TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama’s daily student newspaper, The Crimson White, is one of 13 finalists in Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2003 Crown Award competition honoring the nation’s best collegiate newspapers.

As a Crown Award finalist, The Crimson White will receive either a Gold or Silver Crown Award at the Spring College Media Convention, Saturday, March 22, in New York City. This is The Crimson White's fourth Crown Award. It was a Gold Crown winner in 1988 and 1989 and a Silver Crown winner in 1992.

In the Crown Award competition, publications are judged on writing, editing, design, content, concept, photography, art and graphics. Of the 1,749 current CSPA members eligible to enter the Crown Awards, 1,550 publications submitted copies for this judging. Judging took place at Columbia University in New York City from December 19-22, 2002, by the Board of Crown Judges.

Luke Connell of Cullman, now a staff writer with The Birmingham Post-Herald, was the editor of The Crimson White from 2001-2002 and Stacy Whitlow of Metairie, La., is the 2002-2003 editor.

Besides The Crimson White, the other Crown Award finalists were student newspapers at Western Kentucky University, Ball State University, Santa Ana College, the School of Art Institute of Chicago, Indiana University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, University of Texas, Arlington, Northwestern University, University of Texas, University of Michigan, Murray State University, and Arizona State University.

CSPA is an international student press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges and award programs. Owned by Columbia University since 1925 and operated as a program of its Graduate School of Journalism, the Association now enrolls 1,749 members throughout North America and in certain overseas schools and colleges.

More information is available is available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/.