Each year the students in the yearbook class are working around the clock to get the publication out on schedule. But what really goes into creating a book of more than 300 pages? 

Each year the class polls hundreds of students, takes hundreds of photos and conducts hundreds of interviews to build a volume teens will love. However, this year they are working with a smaller staff than in previous years, creating a more challenging task with deadlines.

“We have half the staff of last year and we have more work,” yearbook advisor Erika Stueber said. 

“The kids are constantly busy and are sometimes doing multiple pages at a time which can be kind of complicated,” Stueber continued.  

Stueber and her staff strive to include everyone in the edition, which can be difficult, especially when their goal is to include all students in the publication.

“With over 3,600 kids at the school,” she explained, “it’s really hard to make sure that we get all kids in there especially if they aren’t involved in any sports or clubs.”

She said the staff identified students who only made one appearance in the publication and went out to interview them on different topics.

This year the yearbook is $80, which may seem expensive for high school students.

Stueber said that the money is used to pay for “the forthcoming yearbook,” as well as “to purchase new camera equipment. We also use it to attend different field trips like the AIPA or the JEA convention in order to improve our skills.”

Putting together the yearbook is a lengthy process, which is why the class worked on the 2020 edition in the 4th quarter of last year. 

“We meet usually once during the summer and then we work on it all the way until March,” Stueber said.

Creating the pages can be especially hard according to senior Leah Scott.

“I have two spreads right now, so I am doing February Fine Arts and March sports and our deadline is the first week of March so we kind of have to do everything before then.”

Scott mentioned that the hardest thing about putting the yearbook together is “collaborating” with partners in the class. “If they aren’t as invested in it as you are it can be kind of irritating sometimes.”

Stueber said she would “love” to talk to any students who were interested in joining the yearbook class next year and would address any questions you may have. 

“It’s both a class where you can be creative and excel, while also you can learn and get better at it, and it’s not like you have to be perfect when you first start out,” said Leah.

The yearbook usually arrives in May and can be picked up after purchase in the cafeteria or in room C222.