The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s L’Acadien yearbook is tops in the country, according to the American Scholastic Press Association in New York.
The 2020 edition of L’Acadien, titled Focus, tied for first place with Michigan State’s yearbook in national competition. The recently-released results are based on submissions in 2021 for yearbooks published the previous year.
The ASPA gave Focus high marks in a range of areas, including content presentation, general page design and publication structure. It also earned a perfect score in creativity.
“The time and talent needed to take on the challenge of covering stories of a university community for the entire year is evident in the pages of your publication. The theme is carried out very well throughout the book, both visually and verbally. Copy is written in a strong journalistic style,” the association wrote in a review of the yearbook.
“Coverage of all areas of school life is well done. Academics, athletics and student life are well represented. Your university should take pride in this publication, especially due to the extra challenges created as the pandemic began in 2020.”
Focus was led by co-editors James Mays (photography) and Andre Bourgeois (layout and design). Other 2020 staff members were Andre Broussard (photographer); David Reed, Maddy Myer, Aaron Gonsoulin and Zack Nagy (writers); and Amelia Markezich, Danielle Kemp, Katie Latour and Ashley Marshall (designers).
“This recognition indicates the yearbook staff is doing an excellent job of serving the needs of the campus community,” Matthew Tarver, director of UL Lafayette Student Publications, said. “Working in the Office of Student Publications affords students the opportunity to gain real-world experience that puts the skills they learn in the classroom into practice. The experiences they have in publishing a yearbook will be beneficial in their careers as journalists, information managers and media leaders.”
L’Acadien has been published by University students since 1912; the yearbook is distributed on campus and online each fall, typically during Homecoming.
Photo caption: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s student-produced L’Acadien yearbook placed first in American Scholastic Press Association national competition. Submitted photo