L’Acadien, the student-produced yearbook at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has earned a second-place ranking from the American Scholastic Press Association.
The 2021-2022 L’Acadien yearbook, titled “Hope,” was cited for excellence in content presentation, general page design, photography, creativity and publication structure, according to a press release from UL Lafayette’s Office of Student Publications. Along with the yearbook, the office oversees production of The Vermilion, the student-produced newspaper.
The recently announced ASPA yearbook awards reflect nominations that were submitted in 2023 by schools across the country. The nonprofit ASPA supports student journalism and writing, including with a series of annual contests that recognize a range of schools in categories such as yearbooks, magazine and newspapers.
Matthew Tarver, director of Student Publications, attributed the recent ASPA recognition for L’Acadien to a “veteran staff” of skillful students.
“It has been enjoyable to work with them to determine what content is most important for our students, staff, faculty and alumni,” Tarver stated. “They used their talents and skills to produce a permanent record of campus life that will be a valuable memory for people connected to the University.”
Andre Broussard, L’Acadien’s editor-in-chief, also traced the recognition and the yearbook’s ongoing success to the collective dedication of the many students responsible for its creation.
“I have had the privilege of seeing so many other students around me grow in their skill sets and leadership abilities. It has been amazing, in my four years here, to see how both L’Acadien and The Vermilion have become nationally award-winning organizations,” Broussard stated.
Julia McDow, layout and production manager for L’Acadien, also attributed the quality and content of L’Acadien to the efforts of a talented, interdisciplinary team of student yearbook staff members.
“It was an amazing time getting to work with so many people from different majors to create something together and push each other to be intentional about each detail we added to this book,” McDow stated.
L’Acadien earned first-place rankings from the ASPA for its 2020-2021 “Viral” and 2019-2020 “Focus” yearbooks.
Photo caption: L’Acadien yearbook staff members include, front row from left: Marie Ducote, writer; Meg Norwood, illustrations manager; Lena Foster, senior writer; and Adhamm Safford, senior writer. Back row, from left: Julia McDow, layout and production manager; Andre Broussard, editor-in-chief; Boyd Daniels, business and website manager; Malik Jones, photo coordinator; and Isaac Henry, writer. Submitted photo