Wednesday, January 30, 2002
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Wednesday, January 30, 2002 |
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Fayette County High Yearbook wins highest honor Fayette students have once again reached the pinnacle of achievement in an endeavor. The 2001 Fayette County High School Yearbook has swept award competitions sponsored by four different scholastic press associations. The yearbook received the highest honor ever given to the high school with the awarding of the Most Outstanding High School Yearbook for 2001 given by the American Scholastic Press Association. Only one school in the United States can receive this award. The other awards won by the school were the Gold Medallist Book from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the All American Award with four marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association and an Award of Excellence from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association. All of the awards are given based on points scored in five different categories: coverage, concept, writing and editing, design and photography. The total number of points determines the various rankings. "We have won most of the other awards before but never the Most Outstanding Yearbook. It was a surprise for us to be that singled out," said Penny Pridgeon, yearbook sponsor at Fayette County High. In addition to the awards, parts of the 2001 yearbook have been published in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association books that are distributed throughout the nation. Pridgeon credits the hard work of the yearbook staff for the high honors the publication received; especially the attention to detail given by the editor, Karen McCormick, and assistant editors Holly Avera and Danielle Baumgart. All three had served on the yearbook staff for three to four years. "Karen and Holly especially were determined to produce the best book ever and Danielle did the best job of editing and proofing that we have ever had," added Pridgeon. In order to get the yearbook ready to go to press, students stay after school three to four days a week August through February and work on the publication anywhere from two to four hours each day. During March, the staff puts together a CD-ROM, video and senior slide show for the senior banquet as well as the spring yearbook supplement. Near the end of the school year, the staff works every day after school getting ready for delivery of the fruits of its labor. "Few people realize how hard and how many hours these students give outside of school. Fifteen to 25 people work to produce something which is expected be there, correct, on time and in budget," said Pridgeon. While the student body at Fayette County High enjoys the quality publication produced by the yearbook staff, they probably do not realize the money it takes to create the cherished books. Fayette County yearbooks are basically self-supporting, according to Pridgeon. The staff buys Macintosh computers through yearbook sales. Software to publish the books can run up to $1,300 for site licenses every time an upgrade is needed. Pridgeon estimates that the staff has used over $1,000 worth of ink cartridges just this year alone. There is no doubt that producing a high school yearbook and getting it delivered to the school on time before graduation is serious business. Pridgeon said she remembers that when the staff moved into the new high school they had trouble getting tables and a room to set up their operation. "I went to Gary Phillips (former principal) and he started telling me about the problems they were having getting morning announcements ready among other things. I said yes, but if announcements don't start until March, people will say oh well but if we miss deadlines, then you will have to stand up at the senior banquet and tell the senior class they will not get their yearbooks until after graduation. I had tables and help to set up the room the next day."
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