ANNOUNCEMENTS

Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards
Annually, the Society of Professional Journalists presents the Mark of Excellence Awards honoring the best in student journalism. The awards offer 39 categories for print, radio, television, and online collegiate journalism. Entries are first judged on the regional level. Regional award winners will be honored at the spring regional conferences. First place regional winners are forwarded on to the national competition. National winners will be honored at the 2008 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Atlanta.

The contest is open to anyone enrolled in a college or university and studying for an academic degree in 2007. Students who have had full-time, professional journalism experience, outside of internships, are not eligible. Entries must have been published or broadcast during the 2007 calendar year. Complete details on the contest may be found by visiting http://www.spj.org/a-moe.asp.

Postmark deadline:  January 23, 2008

Please contact SPJ Programs Coordinator Heather Porter with any questions at (317) 927-8000, ext. 204 or hporter@spj.org

Institute for Humane Studies Writing Competitions
The Institute for Humane Studies has just created two academic writing competitions worth $4,000 in prizes to recognize the work of outstanding graduate and undergraduate students. Select finalists will receive travel reimbursements to attend and present their work at the 2008 Social Change Workshop. Visit the IHS Web site for more information. The submission deadline is January 31, 2008.

Hearst Journalism Award
Professional Journalism track students are encouraged to participate in the 2006-2007 Hearst Journalism writing, photojournalism and broadcast news competitions. All entries must have been “published” or “broadcast” within the last year. Monthly scholarships will be awarded ranging from $500-2,000 to top entries. All finalists will compete in the National Championship Finals for additional scholarship awards ranging from $1,500-5,000. For more information visit The Hearst Foundation Web site.

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STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS & OTHER NEWS

AAJA-MINNESOTA
Are you a student of Asian American descent, or interested in promoting Asian-American issues in the media, and seriously interested in pursuing a career in journalism?  Join AAJA for 2008 and help further your career!  The Asian American Journalists Association is a national group of professional journalists who are committed to increasing diversity in the news media.  $20 gets you a yearlong membership to AAJA through the local Minnesota chapter. AAJA-Minnesota gives out two scholarships and two internships each year, and last summer sent two student members to the National Convention in Miami to work on the student projects.
Current members, don't forget to renew for 2008!  Check out http://chapters.aaja.org/Minnesota/ for more information or contact Nancy Yang (nyang@pioneerpress.com).

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ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition
The collegiate reporting competition awards nine aspiring journalists a 12-day guided study tour to Japan and South Korea, an area of special interest to Roy W. Howard. The competition, established in 1984 in cooperation with the Indiana University School of Journalism, honors the memory of the journalist who led Scripps Howard Newspapers from 1922-1953.  Deadline for entering the 2008 Roy W. Howard competition, open to collegiate journalists, is Feb. 28, 2008. Click on 2008 rules and entry form for details. Winners will be announced March 17, and the trip will take place June 14-27, 2008.

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CAREER & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

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JOB & INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Looking for spring semester employment? Work in Murphy Hall's communications office!
The SJMC is looking for a part-time communications student assistant. Work-study is required. Schedule is flexible. 10-15 hours/week, M-F. Duties include: updating the SJMC Web site, designing print and electronic publications, proofreading, editing, and writing copy for various publications, general office duties. Required qualifications: Excellent writing skills; Graphic design experience; Familiarity with the following software: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver,Microsoft Office Suite. Apply online or contact Jen Keavy with questions.

Student position open in Extension Communications & Public Relations Office
University of Minnesota Extension Communications & Public Relations recently posted a job opening for a student worker at www.employment.umn.edu (search req. #152304). We’re interested in hiring a J-School undergrad looking to build his or her resume. Parts of the job will include media relations activities for our 800-plus employee organization, with faculty and staff located around the state. The job will be based on the U’s St. Paul campus: 15-20 hours per week, at $9-10 per hour. The student will report to Sarah Bjorkman, Extension Communications Associate (bjor0180@umn.edu or 612.625.4744). JOB OVERVIEW: This position is responsible for providing basic clerical support services for University of Minnesota Extension Communications and Public Relations staff. Some of these responsibilities may include filing, editing, project management, and working on a variety of tasks for the office. This position must represent the program office in a courteous and professional manner, creating a positive and professional impression for Extension.  

Big Ten Network On-Campus Internship Program
The Big Ten Network has writing and production internships available. The Big Ten Network On-Campus Internship will provide students with practical experience in writing and production for a television network and its website and to shadow and observe actual event productions. Information and application instructions are available on their Web site.

Study Abroad in Germany through DAAD
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is pleased to announce the launch of a new summer internship program in Berlin for American journalism students. Scholarships will be awarded to up to 20 students enrolled in a school of journalism or majoring in a journalism-related field and have at least "advanced intermediate" German language skills to take part in this structured 11-week study/internship program in Germany.  For the first six weeks, participants will expand their academic understanding of the politics, society and culture of Germany, and the country's current social conditions and media scene. Participants will do a week of project work with journalism students from the Independent States of the former Soviet Union and subsequently embark on an intensive four-week internship with a German newspaper, magazine or radio station.  The application deadline is February 15, 2008.  To find out about eligibility and the application requirements, please visit: www.daad.org/?p=internxchange

Job and Internship Fair
University of Minnesota, Job and internship fair is on Monday, February 25, 2008 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Minneapolis Convention Center, downtown Minneapolis www.umjobfair.org.  Come to the biggest student career fair in Minnesota! Nearly 200 organizations will be there recruiting for hundreds of jobs and internships. Check the Job Fair site to see which organizations are attending. The Fair is free and open to all U of M undergraduates, graduate students, and recent alumni. To register for it, go to www.umjobfair.org , where you'll also find preparation tips and info about free transportation. BONUS: If you register and attend, you could win great prizes!

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SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

CUNY-NAHJ Scholarship
NAHJ is proud to announce the creation of a new scholarship thanks to a partnership with The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. The CUNY-NAHJ Scholarship worth $7,500 is open to NAHJ members. It’s a unique opportunity to enroll in the innovative, three-semester CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Program leading to an M.A. in journalism. The scholarship, funded by the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, is open to an NAHJ member with a demonstrated interest in increasing diversity in the journalism profession. Those interested in this scholarship must first submit an application and be accepted by the school. The deadline to apply is Jan. 2, 2008. Please visit http://journalism.cuny.edu/journalism/admissions.html for more information about the school, its admission requirements and to apply.

Katherine E. Sullivan Scholarship for Study Abroad
Applications are now available for the 2008-09 Katherine E. Sullivan Scholarship for Study Abroad. This scholarship provides full or partial support for a fifth year of undergraduate study in another country for outstanding students from any campus of the University of Minnesota. It is intended to support credit-bearing and usually classroom-based study abroad that immerses the student in the host university as well as in the host culture, for a full academic year or equivalent.  One to three scholarships will be awarded for 2008-09. Eligibility requirements: currently enrolled U of M undergraduate with senior status (at least 90 credits completed) by the end of Fall 2007, including at least 30 credits earned in residence at the University of Minnesota (any campus); GPA of 3.5 or higher; U.S. citizen or permanent resident.  Further information and a printable application are available at http://cla.umn.edu/honors/sullivan.htm.  Application deadline: February 8, 2008.

2008 Student Scholarship presented by Minnesota SPJ
The Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (MN SPJ) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its 2008 student scholarship. This year, MN SPJ will award two $1,500 scholarships to students pursuing a career in journalism. Applicants must either be enrolled in a post-secondary institution in Minnesota or be a Minnesota high school graduate enrolled in a post-secondary institution outside of Minnesota. Preference will be given to Society of Professional Journalists members. The deadline for application is February 15, 2008. Awards will be presented at MN SPJ’s annual Page One banquet in late May 2008.  Application forms can be found online at www.mnspj.org.

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