On Thursday, Nov. 6, the  Tom Tom received the award of an All-American Publication by the National Scholastic Press Association. The Tom Tom was inducted to the NSPA Hall of Fame in 2002 for having eleven straight years of receiving the All-American award. Since 2002, the Tom Tom has not received All-American, until now.

This award is a grand achievement for the 2013-2014 Tom Tom staff, especially being their first year going online, along with printing in a magazine format instead of a standard newspaper.

“I am continually blown away by how much the staff accomplished last year. Not only were we able to revamp the format of the publication, but we were able to do so successfully,” said ACHS alumna and 2013-2014 Editor-in-Chief Sara Petty.

Although there were mixed feelings from ACHS staff and students on switching from a monthly newspaper to a magazine, it has paid off.

“I would love to see the Tom Tom come out monthly again, but not sure how to make that work financially or productively,” said ACHS English department chair DeeAnn Andershock.  “I grew up with the Tom Tom. I was on staff for two years, so it’s still hard for me to see it as a magazine and not a newspaper. That being said, I like the flash of the magazine format, but wish it could come out more often.”

Along with a new print format last year, the staff was also faced with a new adviser, Patrick Johnson, CJE.

“I’m most proud of the way [the staff] came together last year as a new staff with a new adviser and a whole new system and somehow pulled it all together to create something we were all so proud of,” said ACHS alumna and 2013-2014 Digital Director Lexy Vetter.

“I am so proud of how everyone came together and trusted Mr. Johnson and the editors with all of the changes we initiated. I cannot imagine where the publication would be without those changes and without the help of Mr. Johnson,” said Petty. “He brought so much more to the program than I could have imagined at the beginning of the year.”

This is not the first time the Tom Tom has been awarded All-American, but it is the first time in eleven years.

“We are very proud of the All-American award, without a doubt. The students work hard, and this is a high powered recognition of that work,” said Andershock.

There is no doubt that the staff of 2013-2014 is proud of their work. Hours spent editing and designing for the Tom Tom was worth all the hard work and dedication put in from all staff members.

“It is such an amazing feeling for the Tom Tom to be recognized as an All-American publication. I can’t explain how proud that makes me and I can’t wait to see what is to come for future Tom Tom staffs,” said Petty. “If we were able to accomplish so much in only one year, think of how much more will come!”

“In high school, the sports teams and academic teams get recognition all the time but it’s less likely to hear of something like a publication, but here we are being recognized for our own hard work and that feels so great,” said Vetter.

The dynamics of the Tom Tom may have changed drastically over the past two years, but one factor still remains: family. The staff is not simply a staff, but a hard working team who treat one another as family.

“I hope to see the Tom Tom continue to work amazingly together as not only a team, but as a family. High school is so stressful but the way the staff treats each other can make things so much easier and I definitely think that’s why we’re able to put together such amazing work,” said Vetter.

The Tom Tom will strive to continue serving the community online and in print.