Yearbook students were recognized for their collective effort when it was recently announced that the 2014-15 Indian Call has been awarded All-Kansas from the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.

All-Kansas is the top state award presented to student yearbooks, newspapers and websites. Yearbook awards are typically announced late fall, while newspaper and website awards are announced in late spring. Hays High’s yearbook was one of six yearbooks named in the Class 4A division. This marked the second consecutive year the Indian Call has earned the top award.

“All-Kansas is our ultimate goal for our publications, so it goes without saying that I’m extremely proud of the yearbook staff,” adviser Bill Gasper said. “The award is a result of many hours of hard work by the staff and a belief of what they are doing is very important. And, not only is their work important, they are also learning valuable future workplace skills such as effective communication, teamwork, problem solving and creative thinking.”

Yearbooks are judged in five areas – theme development, coverage, writing, design, and photography. In each area, yearbooks are awarded either an All-Kansas, an Award of Commendation, or an Award of Merit.

To earn the overall All-Kansas rating, a yearbook must have the top rating in at least three areas. The Indian Call earned the All-Kansas distinction in all five: theme, coverage, writing, photography and design.
Editor-in-chief of the book was Jasmine Lawson, while Morgan Klaus was assistant editor. Other staff members were Thea Ferland, Cheyenne Schwab, Lexie Reinhardt, Kylie Brown, Taylor DeBoer, Kirsten Prindle, Haley George, Chelsey Augustine, Tiana Lawson, Hannah Thomasson, and Breanna Park.

Gasper said this is the third time in his 11-year tenure that the yearbook has won All-Kansas and the first time that a book earned All-Kansas in all five areas.

“While we have had some success with our newspaper, All-Kansas for yearbook has been more elusive,” Gasper said. “Needless to say I was very pleased. I have great kids who work hard and they certainly deserve this recognition.”

It’s been a good year for Hays High journalism as the newspaper earned All-Kansas last spring, while the overall group won the Class 4A state journalism competition last May in Lawrence.