KHS yearbook receives Distinguished Merit award

The Reflector, the Kilgore High School yearbook, has received the Award of Distiguished Merit from the Interscholalstic League Press Conference.

This is the fourth year that the Reflector has been submitted for annotation and evaluation by ILPC.

Susan Reinbach, advisor for the Reflector, said this is the highest rating the yearbook has received. In 13 categories of evaluation, the 2007 book received the highest rating in each area.

Reinbach said the publication was nominated for Star competition. At least three categories, marked Star potential, are needed for nomination. The Reflector received six categories of nomination.

Judges who evaluate yearbooks have all earned the title of "specialist" through their years of yearbook work and numerous awards. Each judge critiques each book first to help the staff make its book one the students of the school will enjoy as well as follow basic journalistic recommendations. Finally, the judge decides whether that book has done an outstanding job in all areas. The 2007 Reflector met all those criteria.

A panel of judges will make the final decision on which books will receive the prestigious "Star," said Reinbach. These awards will be presented at the Grand Awards Assembly at the conclusion of the ILPC convention in Austin on April 20.

The theme for the 75th anniversary edition of the Reflector was the idea of 2007 staffer, Margie Mitchell, who was a journalism student in 2006, when she adopted the theme for a journalism project. Mitchell is a senior staff member.

"Kudos to staff and adviser- you have truly captured the history of KHS in its 75th anniversary book. Take your skills and talents, along with your photography and design and move forward with your next publication. You do so many things well- continue your move to the next level- be detailed and cover all the bases- it will be worth the effort," said a judge at the competition.

Jed Dean, who graduated last year, is now the photo editor for the yearbook at Baylor University.