by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
The Sartell High School yearbook, “The Scabbard,” has won a “best of the best” yearbook-design award from the annual Jostens’ National Yearbook Design Recognition contest.
Jostens is the world’s biggest publisher of yearbooks and other school-related items, such as class rings.
The cover of the Scabbard yearbook is featured in the Jostens’ 2012 “Gotcha Covered Look Book,” which celebrates the very best in design and creative methods of yearbooks throughout the nation.
The “Look Book” is a collection of spreads and photos from outstanding yearbooks and their creative themes, covers, impressive designs, relevant coverage, storytelling copy and action photography.
The Scabbard’s cover is strikingly simple and yet sophisticated. It is called “blue: Sartell Sabres 2011” with the “blue” de-capitalized and printed in blue, the entire title nicely set off by large white quotation marks against a brownish background. In white letters around the edges of the cover is a textual riff on the many meanings of “blue.”
“Blue not just a color. Blue is forever. Blue is where you belong. Blue is giving. Blue is you. Blue is us. Blue is dynamic. Blue is the color of the sky, which has no limits. Blue ignites passion. Blue is an idea. Blue is home. Blue is strong. Blue is true. Blue protects white. Blue is bold. Blue is spirit. Blue is pride.”
Blue and white, of course, are the signature colors of the Sartell Sabres.
The Scabbard yearbook was created by Drew Anderson, Brittney Becker, Ashley Bekkerus, Myles Bous, Taryn Broda, Andrew Deters, Sara Doeden, Mindy Duba, Sam Dullinger, Morgan Emery, Katy Haglin, Kelsey Jones, Rebecca Lanners, Ali Mick, Kirsty Moir, Nicole Olmscheid, Gabby Ross, Maddie Thompson, Jeremy Traut, Alex Vold, Alexis Walcome, Tanner Walz, Morgan Zakrajshek and Adam Zenzen. The creative work was directed by Angie Heckman, the Sartell High School yearbook advisor.
The Scabbard was one of 400 yearbooks singled out for honors from 3,000 contestants. The panel of judges was comprised of nationally known journalism professionals and award-winning yearbook advisors.
“I am so excited our yearbook was featured in the best-of-the-best yearbooks idea book,” Heckman said. “The students worked so hard to create the book and design the cover, and I am thrilled they were recognized for their accomplishment. It is so exciting knowing our book may inspire other schools to create a unique cover to showcase their school community.”
Author: Dennis Dalman
Dalman was born and raised in South St. Cloud, graduated from St. Cloud Tech High School, then graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in English (emphasis on American and British literature) and mass communications (emphasis on print journalism). He studied in London, England for a year (1980-81) where he concentrated on British literature, political science, the history of Great Britain and wrote a book-length study of the British writer V.S. Naipaul. Dalman has been a reporter and weekly columnist for more than 30 years and worked for 16 of those years for the Alexandria Echo Press.