OXFORD, Miss. – Seven University of Mississippi journalism
students and their instructor, all members of the local
Public Relations Association of Mississippi chapter, won
distinguished awards including two of the top four honors
– at the recent statewide PRAM conference in Hattiesburg.
The students competed with professionals to win
certificates of achievement, awards of excellence and first
place PRism awards, as well as prestigious Best in Show and
Judge’s Choice honors.
“I was overwhelmed with pride at our students’ success in
the competition,”said Robin Street, instructor in
journalism and public relations. “Every student who entered
won an award. That says a tremendous amount about the
quality of these students and their work.”
Street won two PRism awards and one of two Judges’ Choice
prizes. She said local PRAM members, including one Oxford
professional, competed against some 250 entries in 30
different categories, and took home a “record number of
wins, especially among our students.
“All of us in PRAM were particularly impressed with the Ole
Miss students’ multiple awards,” said Jarrod Ravencraft,
state president of PRAM. “They were in a professional
competition and more than held their own with the
professionals. Everyone in the room was aware that night at
how many times an Ole Miss student’s name was called.”
Sally Summerson, a senior journalism and public relations
major from Richmond, Va., won the first-ever Student Best
in Show award for the “Eating Locally”campaign she
developed during an internship with the Southern Foodways
Alliance, housed at UM. She said the campaign was “designed
to show the public that the extra energy involved in buying
local produce is worth the time, money and effort.
“Sally did so well that the judges actually created an
award for her,”Street said. “They’ve always given a Best in
Show award, but this year, they created a Student Best in
Show just for her entry.
Summerson also won a PRism for the campaign and an award of
excellence for a feature story.
“I was really honored and excited to receive these
awards,”Summerson said. “Robin Street is an excellent
teacher. We would not have won these without her help,
guidance and faith in her students’ abilities.
Other student winners include senior journalism major Megan
Daniel of Columbus, who received an award of excellence;
Will Mestayer, a senior journalism major from Bay St.
Louis, who won an award of excellence; senior journalism
major Lori Simpson, of Byhalia, who won an award of
excellence and a $1,000 PRAM scholarship; Rachael Shook, a
senior journalism major from Cordova, Tenn., who won a
PRism; journalism graduate student Raymond Wade, of Moss
Point, who won a certificate of achievement; and Julie
Ward, senior journalism major of Bristol Va., winner of a
PRism award.
Pam Swain, vice president of the Oxford-Lafayette County
Chamber of Commerce, took home an Award of Excellence for
Publications, for External Magazine.