The Rosemary Impresses at IJEA

The Illinois Journalism Education Association (IJEA) is a renowned organization that works with, and for, student yearbooks and student newspapers to promote higher journalistic standards. The IJEA is run out of Eastern Illinois University’s Department of Journalism in Charleston, Il.

Every year the IJEA holds a contest for yearbooks in Illinois. This contest reviews the yearbooks that are submitted and then judges them in different categories.

This year was a big year for the Rosemary, Urbana High School’s yearbook run by Mrs. Cortney Thomas, after the contest winners were announced. The Rosemary took home two awards and two honorable mentions. They receive a 2nd place award for Best Theme Development, a 1st place award for Best Divider Pages, and honorable mentions for Best Layout and Design and Best Use of Photography. The Rosemary had a hand in 4 out of the 9 categories available in this contest.

To be in the contest, one must go to the IJEA website and fill out the forms to become an offical IJEA sponsored yearbook or newspaper. Becoming a sponsered member includes multiple perks such as: the contests, IJEA newsletters, and access to a large network of advisors for Yearbook and Journalism teachers/advisors.

According to Thomas, the staff of the yearbook must submit a whole entire book to the IJEA. Then the IJEA separates the submitted books into classes based on the number of students enrolled in school. After the separation they judge for 8 different categories and vote. Then they have one extra category for what they believe is the best overall yearbook for that year. With 9 awards total they then ship the yearbooks back to their staff with the awards, if they won any, and overall comments on how the yearbook could be improved for the next year.

The Echo would like to formally congratulate Mrs. Thomas and her yearbook staff on a job well done and we urge all students and parents to purchase a copy of the Rosemary by visiting usd116.org/uhs.