WASHINGTON – The 2010 Chips Achievement Prizes (CAPs) were announced this week, after Chips Quinn Scholars from the spring and summer classes submitted entries whose topics ranged from immigration protests to “green” burials to a teen with Asperger’s syndrome who published his first book, and whose story forms included print, online and multimedia.

“These were difficult decisions, as all the entries were highly notable for different reasons,” said Karen Catone, Chips Quinn Scholars program director.

The winning CAP entries for 2010 are:

Tasnim Shamma’s look at the baby boomer trend of green burials, published by Newsweek.

Tasnim Shamma

The judges said, “A thoroughly reported piece twinning the important themes of aging baby boomers and green living (or dying.) Tasnim didn’t shy away from the tough angle of some funeral companies abusing the unregulated practice of letting bodies naturally decompose. In her entry form, she describes ‘how valuable…in-depth reporting is as well as how much patience and perseverance it requires.’”


Lisa Song’s multimedia piece, “Drilling on the Green,” published by High Country News.

Lisa Song

The judges said, “This is a sophisticated, affecting, beautifully shot story that looks at the gas drilling on Battlement Mesa in Colorado through the eyes of people living in a retirement community there, whose dreams of a peaceful golden-years existence vanished when the oil companies came. Lisa describes it in her entry form as ‘the first video I shot myself,’ but the videography (and the storyline) is highly professional.”


Ashley Marchand’s video on what lies in store for hearing-impaired Gallaudet University graduates, published by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Ashley Marchand

The judges said, “There were considerable challenges involved in making this video; the task required a commitment of time and effort above and beyond that of many videos. The language involved was sign. Ashley did a fine job of mixing audio with print captioning to tell the story. Ultimately, she handled the challenges admirably and created a video that truly encompasses diversity.”


Nicole Norfleet’s business trend story on independent movie houses weighing the pros and cons of converting to 3-D, published by The Washington Post.

Nicole Norfleet

The judges said, “The piece reflects energetic reporting and does an excellent job of tackling a sophisticated topic. Those two qualities – solid reporting and an ambitious idea – are the real hallmarks of strong journalism.”

The CAP Awards were created by CQS program Co-founder John Quinn to recognize outstanding work by young journalists who, because of their intern status, might not otherwise be so recognized. CAP judges are Catone and CQS career coaches Colleen Fitzpatrick and Mary Ann Hogan.