The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded The Crimson White a Gold Crown for its Spring 2011 print publication and a Silver Crown for digital news Sunday in an awards ceremony at Columbia University in New York.

The Crimson White was one of just five college newspapers to receive a Gold Crown, and one of only eight out of 182 digital news operations to earn a Silver Crown.

The Gold Crown award is given in recognition of “outstanding achievement in the writing, editing, design and production of a superlative student publication through the cooperative efforts of students, faculty and administrators which epitomizes the high ideals from which this Association has drawn its strength and inspiration.”

Editor Victor Luckerson accepted the awards on behalf of The Crimson White.

“I think, mostly, I’m just really proud of all the hard work all the staff has put in both this year and last year,” Luckerson said. “I think it’s especially meaningful because it included our coverage of the April 27 tornado, and that was a moment that I felt the CW really stepped up and provided some extremely valuable journalism.”

The CSPA Gold Crowns have been presented annually since 1983, and Silver Crowns have been awarded since 1984. The Crimson White last claimed a Gold Crown in 1989.

Other Gold Crown newspaper winners included the Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University for its Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 publications, The Daily Pennsylvanian at the University of Pennsylvania for its Spring 2011 publication, The Shorthorn at the University of Texas at Arlington for its Spring 2011 publication and The Ithacan at Ithaca College for its Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 publications.

The CSPA is an international press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges, and has been operated by Columbia University since 1925.       This year’s judging panel included: Nancy Hastings, retired adviser, Highland, Ind.; Bobby Hawthorne, writer and writing instructor, Austin Texas; Sean Kelly, visual journalist and illustrator, Fairfield, Conn.; Mark Murray, coordinator of technology systems, Arlington Independent School District, Arlington, Texas; Cheryl Pell, faculty member at the Michigan State University School of Journalism in East Lansing, Mich.; Jessica Rodriguez, multimedia editor, Union City, N.J.; Randy Stano, professor, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.; C. Bruce Watterson, former chief communications officer, The Darlington School, Rome, Ga.; Randy Yeip, a graphics editor, New York, N.Y.; and Kathleen Zwiebel, retired adviser, Pottsville, Pa.