Belmont Abbey College's Alumni Magazine Wins International Awards — CROSSROADS Named Recipient of Three Communicator Awards

BELMONT, NC —- Belmont Abbey College’s alumni magazine, CROSSROADS earned high honors for the second straight year, garnering three Communicator Awards in the 2005 Print Media competition.

The College won two Awards of Distinction for its Winter/Spring 2004 issue in the following categories, Best Magazine for an Educational Institution and Best Magazine for a Non-Profit. The Abbey also won an Honorable Mention for Best Writing for a Magazine.

“We are certainly proud of the recognition,” says Belmont Abbey College’s director of alumni and parent relations, Fran Kirk Piñeros ’99. “Without a doubt, the awards fall in line with the College’s initiatives outlined in its strategic plan – achieving excellence and virtue.”

Belmont Abbey College’s director of public relations agrees.

“Our goal for the magazine has always been to reach the Abbey’s alumni in a meaningful way,” says Teresa Sowers, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “From the redesign of the magazine to putting more of their personal stories in print, from the use of captivating photos to the participation of everyone at the College so it’s a true product of the Abbey – we couldn’t be more proud. No one starts a project thinking it will necessarily ‘win’ anything – but it is always nice when you are able to not only meet the goals you set, but also have your work recognized by a group of your peers.”

The Communicator Awards is an international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field with entries judged by industry professionals. Belmont Abbey College was chosen from among 5,078 entries in this year’s competition from advertising agencies, corporate communications departments, educational institutions, government entities, designers, writers, video production professionals, broadcast and cable operations and other businesses throughout the country, including Amazon.com, BB&T, AARP, Loyola University, MetLife, PARADE Magazine, Syracuse University, The PGA of America, The Scripps Research Institute, TODAY Magazine, The U.S. Postal Service, and the University of Pittsburgh, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, as well as advertising and marketing firms for such companies as Toyota, Lexus, Honeywell, Whirlpool and Glad.

CROSSROADS is published bi-annually by the Office of Public Relations with assistance from Alumni Office and the Development Office. The magazine features success stories of alumni and current students of the Abbey and includes; news, sports, arts, calendar events, alumni news, and open letters from the College President, the Abbot and Alumni President.

This year’s Communicator Awards had 187 categories with three awards in each category; the Crystal Award of Excellence, the Award of Distinction, and Honorable Mention.

The Crystal Award of Excellence was given to 13 percent of entries, which demonstrated the best in their field. Winners of this award are listed on the website.

The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects that exceed industry standards in communicating a message or idea. Approximately 19 percent of the entries won this award. Honorable Mention certificates are granted to those entries that meet the high standards of the industry. Approximately 10 percent of entries were honorable mention winners.

In 2004, Belmont Abbey College won three Awards of Distinction and two Honorable Mentions for the 2003 Winter issue of CROSSROADS featuring Ed Antosek ’68 on the cover.

Ranked one of the best liberal arts colleges in the South by U.S. News and World Report, Belmont Abbey College celebrates excellence and virtue steeped in its 128 year Catholic Benedictine heritage. It is home to students from over 34 states and 17 countries and welcome everyone from any background or tradition committed to this vision of excellence and virtue. The campus consists of the College, the Monastery and the Abbey Basilica, which can be found on its sprawling 650 acres of picturesque landscape.

Just minutes from Charlotte, NC, the nation’s second largest banking center, Belmont Abbey College offers students numerous internship opportunities and career placement.

The College believes in development of the whole person – mind, body and spirit. By offering a wide array of clubs and activities including, Division II athletics, theatre, publications, and study abroad, Belmont Abbey College invests in the personal growth of its students.

Founded in 1876, the College celebrates its heritage and is inspired by the Benedictine monastic tradition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the College and Abbey Basilica greet thousands of visitors each year.

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