In a press release NSPA said its “judges commented that the books chosen as finalists had themes that connected to the entire school year, thorough coverage that told unique and personal stories, detailed writing filled with student quotes, beautiful, compelling photography and innovative and sophisticated design.”
The staff put in countless hours, working in and out of class including late nights from 3-11 p.m. only to come back and do it all over again the next day. All their work paid off when Breathe, the theme, was one of the 61 yearbooks chosen for the honor of bearing the title of Pacemaker finalist.
“I looked over and saw [Robin] Stover hugging Shaun [Gladney], and I knew we were waiting on Pacemaker so I was getting really excited,” staff member junior Makayla Baker, who was on staff last year, said. Fellow classmate “Devin [Carney] and I looked at each other, and we started hugging because we realized all our hard work from last year had finally paid off and now we are looking at becoming potential Pacemaker winners which has not been done in Rock Bridge’s history.”
The Pacemaker winners will be announced in Seattle, Washington, April 12-15. For the seniors on staff, this will be their last journalism convention – one they will remember.
“Since the beginning of the year we were all hoping to get to go to Seattle,” senior and production editor Shawn Crouch said. “It feels so good that other people appreciate all the hard work we have put into our book, and I am glad it is finally being recognized.”
In addition to being a Pacemaker finalists, Flashback was recently named a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown finalist. CSPA judged 1,351 print newspapers, magazines and yearbooks that were published during the 2010-2011 school year. The finalists will learn whether they earned a Gold or Silver Crown in March at the spring journalism convention in New York City.
By Drew Rodgers