THE
RESULTS
| Broadcast | Newspaper | Yearbook |
| General Excellence |
YEARBOOK A
Category 1 Cover Design
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The color combination is both eye-catching and pleasing and the layering of information works well. This is a warm design that draws the viewer in, and it’s simple, so the viewer is not confused or distracted. The font is casual and conveys a youthful spirit without being too “cute.” The use of the definition of “journey” as a continuation of theme and design on the inside front cover is nicely handled. This cover design is confident and has a professional feel while also conveying a personal tone.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - The use of the jukebox graphic is fun and it establishes the music theme well. The color palette is attractive. Since there is no yearbook name, it would be good to include the high school name or the school year on the front cover. As it is, there is a theme established on the cover, but no assertion of identity.
Category 2 Writing Style
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The writing style has a news-oriented feel. The “Road work” spread about student employment is particularly well done with the photo captions contributing to the tone of the story. There is a lot of good information in the organization and sports spreads indicating that research was done well.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - The writing does a good job of conveying the spirit of the school year. The tone is fun and indicates a familial feeling among the students. There are opportunities here for the story writing to be more in depth. A unique event like Tractor Day, for example, could stand up to a closer study.
Category 3 Overall Yearbook Design
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - Overall, this is a eye-pleasing, cohesive book. The use of consistent graphic with color change to mark sections works well. There are times when the text is very tight and some of the spreads could benefit from a little white space. The clubs spreads, for instance, have a lot of photos, copy and caption all butting against one another which can be a little disorienting.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - The color scheme established on the cover is loosely carried out throughout the book, and there’s a consistency in appearance. The design contributes heavily to the tone of this book, which is positive and friendly.
Category 4 Theme Development
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The first six spreads express the “journey” theme very well and carry it out in unexpected ways. The theme comes back again beautifully in the later spreads. None of the spread titles seemed forced, they flow easily into the “journey” theme.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - The use of song titles with a sheet music graphic to define the sections is clever and fun. It works well to carry the theme throughout the book without being intrusive.
Category 5 Use of Graphics
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The use of the consistent graphical element - the stripes that continue from inside front cover and run through the spreads provides a great frame for the spreads and creates a connection from one to the next.
Second place - Nicholas County High School -For the most part, graphics are used throughout in an unobtrusive way. The graphical element of the musical notes at the page numbers works very well. The place where graphics are a little distracting is in the senior portrait section. The diploma used in place of activity listings, combined with the caps at the top can pull the viewers’ attention away from the photographs themselves.
Category 6 Yearbook Photography
First place - Berea Community High School - Pirate - The photo collages that are used throughout the book work well to convey a friendly, fun atmosphere. This is a nice solution for small file sizes and creates an excitement. One can imagine students searching for themselves and their friends in the spreads. It works very well on the faculty page. There are times when text is placed on top of the collages and disappears, thus creating a bit of confusion.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - Candids are put to great use in this book. The couple and group shots from dances and events are particularly nice. The prom spread is beautifully done. Even though many photographs are used, the section is orderly and neat and does a great job of showcasing each couple in attendance. This is the sort of thing that alums will return to again and again.
Category 7 Advertising Section
First place - Nicholas County High School - The advertising flows nicely with the rest of the book. The color scheme and graphical elements are consistent and the salutations are cohesive.
Second place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The salutations are attractive and fit well with the business ads.
Category 8 Overall Coverage
First place - Crittenden County High School - Rockette - The opening spreads do a great job of representing not only clubs and activities, but also the community feel of the school. They set the school year in time and reveal the personality of Crittenden County High and its student body. The spread on lockers, the spread on after school hours, the spread on fashion are all examples of this, and “7 to-dos before a game” highlights athletics in an interesting way, by focusing on the fans.
Second place - Nicholas County High School - Both the prom and graduations spreads tell the story of the events through photographs in an engaging way. The prom spread is particularly attractive and conveys the tone of the event. Spreads about school spirit week, Tractor Day, the Pi Celebration, give a sense of the school’s individuality and personality.
YEARBOOK AA
Category 1 Cover Design
First place - Belfry High School - Buccaneer - The concept for this attractive cover is well-executed throughout the book. The “Wanted Poster” theme works because of the typography choices and the use of the “Wanted” scrolls throughout.
Second place - Corbin High School - The Redhound - A fun cover! The clever promos and the modeling shots of the mascot tie together the look of this magazine-style cover.
Third place - Union County High School - Unionaire - This is a dynamic cover with a striking illustration. I like the movie poster concept; the only shortcoming is that this movie theme seems to be abandoned once you get inside.
Honorable Mention - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair - The look of this cover is a little understated on the front, but the theme turns out to be quite clever once you get inside. I like the transformation of the “talking heads” as you flip through the book. My favorite is the rooster head - that’s creative!
Category 2 Writing Style
First place - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian - This yearbook is packed with detailed stories and profiles.The reporting that went into these stories gives this book substance. You can learn a lot about the school and its students through the writing.
Second place - Corbin High School - The Redhound - This staff has a good handle on writing in the journalistic form. They recognize strong quotes and how to structure a story. They also fill the book with interesting content, including stories on faith, grandparents and pets. My favorite quote, from a story on lab projects: “I think I learn more when I’m not puking.”
Third place - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair - The writing effectively captures those moments that make up the high school experience. The words are sure to bring back a flood of memories when current graduates flip through this book years from now.
Honorable Mention - Heath High School - Pirata - Headlines tie together the theme.
Category 3 Overall Yearbook Design
First place - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair - This yearbook shows some sophistication in its design with a crisp, clean look that is not too busy. This is helped by the choice to use the same font styles throughout. The black-and-gold color scheme is consistent and gives the book a cohesive look. The photos are well-played. And the senior superlatives pages look terrific.
Second place - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian - This design is a little on the busy side, but ultimately this book is colorful and fun. I appreciate the text treatments on the headlines, which give the book some personality. I also like the use of the record as a design element. One problem worth noting: Some photos appear to have distorted proportions, which compromises their integrity (examples: the football team and the boys golf photos in the back).
Third place - Estill County High School - Engineer - I especially like the look of the Senior pages. One suggestion: group photos need to be played bigger, otherwise their value is lost, because people can’t be identified. As a rule of thumb, individuals’ heads should be no smaller than a dime when reproducing photographs if they are to have any impact.
Honorable Mention - Bardstown High School - Tradition Never Graduates - I particularly like the table of contents and the section dividers.
Category 4 Theme Development
First place - Belfry High School - Buccaneer - The pirate theme comes through clearly. The text on the “wanted posters” really adds personality to the book.
Second place - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair - The theme is rather broad, but the design really ties it together.
Third place - Edmonson County High School - Wildcat - The magazine concept works. Nice job of carrying it out in the headlines. My only suggestion would be that this theme would be strengthened by including inside pages that look more like magazine covers.
Honorable Mention - Mercy Academy High School - The Cat’s Eye The theme along with some old photographs provide a sense of this school’s history and tradition.
Category 5 Use of Graphics
First place - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian - A very graphic book with lots of magazine-like elements. The eye-catching graphics are well-done.
Second place - Belfry High School - Buccaneer - A lot of thinking went into these graphic elements. The top 10 lists, scoreboards and polls are terrific ways to capture information.
Third place - Union County High School - Unionaire - Fun backdrops and dynamic sports pages make this book standout graphically.
Honorable Mention - Corbin High School - The Redhound - Nice effort.
Category 6 Yearbook Photography
First place - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair This solid selection of expressive photos really captures the essence of high school life. This book is packed with a wonderful variety of photos reflecting the CCHS experience. Strong, active composition makes these photos pop. Also worth noting is the attention to design and display- most of the photos are run at an appropriate size so that the content has impact and doesn’t get lost.
Second place - Corbin High School - The Redhound - Nice sports action shots.
Third place - Heath High School - Pirata - Nice book.
Honorable Mention - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian
Category 7 Advertising Section
First place - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair - Clean, attractive advertising section.
Second place - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian - Lots of ads. Did everyone in town buy one?
Third place - Heath High School - Pirata
Honorable Mention - Union County High School - Unionaire
Category 8 Overall Coverage
First place - Fleming County High School - The Fleming Countian - I get a real sense of what this high school is like by flipping through these pages. That’s the measure of a yearbook that’s done its job well.
Second place - Corbin High School - The Redhound - I like the interesting variety of stories. Stories such as the ones about grandparents and pets capture other aspects of students’ lives outside of school.
Third place - Belfry High School - Buccaneer
Honorable Mention - Carroll County High School - Panthers’ Lair
YEARBOOK AAA
Category 1 Cover Design
First place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - This cover is elegant, sophisticated, and confident. The use of gold and the font gives the design a formal air, but the overall design is simple and direct. The technique used on the cover photographs is interesting and executed well. This photo motif repeats throughout the book, which serves to carry out the theme. Of the entries, this was the one with the most polished appearance.
Second place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The illustration used for this cover is fresh, unique and energized. It works well with the font that’s used. The way the design opens up on the inside front cover, through use of line and color, draws the viewer’s attention. The design style that’s established here is carried out through the book. It has a youthful and lively feel.
Third place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The use of full-color photography is compelling and exciting. This cover puts the focus on students and the community of the school by showcasing individuals in their roles as “cardinals.” The Anatomy of a Cardinal theme, which is carried out through the book, is well-established. This is a clever idea and a fun design. One point of confusion is the large “Anatomy of a Cardinal” banner at the top. Design-wise, this could be a smaller element, since the title and year of the book are displayed on the sign held by Corey Christensen. Because there is so much going on, a strong design is weakened a bit by feeling cluttered.
Honorable Mention - Boyle County High School - LeSabre - The cover utilizes and skillfully rendered, striking illustration. The tone is fun, the concept is unique, and the effect is polished. It could have been made even stronger with the addition of the yearbook name or school year, or more prominent placement of the school name. Using the movie poster image slightly larger, or moving it down to center it on the cover would also heighten the impact.
Category 2 Writing Style
First place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon -- The writing adheres to a journalistic style and is consistent throughout the book. The coverage of clubs, activities and events is thorough. Each section includes ample and descriptive quotations. The tone is serious without being too formal. The longer text sections make good use of quotations that lend an air of individual personality and record the voices of the school.
Second place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The “system” spreads are innovative and enjoyable to read. They draw the viewer in and are carried out with consistency. The use of additional copy describing details in the photographs also works very well.
Third place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The writing style is journalistic and confident and conveys a sense of community. Quotations are put to great use here, especially in the “Replay” and “We thought we were so cool then” sections. The intro text for the section dividers is interesting and informative. The additional biographical information in the superlative sections is particularly nice and lends a depth to the tradition.
Category 3 Overall Yearbook Design
First place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - The use of gold throughout the book works very well to convey tone. There is a consistency - with the gold framing, trio photo motif, headline font, etc. that ties the book together as a whole. It’s attractive and visually pleasing. The viewer doesn’t get confused or overwhelmed.
Second place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The section dividers, the definitions of each class, the “system” portraits all work well together to convey a sense of place and personality. The design is clean and interesting. The superlative spread is particularly well-done.
Third place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - Overall, the design is fun and provocative. The “drawings” that appear at the section dividers are wonderful and carry the feel of the cover and theme through the book. The color-coded sections work well as do the side bars unique to each section. At times, however, there are so many different fonts and graphics, the viewer can become overwhelmed.
Category 4 Theme Development
First place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The “Heart of a Cardinal” insets serve to remind the viewer of the theme, which is established on the cover and carried out in the “systems” spreads.
Second place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - “Remix” is a great theme because it can be expanded in so many different directions. It’s developed here with the use of repeated imagery that mirrors the illustration on the cover, as well as the graphics used in the “A Closer Look” inserts.
Third place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - The motif of the three photos, as introduced on the cover, works well to perpetuate the theme of “Etched in Gold” throughout the book. The headlines incorporate the theme without feeling forced, and the photographs themselves convey a richness that goes hand in hand with the theme.
Category 5 Use of Graphics
First place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - Graphics are at their best here - simple, consistent and in keeping with the theme. The double gold line that runs through the pages, connecting them, and the gold decorative flourish that accents the blocks of copy carry out “Etched in Gold” and add visual dimension to the pages without becoming distracting.
Second place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The graphical elements from the cover are used throughout the book, serving to further the theme. While each section utilizes different graphical elements, they mix and blend with one another well. The “Replay” boxes are a great use of graphics - marrying design with information.
Third place - South Oldham High School - The Draconium - The graphical element from the cover is used throughout the book and definitely creates a consistent tone. At times, the pages seem a little cluttered as the lines lead the viewer’s eyes around the page.
Category 6 Yearbook Photography
First place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - The photography throughout the book is quite strong. The photos are high resolution and work well at larger sizes. The opening sports spread stands out as particularly well done and emotionally evocative. The photo trios that appear throughout the book are handled very well. They are attention grabbing and attractive.
Second place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The table of contents and the first 19 pages showcase a smart and innovative use of photography. The portraits in this section are clean and professional.
Third place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The photos are warm and convey a friendly tone. The use of many candid and action shots portray the school as a meaningful and warm place to be.
Category 7 Advertising Section
First place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The ads section really “feels” like it belongs with the rest of the book. The “Back Then” inserts as well as small news items scattered throughout, plus the fact that the salutations are mixed in with the community ads gives the reader a reason to pause and fully engage with each page.
Second place - South Oldham High School - The Draconium - The use of statistics at the opening of the Ads & Sals page is clever and draws the reader’s attention, having the statistical information flow across the bottom of the page throughout the section is a great idea. The design and color scheme of the senior salutations is soothing and cohesive. The Ads are done well, although a few of them are printed too large for the resolution, causing them to appear blurry.
Third place - Boyle County High School - LeSabre - The concept and design of the salutation pages is both fresh and lively, and touching and nostalgic. The use of business cards (or business card sized ads) gives the ads section a clean, ordered appearance.
Category 8 Overall Coverage
First place - Assumption High School - The Rosecast - The “infographics” that appear throughout the book are informative and attention grabbing and really let the reader see inside Assumption High School and get to know its students. The “A Day in the life of...” sections do this particularly well. Any reader, whether or not he or she has a connection to the school, would find these an enjoyable and interesting (and sometimes funny) read. The coverage here is definitely geared toward “human interest,” but all activities and events are covered well.
Second place - Bowling Green High School - Beacon - The coverage is inclusive of major events, teams, groups, etc., but also delves deeper with student profiles that are informative and respectful. Stories like “Exchanging Lives” and “Dare to be Different” showcase elements of school life and culture unique to Bowling Green, preserving the memory of this particular year, not just school life in general.
Third place - Taylor County High School - Cardinal - The individual personalities and interests of the students shine through here. The clubs and activities stories are brief, but go in to detail about the events of the year. There a couple of places where more description would be beneficial. “Cardinal Cradle,” for instance, is a group that, as a viewer, I’d like to know more about.
YEARBOOK AAAA
Category 1 Cover Design
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Images of the year tumbling from screen attractively illustrates the television theme of the book. Good to have the name of the book included on cover. Suggestions: more variety in type size between school name, theme and book name.
Second place - Fern Creek Traditional High School - The Tiger - Good job on combining photos of people from different eras on the steps of the gym -- loved the hippies and the majorette! The cover art is a good representation of the history theme. Suggestion: include name of book somewhere on the cover.
Third place - Graves County High School - Aquila - Cover art puzzle pieces clearly illustrates theme. Also gave opportunity to include many faces on the cover -- maybe too many. Some of the faces are hard to see. Good continuation of art to back. Suggestion: include name of book somewhere on cover.
Category 2 Writing Style
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Great copy -- each piece could stand alone as a feature story. Copy includes lots of information and quotes. Captions/cutlines add new information and quotes. Some style notes: attribution should be name said, unless last two words in story or cutline then put said name; maintain your style (and follow AP), in one place you have tee-shirts and in another t-shirt (it is T-shirt); no comma before and in simple series; everyday is one word only when used as an adjective.
Second place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - It’s great that the staff is providing copy for most spreads. Now you need to work on maintaining consistency in the quality of writing throughout the book. Some articles were very generic and could have applied to any school -- you need more details and quotes. Style issues: watch pronoun use, possessives, abbreviations. Good job to the sports staff.
Third place - Trinity High School - Shamrock - Good copy -- just need more of it throughout the book, especially in activities/clubs. Style note: don’t use “held” unless talking about something you can hold in your hand.
Category 3 Overall Yearbook Design
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - The Statesman is in a league of its own when it comes to design! Clean layout, good use of photos, easy to read typefaces and consistency in type styles. Great dividers, but could have used some copy. Only suggestion: small point size on photo border.
Second place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - Good design is compromised by dark background on many pages making copy unreadable. Type size is too small on some body copy. Graphics do a good job of extending the theme -- especially the playlists used at beginning of sections. Interesting folios.
Third place - Trinity High School - Shamrock - Sometimes less is more, and the Shamrock staff uses simplicity to produce clean, readable spreads. Too many books overuse color, clip art and unusual typefaces to the point the photos and copy become lost. Work for more consistency in design throughout the book, not just in opening spreads.
Category 4 Theme Development
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - From the “brought to you” opening to the “that’s a wrap” closing, the copy, headlines, design and graphics are all used to develop the theme. The headlines deserve special notice, from “Law and Order” on classroom rules to “Trading Spaces” for a spread on exchange students.
Second place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - The Trojan staff members do a good job of using the familiar graphics of the world of video/DVD to illustrate the “Just Push PLAY” theme. The design of the divider pages and use of Playlists also promote the theme. Other than a brief opening, the theme isn’t developed through the copy on the spreads or dividers.
Third place - Graves County High School - Aquila - The “Piecing it Together” theme is continued throughout the book with the puzzle art and the puzzle pieces page numbers. While the theme is explained in the opening copy, it is missing from the dividers and there is no closing.
Category 5 Use of Graphics
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Television graphics tie book together but don’t overwhelm pages.
Second place - Graves County High School - Aquila - Good job.
Third place - Trinity High School - Shamrock - Nice effort.
Category 6 Yearbook Photography
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Another category in which Henry Clay dominates. The high quality of the candid photos continues throughout the book, right through to the last photo. The full-page divider photos are great, but gems are found on almost every page. Congratulations to the Statesman photographers (and the page designers who did justice to the photos)!
Second place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - Some great photos. Unfortunately, the design reduces the impact by covering some of the strongest with smaller photos and crowded placement.
Third place - Graves County High School - Aquila - Good job.
Category 7 Advertising Section
First place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - Good organization and use of divider -- although better if photos on divider advertising related. Watch placing black type on dark background.
Second place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Clean design. Readable typefaces. Treat the ads like a section with a divider.
Third place - Graves County High School - Aquila - Wow! Between salutes and ads almost half the book!
Category 8 Overall Coverage
First place - Henry Clay High School - Statesman - Great coverage of the traditional events: Spirit Week, Homecoming, plays, sports but spreads on tailgating, Waffle House or IHOP, text messaging and after-school jobs helped round out coverage of the school year. The Academics section also went beyond the standard coverage with good reporting and writing and interesting photos.
Second place - North Hardin High School - The Trojan - Good coverage of the wide range of school activities along with some interesting spreads on volunteering, tattoos and autos.
Third place - Graves County High School - Aquila - Nice book.
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