Opening Volley

Letter from the Editor:

Blast from the Past

In 8th grade, I had a secret girlfriend, and a yearbook single-handedly ruined my relationship.

I remember that day well: an early June morning that heralded the beginning of summer, and—much more importantly for me at the time—the official end of the school year.

Myself and 100 other awkward preteens gathered together in the school gymnasium to sign one another’s yearbooks, one co-mingled mass of surging hormones, gelled hair and spray-on deodorant.

Truthfully, I don’t remember what most of the signatures in my yearbook said. They probably read something along the lines of: “Have a great summer!” from those I never really talked to, and: “U suck lol” from my actual friends.

Regardless, there is one signature I do remember, and clearly.

“You and [name of 8th-grade girlfriend] are going to rule the [expletive] world this summer!”

My parents really weren’t snoopers, but I remember my Mom casually scanning the pages of my yearbook a few days later, and reading the signatures from my friends. When she got to the aforementioned one, not only was she not particularly pleased about the presence of a juicy F-bomb scrawled in bold, black ink, she had a question for me, as well:

“Who is [name of 8th-grade girlfriend]?”

You see, I didn’t tell my parents about my blossoming 8th-grade relationship. In fact, I lied to them and said I wasn’t dating anyone. Looking back, I had no real reason to do this. They wouldn’t have been opposed to me having a significant other at that age, but the thought of having to discuss my romantic life with them, at the time, felt like a fate worse than death.

Unfortunately for 8th grade me, my mom isn’t stupid. She knew exactly what that comment meant. While this didn’t lead to my parents telling me to break up with my girlfriend or anything like that, it did make them (rightfully) skeptical of just about everything I ever told them for a few months afterwards.

Since I was in the habit of claiming I was going somewhere else when I was really going to see the girl I was dating, my parents started cracking down. You know, cross-referencing phone calls to friends’ parents, stuff like that. Pretty quickly after this, she and I broke up. And while I do love to tell this story, in part because I think it’s hilarious, if you look closely enough, it does also demonstrate the impact of the yearbook, and sheds some light onto why we created The Columbus Yearbook for our December issue this year .

I mean, sure, a lot of the time, our yearbooks end up in a pile on the shelf of a childhood home collecting dust, but they really are pretty remarkable at capturing a moment in time. I mean this both in terms of their intended use–collecting photos of students, activities, sporting events and more to commemorate the previous academic year–and their off-label uses as well.

What I always remember most about yearbooks (other than the secret girlfriend fiasco) is rarely the actual object, but instead the way they created this amazing–if not a little chaotic–social event. Every time a yearbook was released, I remember staying for at least an hour after school, huddling with friends to sign their copies, and even interacting with people I usually didn’t cross paths with, because if someone asked you to sign their yearbook, you just did it.

More than just inside jokes and run-ins with other social cliches, the book–I think most importantly–always served as a catalyst for remembering the previous year. A specific photo might jog a memory of a class trip or a clutch playoff victory we had a hand in; your friends might share a laugh remembering that you actually wore fake glasses and a Big Bird shirt on picture day.

What I’m trying to say is this: At its most important, the yearbook is a social touchstone. A conversation starter. It’s not the entire summation of a year wrapped up in a neat bow, and it never should be. It’s a place to start if you want to look back on the year you just shared, alongside the people you shared it with.

It’s all those things, and it’s also right in front of you. Enjoy The Columbus Yearbook.

Staff Picks

With 2023 coming to a close–and this month’s issue dedicated to a look back at the year that just transpired–we asked our staff to look back at their own year, and pick out a favorite memory. Here’s what they said:

MySpace Prom at Ace of Cups–one of the best bar nights my friends and I went to (and a great excuse to break out the matching outfits). It’s also memorable because I have a scar on my knee from moshing too hard.

— Atlas Biro, Creative Designer

Moving to the city [of Columbus] and being able to discover so many new places.

— Anna Gerhard, Account Executive

Will never beat the moment that I got to go on stage with Flo Rida for my birthday at a music festival in Cleveland, and go to the afterparty. Still living that moment down.

— Tori Smith, Creative Designer

My wife and I bought a tiny, remote cabin in Adams County, Ohio. Into the wild!

— Jack McLaughlin, Editor-In-Chief

My favorite moment from 2023 is graduating from my 200 hour yoga teacher training and nailing my audition to teach at Corepower Short North.

— Lizzy Saunders, Brand Manager, (614) Lager

Riding around town in a 23 foot-long Banana Car–and being spotted!

— Lindsay Press, CEO

Becoming the assistant editor of (614) Magazine, of course!

— Sav McKee, Assistant Editor

Moving into a new apartment has been an incredible journey for me!

— Austin Black, Videographer

On the Web

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