Editor’s note: This story was written as an assignment for Steven Jones’ 1st period journalism class. “The Hawk Eye” editors chose the strongest story submitted by students to be published online.

After being nominated for a Star Award for last year’s yearbook, the yearbook staff will travel to UT-Austin on April 19-21 to learn the results and attend the ILPC Spring Convention. 

“I feel really proud, not just of myself, but also the whole yearbook staff team, because you really see the struggle that everyone goes through to get things done,” editor-in-chief Rida Jailani said. “I think seeing it being recognized on such a large, state level is really impactful.” 

The yearbook staff spends the entire year creating the book before submitting it for competitions and offering it for sale to students. ILPC — the Interscholastic League Press Conference — is a UIL organization dedicated to serving high school journalism programs by providing rating services, competitions and conventions for students to attend. 

Publications that are submitted for rating by an independent judge can receive various recognitions, with the highest rating being an Award of Distinguished Merit. Judges then have the option to nominate publications that receive an Award of Distinguished Merit to be considered for a Star Award. A group of judges reviews nominated publications and can award them a Bronze, Silver or Gold Star, which will be announced at the Grand Awards Ceremony at the convention on April 21.

Junior and assistant design editor Yunjeong Lee said being nominated for a Star Award is a testament to the yearbook staff’s efforts and achievements from the previous year. 

“I know awards aren’t everything, but I feel like it’s a way to know we’re on the right track,” Lee said. “I feel like it’s a way of showing, ‘we really appreciate what you guys did last year.’” 

This marks the first nomination for the yearbook since 2013, when the 2012 yearbook won a Bronze Star at the spring convention. Yearbook adviser Madalyn Cooper was hired in 2020, so this is her staff’s first Star nomination 

“I’m really passionate about my field in teaching,” Cooper said. “I really enjoy being an educator and being a yearbook adviser, just because I get to provide my students with these tools and opportunities to grow and learn.” 

The 2023 yearbook theme was “Meet You at the Horizon,” and this year’s theme is “Stand Up, Stand Out.” Lee said the themes are deliberately open-ended, providing designers with lots of room to be creative in their work and make important choices with each decision presented to them. 

“If you look at the whole book, it has to be in unison,” Lee said. “It has to speak one story.” 

The school’s online newspaper, “The Hawk Eye,” and broadcast program, “Hawk TV,” are also nominated for a Star Award. According to the ILPC website, programs that win a Star Award represent the top 10% of high school publications in Texas. Cooper said the yearbook nomination is just one aspect of the accomplishments the staff has achieved over the years. 

“What this means is that the kids are going to keep pushing themselves to another level of excellence,” Cooper said. “I think what it means is that they’re just going to keep getting better and better.”