At the end of every school year, students receive a yearbook full of memories made in events, clubs, classes, and everyday school life. Everyone knows about yearbooks, but does everyone know about who makes them?
From the beginning of the school year, the Yearbook Club consistently works on sections of the yearbook, ensuring that all major events, spirit weeks, sports, and other aspects of school life are represented. Returning staff, as well as new members, each have a role to fulfill. Junior Angel Cunanan has been a member of the Yearbook Club since her freshman year and is now a staff editor.
“This school year, I have led a student activities group where I assign pages to the members, notify them about meetings and deadlines, and provide additional help,” said Cunanan. “Throughout my years in the club, I have helped take and upload photos into pages and tag people’s names [in photos].”
From the beginning, there are club interest meetings and interviews that students interested in joining must attend. New staff are typically given simpler tasks in order to get them used to working in Yearbook Avenue, the website used to create the yearbook pages.
“I joined the Yearbook Club a few months into this school year because I wanted to get more involved in school and had prior yearbook experience in my old school,” said junior Ivory Ho. “Currently, I organize the photos in the image library and tag people. I have also done a tiny section of the [cyber security] club page.”
Senior Oliver Phillips is an editor in charge of the VPAA and Fine Arts pages and makes sure those pages are filled with pictures people will enjoy.
“We try to provide an accurate representation of each and every activity at Salem, mostly through photos,” said Phillips.
Although creating the yearbook can be stressful at times, with deadlines quickly approaching and occasional shortages of photos, the hard work isn’t endured for nothing.
“My favorite part of the Yearbook Club is the accomplishment [we] feel when it’s the end of the year, and everyone gets their yearbook,” said junior Wade Jernigan. “It makes the whole process worth it.”
Since the Yearbook Club meets every Monday to discuss plans and deadlines and to work on pages, it is impossible for the members not to grow close and foster a community.
“[It’s fun] when we all are laughing at something and having a good time,” said junior Tre Threadgill.
Yearbooks are important physical pieces of school history that are able to be cherished forever. The Yearbook Club is working rigorously to make sure that every page encapsulates the precious, fleeting memories of this school year.
