Yearbook Represents Students, Extracurriculars Despite Challenges

For students, former and current, a timeless and effectively made yearbook will bring back a flood of old memories; however, in a year of many firsts and changes such as wearing masks, and some clubs and extracurriculars canceling their activities the yearbook has also had to change.

The lack of events such as homecoming, team and club meetings, and other school events means that many of the normal pictures and events featured in past yearbooks are missing this year, however, there are still pages to fill.

Additions to the yearbook include two additional sports pages per sport, an extra page for varsity and J.V., QR codes linked to highlight videos, student tattoos, a gamer spotlight, an alumni spotlight, and a page for students with pets.

Yearbook advisor Patrick Austinson said the yearbook crew is working on ways to incorporate virtual students along with other extracurricular activities.

“We want to make sure student groups whether it’s sports, music, [or] clubs, activities get represented,” Austinson said. “We have got a lot of ideas, nothing is really set in stone.”

Senior yearbook staff member Tyler Richards likes some of the new changes and said the yearbook staff is trying to make the yearbook normal despite the challenges..

“I like the idea of having these obscure pages,” Richards said. “It gives people who aren’t on a varsity sport or whatever a chance to be in the yearbook where they wouldn’t really have one.”

The use of QR codes help to add more than just static photos Austinson said. “With a smartphone you can take a quick scan and you can watch that video whether it be in six months, six years or whenever,” Austinson said.

Senior yearbook staff member Brook Aufdermauer said the yearbook crew tried to capture a variety of interests and make it as unique as possible given the circumstances.

“This year’s yearbook will definitely be one to remember and stands out compared to previous years’ yearbooks,” Aufdermauer said.

Austinson hopes the yearbook crew can still produce a quality product that covers much of the student body. “We know that we will never get 100 percent coverage but that’s always the goal,” Austinson said.