For the second straight year, both Alameda public high schools won regional awards at the California Yearbook Academy. The Encinal High School (EHS) Horizon took first place in the small high school division, while the Alameda High School (AHS) Acorn took second place in the large high school division. More than 25 schools attended the camp.
[1]Nine Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) students attended the camp at California State University East Bay July 10-13. Five AHS students and four EHS students attended sessions on photography and design, and planned yearbook themes for their respective school publications.
“I found that the amount of support we were given was really valuable,” said Encinal junior Ada Wiedlea. “There was always someone, like the senior editors or advisors, willing to look over your spreads and give valuable advice. That, I think, made all the difference.”
Students were given the task of developing a cohesive yearbook theme, complete with copy, graphic elements, and style guides, in just a few days.
“It was a lot of hard, almost nonstop, work, but I’m glad I was able to go,” said EHS Design Editor Inky Arneson. “I think it really helped us prepare for the upcoming year and there were a lot of fun activities as well. It was also very exciting to win first place and continue the legacy of the last group that attended.”
This year, Alameda High will be celebrating its 150th year anniversary. The school’s yearbook has been published every year since 1874. Encinal will publish its 69th book. The school, founded in 1952, did not publish a yearbook during its first three years of existence.
Joshua Linville is an English teacher and Journalism advisor at Encinal Junior/Senior High School. Encinal rising senior Jasmine Ferrer contributed to this article.