Earlier this month, UL Lafayette’s yearbook, L’Acadien, earned a first-place ranking and was named the Best Overall College Yearbook by the American Scholastic Press Association in New York.
The 2024 edition of L’Acadien, entitled “Exporation,” was cited for excellence in content presentation, general page design, photography, creativity and publication structure.
“I couldn’t be any prouder of the yearbook team and was honored to have worked with such an amazing group of individuals,” said Julia McDow Broussard, editor-in-chief of L’Acadien. “Our team was willing to learn and try out new ideas, and we faced each challenge head-on together. It was a lot of work, from late-night design sessions in the office, to hundreds of conversations about content and graphics. Being part of the staff made attending UL more worthwhile, and to earn another national award reaffirms the effort and time our team contributed to UL’s yearbook.
“I am so proud of the achievements L’Acadien has made, and I am so proud to have been part of this team,” said Meg Norwood, L’Acadien illustrations manager.
L’Acadien previously earned three consecutive first-place awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022 from the American Scholastic Press Association. The yearbook earned a second-place award in 2023. L’Acadien staff was also named the UL Outstanding Student Organization at UL’s Ragin’ Recognition Awards in 2022.
“The yearbook is a meaningful and valuable way for students to showcase their talents in photography, writing, and graphic design,” Director of Student Publications Matthew Tarver said. Our staff members are able to hone their teamwork, problem-solving, leadership and skills, while continuing to produce a permanent record of campus life that allows people to connect and reconnect to our university.”
“The University is so grateful to our professional-level students who yearly publish a memory of campus that the UL community will cherish for generations to come,” said Patricia Cottonham, vice president for Student Affairs. “We appreciate the hundreds of hours the staff puts in to publish the book and are so pleased that their work is recognized nationally.”
Edith Garland Dupré started L’Acadien yearbook in 1912, and it is one of the oldest student organizations on campus. L’Acadien and The Vermilion newspaper are part of UL Lafayette’s Office of Student Publications, which employs approximately 35 students from 12 different majors.