Everyone expects yearbook day at the end of the year, but do you know what actually goes into making a yearbook? 

What is a yearbook? Is it just pages, photos, and names? Or is it memories with your friends from when you were young? For some, it is all of the above, but for the people involved with making the yearbook, it is so much more. 

The creation of the yearbook begins in June at yearbook camp, months before the school year even begins. Editors and the advisor spend a total of three days and two nights coming up with a theme, designing the cover, and creating spread designs to be used throughout the entire book. 

Once the school year actually begins, an editors’ day will consist of working on their own pages and spreads, helping staff with corrections, and making plans for the next couple of days. For editors, the time spent on the book does not stop at just one class period; they work for two periods in school, flex time, at home, and during lunch if necessary. 

The staff also put in a ton of work. They have to compile a large sum of photos and write creative stories in order to put together each spread. Throughout the year, each staff member does all of this while meeting sometimes very stressful deadlines. 

Our yearbook staff spends an entire year making these books that you will have for the rest of your life. It takes hours of work, tracking down content, checking off lists and trying to make the overall experience of when you see the yearbook an amazing one. Participating in the yearbook is a very rewarding experience. It’s something that nobody can take away and will stick with people for the rest of their lives. 

Arianna Reynolds, the yearbook’s copy editor and editor-in-chief, said, “I would say people need to be more grateful. Not just for having the book, but for even getting that book and having it as a time capsule. Be grateful for the years that you have in high school because you’re gonna forget about it, but when you go back and look at it, you’re going to realize how much fun you had. “

Yearbook Advisor Marykay Hall, in reference to what it takes to make a yearbook, said, “… really it’s like a whole school effort. I mean, it takes more than just a yearbook staff. I mean, there’s coaches involved, admin, student body, regular teachers, etc. It’s really something that one person can’t do or take credit for. “