Rubicon/RubicOnline and Iris publications earn prestigious CSPA Crown Awards at CSPA Convention

Congratulations to The Rubicon/RubicOnline student news which, under the leadership of co-Editor-in-Chiefs Orion Kim ‘24 and Claire Kim ‘24 and Director of RubicOnline Clara McKoy ‘24 was named a Gold Crown winner in the hybrid (print and online) publication category. This is the publication's fifth Gold Crown and its tenth Crown Award in ten years.

Director of Publications Kathryn Campbell notes: "There was something incredible about being at Columbia University to accept the award, to see our current student leadership -- EIC Annie Zhang '25 and Director Aarushi Bahadur ‘25 -- walk up to receive the plaque, meet their editors at the step and repeat for a photo… then bring it home to their staffs.”

Additionally, Iris: Art + Lit won a Silver Crown for its 2024 art and literature magazine. Under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Eliza Farley '24 and Hadley Dobish ‘25 and club co-president Poppy Ploen ‘24 this is the magazine's seventh Crown Award. Campbell recalls how the theme came together when the staff saw the cover image by Violet Benson ‘24 "Once the artwork came back from the juror and the student leaders saw that photo, the words and color palette for the magazine clicked into place,” Campbell says. “It’s just one of many examples of how our students inspire each other."

Finally, seventeen journalists from The Rubicon (print and online) and Ibid attended the CSPA Convention, an event celebrating 100 years of CSPA and the best of the best that student journalism offers. Rubicon Editor-in-Chief Annie Zhang and Managing Editor Juan Miguel Adams ‘26 presented to a full house of peers on student leadership and Campbell facilitated a session on building a culture of creativity through art and literature magazine.

The Crown Awards honor top student publications from around the country. Crowns are selected for overall excellence in a head-to-head comparison. During consideration, publications are judged by a panel of guest judges on their excellence as shown by their design, photography, concept, coverage, and writing.

See a full list of winners on the CSPA website. Please join us in congratulating our publications on this tremendous accomplishment!