Hoosier Star Yearbook Awards
Indiana High School Press Assn
March, 2003 (for 2002 entries)
Dennis Cripe
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Yearbooks from Northwood, Connersville, Munster, Chesterton and Columbus high schools won top honors in the annual Indiana High School Press Association’s Hoosier Star competition for 2003.
Additionally, 6 yearbooks won “Merit” recognition in the critique contest designed to provide feedback to schools and to identify those publications producing outstanding work.

Judges reviewed books from schools in three divisions: Division I (enrollments of 800 or fewer students); Division II (enrollments of 801 to 1300 students), and Division III (enrollments of 1301 or greater). From Division I, the Logue from Northwood High School won top honors while The Cohiscan from Connersville High School captured the title for schools in Division II. The Paragon from Munster High School; Singing Sands from Chesterton, and the Log from Columbus North high school earned Hoosier Stars in Division III.
The Hoosier Star represents the highest award given to a publication staff by the Indiana High School Press Association and involves a comprehensive evaluation of the publication’s content, photography, design and editing.

More than 50 Indiana high school yearbooks entered the IHSPA critique service in 2003. Initially, books were sent to out-of-state judges who provided the initial feedback and overall ranking. Those publications earning marks of “Superior” or “Excellent” by the first judges were sent to a second local judge who determined the Hoosier Stars and Merit Award winners. Merit Awards comprise those “finalist” books from which Hoosier Stars were determined.

Jim Grim, a former adviser of the yearbook at Jeffersonville High School, evaluated the Hoosier Stars and found the competition for the award to be “intense.” He applauded Hoosier Star editors who generated “elegant, beautifully designed publications.”

The judge was impressed with Northwood’s “Tradition” theme which featured mini themes titled “Spirit,” “Respect,” “Prestige,” “Focus,” and “Excellence.” Grim added, “If it is a clean, classy, traditional look the staff wanted, they surely achieved it with this product.”

Robin Bilinski advises the book from Northwood High School in Nappanee.

Of Connersville’s Cohiscan, the judge commented on the “trendy reader participant features, in-depth captions, and appropriate use of theme to tie the book together.” “Coverage of the student experience in this book is simply amazing,” Grim added.

Lisa Morris is the adviser of the yearbook at Connersville High School.

Considering Munster’s Paragon yearbook, the judge said, “This is easily one of the most outstanding yearbooks in the country. Using a “Code Red” theme, the judge was impressed with the elegant design utilizing clean, attractive typography and graphics throughout.” “The outcome is a professional-looking journalistic endeavor, sure to make students of Munster proud.”

Nancy Hastings is the adviser of the book at Munster High School.

The Singing Sands from Chesterton is an example of “putting the basics to use with a true sense of flair – reflecting the perfect theme for this school experience,” according to Grim. The judge awarded “Special Distinction” marks for coverage and content, layout and design, writing, and special details.

John Hayduk is the yearbook’s adviser at Chesterton High School.

The Log used the theme “The Story of Us” to unify the year at Columbus North High School. “The theme is told in an elegant, pleasing approach that shows the school’s story is “more than a classmate, grade, face, number, meeting or dollar,” Grim noted in his summary.

Kim Green is the adviser of the yearbook at Columbus North High School.

Grim also named 6 books as “finalists” in the Hoosier Star pool. Schools in the larger enrollment division earning Merit Awards include Floyd Central, Carmel, Homestead and Richmond high schools.
Schools in the intermediate enrollment class earning Merit Awards include Mount Vernon and Muncie Central high schools.

Hanover Central high school earned a “Merit” award in the small school division of the IHSPA.
Yearbook staffs will be honored at the IHSPA’s fall state convention on the Franklin College campus Oct. 17, 2003. Full critiques of all Hoosier star yearbook and newspaper winners are posted on the IHSPA web site at: psj.franklincollege.edu/ihspa.