality Center: 8 of 10 leaders leave amid leadership turnover
The Carletonian
Carleton College

Honorable Mention
Emma Wolf
Reclaiming a life in color
FLUX
University of Oregon