2018 Knight staff captures 42 Best of Texas awards

State journalism teacher association recognized Mac yearbook for excellence in writing, design, photography

Madison Olsen
Madison Olsen, Excellent, Student Life Photo. MAKING IT RAIN ON THE RAIDERS: At the homecoming pep rally on Nov. 10, the senior section generates the defeaning volume that would soon win the coveted Spirit Stick for their class. At the conclusion of the pep rally, students showered the class of 2018 with cups of glitter and confetti. “I support my school in everything that I can,” senior Charliee Arnold said. “It was so much fun to get to throw confetti and show school spirit with my senior class, until we had to clean it all up.”

December 21, 2018

The Texas Association of Journalism Educators announced today that the 2018 McCallum yearbook staff captured 43 individual awards–the most of any school–in the association’s annual Best In Texas Yearbook Contest.

The dynamic yearbook duo of junior Ella Irwin and sophomore Abby Robison led the way among returning staffers by winning five awards for work they did together for the 2018 yearbook. The tandem also won two of the five superior awards, the highest level awarded.

Irwin and Robison won superior awards for two organization stories that appeared on pages that they also designed. The page designs were also among the yearbook entries that won awards. Junior William Wilson was also a part of five winning entries.

Irwin said she was most proud of the work that she and Robison did covering Spectrum, a club that promotes tolerance and provides a safe space for students regardless of gender identity or sexual preference.

“I felt like it was important to highlight the amazing work that this organization was doing to make everyone on campus feel welcome and accepted,” Irwin said.

A group of their fourth-period classmates from last school year–Mira MacLaurin, Lily McCormick and Wilson–earned a superior award for their infograph that appeared on the JV football spread.

2017-2018 Knight managing editor Madison Olsen earned a superior award for her photo of the 2018 Women’s March in downtown Austin. Olsen was a part of 12 of McCallum’s 42 winning entries.

Senior Sophie Ryland, currently co-editor in chief of the Shield newsmagazine, won the final superior award for her story the chronicles how Hurricane Katrina  impacted the McCallum community.

While the big award day was nice, Irwin and Robison both said that winning awards is not why they commit to being dedicated yearbook staff members.

“I love the feeling of working with a team and towards a final end product,” Irwin said. “I feel that in years to come I’m going to be proud looking back on all the hard work that I’ve done.”

“I really enjoy everyone on the staff and getting to create something that the whole school gets to see,” Robison added. “The awards are just a nice bonus.”

All of McCallum’s TAJE Best in Texas yearbook winners are listed below:

Ella Irwin and Abby Robison, Superior, Organizations Copy

SUPERIOR (5)

Ella Irwin, Abby Robison, Organizations Copy

Ella Irwin, Abby Robison, Organizations Copy

Mira Maclaurin, Lily McCormick, William Wilson, Infographics

Madison Olsen, Human Interest Photo

Sophie Ryland, Organizations Copy

Mira Maclaurin, Lily McCormick, William Wilson, Superior, Infographics

EXCELLENT (21)

Ella Irwin, Abby Robison, Sidebar Presentation

Jacqueline McClellan, Sidebar Presentation

Lily McCormick, Madison Olsen, William Wilson, Alternative Copy

Delaney Carter, Audrey Sayer, Alternative Copy

Georgia Boutot, Celeste Montes De Oca, Excellent

Elena Henderson, Kennedy Schuelke, Sports Copy

Elena Henderson, Kennedy Schuelke, Madison Olsen, Student-Designed Cover

Kennedy Schuelke, Elena Henderson, Madison Olsen, Student-Designed Endsheets

Ella Irwin, Abby Robison, Academics Spread

Madison Olsen, Margaret Olsen, Maddy Stine, Alejandro Serna, Academics Spread

Elena Henderson, Kennedy Schuelke, Sports Spread

Madison Olsen, Sports Spread

Rylie Jones, Georgia Boutot, Sports Spread

Madison Olsen, People Spread

Madison Olsen, People Spread

Madison Olsen, Student Life Photo

Kelsey Tasch, Student Life Photo

Annabel Winter, Organizations Photo

Madison Olsen, Organizations Photo

Joseph Cardenas, Portrait

Ciera Medrano, Sidebar Presentation

Sophie Ryland, Superior, Organizations Copy

HONORABLE MENTION (16)

Coco Clouse, Kimberly Cochrane, Sidebar Presentation

Elena Henderson, Caption Writing

Staff, Caption Writing

Madison Olsen, Infographics

Jacqueline Mclellan, Academics Copy

Maddie Doran, Sports Copy

William Wilson, Sports Copy

Elena Henderson, Dividers

Georgia Boutot, Ian Clennan, Lily McCormick, Academics Spread

Kien Johnson, Ian Clennan, Mira Maclaurin, Academics Spread

Abby Robinson, Ella Irwin, Organizations Spread

Grace Brady, Maddie Doran, Madison Olsen, Abigail Salazar, Sports Spread

Lily McCormick, Madison Olsen, William Wilson, Sports Spread

Mira Maclaurin, Lily McCormick, William Wilson, Sports Spread

Bella Russo, Sports Action Photo

Ian Clennan, Sports Action Photo