In June, Stanford was honored to receive six Circle of Excellence awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for our work in 2020. We are pleased to present our winning entries:
Gold in Writing, Series or Collection
Making predictions about 2021 seems downright foolhardy. We did it anyway.
Writing and editing by Summer Batte, ’99, Deni Ellis Béchard, Rebecca Beyer, Charity Ferreira, Liz Lindquister, ’21, Jesse Oxfeld, ’98, Jill Patton, ’03, MA ’04, Andrew Tan, ’22, and Kathy Zonana, ’93, JD ’96.
From the judges: “If the bold, colorful, and futuristic design of this collection initially caught the attention of the judges, the smart, snappy, and highly entertaining stories kept us reading—and laughing. In other words, this package offered a breath of fresh air after a year of collective doom scrolling.”
Silver in Design, Illustration
Making predictions about 2021 seems downright foolhardy. We did it anyway.
Illustrations by Mark Matcho; design by Giorgia Virgili; creative direction by Erin Sonnenschein.
From the judges: “The retro-futuristic styling of this submission nicely captures the idea of looking forward to the seemingly-distant post-COVID-19 future we’re all looking forward to, even if that future is only months and not decades away. The palette is well-balanced and complements the illustrative choices within, both bringing to mind the familiar early-to-mid-20th century imaginings of what a far-off future time may have had in store. All told, the illustrations align very well with the premise and energy of the written piece.”
Gold in Writing, Profile
John McWhorter is best known as a cultural critic who garners bouquets and brickbats from left and right alike. But he’s really a linguistics geek at heart.
Writing by Deni Ellis Béchard; editing by Kathy Zonana, ’93, JD ’96.
From the judges: “This was delightful and enlightening, with such welcome touches of humor. As one of our judges said, ‘To start an article about a linguist with the Tower of Babel is a lovely choice.’ The writer very deftly connected the thread between McWhorter’s view of politics and his view of language. It all felt original and fun, and appropriately nerdy. Another judge said, ‘The quotes were often shimmering and eloquent.’”
Gold in Writing, Online
When Did This Become a Project?
Two Stanford editors kvetch about quarantining.
On Lockdown, from Milan
“Imagine that in 10 days you’re likely to be faced with the same situation.”
A Note to the Dumb
On George Floyd’s killing and racial injustice in America.
Writing by Summer Batte, ’99, Epiphany Morrow, ’01, and Kathy Zonana, ’93, JD ’96; editing by Kevin Cool, Jill Patton, ’03, MA ’04, and Kathy Zonana.
From the judges: “We thought this series of submissions was very well edited, and captured attention in unanticipated ways. We liked the humor in ‘When Did This Become a Project?’ and the immediacy of the as-told-to approach of ‘On Lockdown, from Milan,’ in particular.”
Silver in Writing, Less than 1,000 Words
A curious set of species shares the Stanford moniker.
Writing by Jennifer Worrell; editing by Kathy Zonana, ’93, JD ’96.
From the judges: “Light, bright, and breezy, this article boasted a nearly flawless execution. The author highlighted Stanford’s long history of discovery by taking us on a personality tour of the species named in the school’s honor. The material was a master class in show-don’t-tell storytelling, packing a punch far beyond its word count.”
Bronze, Digital Communications: Social Media
It’s Not Easy Being Green: A DocumenTree
An editor donned the sacred foliage and lived to tell the tale.
Video by Erin Attkisson; Trees: Summer Moore Batte, ’99, and Caroline Kushel, ’21; audio by Diana Aguilera; social media by Dilys Ong; creative consultants: Michele McCammon and Erin Sonnenschein; editorial consultant: Kathy Zonana, ’93, JD ’96.
From the judges: “This made us smile! It is a unique perspective from a beloved campus character. Stanford produced and provided engaging content to share over several social platforms. We look forward to seeing more behind-the-scenes mascot moments from other institutions.”
Summer Moore Batte, ’99, is the editor of Stanfordmag.org and the Loop. Email her at summerm@stanford.edu.
