Donya Rouzbehi
Sports Editor
The Campus Times and La Verne Magazine have received top honors from both the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists for 2024-25, and 2025, respectively, plus numerous individual awards in the associations’ annual contests.
These student-led publications continue a winning tradition that has lasted for more than two decades.
The CSPA awarded both publications its Silver Crown Award for overall excellence during the 2024-2025 academic year. This recognition places the Campus Times among the top eight college print and hybrid news outlets in the U.S. and Canada, while La Verne Magazine ranked among the top six college magazines.
The Gold and Silver Crown awards are the organization’s highest honor. The judging is an intensive process by professional journalists selected by the Columbia Journalism School-based organization. Judges evaluate the full academic year of the publications’ print and online issues, awarding points for the various categories including depth and breadth of coverage, writing, editing and visual components.
Additionally the CSPA awarded the Campus Times 17 individual Gold Circle awards for stories and photography, while La Verne Magazine received eight Gold Circle awards for individual work.
Several students stood out in this competition.
Chris Rogers, a 2025 photography alumnus, won eight individual Gold Circle awards for photos published in both publications. Emily Casillas, a senior photography major, earned six awards for photography.
Olivia Russo, senior journalism major and current Campus Times editor-in-chief, swept the News Writing category, earning first through fourth place for her stories published in the Campus Times.
“I didn’t expect to win four in a row,” Russo said. “I feel very good and I’m very honored. I think it’s very nice to be recognized.”
Both publications are student-run and supported by faculty advisors from the journalism and photography departments. Journalism professor Elizabeth Zwerling advises the Campus Times.
“We’re thrilled,” Zwerling said. “Every year, it’s almost a completely different staff. So it honestly just speaks to the consistency and the rigor of our program.”
Journalism professors George Keeler and Randy Miller advised La Verne Magazine during the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters.
“There’s no Division III in publication work,” Keeler said. “So when we win awards, we have just taken awards from USC, Northwestern and Columbia…I’m finding out that my students are better than the best students in the nation. I’m proud of them.”
Eric Borer, journalism department manager and adjunct professor, serves as photography advisor for both publications.
“I’m very proud of the job the students did,” Borer said. “It goes to show the level of talent that we have here on campus, that they’re able to compete on the national level.”
Publication editors led the award-winning work throughout the year. April Cambero served as Campus Times editor-in-chief during Fall 2024, followed by Margaret Contreras in Spring 2025.
Senior communications major Rebecca Keeler served as editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine in fall 2024, while 2025 communications alumna Erika Oceguera served as editor in spring 2025.
Rebecca Keeler discussed how the awards are a reflection of the time and energy students put in.
“All of our students in this department and our faculty work very hard to make these publications possible,” Rebecca Keeler said. “As a former magazine editor, I’ve seen how much work we put into it. We spend late hours, spring breaks, working on everything and making sure it’s top quality.”
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest and largest student journalism organizations in the country. This year’s competition included nearly 7,000 entries across multiple categories.
La Verne students also earned eight Mark of Excellence awards given by the Society of Professional Journalists for the 2025 calendar year.
The University earned these in the Region 11 competition, which includes colleges across California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.
Four awards went to the Campus Times, including second place for overall newspaper excellence, and four to the La Verne Magazine. Winners were announced last month during the regional conference in Phoenix.
One of the oldest and most consequential journalism organizations – with roughly 300 chapters across the U.S., and more than 9,000 media members – the Society of Professional Journalists was established in 1909.
Donya Rouzbehi can be reached at donya.rouzbehi@laverne.edu.
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle Awards 2024-2025
Campus Times
News Writing
- First Place – Jordan Alcasas and Olivia Russo, “Policy raises free speech concerns”
- Second Place – Olivia Russo, “Adjuncts frustrated by time cards, may unionize”
- Third Place – Jordan Alcasas and Olivia Russo, “Interterm switch brings uncertainty”
- Certificate of Merit – Olivia Russo, “Canceled classes create confusion”
In-Depth News/Feature Story
- Third Place – April Cambero, “Gen Z ghosts in-person connections”
General Feature
- Second Place – Ethan Anderson, “Bookstore has altruistic mission”
Single Spot News Photograph
- First Place – Chris Rogers, “Bridge Fire Water Drop”
Single Feature Photograph
- First Place – Liberty Belle Garcia, “Wrestling Kick to the Face”
- Second Place – Liberty Belle Garcia, “Mexican Flag in Downtown Los Angeles”
- Certificate of Merit – Mia Byington, “Heavy Hitter Concert”
- Certificate of Merit – Vicente Rodriguez, “African Rhythms Concert”
Single Sports Photograph
- First Place – Emily Casillas, “Kaitlyn Patterson Volleyball Celebration”
- Third Place – Emily Casillas, “Women’s Soccer Collision”
- Certificate of Merit – Chris Rogers, “Ontario Reign Hockey”
- Certificate of Merit – Emily Casillas, “Softball vs. Chapman”
Photography Portfolio of Work
- First Place – Emily Casillas
Single Subject News or Feature package, Single-Page Design
- First Place – Liberty Belle Garcia and Emma Gonzalez, “Luchadores descend on La Verne”
La Verne Magazine
Single Artistic Photograph
- Certificate of Merit – Emily Casillas, “Maloof House”
Single News Feature Photograph
- First Place – Chris Rogers, “Drag Racer Ida Zetterstrom” (Winter 2025 Cover)
- Second Place – Chris Rogers, “Bridge Fire Water Drop”
- Third Place – Christen Ziska, “Firefighter Robert Moran”
- Certificate of Merit – Emily Casillas, “Taylor Fukunaga Portrait”
- Certificate of Merit – Christen Ziska, “Firefighter Anthony Rovinda”
Photography Portfolio of Work
- Certificate of Merit – Chris Rogers
Photo Illustration
- Certificate of Merit – Olivia Russo, “Miller Hall Time Lapse”
Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards 2025
Campus Times
Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper
- Finalist – Campus Times Staff
Breaking News
- Finalist – Karina Rodriguez, “Unpresidents’ Day protest brings diverse, peaceful crowd”
General News
- Finalist – Olivia Russo and Jordan Alcasas, “Students skeptical of plan to move interterm from January to May”
Sports Writing
- Finalist – Olivia Russo, “NCAA puts trans athletes at risk”
La Verne Magazine
Feature Writing
- Winner – Erica Oceguera, “Dalton hotshots: A legacy forged in fire”
- Finalist– Rebecca Keeler, “A Century of Campfire Stories”
Personality Profile
- Finalist – Michael Roccia, “Telling the story of the night sky”
Feature Photography
- Finalist – Chris Rogers, “Drag racer Ida Zetterström”
For a complete list of awards, visit lvcampustimes.org/awards and lavernemagazine.org/awards.
Donya Rouzbehi is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism, and staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. She has previously served as sports editor and a staff writer for the Campus Times, and is co-editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine. Her other writing can be found at trillmag.com/author/donya-rouzbehi
