2008 A Cut Above, Yearbook

a cut above

The Best of the Best from the 2006-2007 Individual Category Yearbook Contest Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

The Cover Photo

“I eat at restaurants a lot because the food is better than my mom’s cooking,” said junior Sean Fitzpatrick.

Photo taken by Amie Maday, Waterford Kettering High School, First Place Winner, Feature Photo, Division 2.

Published by Michigan Interscholastic Press Association 305 Communication Arts Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 353-6761 Fax: (517) 355-7710 E-mail: mipa@msu.edu Web site: mipa.jrn.msu.edu

January 2008

Dear Friends of Journalism:

T

his is the eleventh issue of Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s A Cut Above, which contains the best of high school journalism in Michigan. The purpose of this booklet is twofold: 1) to showcase the first-place winners in the MIPA Individual Category Yearbook Contest and 2) to act as a guide for students and advisers preparing contest entries for the 2007–2008 competitions.

In the following pages you will find stories and art by first-place winners among the five divisions (Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and Middle School)) for yearbook. We have included category descriptions and judging criteria for each category.

This is how we determine divisions: We look at the number of students from each school that enters the contest. We use the numbers from the Michigan High School Athletic Association Directory. We put schools in order from the largest down to the smallest. Division 1 contains the largest schools, and Division 4 contains the smallest. We try hard to put nearly the same number of schools in each division.

We are proud of all the winners and wish we could have published all of them, but size and space dictated how many, and in some cases, which ones, were printed. Since all the winning entries were retyped to fit the format, we apologize if any errors were made in the stories. Please remember these are just a sampling of the winners.

If you would like to help judge the 2006-2007 entries for the Individual Category Newspaper and Yearbook contests, please call the MIPA office at (517) 353-6761 or e-mail mipa@msu.edu. Judging will take place on March 1, 2008, at the MSU School of Journalism. We need you!

I’d like to thank Julie Price, the current newspaper chairperson, and Lynn Strause, the current yearbook chairperson, who both did a fantastic job of pulling off last year’s judging. This is a huge project, and we all owe them a round of applause!

I’d also like to thank Amy Brandt and Jonathan Vereecke for laying out the pages, taking photographs, and scanning images and adding them to the documents. These two MIPA employees work hard for all of us!

Finally, I’d like to thank all the wonderful advisers, the MIPA executive board, The State News staff members and School of Journalism faculty for giving up a chunk of a Saturday to come to MSU to help judge. Without you, of course, there would be no winners!

For complete information about all of the contests, please check out the MIPA Web site at http://mipa.jrn.msu.edu. Cheryl Pell is the Webmaster, and she has made all forms available as PDF files, which you can download and print out.

Sincerely, Cheryl M. Pell MIPA director 305 Communication Arts Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 PHONE: (517) 353-6761 FAX: (517) 355-7710 E-MAIL: pell@msu.edu

Feature Writing: Student Life Feature Writing: Student Life

Fight Chuck Robuck Lake Orion High School The ringing of the phone shook the tranquility of Towers Treats as owner Renee Towers went about her business. That everyday ring was the beginning of the most devastating day of her life. Across town and on the dialing end of the line was her senior son Jared Towers, who was making the phone call while working at Benito’s Pizza.

Something was terribly wrong and was shaking Jared to the core but he couldn’t place it or explain it to his mother.

Because half way through his explanation his words turned into incomprehensible mush. Repeatedly Jared started over and over again but was attempting to hurtle an impossible obstacle.

Hanging up the phone in a state of complete panic Renee called her eldest son Tim. Immediately following the conversation Tim jumped into his car and sped down Lapeer Road to Benito’s and his disturbed brother. Tim found his younger brother on the verge of unconscious; unable to think, speak, or move as he sat there slightly drooling. After only a glance Tim was phoning the hospital and they dispatched emergency vehicles immediately, arriving in two minutes. Shortly following, Renee arrived in time to witness the nightmare unfolding before her. The ambulance crew quickly loaded and transported her son to St. Joseph Emergency Hospital in Pontiac with Tim, Renee and father Bradley in immediate pursuit. Wearing a mask of sadness, the doctor delivered the news to the scared and impatient trio; Jared was suffering from a ruptured AVM. Arterio-Venous Malformation, or AVM is a nearly impossibly detected abnormal collection of blood vessels that rupture over time. A very select few are born with an AVM and every year that passes the patients rate of it rupturing increases by four percent. Jared was born with AVM and it ruptured at Benito’s with a 68 percent chance.

“When the doctor first delivered the news it was obvious that he was shocked Jared was still alive,” his mother said recalling the disturbing news. “We had no previous signs; it was all a complete shock.”

Jared was rushed into Intensive Care Unit on August 19

and they put him into a comatose state for the only hope of his survival, by using a continuous drip of Phenobarbital.

Dozens of tubes and wires were attached to Jared’s body and the staff and family watched his thin life thread from a computer monitor. They all hoped and prayed for signs of improvement.

During the comatose state Jared did not look like the bright and fun teenager that his fellow students remembered seeing in the halls.

“Jared had a loyal friend that visited him a few times during the surgery,” continued his father. “On one occasion his friend’s older brother came with him and came into the hospital room. When he saw Jared he left the room immediately to go throw up.”

To the indescribable joy of the Towers family Jared came out of the comatose state on his own, slowly but surely.

Jared was at first unable to move his left side completely, hardly his right side, or talk when he first came out. But he progressed. He took his second big step on September 14 when he left ICU for Children’s Hospital.

“It was an incredible shock that Jared had lived so long with his AVM and had survived a rupture of that size,” Doctor Robert Johnson said with astonishment. “His improvement was something that none of us expected.”

Intense daily therapy at Children’s Hospital brought Jared back to his old life. He began to walk with a walker, laugh, and smile, and have nearly complete control of his left side. After 35 days Jared finished his stay at Children’s Hospital and his respirator. When he left he was eating and writing left handed and almost walking entirely on his own.

Jared has been at home with his loving and supporting family since October 20 and his major troubles are controlling the right side of his body and speaking. Doctors were unsure of how much Jared would ever recover from the necessary comatose state but their doubts diminished through Jared’s will and his parent’s dedication that he recovers more each passing day.

“You could write page after page about this whole episode,” said his father. “Jared has been through so much more than words alone cay say, but he has come through it better than anyone could have hoped.”

Feature writing and reporting on school and community from the student life section of the book.

Guidelines • clear, relevant, engaging angle • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Chuck Robuck Lake Orion 2 Ashli Hogan Utica 3 Jessica Halfyard & Ashley Halfyard Fenton 4 Jenifer Kremsreiter Ithaca M Kyle McLachlan & Ted Tavis Traverse City East Jr-H

A Cut Above 5

Sports Reporting Sports Reporting Sports reporting for any season that makes the reader feel that he/she is reliving the season.

Earning the threepeat Melina Rozzisi North Farmington High School

Guidelines • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story gives reader a clear picture of season highlights and outcome with relevant player comments • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Chuck Robuck Lake Orion 2 Melina Rossizi North Farminton 3 Kelly Lepri, Ansley Fous & Josh Georgakopoulos Fenton 4 Matt Myers Breckenridge

6 A Cut Above

“Dead discussion; you will not win, ‘cause I will not lose.”

This was the mantra of the gymnastics team while preparing for this year’s state competition. The girls needed to get pumped up; they were about to face a very hungry Livonia Unified. “We had no idea how our biggest rival Livonia performed since we couldn’t watch or see their scores,” said senior Jenna Benoit.

The gymnastics team had met Livonia Unified three times previously this season and dealt with their first defeat in two years. “In the meet against Livonia, we lost by less than a point. Everyone tried their best but Livonia gave us tough competition. It was the first loss we had in two years.

It was disappointing but it didn’t hit us that hard,” said sophomore Amy Ancona.

The girls, however, were not ready to give up. They came back two days later and won their own invitational, which Livonia attended. “We were all very determined and motivated to win the invite. We all knew what we had to do and we got it and won because we wanted it so bad. Winning the

invite made the team realize that it is really possible for us to accomplish our ultimate goal,” said senior Jessica Oddi.

The ultimate goal, of course, was to win a third state championship. However, when the meet began things weren’t going as planned. “Jessie Oddi hurt her knee at the beginning of the meet but was able to still compete,” said Benoit.

Things really came together when the girls performed on the beam. Benoit was first and it was vital that she nail her routine to set the tone. She came through, as did her four teammates who followed. This performance on the balance beam proved vital to the girls’ success, as they ran into some unexpected problems on the floor.

“We had a lot of falls and didn’t perform as we thought we would but since we stuck together as a team we managed to win our third state championship,” said Benoit. The team was surprised when the title was announced because other teams can’t watch one another, so the girls didn’t know where they stood. “When they announced Livonia getting second place we knew we had it. Girls started to cry because we were so happy. It was so exciting because we knew all of the hard work we put in paid off and it brought us closer together,” said freshman Jenna Garber.

Sports Feature Writing

Athletics and aesthetics

The throws may be free but the shoes aren’t Matt Gauthier and Nick Johnson Traverse City East Junior High In most sports, the equipment used gets a lot of attention. In golf it’s all about the clubs or golf bag. In baseball it’s all about the style of bat and brand of glove. But some sports don’t give the equipment recognition that it deserves. One of the most well known sports in which the gear is underrated is basketball.

In the game of basketball, players don’t need any tools or paraphernalia to hit a ball, block a shot, or score a point.

Unlike football, wrestling, volleyball, and countless other sports, protective padding is also unneeded. Only hands are used to shoot the ball. But one “tool” that is needed by play-

ers is their apparel. Namely, their shoes.

“Basketball shoes are important to players because they provide support to keep you from rolling your ankles, and they keep you from sliding on the floor,” said Joshua Heerdt ’09. But shoes are important to players for other reasons, too.

Another aspect of basketball shoes, although not so much a necessity as an indulgence, is style. Many students were willing to spend extra cash to get name brand shoes. “The style of shoes is important because it allows you to express yourself. I have two pairs of basketball shoes, and they cost a total of $200,” said Maxwell Walker ’09.

Whether it’s for style or support, basketball shoes are an often overlooked element when it comes to the essentials of the game.

Sports Feature Writing Any topic that spotlights an unusual aspect of any event, a coach, a player or any controversy.

Guidelines • clear, relevant, engaging angle • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story meaningfully adds to sports coverage • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Amelia Cortis Lake Orion 2 Nick Perreault Utica 4 Evynn Browning, Ansley Fous & Josh Georgakopoulous Fenton 4 Jenifer Kremsreither & Rachel Reeves Ithaca M Matt Gauthier & Nick Johnson Traverse City East Jr-H

A Cut Above 7

Academic Writing Academic Writing Any copy which features a department, a subject or unusual academic direction but not a personality profile of a teacher.

Guidelines • clear, relevant, engaging angle • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story goes beyond simply reviewing what happens in classroom • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Chuck Robuck Lake Orion 2 Danielle Jacks Utica 3 Jessica Nowicki & Amy Saunders Haslett 4 Whitney Huntoon Ithaca M Julia Tsinberg Orchard Lake

8 A Cut Above

Closing the doors

Utica says goodbye to one of its most successful programs Danielle Jacks Utica High School The 2005-2006 school year was the final year for the Industrial Arts. Last year welding students had to endure a tearful goodbye to former welding director Paul Boes.

Recently, Utica High School announced that they will be closing the doors to auto, welding, and machine shop. And as anyone would imagine, the students are quite upset.

“I’m enraged that even with auto classes full, the district is still choosing to end these classes, “junior Kyle Scheel said. “Having time to work in class to gain better knowledge is beneficial to all students, especially those who plan to continue on this career pathway.”

Junior Zach Jeffcoat was in his second year of machine shop when he got the bad news. “I’m very hurt. I will miss having machine shop at Utica,” Jeffcoat said. “Things will be so different.”

The industrial arts area, including welding, auto and machine, will be renovated after this year. When the 2003 Bond Issue passed, renovations were approved to convert these areas into extra classrooms, along with additional cafeteria space.

Many underclassmen felt as if they were getting cheated out of their junior and senior years.

“I’ve been planning on taking auto since I was a freshman. For me, it’s taking away valuable opportunities,”

junior Kevin Wrubel said. “I’m really upset with the whole thing.”

Some seniors felt very angry with the administration for cutting the program, while other seniors didn’t feel too strongly about it.

“I am infuriated with the administration. Through this class I have obtained my job at the bus garage,” senior Michael Johnson said. “Every vocational arts class I have taken has shown me the steps from designing, to machining, and finally to building and assembly.”

The industrial arts classes haven’t only taught students how to change your oil, draw a car, and weld two pieces of metal together. They’ve given students with the same common interests a chance to make lifelong friendships.

Utica High School graduates from the class of 1999, Lawrence Seabolt and Joseph Nabozny, are good examples of what can be done with welding knowledge. The boys sat next to each other in their junior year welding class with Boes. Soon, the boys became the best of friends, and both pursued jobs in the automotive and welding field.

“It’s a shame that Boes left,” Seabolt said. “Now with the program being taken away, it is cutting students’ chances for success in the automotive field. With so many job openings, it is absolutely absurd to end the program.”

The industrial arts are something that will be missed by generations to come for all the great things it has brought for all the students it has touched.

Organizations Writing Organizations Writing

Ability Chuck Robuck Lake Orion High School Murals, jewelry art, and ceramics; all some of the many things to participate in while at Art Club. There were the sounds of drills and the quieter ones of paint brushes on a canvas. No matter where you go on Thursdays after school, you would most likely find someone working on a creative art project. Students in Art Club had a great opportunity to be creative and speak their mind.

When the students go to Art Club on Thursdays, all they did was check in, have a meeting about what will be coming up, and then go and do what they please.

“Art Club is basically just an open studio, people can come and go as they please and still have a fun learning experience,” said Art Club president, senior John Jones.

Art Club meets every Thursday after school until 4:30.

They work on many different projects such as Computer Art; but behind all that, they are also doing a lot of charity.

The Art Club helps around the community in many ways.

There is a trailer that goes through some neighborhoods in

Writing that gives the reader a fresh view of the organization.

Lake Orion that picks up presents and gifts for needy children. To help build the community’s spirit, the Art Club is the one’s who paint and decorate the trailer.

Art Club is not just all about having fun. They go on many field trips to places like galleries on Woodward and the Detroit Institute of Art to learn more about the different types of art. “It’s a great place to go and be creative with your friends,” said sophomore Nicole Ellison.

One of the biggest projects that Art Club works on, however, is the fundraising towards their end-of-the-year trip. They fundraise throughout the entire year by: selling pottery at Parent Teacher conferences, face painting, car washes, and jewelry and card sales. One of the things they do as well is paint windows in public buildings for the holidays. For example, they’re painting one at Farmer Jack for Thanksgiving.

“We do a lot of things to spice up Lake Orion High School, things like murals and paintings that go up around the school,” said sophomore Rachel Finney. “Being involved in Art Club helped me to really be creative, and really speak my mind,” she said.

Guidelines • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story does not center on purpose of group or simply review their activities • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Chuck Robuck Lake Orion 2 Jenna Shruga Utica 3 Rachel Reardon Fenton 4 Samantha Castillo Ithaca M Jennifer Thomas Orchard Lake

A Cut Above 9

Personality Profile Personality Profile Writing featuring a teacher, staff member or student that makes the character three dimensional.

Guidelines • clear, relevant, engaging angle that makes story worthy of inclusion • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story goes beyond superficial coverage to give a total perspective and feel for the subject • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Claire Goscicki Cousino 2 Thomas Nestrovski Utica 3 Lauren French, Will Hunter & Erin Lucido Fenton 4 Allie Hall Inland Lakes M Deni Ambrose Orchard Lake

10 A Cut Above

Abundance of crutches, casts Autumn brought falling leaves and broken bones Deni Ambrose Orchard Lake Middle School After crashing into a parked care on a Moped, Jonathan Zako, 8th, is finally on the road to recovery. Zako was on crutches for five months from August 5 to the beginning of January.

“I took the Moped when my mom said not to, at 11 o’clock at night,” Zako said.

Zako was trying to race his sister, who was in a car, down the street.

“So when they were in back of me I turned around to tell them I won,” he said. And then Zako slammed into a parked car and passed out.

“When I woke up I was in the hospital screaming as loud

as I could,” Zako said. Zako’s whole family was crowded around him and giving him comfort after his terrible fall.

When the doctor came in he told Jon that he broke his tibia, fibula, femur, knee, and arm.

The doctor also told Zako that he put a plate and 14 screws in his femur.

Teacher Stacey Weller delivered his homework and tutored Zako three times a week. Once he came back to school he took the MEAP and caught-up with assignments.

“I liked being able to help kids outside of school,” Weller said.

Zako still had therapy twice a week after his long stay in the hospital.

“I felt terrible, but I’m all caught-up and I was ready to get out of the hospital,” Zako said.

Sidebar Writing Sidebar Writing Any article on a topic that adds to spread coverage.

Guidelines • solid lead that draws reader into story • meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • evidence of adequate research • story enhances spread coverage by adding meaningful information and/or insights • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Jackie Gulick Grand Ledge

By Jackie Gulick, Grand Ledge High School

2 Shawna Guellec, Rachel Gross & Amie Maday Waterford Kettering 3 Ashley Alfaro Fenton 4 Kristyna Hofmann Ithaca M Kyle McLachlan Traverse City East Jr-H

A Cut Above 11

Headline Writing Headline Writing Include at least three examples, including secondary and primary headlines. Do not submit label or one-word headlines.

Guidelines • clever/imaginative, engaging the reader • draws reader into copy • contents of headline establishes visual/verbal connection between photos and copy • headline/subhead makes spread content clear • adheres to rules of good journalism including: avoiding label headlines; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Sara Doelle & Anna Michienzi Lake Orion 2 Brooke Darling Holt 3 Will Hunter & Mallory Totzke Fenton 4 Rachelle Page, Erica Rayburn, Azlynn Osborne & Chelsea Harger Ithaca M Michael Nafso, Deni Ambrose & Josh Dean

12 A Cut Above

By Brooke Darling, Holt High School

Caption Writing Caption Writing Captions which have been written for three photographs, one of which must be for a minor sport.

Guidelines

By Sami Kosek, Azlynn Osborn & Kelli Thompson, Ithaca High School

• begin with strong leads, not name or title • contain at least two sentences that answer all reader’s questions without stating the obvious • evidence of adequate research which provides information that adds to reader’s understanding of event or situation • clearly identifies all people in photo with both first and last (sports captions should also identify names of players on opposing team) • adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice; freedom from editorial comment; careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors; correct use of grammar

First place winners by division 1 Sara Burger & Lydia Robinson Grand Ledge 2 Kary Milgie, Erin Wolak, Adrianna McIntyre & Kirsten Parrot Utica 3 Abby Wood & Amanda Rapleje Haslett 4 Sami Kosek, Azlynn Osborn & Kelli Thompson Ithaca M Hayley Sakwa & Bridget Labe Orchard Lake

A Cut Above 13

Cover and Endsheet Design Cover and Endsheet Design Theme selection and development. Entry should include coverdesign, endsheets, introduction, division pages and closing. Entry must include actual cover and both front and back endsheets. Do not submit stock endsheets.

Guidelines • cover/endsheet introduces unifying concept visually/ verbally • design is fresh and contemporary • cover creates favorable impression through use of type/color/materials • book name and year appear on cover and spine • spine also includes school name, city, state and yearbook volume number • endsheets are attractive and either plain or contain illustrative/informative content with solid design

First place winners by division 1 Staff Stevenson

2 Jordan Angott, Brianna White, Heather Leek & Jessica VanFleteren Waterford Kettering 3 Christina Anderson & Lisa Averill Fenton 4 Lisa Wallace & Alexa Edgerton Inland Lakes M Jen Pierick Traverse City East Jr-H

14 A Cut Above

By Staff, Stevenson High School

Opening and Closing Opening and Closing The introductory and closing spreads.

Guidelines • designs are fresh and contemporary, setting them apart from standard designs but are similar to each other • photos, copy, captions, headlines and white space are arranged to help reader begin and end story of year • designs carry elements of theme concept • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines and show evidence of careful planning

First place winners by division 1 Tim Min Novi 2 Staff Holt 3 Christina Anderson & Lisa Averill Fenton 4 Lisa Wallace & Alexa Edgerton Inland Lakes M Jen Pierick Traverse City East Jr-H

By Tim Min, Novi High School

A Cut Above 15

Division Division One set of all division pages in yearbook.

Guidelines • designs are fresh and contemporary, setting them apart from standard designs but are similar to each other • photos, copy, captions, headlines and white space are arranged to introduce reader to contents of section • designs carry elements of theme concept • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines and show evidence of careful planning

First place winners by division 1 Staff Grand Ledge 2 Courtney Groom Utica 3 Anna O’Connor Haslett 4 Staff Inland Lakes M Staff Orchard Lake

16 A Cut Above

By Staff, Inland Lakes High School

Student Life Spread Student Life Spread One spread from student life section.

By Kyle McLachlan, Traverse City East Junior High School

Guidelines • designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread • adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side • photos effectively cropped, of various size, shape and content; content concentrates on action photos • no center of interest in photo is trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread • non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headlines has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • copy and captions are readable size and use readable font • captions touch photos to which they refer. for group or clustered captions attention has been paid to making them accessible to reader • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Lauren Johansson, Troy 2 Lindsay Koenig, Heather Leek & Brittney Doyon, Waterford Kettering 3 Ashley Alfaro & Jessica Halfyard, Fenton 4 Liz Bennet, Nicole Whitmore, Allie Hall & Jessica Lambdin, Inland Lakes M Kyle McLachlan, Traverse City East

A Cut Above 17

Sports Spread Sports Spread One spread from the sports section.

• designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread • adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape and content; content concentrates on action photos • no center of interest in photo is trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread • non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headlines has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • copy and captions are readable size and use readable font • captions touch photos to which they refer. for group or clustered captions attention has been paid to making them accessible to reader • if team pictures are included on spread, they are not used as dominant element and are arranged to blend with overall design • if scoreboards are involved on spread, they are attractively designed to blend with the overall look of the spread and set in a readable font and size • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

By Kelly Nyberg & Steffi Schmitt, Haslett High School

Guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Dana Hall & Kendel Goonis, Stevenson 2 Rachel Orloff, North Farmington 3 Kelly Nyberg & Steffi Schmitt, Haslett 4 Danielle Cooper, Ithaca M Matt Gauthier, Traverse City East Jr-H

18 A Cut Above

Academic Spread Academic Spread One spread from the academic section.

By Lauren Pawl, Linsey Pawl & Jason Willis, Stevenson High School

Guidelines • designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread • adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side • photos effectively cropped, of various size, shape and content; content concentrates on action photos of students engaged in learning, not the teachers • no center of interest in photo is trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread • non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headlines has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • copy and captions are readable size and use readable font • captions touch photos to which they refer. for group or clustered captions attention has been paid to making them accessible to reader • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

First place winners by division

1 Lauren Pawl, Linsey Pawl & Jason Willis, Stevenson 2 Courtney Groom & Alle Frontera, Utica 3 Caitlynn Haas & Hadiyah Olowolafe, Haslett 4 Beth Hoff & Elizabeth Bennett, Inland Lakes M Alexandra Lamey & Rebecca Pfeiffer, Traverse City East Jr-H

A Cut Above 19

Organization Spread Organization Spread One spread from the organization section.

• designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread • adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side • photos effectively cropped, of various size, shape and content; content concentrates on action photos • no center of interest in photo is trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread • non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headlines has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • copy and captions are readable size and use readable font • captions touch photos to which they refer. for group or clustered captions attention has been paid to making them accessible to reader • if group pictures are included on spread, they are not the dominant element and are arranged to blend with the overall design of the spread • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

By Adam Case, ,Breckenridge High School

Guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Kristine Mannnino & Michelle Meschini, Stevenson 2 Ashley Field, Chelsea Warner & Lauren Rollison, Waterford Kettering 3 Rachel Reardon & Lauren French, Fenton 4 Adam Case, Breckenridge M Jamie Goode, Orchard Lake

20 A Cut Above

People Spread People Spread One spread from either student or faculty/administration coverage.

By Staff, Inland Lakes High School

Guidelines • designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • dominance is established and other elements are arranged in such a way as to lead reader’s eye around spread • adequate external margins provide frame for spread contents and are defined by at least one element on each side • photos effectively cropped, of various size, shape and content • no center of interest in photo is trapped in gutter; action and faces in photos do not face off spread • non-rectangular photos, tilted photos and other special treatments are used sparingly and effectively to enhance overall design • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headlines has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • copy and captions are readable size and use readable font • captions touch photos to which they refer. for group or clustered captions attention has been paid to making them accessible to reader • mug shots are arranged in panels with names to the outside • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Dana Hall & Marissa Spokaeski, Stevenson 2 Erin Robinson & Jessica VanFleteren, Waterford Kettering 3 Erin Lucido & Will Hunter, Fenton 4 Staff, Inland Lakes M Ted Tavis, Traverse City East Jr-H

A Cut Above 21

Advertising Spread Advertising Spread One student-produced spread.

Guidelines • spread is attractively designed with a variety of ad sizes for contrast • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • if features are included, they are designed to enhance the overall look of the spread and follow design guidelines • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Kelsey Bushnell Grand Ledge

2 Staff Waterford Kettering

4 Jordan Garza Ithaca

22 A Cut Above

By Kelsey Bushnell, Grand Ledge High School

3 Melis Agabigum Fenton

Graphics Graphics One spread illustrating contemporary use of graphics.

Guidelines • graphics add to spread content and design • use of graphics shows evidence of careful planning and clear purpose • while graphic use may be innovative, the staff adheres to journalistic guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Nicole Burdick Grand Ledge 2 Courtney Groom Utica 3 Lisa Averill Fenton 4 Kelsey Sopel & Erica Rayburn Ithaca

By Lisa Averill, Fenton High School

A Cut Above 23

Sports Action Photo Sports Action Photo Well-cropped, in-focus photo with excellent tonal quality.

Guidelines • photo has strong storytelling content • photo has been effectively cropped to emphasize center of interest and enhance content • photo is technically strong: in focus; free from scratches, dust or fingerprints; proper contrast; not too grainy or muddy • photographer paid attention to rules of composition

First place winners by division 1 Lauren Johansson Troy 2 Sarah Fletcher Mona Shores 3 Stephanie Parshall & Katheryn Dulaney Marshall 4 Josh Corbat Breckenridge M Taylor Jewell Traverse City East Jr-H

24 A Cut Above

By Stephanie Parshall & Katheryn Dulaney, Marshall High School

Academic Photo Academic Photo Photo focused on students in a learning situation either in or out of class.

Guidelines • photo has strong storytelling content • photo has been effectively cropped to emphasize center of interest and enhance content • photo is technically strong: in focus; free from scratches, dust or fingerprints; proper contrast; not too grainy or muddy • photographer paid attention to rules of composition

First place winners by division 1 Angie Fan Troy 2 Derek Hoerle Mona Shores 3 Casey McGovern Haslett

By Angie Fan, Troy High School

4 Chad Wilde Grant M Jennifer Thomas Orchard Lake

A Cut Above 25

Feature Photo Feature Photo Human interest photo with emphasis on people in their environment. Do not submit posed shots or portraits.

Guidelines • photo has strong storytelling content • photo has been effectively cropped to emphasize center of interest and enhance content • photo is technically strong: in focus; free from scratches, dust or fingerprints; proper contrast; not too grainy or muddy • photographer paid attention to rules of composition

By Chad Wilde, Grant High School

First place winners by division 1 Jason Willis Stevenson 2 Amie Maday Waterford Kettering 3 Lisa Martz Fenton 4 Chad Wilde Grant M Michelle Auslander & Jennifer Thomas Orchard Lake

26 A Cut Above

Feature Presentation Feature Presentation An unusual feature from any section. Subject selection, writing, photography and design will be considered.

Guidelines WRITING • copy has engaging angle, solid lead and meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing • captions begin with strong lead and contain at least two sentences that answer all reader’s questions and clearly identifies all people • copy and captions show evidence of adequate research • clever, engaging headline that draws reader into story and establishes visual/verbal connection • adheres to rules of good journalism including: use of active voice, freedom from editorial comment, careful editing and proofreading, correct use of grammar

By Dena Elghoroury, Troy High School

DESIGN

First place winners by division 1 Dena Elghoroury, Troy

• designed as two-page visual unit, arrangement of photos, headline, copy, captions and white space invite reader onto spread and show careful planning • special treatments are used sparingly and effectively • graphics and typography enhance readability and attractiveness of design • headline has contemporary design and establishes visual/verbal connection • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines

PHOTOGRAPHY • photos have strong storytelling content and are effectively cropped • photos are technically strong and show evidence of composition rules

2 Lindsay Koenig, Kyle Mallard, Jessica VanFleteren & Amie Maday, Waterford Kettering 3 Ashley Alfaro & Abby Hamilton, Fenton 4 Jenifer Kremsreiter & Rachael Reeves, Ithaca

*For more details, see complete criteria for categories 1, 8, 9, 13 and 20

A Cut Above 27

Index Index Creative use of graphics, typography, photos and/or short features to enhance the presentation of the index.

Guidelines • complete listing of all persons, events, clubs, activities, sports and advertisements • set in readable font and size • attractive design that adds to overall impressions

First place winners by division 1 Tim Min Novi 2 Katelyn Leach Utica 3 Christina Anderson Fenton 4 Jenifer Kremsreiter & Alysen Glowney Ithaca M Nicole Lally Traverse City East Jr-H

By Christina Anderson, Fenton High School

28 A Cut Above

Theme Development Theme Development Theme selection and development. Entry must include cover, endsheets, opening, dividers and closing.

Guidelines

By Jordan Angott & Brianna White, Waterford Kettering High School

• theme selection is fresh and contemporary as well as appropriate to the individual school • theme concept is introduced visually/verbally on cover • theme concept carries through visualy/verbally on endsheet, opening, dividers and closing showing careful development • photos on theme spreads relate to theme concept as part of total theme package • overall design of theme spreads is fresh and contemporary, setting them apart from other sections of the book • while designs may be innovative, they adhere to journalistic guidelines and show evidence of careful planning

First place winners by division 1 Jennifer Tondura, Colleen Duffy & Crystal Witherell Troy 2 Jordan Angott & Brianna White Waterford Kettering 3 Christina Anderson & Lisa Averill Fenton 4 Staff Breckenridge M Bridgett Labe & Hayley Sakwa Orchard Lake

A Cut Above 29