Rankings & Recognition

A Crowning Achievement

Marist College
 

Marist's Fashion Magazine wins Gold Crown Award from Columbia University's Scholastic Press Association
Fashion students work on magazine

March 23, 2018 — Marist’s annual fashion magazine FM/AM has won a Gold Crown Award from the prestigious Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) of Columbia University, an international student press organization.

The Gold Crown Award is the highest honor the CSPA bestows and Marist was in a field of 1,100 entries this year and one of two Gold Crown winners in the magazine category. A panel of Crown Judges views all entrants, whether they are newspaper, magazines, yearbooks or online media. Judges are experienced former advisers to student media, professional journalists who understand student media or professionals such as photographers or online specialists. Winners were announced at the 2018 College Media Convention earlier this month. 

FM/AM is a fully student-produced publication. Professional Lecturer of Fashion, Merchandising, and Sustainability Melissa Halvorson serves as instructor and editor. FM/AM is built into the academic structure of the Fashion Program; Halvorson teaches the courses “Writing for Fashion” every fall and “Magazine Production” in the spring. The magazine's mission is to present fashion thoughtfully. “Fashion is frequently misunderstood as being about ‘clothes,’ when in truth, it is about change, tension and innovation,” said Halvorson. “Students write about topics and people that can offer some insight into these complex ideas. Editorial decisions are made by consensus based on adherence to this mission.”

Image of Model

Students must apply to take the courses. “The ones who demonstrate high levels of professionalism and creativity apply for leadership positions that then serve as their capstone project during senior year,” Halvorson explained.

All written and graphic content is student created, including illustrations, info-graphics and feature photography. Editorial photo shoots are conceived, art directed, and produced by students and utilize the thesis collections of the Fashion Program’s senior designers, but are shot by professional photographers. “This is an important opportunity for our students to work directly with industry professionals as peers, giving and getting direction; compromising, communicating the magazine's mission; learning how to manage a photo shoot of 20-30 people. As complicated and exhausting as these shoot days are, I revel in watching students explode into the professionals they have become,” said Halvorson. 

Twenty-five hundred copies of FM/AM are produced with 1,500 distributed internationally by Pineapple Media. It is sold in France, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and throughout the U.S. in major cities.
 

About Marist

Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently recognized for excellence by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 381 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (9th Best Regional University/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. Though now independent, Marist remains committed to the ideals handed down from its founders, the Marist Brothers: excellence in education, a sense of community, and a commitment to service. Marist educates approximately 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,400 adult and graduate students in 47 undergraduate majors and 15 graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees.

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