So here I am, sitting in front of my Christmas tree in Flippin, AR, waiting for Megan to call me and tell me that we need to get into the office--NOW!

I can't believe that first deadline is done! It seems that we've been eating, breathing and sleeping yearbook these past few weeks, and I can't seem to get myself out of office mode. But, it's true, we have officially completed our first deadline of pages. Photos were snapped, pages were painstakingly put together, spreads were edited, then edited again and then edited one more time (YIKETY), and we finally crossed the finish line on Monday afternoon!

There are so many things going on in the office and in life in general right now--Megan mentioned that we are once again Crown finalists, we just completed a huge deadline, and, um, HELLO, it's CHRISTMAS!--but I just can't seem to get my mind off of what we diiiiidn't quite get done before we left for the hioliday--The Cover. (I know, I'm a totally Debbie Downer) The most important part of the publication, the first and last thing that readers will see, that first glimpse of the 2009 Razorback that will emerge from those boxes all the way from China, is yet to be completed. I know that we need to take our time and do it right, and I know that we have plenty of time to get it done...I just wish we had already crafted up some amazing idea that will amaze Razorbacks young and old as they delve into the 2009 book. Oh well, I mean, I need something to think about over vay-cay, right? This will certainly keep my mind busy for a while...

In other news! We are already at the half-way point of this school year! WHOA! and that means we are also at the half-way point of our time working on this book! Hmmm, too bad we aren't half way through completing our pages as well, but I have a feeling that this is going to be a very productive spring semester in the Razorback Office. I mean, how could it not be? With a hot cup of Starbucks waiting on my desk, cookies fresh out of the oven and Rod Stewart blaring in the background, could we be anything BUT productive? I don't think so. Seriously.

Sooooo, as much as I like chatting with you, you non-existent cyber buddy, I think that St. Nick is knocking on my door. I have presents to wrap, cookies to bake and Christmas carols to SIIIING at the top of my lungs. I know, you wish you could be here with me, but you have your own holiday gatherings to attend. So have a very Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, Holiday celebration, etc. and a Happy New Year! 14 hours 'til CHRISTMAS!

-Shannon

Well, we just got word that for the second year in a row, the Razorback is a Crown finalist! Imagine my excitement when in the middle of slaving over our first deadline for the 2009 book we heard about this honor. I pretty much stopped what I was doing and jumped up and down in the office.

The Crown awards are given out by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, of Columbia University. They are one of the top two national awards a collegiate publication can get, and it's a great honor to even be nominated. The nomination means that in March when the CSPA gives out the awards, the Razorback will either receive a Gold or Silver Crown. Last year we got a Silver Crown, so we're hoping to make the jump to gold this year. But a total of 1,771 newspapers, yearbooks and magazines were eligible, and only nine yearbooks were named as finalists, so no matter what we get, it's pretty impressive. Bottom line: The 2009 Razorback is one of the best collegiate yearbooks in America. Whoa!

It's even more exciting because this is only our fifth time to receive a Crown. So stay tuned to see all the amazing things going on with the book and to see how we fare in March! If you want to see who our competition is, you can check it out at the following link:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/docs/contests-and-critiques/crown-awards/recipients/2009-collegiate-crown.html#N100F0

-Megan
Co-Editor

Labels: awards, competition, Crown Awards, CSPA

As final exams bring classes to a close for the semester, the first round of stories have been edited, bringing my job as the Razorback copy editor to a close until next year. 

Veronica Pucci, one of our photographers, has captured some pictures of students that, apparently, sword fought on the Union lawn. 

Labels: extracurricular, larping, photos, sword fight

Leanna Payton, a writer on staff, did a multimedia video interview with our co-editor Shannon Sanders about the Razorback 2007, a Pacemaker finalist.

Labels: awards, multimedia, pacemaker

The other day I was trolling for "caricatures" on Flickr. I'm secretly trying to work on my artistic edge and it's entertaining to draw simplified pictures of people. I really digg simplicity in art.

Labels: comics, excelsior, yearbook