Five Balfour schools are finalists in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Design of the Year and COVID-19 Reporting contests. Five schools and more than 10 students were named finalists for seven yearbook spreads.
In the COVID-19 Reporting category, Bridgeland’s Cara Hudson is a finalist for her text-only spread, “If COVID Only Knew.”
“By far, this was my favorite spread in yearbooks last year,” Balfour’s Key Accounts and Education Manager Kel Lemons said. “I love the ingenuity of it—the bold headline, the creative use of typography, the sheer effectiveness when there’s not a photo to be found. It’s stunning.”
In the Design of the Year categories, Balfour schools took six spots in three different categories. In Yearbook Spread, McCalllum’s Lindsey Plotkin and Bella Russo are finalists for their spread on the fire academy. In Yearbook Theme Package, two schools are finalists: Bowie High School and Foster High School. The Lone Star’s Grace Conlan and Ryan Kinney designed the theme concept for “tbd” while The Talon’s staff is nominated for the theme design of “Subject to Change.”
Three schools also locked up finalist spots in the Informational Graphic category. McCallum’s Hannah Zuniga is a finalist for her US map depicting summer travel. Bellaire’s Evan Zhao earned his spot with a timeline spread on quarantine and COVID-19. Bridgeland’s Hannah Brown, Madelynn Cruz and Aniyah Steele worked together to create an infographic spread connected to COVID-19 and its effect on their school and school district.
“This is the first time this has ever happened for Foster High School and it’s so exciting to see the hard work these kids put in be recognized,” Foster adviser Danielle Bell said. “They did what some was impossible and gave their school a yearbook under hard circumstances. I’m so proud to be their adviser.”
Winners in the competition and other Individual Award categories will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony at 3 pm Central, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.
Congratulations to Bellaire, Bowie Bridgeland, McCallum and Foster!
COVID-19 REPORTING
Yearbook: Spread
“If COVID Only Knew”
Cara Hudson
Kodiak
Bridgeland High School
Cypress, Texas
DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Yearbook Spread
“Bring the heat”
Lindsey Plotkin, Bella Russo
The Knight
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
Yearbook Theme Package
Grace Conlan, Ryan Kinney
Lone Star
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas
“Subject to Change”
Staff
The Talon
Foster High School
Richmond, Texas
Informational Graphic
“Summer traveling”
Hannah Zuniga
The Knight
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
“My Normal Summer”
Evan Zhao
Carillon
Bellaire High School
Bellaire, Texas
“By the Numbers”
Hannah Brown, Madelynn Cruz, Aniyah Steele
Kodiak
Bridgeland High School
Cypress, Texas
