Lions Roar earns 15th straight Star Award
By Melinda L. Lucas
The Albany student newspaper, the Lions Roar, was selected for one of only six Gold Star awards announced by the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) over the weekend.
Normally, the staff would have attended the ILPC convention originally set for May 2-3 in Austin, but the event was cancelled in early March due to concerns over the coronavirus.
Members of the staff also earned 45 individual achievement awards in the 2A-3A division, along with two Tops in Texas recognitions.
The first place winners in each division are judged against each other to determine the Tops in Texas honors.
Junior Tana Thompson received one of the Tops in Texas awards for editorial page design, while the staff as a whole was awarded Tops in Texas for headline writing.
“I was really thrilled for the kids to get another Gold Star this year,” newspaper adviser Donnie Lucas said. “The standards for the Star Awards were raised three years ago and the newspaper staff has worked very hard to make the necessary changes to meet the criteria, which paid off with our paper getting a Gold Star last year as well after three straight years of Silver Stars.”
This year, six Gold, three Silver and six Bronze Stars were given from the 200 or so print newspapers that are published across the state by Class 1A through 6A high school staffs.
“I don’t really think people understand what an accomplishment it is for these 2A students to compete with all other papers across the state to be one of just six Gold Stars,” Lucas said. “It is something really special that very few newspaper staffers ever get to experience.”
Several local students attended an ILPC summer camp for the second time last summer to work specifically on design and photography. Plans were in the works to attend again this June, but the camp has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I think one of the most positive things we did for this year’s paper was again having students attend the ILPC camp last June,” said the sponsor. “We were able to build on things started the summer before, and it paid off for them. It is unfortunate there will not be a camp this summer.”
Gold Star Award
The Gold Star award places the local high school newspaper in a very elite group of school papers in the entire state, according to ILPC director Jeanne Acton.
This is the 15th straight year that the Albany school paper has won a Star Award.
“Unfortunately, it was a little anticlimactic this year since the honors couldn’t be announced at the convention,” Lucas said. “I still think the staff was very happy to get the Gold Star. They know the kind of work it takes to get Gold again.”
The student newspaper earned a Bronze Star in 2006, and has since been awarded eight Gold and six Silver Stars.
Top school newspapers from all classifications are nominated for print Star Awards.
Also selected for Gold this year were Bowie High School (6A-Austin), McCallum High School (5A-Austin), Pleasant Grove High School (4A-Texarkana), St. Mark’s School (4A-Dallas), and Texas High School (5A-Texarkana).
Newspaper Awards
Printed newspapers from 2A through 3A schools across the state of Texas competed against each other for awards in 31 individual categories.
“ILPC combined us with 3A entries this year, so the competition was harder,” Lucas said. “But I think the kids held their own, winning 45 awards total.”
Individual Winners
News Writing - 1. Ty Everitt
News Feature - 2. Hannah Trail
Editorial Writing - 1. Hannah Trail, HM-Tana Thompson
Sports News Story - 2. Elia Hebel
Sports Feature Story - 1. Brooks Neece, HM-Elia Hebel
Feature Story - 2. Addison Asher
Entertainment Review - 3. Gregori Mikeska
Entertainment Feature - 2. Sidney Bartee
Photo Story - 1. Taylor Scott, 2. Tana Thompson
Personal Column - 1. Addison Asher
Personal Opinion Column - 1. Tana Thompson, HM-Hannah Trail
Sports Column - 1.William Webb, 2. William Webb
In-Depth News/Feature Package - 1. Addison Asher, Hannah Trail, Tana Thompson, 2. Tana Thompson
Student Art - 2. Addison Asher, 3. Elia Hebel
Infographic/Sidebar - 1. Addison Asher
Cartoon - 1. Hannah Trail, 2. Hannah Trail
Sports Page Design - 1. Elia Hebel, 2. Elia Hebel
Feature Page Design - 2. Addison Asher, Hannah Trail
Entertainment Page Design - 1. Sidney Bartee, 2. Sidney Bartee
News Page Design - 1. Hannah Trail
Editorial Page Design - 1. Tana Thompson, 2. Tana Thompson
Page One Design - 1. Addison Asher
General News Photo - 1. Hannah Trail, 2. Tana Thompson
Feature Photo - 1. Taylor Scott, 3. Hannah Trail
Entertainment Photo - 1. Tana Thompson
Sports Action Photo - 1. Tana Thompson, 3. Elia Hebel
Sports Feature Photo - 2. Tana Thompson, 3. Tana Thompson
Portrait - 1. Tana Thompson, 3. Sidney Bartee
Photography Portfolio - 1. Tana Thompson
Headlines - 1. Albany staff
The ILPC is the journalism affiliate of the UIL and is one of the nation’s largest state high school associations of student newspapers and yearbooks.
