Adviser Sarah Nichols and staff members Angel Del Castillo, Nikki O’Farrell, Lauren Roudebush, Kenya Palla and Mariah Fairbanks pose with the 2011 yearbook and their award at the NSPA fall convention in Minneapolis. Photo provided by Details Yearbook.
The yearbook staff has done it again. Each year, the yearbook program has been nationally recognized for their work, and this year has proven to be no exception. On Nov. 18, the 2011 Details was awarded Second Place in the Best in Show competition from the National Scholastic Press Association, at the fall convention in Minneapolis.
In order to be considered for the Best in Show category, participants must attend the convention, which hosted 4,000 people.
In addition to competing against contestants from all over the nation, the process for judging each yearbook is stringent, as each book is evaluated in various categories, including concept development, strong writing, photos, coverage and design.
Yet, even a yearbook that meets all of these criteria is not guaranteed to place, as the Best of Show contest brings tough competition even among top-notch programs.
“Each category is judged by only one person,” yearbook adviser Mrs. Sarah Nichols said, “so it’s a guessing game.”
This uncertainty made the wait for the results nerve-wracking for the five yearbook staff members who attended the convention.
“By the time the fourth place award was announced, I wanted to cry since I didn’t think we placed,” editor Nikki O’Farrell said. “When we got second place, my jaw dropped.”
The staff’s attention to detail and goal to create an all-encompassing book helped them place so high in the competition.
“Every reader, every page is our motto,” editor-in-chief Lauren Roudebush said. “We listen to our readers and try to create what they want.”
In addition to competing in the competition, the students who attended participated in various other activities at the convention, from taking classes to sightseeing at museums and attending a dance.
“The best part was going to classes and enhancing skills that help us to make an excellent yearbook,” sports editor Mariah Fairbanks said.
The staff members who attended did have a chance to relax and unwind at a dance during the convention.
“I thought the dance would be stupid, but we dressed up, started dancing with random groups, and told people who were grinding to ‘make yearbooks not babies’,” O’Farrell said. “It was my favorite part of the convention.”
Placing so high in the competition changes the staff’s outlook toward this year’s yearbook, but they remain confident.
“Winning second place does add extra pressure, but I have no doubt that we will place at least second again next year,” O’Farrell said. “This year’s book looks phenomenal.”
After winning this award, the staff is already looking toward the future. They started the 2012 yearbook in June, and have currently submitted 104 pages. Books are on sale in C-2 and will be sold for the rest of the semester.
by KAVYA PATHAK
