By Tuan Nguyen, Opinion Editor
The National Scholastic Press Association recognized TCHS Templar as one of 43 finalists for the 2018 Yearbook Pacemaker award. At the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention on April 27, Templar received a plaque commemorating their achievement.
Templar paid $189 at the beginning of the school year to send the previous year’s yearbook to the NSPA. The payment covered their NSPA membership, critiques from judges, and consideration for the Pacemaker award.
“Overall, I think last year’s book thrived because we weren’t afraid to take risks and we weren’t afraid of not fitting in a certain mold,” Senior Valeria Chavez said. “We took a creative approach and it paid off.”
Six judges evaluated the book, with at least four judges agreeing on its status as a finalist. The editors of the 2018 Templar notified the current staff of their achievement in December.
“We were so happy and excited. Even the new staffers who didn’t work on the 2018 book were happy for us because it’s such a big accomplishment for Temple City,” Senior Kaitlyn Tran said. “Templar hasn’t placed as a finalist since probably 2002, and so we definitely went crazy with happiness and pride when we found out.”
While Templar did not win the Pacemaker, they hope to use this experience to motivate them to continue improving in the future.