Yearbook Staff Receives Prestigious Balfour Awards

BY CHARLIE NEILL EDITOR

KENZIE SPROUSE STAFF WRITER

This year’s staff portrays last year’s winning Astron From Left to Right, Front Row: Karabeth Helton, Dallas Lindsey, Lauren Freeman, Anna Kathrine Brady, Sarah Grace Holt. Back Row: Madison Moore, Laney Phillips, Grace Taylor, Lensai Cormier, Zakayla Tanner, Savannah Wampler, Hailey King, Makayla Coffey, Dharma Mullins, Gabi Valdez, Mrs. Cutshaw

The West High Yearbook Staff recently received a certificate of merit, and news of their next volume being featured as an upcoming sample yearbook for Balfour Publishing. A certificate of merit is a prestigious award usually given to larger schools, so it was quite an accomplishment for Morristown West. Moreover, only three percent of schools nationwide have the honor to be one of the sample yearbooks for Balfour Publishing.

Mrs. Jackie Cutshaw, yearbook teacher, commented, “The Astron Staff was honored to be recognized as we received a certificate of merit. Balfour Publishing recently won numerous awards at the 70th Annual Printing Industries of America (PIA) last summer. Why is this Important? Every yearbook company submits multiple samples for judging. Winning an award from the PIA is similar to winning an Oscar from the film industry. It is a huge deal. Our previous yearbook was one of their winning entries. ”

The yearbook staff dedicates almost a full school year to put together the school yearbook. Each student sells ads in the summer to lower the cost of yearbooks for students. Each year, they portray a different theme in the yearbook alongside new features like “bitmoji” maps, fun facts, picture submissions, and heavy student involvement.

Lauren Freeman, editor, commented, “Each year the yearbooks staff strives to come up with new and exciting themes, covers, and designs. It is really difficult sometimes to come up with new ideas. However, with the help of our advisor, Mrs. Cutshaw and our Balfour sales rep. Mandy, Zientek, we always seem to come up with something awesome. We hope everyone loves our themes and creativity.”

Congratulations to the Morristown West Yearbook Staff for recently receiving such reputable awards, and hopefully this is just beginning.

Congratulations to the Morristown West Yearbook Staff for being a national sample yearbook.

Congratulations to the Morristown West Yearbook Staff for receiving a certificate of merit.