Yearbook students were recognized for their collective effort when it was recently announced that the 2015-16 Indian Call has been awarded All-Kansas from the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.

Earlier this year, the yearbook earned All-American status from the National Scholastic Press Association.

All-Kansas is the top state award presented to student yearbooks, newspapers and websites. Yearbook awards are typically announced late fall, while newspaper and website awards are announced in late spring. Hays High’s yearbook was one of six yearbooks named in the Class 4A division. This marked the third consecutive year the Indian Call has earned the top award.

“All-Kansas is our ultimate goal for our publications, so it goes without saying that I’m extremely proud of the yearbook staff,” adviser Bill Gasper said. “The award is a result of many hours of hard work by the staff and a belief of what they are doing is very important. And, not only is their work important, they are also learning valuable future workplace skills such as effective communication, teamwork, problem solving and creative thinking.”

Yearbooks are judged in five areas – theme development, coverage, writing, design, and photography. In each area, yearbooks are awarded either an All-Kansas, an Award of Commendation, or an Award of Merit.

To earn the overall All-Kansas rating, a yearbook must have the top rating in at least three areas. The Indian Call earned the All-Kansas distinction in three:  coverage, reporting and design. The yearbook earned Award of Commendations in Theme and Photography.

“I just have to say that for having a 15 person staff, you did an amazing job with this book,” the judge said. “While you have weak areas, you also have really strong areas that are impressive with the staff you had.”

Editor-in-chief of the book was Morgan Klaus, while Taylor DeBoer and Kylie Brown were assistant editors. Other staff members were Chelsey Augustine, Haley George, Taylor Groen-Younger, Kirsten Prindle, Allison Rome, Brianna Brin, Sierra Eichman, Tiana Lawson, Hannah Thomasson, Savannah Unsworth, Abigail Balman and Alyssa Owens.

Gasper said this is the fourth time in his 12-year tenure that the yearbook has won All-Kansas.

17paugustine@usd489.com