The CSPA Gold Key

Justin Daigle, Adviser, Brighton High School, Brighton Colorado

First given in 1929 by the founding director of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Col. Joseph M. Murphy, the Gold Key primarily recognizes service to the association, continuous excellence in journalism education, and support of student journalism. This year’s honoree, Justin Daigle, has been teaching for 20 years. Under his guidance, Brighton High School has accumulated a vast number of awards. But it’s not just his students who benefit from his knowledge and experience. Daigle generously gives his time to the scholastic journalism community through frequent speaking engagements, workshops, and his dedication to judging for various organizations, including CSPA. His roster of activities is staggering. What keeps him going? He loves what he does. Said Daigle: “It is a tremendous honor to receive the Gold Key from CSPA. To me, this honor truly represents everything I love and cherish about my role as a journalism adviser. There is not a better job in the world than advising student journalists. I am fortunate to get to work and learn with my students every day and watch them create a product that impacts the Brighton community. I have also had so many wonderful opportunities to network and collaborate with other journalism advisers and gurus across the country through conventions, journalism camps, and involvement in my state and national organizations. They all have shaped who I am as a journalism educator and leader. My past and present students, my network of advisers, and CSPA have all contributed to why I am so blessed every day to get to do what I do. Thank you, CSPA, for this tremendous honor.” Congratulations, Justin, and thank you for all you do for the scholastic journalism community.

The 2024 Joseph M. Murphy Award for Outstanding Service to the CSPA

Chris Waugaman, Assistant Professor, Mass Communications, Virginia State University

The Joseph M. Murphy Award is named for the CSPA’s founding director and honors his 45 years of distinguished service to the student press and to Columbia University. This award recognizes outstanding service to the CSPA over many years. It is intended as the ultimate distinction offered by the CSPA for service by a person. The Murphy Award is discretionary. If presented, it is given at the CSPA’s annual Spring Convention in March at Columbia University. This year’s recipient, Chris Waugaman, has been an educator for 27 years and an adviser since 2002. He has been attending CSPA events since the mid-2000s and is now a regular speaker at CSPA events. He teaches News Reporting and Writing at the CSPA Summer Journalism Workshop. He also happens to be a fantastic photographer. 

Recently, he recalled the first time he attended the CSPA Spring Convention: “Media advising brought me to New York City in the mid-2000s for my first Columbia Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention. I was new to teaching and advising, so every little aspect of the experience was like submerging a dry sponge into a bucket of water. There is nothing quite like walking up that incline in Alfred Lerner Hall for the first time with a highlighted program in hand and a fresh reporter’s notebook ready to be annihilated with notes and lessons from sessions.” 

He continued, “I can’t begin to explain how much I learn every time I step on the Morningside Campus. From the students who attend my sessions, to the sessions I attend, to the conversations up at the lectern, to the conversations standing in line at Milano’s Deli waiting for your chicken parmesan sandwich—every moment fills my cup. Joseph M. Murphy was a champion for scholastic journalism advisers, and as the founding director of CSPA, he laid the groundwork for so many future teachers, students, and journalism programs across the world. I am so thankful that I have been able to experience his legacy and allowed to work with the generous team at CSPA.” We are grateful to you, Chris, for all you do. It’s an honor for us here to be working alongside you, toward our common goal of educating our students.

The 2024 Charles R. O’Malley Award for Excellence in Teaching

Tom Hayes, Student Media Adviser, Ben Davis High School, Indianapolis, Indiana

Before becoming a teacher, Tom Hayes spent 20 years as a sports journalist, “covering everything from high school sports to college basketball to the NFL to the Indy 500—basically any sport that happened in central Indiana from 1983 to 2005.” During that time, he worked as a sports editor at two daily papers and was a stringer for the Indianapolis Star before making the decision to become a teacher. Twenty years ago, Hayes shifted gears and entered the classroom. Now at Ben Davis High School for 18 years, Hayes has imparted his experience and wisdom to his students and has earned the greatest of all accolades: their appreciation. 

Writes Joleth Herrera, editor-in-chief of The Spotlight at Ben Davis: “The newspaper room feels like a second home to me. Through every layout, photography selection, story, [and] print issue, I’ve taken away so many life lessons. Mr. Hayes has taught me to be authentic and stay true to myself as well. He is the pillar of my interest in journalism, and 10 years from now, when I’m at the biggest publication company, it will all be from what I learned in Room X109.”

The 2024 James F. Paschal Award

Eric Thomas, Executive Director, Kansas Scholastic Press Association

The Columbia Scholastic Press Advisers Association honors state or regional school press association officials who have distinguished themselves in the field with an award named for the late James Frederick Paschal, a former director of the Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association and a former editor of The CSPAA Bulletin. This year, the CSPA honors Eric Thomas of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association for his accomplishments in journalism education. As a journalist, educator, and leader, Thomas has worked hard to support students in Kansas and elsewhere, through instruction, educational events, and scholarship opportunities. He writes, “When people ask me about my job, I say the words “student journalism,” or “scholastic media,” or “student press association.” However, I don’t think those words do justice to what we do in support of the courageous students who are exposing corruption, to the dedicated students who lead staffs of dozens, and to the underpaid teachers inspiring the young people who will soon become revered professionals. The work of supporting aspiring journalists is fundamental to encouraging a vibrant professional press. And we all know how vital it is for our country to have a tenacious press.” He adds, “I feel so grateful for the people in Kansas and the Kansas City area who have been partners in this project of celebrating student journalists and their teachers.” We at CSPA are grateful for you and the work that you do. Thank you, Eric, and congratulations.

The 2024 Edmund J. Sullivan Award 

The Edmund J. Sullivan Award recognizes student journalists who have fought for the right to speak their minds while in pursuit of the truth on behalf of their audiences. The award may be given to a single student or a group of students. This year, we have two groups of honorees, one representing collegiate media, and the other scholastic media.

Collegiate Media
Emmy Martin, editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel, and Caitlyn Yaede, print managing editor of The Daily Tar Heel

On August 28, 2023, the UNC-Chapel Hill community was in lockdown after a graduate student shot and killed his faculty adviser and was at large. Emmy Martin, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper The Daily Tar Heel, was reporting the incident during that terrifying time. After she’d contemplated a black or a white front page for the paper’s next edition, inspiration came from text messages she and others received during the lockdown. She made the decision to run the messages on the paper’s front page: bold and large, just like those fearful moments UNC students had experienced. Later, in an interview with the Associated Press, she said, “The experience reminded me of how journalism matters in more ways than just getting information to the public.” Indeed. CSPA is pleased to award the Edmund J. Sullivan Award to Emmy Martin, editor-in-chief, and Caitlyn Yaede, print managing editor, of The Daily Tar Heel for their work in bringing awareness of gun violence to their audience and to the general public, and their brave reporting in service of their audience in a time of crisis.

Scholastic Media
Talvin Dhingra, Sara Barber-Just, Adviser, and the staff of The Graphic, Amherst Regional High School 

In the spring of 2023, Talvin Dhingra, a student journalist at Amherst Regional High School’s online publication The Graphic, began to hear shocking tales of how students at the local middle school were being subjected to anti-transgender bullying and discrimination by other students and school administrators. Another staff member of The Graphic had heard similar anecdotes. The entire staff discussed the issue and decided to report out the story, dividing up the work. In the end, their investigation—which cited multiple sources—revealed that transphobia and anti-LGBTQ language and behavior had continued unabated for two years at the middle school despite students, parents, and staff repeatedly voicing concerns to the school and the district. The reporters also learned that in desperation, parents fearful for the well-being of their child had even filed a Title IX complaint. Their publication adviser, Sara Barber-Just, worked closely with the student staff to shape the reporting and narrative, and the Student Press Law Center provided legal guidance. In May 2023, The Graphic published the shocking exposé. A completed Title IX report, which was publicly released in November 2023, found “sufficient credible evidence exists to support the allegation that Amherst Regional Public Schools officials failed to appropriately respond to and effectively address allegations of harassment and misconduct by staff toward students based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.” CSPA is proud to award Talvin Dhingra, the staff of The Graphic, and their adviser, Sara Barber-Just, with the 2024 Edmund J. Sullivan Award.