Network Staff seniors attended the University of Nebraska Omaha’s College of Fine Arts High School Media Conference on Thursday, March 30. The staff brought home 17 different awards. Two of those awards were in recognition of the entire staff: “Best Newspaper” and “Journalism Program of the Year.”
Prior to the awards, the staff participated in a conference with six different professional journalists. The Keynote speaker was Rose Ann Shannon, Marian alum from the Class of 1969. After the keynote, Shannon talked to the Marian journalists about her support of the First Amendment and her experiences as the former News Director of KETV. The staff also asked her about her Field Day memories.
Other speakers included Jake Anderson, KETV, online news; Howard Marcus, UNO, photography; Kara Schweiss, feature/freelance writing; Owen Godberson, sports play-by-play; and Dave Kaplar, WOWT, breaking news.
The Network Staff’s published work had been submitted for contest purposes in the first week of March. UNO professors judged their entries in two different classifications. Class A was reserved for the larger schools and Class B was the designation for smaller schools. Marian, with an enrollment of 608, was in the smaller category. At the NSAA State Contest, Marian exercises the option to OPT-UP to Class A so that Crusaders athletes compete against other Class A schools in the Metro. NSAA allows single gender schools to double their enrollment and petition for the OPT-UP classification. The invitation to compete in the UNO contest was sent to the following schools, although not all of them decided to enter.
Division A schools: Bellevue East, Bellevue West, Council Bluffs Lincoln, Council Bluffs Jefferson, Millard North, Millard South, Millard West, Omaha Benson, Omaha Bryan, Omaha Burke, Omaha Central, Omaha North, Omaha South, Omaha Westside, Fremont, Papillion-La Vista, Papillion-La Vista South.
Division B schools: Arlington, Bennington, Blair, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, Council Bluffs St. Albert, Douglas County West, Elkhorn, Elkhorn South, Fort Calhoun, Gretna, Louisville, Mount Michael Benedictine, Brownell Talbot, Creighton Prep, Duchesne Academy, Gross Catholic, Marian, Mercy, Ralston, Roncalli, Skutt Catholic, Platteview, Plattsmouth.
| Category | Place | Headline | Journalist |
| Cartoon | First | Omaha in the Rearview | Reagan Rosenbaum (Features Editor) |
| Editorial | First | Journalism in a democracy | Margaret(Ellie) Cusick (Opinion Editor) |
| News Story | First | LB77 considered, concealed carry awaits approval | Tyler Raikar (Photo Editor) |
| News/Feature Photograph | First | Student Board Pancake Chocolate Chip Master | Nora Corrigan (News Editor) |
| Newspaper Single-page Layout | First | Photo Essay Page 16: Open Up Your Heart | Tyler Raikar (Photo Editor) |
| Newspaper Two-Page (Double Spread) Layout | First | (R)Evolution of Artificial Intelligence | Cecilia Urbanski (Graphics Editor) |
| Original Art/Computer Graphics | First | Artificial Intelligence in Art | Cecilia Urbanski (Graphics Editor) |
| Column Writing | First | Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome of Being Mixed | Nina McMullen (Co-Managing Editor) |
| Column writing | Second | ADD is my Superpower | Margaret (Ellie) Cusick (Opinion Editor) |
| Newspaper Two-Page (Double Spread) Layout | Second | Bridging Generations: Lessons from the Servants of Mary | Cecilia Urbanski (Graphics Editor) |
| Review | Second | Dazai’s ‘No Longer Human’ provides timeless portrayal of mental health | Hannah Cusick (Entertainment Editor) |
| Editorial | Third | Is pop culture breeding fascination with murder? | Megan Schneider (News Editor) |
| Feature Story | Third | Cystic Fibrosis is closer than you think: Awareness saves lives | Meghan Bartness (News Editor) |
| Review | Third | Peek behind the curtain of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ | Nina McMullen (Co-Managing Editor) |
| Sports Photograph | Third | Swim Starting Blocks | Elsa Jurrens (Sports Editor) |
Marian Network Student Newspaper 