Just over a year ago Darlington School’s first one-school yearbook was announced and the 90th edition of the Jabberwokk entered its design phase. With Media Arts Director Adrienne Forgette and editor-in-chief Ethan Pender (‘16) at the helm, this historic publication began to take shape.
According to Forgette, the one-school yearbook production process was an “act of design thinking” with hopes that the publication would be a national contender. Forgette submitted the Jabberwokk for a critique with the National Scholastic Press Association and entered the publication for consideration for yearbook related awards on both the state and national level.
In the fall, the Jabberwokk received an All-American rating from NSPA with four marks of distinction; an overall Superior ranking from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association and
was recognized as the “All-Georgia Yearbook” and the best in the state for 2016; earned 13 National Awards from the Quill and Scroll, an International Honorary Society for High School Journalists, including the Blue and Gold Yearbook Excellence Award; and received a Gold Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
The NSPA has now recognized Jabberwokk as a finalist in the 2016 Yearbook Pacemaker competition.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award and is often called the Pulitzer Prize of scholastic journalism,” said Laura Widmer, NSPA executive director. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
To select the 70 winning yearbooks, judges carefully studied the 420 Pacemaker entries. Each yearbook was analyzed and discussed by a team of four judges. Quality writing, in a variety of formats, and exceptional photojournalism were fundamentals identified by the judges along with complete coverage, including all areas of school life including academics.
“The yearbooks selected by the judges tell amazing verbal and visual stories and that content is packaged with dynamic design,” said Gary Lundgren, NSPA associate director. “The best yearbooks engage their student readers through extensive and inclusive reporting.”
The Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners will be announced at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, April 6-9, 2017 in Seattle.
Forgette has been named a Special Recognition Adviser in Journalism Education Association's Yearbook Adviser of the Year program and will be honored at the April 8 awards luncheon during the convention.
