DISCOVERIES VOL 19 ISS01

YEAR BOO K

volume nineteen issue one

INCLUSIONARY STRATEGIES

COLLABORATIVE

PROCESSES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Above all, I THINK WE LEARNED that if we can

MAKE IT THROUGH A YEAR WE CAN DO ANYTHING. LIKE LAST YEAR,

- Tori Hoffman

TORI HOFFMAN first joined

yearbook in eighth grade. “It was like a rite of passage at my school,” she said. With a fun teacher as their adviser, Tori and her friends cut photos and created a collage book that their classmates loved.

So she wasn’t exactly neutral when she entered the yearbook room at Arapahoe’s Freshman Showcase, which allowed the school’s youngest students to see organizations in action as they prepared to become involved on campus. The “cool room and kids working” convinced Tori — who’d always liked writing — to sign up for yearbook. “And then I grew to love photo and design too,” she said. Plus, learning about the school was great, she continued, and she really loved the social aspects of meeting and working with new people.

By sophomore year, she realized yearbook was becoming a bigger part of her life and chose time in the staff room over soccer, a sport she’d played for 10 years. By then, she served as the staff’s social manager, while she continued to contribute the book in various capacities. Within months, she added responsibility for the index as well. Junior year, she served as managing editor before being named editor-in-chief of her senior yearbook.

As is the case with yerds from coast to coast, Tori believes that many of the skills she learned in yearbook will be helpful later in life. “It was great being able to work with so many types of people,” she explained. “Being able to compromise is always a valuable skill.” And, as a journalism major at Seattle Pacific University, she’ll continue to hone many of the same skills she’s been practicing at Arapahoe for years. Ultimately, she’d love to work at a magazine, where she’d be able to travel the world and tell real stories.

While her experience on staff prepared her for most aspects of her job as EIC, Tori could never have anticipated some of the challenges she would face as editor. To learn more, read her story on page 22.

Ann Akers, MJE

LAYOUT EDITOR Christian Anzola

DESIGNERS

Christian Anzola, Heidi Lilly, Stacey Reed and Erin Wilson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Erik Austin, yearbook adviser Cheyenne Mountain HS, Colorado Springs, CO

Justin Daigle, CJE, yearbook adviser Brighton (CO) HS Carrie Faust, MJE, yearbook adviser Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, CO Annie Gorenstein-Falkenberg, CJE, yearbook adviser Arvada West HS, Arvada, CO Tori Hoffman, Class of 2014 Arapahoe HS, Centennial, CO Trish Ladue, yearbook adviser McClinctock HS, Tempe, AZ Stephanie Slater, yearbook adviser South Junior HS, Boise, ID Lynn Strause, CJE Herff Jones Special Consultant Laura Zhu, yearbook adviser Toby Johnson MS, Elk Grove, CA

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Eli Bachali Arapahoe HS, Centennial, CO Andrew Mares, Arvada (CO) West HS Laura Zhu, Toby Johnson MS, Elk Grove, CA Staff Photographers Cheyenne Mountain HS, Colorado Springs, CO

HJ LOCATIONS

Kansas City, KANSAS kansascity@herffjones.com Logan, UTAH logan@herffjones.com Montgomery, ALABAMA montgomery@herffjones.com Winnipeg, CANADA winnipeg@herffjones.com Herff Jones‘ Yearbook Discoveries Volume Nineteen Issue One was produced electronically using Adobe® InDesign CS6, Adobe Illustrator® CS6 and Adobe Photoshop® CS6. This magazine was created on a Mac Pro, 2.66 GHz with 6 GB of RAM and printed by Herff Jones, Inc., at its Logan, UT printing facility. The cover was printed on White Vibracolor Endsheet stock using four-color process. The magazine itself was printed on 80# matte stock using four-color process inks. The fonts used in this issue were AHJ Alperton and AHJ Function. Herff Jones and the Herff Jones logo are registered trademarks of Herff Jones, Inc. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.

YEAR BOO K

volume nineteen issue one

02 WHAT'S INSIDE

WOO HOO!!!

Lots of familiar books were among the top winners at last spring‘s awards ceremonies.

18 WHY INDEXING MATTERS NOW 06 A TRUE UNIFIER 08 AN INCLUSIONARY PLAN 20 COLLABORATIVE COPY 10 THE ESSENCE OF YEARBOOK 24 EVEN MORE HONORS KNOWLEDGE = POWER 12 CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? 14 16 KEEPING IT TOGETHER More than a simple phrase that's found on the cover, you want your theme to drive coverage as well.

It‘s the ultimate reader service, in addition to making sure the book includes as many people as possible.

This fun activity raised awareness of yearbook on campus and made it easy to include more people.

Sharing ownership of the stories of the year means more than better proofing; it‘s better thinking.

These universal truths are at the heart of all that happens in the staffroom — and to/for your editors.

Books from coast to coast are recognized in Premier Print Awards and Fibermark Specifiers competitions.

Understanding the sports they are shooting means photographers have a better chance at great shots.

If you think Pinterest has limited yearbook potential, you might be happy to learn about these staff-only displays.

Organization is a key to your success. Sharing your goals with the staff pays big dividends.

COVERAGE THAT MATTERS

A campus tragedy led to great stories and some amazing coverage — and provided healing opportunities and lots of real-life lessons.

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There’s so much more to the

OOHS AND AAHS FOR

AWARD WINNING AND

AMAZING YEARBOOKS We marvelled when we first saw them, were wowed when we had time to study some more and applauded wildly at spring awards announcements.

PACEMAKER WINNERS

PACEMAKER RECOGNITION, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Wingspan, James C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA; Bugle, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; The Hawk, Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX; Tower, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO.

2013 HJ NSPA PACEMAKER WINNERS

Titanium, Antelope HS, Antelope, CA Nugget, Cupertino HS, Cupertino, CA Wingspan, James C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA Rampages, Casa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA The Prowl, Powell MS, Littleton, CO Eagle Eye View, Sierra MS, Parker, CO Teleios, Mount Paran Christian School, Kennesaw, GA Résumé, George Walton Academy, Monroe, GA Log, Columbus North HS, Columbus, IN Teresian, St. Teresa’s Academy, Kansas City, MO The Hawk, Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX Techniques, T. Jefferson HS for Sci & Tech, Alexandria, VA Crag, Turner Ashby HS, Bridgewater, VA The Buzzer, Brookville HS, Lynchburg, VA The Clan, McLean HS, McLean, VA Laconian, Salem HS, Salem, VA

2013 HJ NSPA PACEMAKER FINALISTS

La Vista, Mountain View HS, Mesa, AZ Farrier, Mirman School, Los Angeles, CA Pilot, Redondo Union HS, Redondo Beach, CA Summit, Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, CO Paragon, Munster HS, Munster, IN Tower, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO* Logos, Corning East HS, Corning, NY Skjöld, Corning Painted Post West HS, Painted Post, NY Westwind, West Henderson HS, Hendersonville, NC Bobcat, Hallsville HS, Hallsville, TX Nuntius, Altavista Combined School, Altavista, VA Bugle, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA* Sentry, Robinson MS, Fairfax, VA Above & Beyond, Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, VA The Journey, Heritage HS, Leesburg, VA PACEMAKER FINALIST

*College/University Pacemakers will be announced for the first time at the ACP/CMA College Media Convention in Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2014.

So proud of our schools that were recognized in CSPA’s Crown Awards program and NSPA’s Pacemaker competitions this spring. As has been the case in recent years, books printed by Herff Jones rocked the journalism scene and made us all look good.

VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM

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JUST 10 2013 BOOKS WON BOTH A GOLD CROWN AND A PACEMAKER! Wingspan, James C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA; The Buzzer, Brookville HS, Lynchburg, VA; Rampages, Casa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA; The Prowl, Powell MS, Littleton, CO; Eagle Eye View, Sierra MS, Parker, CO; The Hawk, Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX.

WHEN IT COMES to award-winning books,

impressive showings continue year after year, competition after competition. Here are some stats you might find interesting:

HERFF JONES PRINTED

59%

OF ALL PACEMAKER WINNERS

HERFF JONES PRINTED

HERFF JONES PRINTED

OF ALL CSPA GOLD CROWNS

OF ALL PACEMAKER & CROWN FINALISTS

5O%

45%

CROWN WINNERS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Crimson, duPont Manual HS, Louisville, KY; Carillon, Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA; Nuntius, Altavista Combined School, Altavista, VA; The Prowl, Powell MS, Littleton, CO; Yearbook, Middlesex MS, Darien, CT.

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YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

Carillon, Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA Eagle Eye View, Sierra MS, Parker, CO Farrier, Mirman School, Los Angeles, CA Nuntius, Altavista Combined School, Altavista, VA Rampages, Casa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA The Buzzer, Brookville HS, Lynchburg, VA The Hawk, Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX The Prowl, Powell MS, Littleton, CO Theogony, Hidden Valley HS, Roanoke, VA Wingspan, James C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA Yearbook, Middlesex MS, Darien, CT

2013 HERFF JONES CSPA SILVER CROWN WINNERS

GOLD CROWN WINNERS

2013 HERFF JONES CSPA GOLD CROWN WINNERS

SILVER CROWN WINNERS

Accolade, Cave Spring HS, Roanoke, VA Bugle, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Laconian, Salem HS, Salem, VA Nugget, Cupertino HS, Cupertino, CA OIS Scenario, Orinda Intermediate, Orinda, CA Pilot, Redondo Union HS, Redondo Beach, CA Reflections, Mauldin HS, Mauldin, SC Sentry, Robinson Middle, Fairfax, VA Summit, Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, CO The Crimson, duPont Manual HS, Louisville, KY

Titanium, Antelope HS, Antelope, CA Both the inclusionary device (Say Cheese) and the bottom left mod (Finding her new clique) advance the theme, “When Everything Clicks.”

There’s so much more to the

BEST THEMES THAN

CATCHY PHRASES AND

CONSISTENT USE OF UNIFIERS

by Carrie Faust, MJE

Summit, Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, CO Repetition of the type package and the “Yeah, This is Happening” structure keep the unifier front and center.,

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Wingspan, James C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA The layered, woven type package that first introduced the theme, “It‘s Complicated” was repeated throughout in headline packages.

Rampages, Casa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA With mod headings including Just So You Know, You Don‘t Know the Half of It and How to... stay on message with the theme, “As We Know It.”

WELCOME to the most important

part of the yearbook calendar: theme season! Your staff will mine magazines, try on taglines, fantasize about fonts and grapple over graphic elements to assemble the perfect theme for their 2015 yearbook.

But for as much time as we’ll spend developing the verbal and visual identity of our books, many staffs will fall short of theme perfection because they fail to stay on message all the way through the book.

It’s simply not enough to stamp a theme statement on a cover and follow that up with theme-driven divider pages anymore. Our readers are more sophisticated than ever and they expect a deeper look into their school lives.

Three places in our yearbooks where staffs often miss the opportunity to continue the theme development; all three separate good books from the truly great ones:

Inclusionary Devices

Layers of Coverage The mods that populate the pages of the modern yearbook have been included to allow for more levels of coverage and to include more students. These pieces of coverage are your first venues for validating your verbal theme. Through clever wordplay, each of these sidebars and secondaries should include headlines that tie back to your verbal statement and help solidify the thematic identity of your book.

Interrupters Long-form stories “interrupt” the rapid pace at which readers scan short articles, sidebars and secondaries, making them slow down and explore an in-depth topic more thoroughly. Your staff should make a list of the stories that relate directly to your chosen theme. Use these pages as an opportunity to develop your verbal theme beyond just a stamp on the front of your book by showcasing the stories that uphold your theme statement.

In the last couple of years, staffs have designed mods that repeat on every spread of the book with the intention of including more students — hopefully every student — in the book by asking them about the topic of the page or something even more generic like “tell us something cool about your year.”

While these are a fantastic and necessary addition to the modern yearbook, this is another missed opportunity to stay on message and push the theme throughout your book.

Make sure your all-coverage device relates to your theme in both visual design and verbal message by using questions that revisit the theme and headlines that tie back to the verbal identity.

For highest impact, a unifier will appear not just on the cover, endsheets, opening and dividers but will be woven into the story of the year in many ways.

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WE YOU A QUESTION DAY. Yearbooks need to be fun. They need to include as many students as possible. Yearbooks need to be sold. Here’s one way you can make all of that happen in just one day.

by Laura Zhu

Here’s our method for getting over 350 interviews in just one hour.

Step One: Choose one day on campus to mass interview during lunch period(s). Make sure no large groups of students will be away at games, on field trips, etc.

Step Two: Advertise your question day. Make posters, get on the PA system, blast it on Instagram — share the question! Giving people time to think about their response dramatically improves the quality of responses you get on your scheduled interview day.

Step Three: Give your responders a little something in return. We themed our interview day and called it: “We Mustache You a Question!” Day. All of the students we interviewed received a temporary finger mustache tattoo. All of our interviewers were also wearing full-size temporary mustaches, their yearbook staff t-shirts, and a Press Pass so they were easy to find in the crowds.

Photos by Laura Zhu, Toby Johnson MS

Step Four:

WE ALREADY KNOW that wise staffs plan

ways to include as many students as possible in their books.

One easy way to do this is through a folio quote. The staff dreams up a theme-related question (or two) and asks students for their responses. These responses can then be run along the bottom or up the side of a spread without infringing much on the design and content already planned for the page. And, based on the size of your book, this can include anywhere from 100 to HUNDREDS of students in your book.

Know your numbers. We needed 124 quality interviews. So we tripled that and aimed for 360 completed interviews. That meant each staff member had to come back with 10 interviews and we hoped that in there they had three or four that we could use.

Step Five: Get clipboards for the staff and prepare an interview sheet. Our sheets were prepped with places for the 10 interviewees’ names, grades and responses. We also coded our sheets to make sure that each staffer was getting a mix of boys and girls from different grades.

Step Six: Get out there and interview. If you’ve done your job advertising the question, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to interview people for their one sentence responses. We had people waiting in line to get asked our question (Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 or 20 years?) and many people were thanking US for taking the time to talk to them. Be brave. Ask the kids sitting alone and in large groups. Talk to friends of friends and people you’ve never met.

We were able to place over 90 people in the book who may have only been on the People pages with their school photo if we hadn’t planned a folio quote this year.

And how do we know our special mass interview day resulted in sales? After selecting our interviews, we scheduled photo shoots with the lucky 124 who were chosen and let them know they were going to be in the book. Over 80% of those students placed in the book as a folio quote went on to buy the book, a considerably higher ratio than our overall student body buy rate.

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by Justin Daigle, CJE

HE WALKED into a room full

of strangers, hoping to settle in quietly, unnoticed. As the editors introduced themselves and spent hours teaching the class photography tips and journalistic writing, he began to question his decision to join the yearbook staff.

“This sure sounds like a lot of work,” he thought. “What have I gotten myself into? I thought this was going to be an easy A…” Throughout my eight years as an adviser, I have had several students who joined yearbook only to later wonder whether they made the right decision. It’s not for everybody. So how do we find dedicated students, turn them on to journalism, and keep them on staff?

In almost every case, it’s the process of helping students understand that they will be working hard — but that the hard work is all worth it. It’s empowering them, helping them embrace their inner yerd, and tapping into their leadership and strengths.

We empower students because every student, honors to remedial, has at least

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one strength. When I have attended several workshops and conferences, I have heard it said that, “You have to have the honors kids to run a successful program.”

Respectfully, I cringe when I hear this statement. I look at my past eight staffs, and believe that with this frame of mind, I — but more importantly, those students — would have lost out on an opportunity to be part of something incredible like producing a piece of history.

I have former students who only kept up their grades, came to school every day, and graduated because of yearbook. I have had students who could barely organize a five-paragraph essay, but could design a spread or take an environmental portrait that won first place in the state competition.

We empower students by helping them see that they are journalists, and that they are doing journalism all the time — even outside their roles as yearbookers — by capturing moments large and small through social media and with their cell phones.

We empower students by making them own

YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

their programs and lead their staffs. They teach each other how to take photographs and design layouts. They attend state and national conferences, yearbook camps and workshops to hone their skills but to also meet others who share their passion.

Yearbook is not just about putting together the only permanent record of the year; it’s about students finding themselves and learning new roles within the group as they publish the book of their dreams.

We empower students by reminding them every year this is why we do yearbook.

In a best-case scenario, the reticent ones stick it out. If they haven’t been converted earlier in the process, distribution day often marks the realization that yearbook was more than just another class.

“I never thought that I would come to love working so hard on a project that I felt so strongly about,” they often later say. “This yearbook, this class has changed me. I’ll admit it; I’m proud to be a yerd, and I am looking forward to more hard work in years to come!”

IN ORDER TO CREATE A

GREAT YEARBOOK you have to become MORE THAN CLASSMATES for an hour a day.

YOU HAVE TO

WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM COMMUNICATING. TO GET A GOOD PRODUCT BY

- Brandon Fernandez 2015

Yearbook helped me work on MANY SKILLS including

SOCIAL SKILLS, TIME MANAGEMENT AND HOW TO BE A PART OF A TEAM.

Some of those skills that we focused on in yearbook actually aided me in

ACQUIRING MY CURRENT JOB. Sometimes it was extremely stressful, but ITonce ALLwe PAID OFF got the book.

That NEW YEARBOOK SMELL was awesome as well.

- Jordan Greeley 2012

Being a part of something that the WHOLE SCHOOL can

RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE A HUGE HONOR. IS

IT TEACHES YOU

PATIENCE, SACRIFICE AND DEDICATION. The final project is something that comes from the

YEARBOOK FAMILY, and we are sharing it with our peers.

- Megan Wagner 2015

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ISO: 640 APERTURE: 8.0 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/5000

ISO: 500 APERTURE: 3.2 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500

If you understand

THE SPORTS AND YOUR CAMERA

GREAT ACTION CAN PRODUCE

ISO: 800 APERTURE: 5.6 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/4000

AMAZING IMAGES

by Erik Austin

For a gallery of great shots and sport-by-sport tips, go to www.yearbookdiscoveries.com/magazine/

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ISO: 100 APERTURE: 2.8 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2000

ISO: 400 APERTURE: 7.1 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1600

WE ALL KNOW a yearbook is a picture book.

Even though athletic competitions offer both lots of action and lots of emotion, it sometimes seems difficult to get the perfect shot. We often task young people with the job of taking inferior equipment to the most challenging places.

We are then frustrated when they come back with dark, blurry pictures.

Nighttime football games, the gym and the pool can be the worst locations for shooting. The disadvantage is obvious when we see student photographers from the yearbook staff sitting alongside the pros with their kit lenses and secured camera straps around their necks.

With the right gear and knowledge, our young photojournalists can get the pro shots without having the professionals’ budget. The quickest fix is the right lens. While many programs can’t afford the high-priced telephoto for inside and night games, they can afford a fixed lens 50mm, 85mm or 100mm 1.4-2.0. A Canon 85mm 1.4 is about $500, and the difference is significant.

ISO: 1000 APERTURE: 1.6 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500

With the 1.4-1.8 lenses and knowledge of the exposure triangle, any yerd can get the right shot — even in the worst environment. For example, they might be shooting in the gym at a volleyball game. The light is terrible and the action is intense. With the camera set to manual, the photographer adjusts the aperture to 1.4 and adjusts shutter speed to a level that stops action… maybe 500. Then it is a simple ISO adjustment and no more blur.

Creating some training guidelines and reminders for the photo staff has made a difference… and I’m happy to share.

If we give our kids the information they need to shoot below 2.0, we give them the chance to take great shots. Nobody needs to go out and drop $5000 on a bag, but we do need to invest in our kids or else we will continue to use the images of kids on the bench, at practice and in team huddles.

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I love the PRIVACY.

I LOVE THAT OUR STAFF CAN SHARE AND THAT PERIODICALLY MY EDITORS AND FRIENDS PIN THINGS FOR ME. I love the shared

CAMARADERIE, and I really love the fact that we have this GREAT PLATFORM that belongs to NO ONE ELSE.

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Can you keep a secret? I can... and it’s

ALL ABOUT PINTEREST.

I swore I would never use Pinterest. Nope. Not me. While all my friends were poring over the site and making great

by Trish Ladue discoveries, I held out. ‘Not gonna happen.’

EVENTUALLY, I BROKE DOWN. When I

first joined Pinterest, I spent hours checking out recipes, decorating ideas and wedding planning tips. Then I discovered the design sites. For me, this was the gold at the end of the rainbow.

I began to collect ideas, but then I worried that the rest of the world would see them. What good would it be if everyone else could see my favorite designs? Others could have yearbooks that looked just like ours... and that is when I learned about “Secret Boards.”

This was an answer to my prayers. I will admit that some days I struggle with all of the technology involved — inviting people to view and post, remembering to ‘like’ things and repost them... But what a novel idea?! Without ever spending another dollar (with apologies to Barnes and Noble, Borders, Bookman’s and Changing Hands), I have discovered that I can search for hours on end for design elements. I can even upload my own ideas: anything from the initial concept to the cover design and page layouts.

What took me so long? I can share what I collect or not share what inspires me; the choice is totally mine. For the 2014 Historian, my staff started with a simple idea that became the element that drove our cover... and that idea led us to the choices for the three colors we employed throughout our theme pages. In other words, we discovered the design element on Pinterest and stashed it on our Secret Board. Again, this means that no one can access anything we pin in our secret board unless we invite them.

It was such a pleasure to see how what started as a simple design on Pinterest evolved into last year’s “My High School” book, at McClintock High School. Once I introduced Richard Reid, my 2014 EIC (and now a graphic design major at Arizona State University), to my secret board, he was unstoppable. Whenever new things are posted, I am notified immediately via email so no matter what time of day or what location, we can have our own little secret design meeting. This is brilliant.

They say change is good, and thank goodness I finally allowed myself the joy of joining the Pinterest family. Now I can’t believe I waited so long. All yearbook staffs should consider creating Secret Boards. After all, if I can do it, then so can you. I was that adviser who started out in yearbook decades ago thinking that a DPS was simply an acronym for the Department of Public Safety — and boy have I ever learned a lot since then.

Don’t get me wrong. For me, nothing will ever take the place of paper. I am not a Kindle reader. I love to turn the pages in a book.

I still read a daily newspaper and I love printed yearbooks most of all. Nothing compares to the feeling we get when we open the first box of books after unloading the truck.

Remember, Pinterest requires only one simple app, and if you have not already joined the Pinterest family, please do so, and invite your friends to your own ‘secret’ meeting. Once you join, you will never look back. You won’t be sorry. I promise.

Now, can you keep a secret?

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by Stephanie Slater

THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED TO THRIVE in my first year as an adviser. As the months leading up to deadlines turned into weeks then days, the stress levels grew. We made adjustments and built new procedures to make class more efficient. We considered things that I never would have thought about had my students not constantly asked themselves, “What is our plan, our purpose and our goal for this yearbook?”

The plan to make our year successful: Step One:

Set a classroom routine. This gets students to start class from the moment the bell rings without being prompted. I had ours labeled on the board and in our Daily Action Logs.

Step Two:

Know who is who. Teachers filled out a School Spirit Representative Form, which provided necessary information about their organization/sport including the days they met and what room, request of events to cover, and most importantly, their photo shoot date and their page(s) deadline.

Step Three:

Organize the equipment. Each student was supplied a numbered SD card when they checked out their camera. They filled out the checkout form stating the card number, camera number, event name and event date. There was never a question where photos from that Cosplay event could be found.

Step Four:

Communicate with the school photography company. I quickly became “one of those people” who would constantly call our rep asking when our photos were ready. Whenever he came to our school, I gave him a list of what groups/sport he would be shooting. He knew our deadlines (10 days before they were actually due) and was always willing to email me photos or let me download them from his camera that day.

The purpose was never a question. It was our mission statement! “We will be visible. We will help you be visible. We will document your memories.”

The goal… that was hard for the students to envision from the first day. By the end of the first deadline it was apparent: We set out to create something that everyone will be proud of and want to have. And it worked!

For easy-to-use forms like Slater created, go to www.yearbookdiscoveries.com/magazine/

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Cardinal and Gold, Oxnard HS, Oxnard, CA This complete index with hanging indents used red for their emphasis type, a thematic color used throughout the book. Their section letters employed the same secondary script they used for their theme statement and headlines. The student photo and quote help emphasize the break between sections, plus that’s 26 more people in the book.

The Pilot, Redondo Union HS, Redondo Beach, CA The staff here took the emphasis type one step further in their index. Each section of the book featured a color strip down the sides of the pages, shown here in the theme color of red.

Sports is blue, clubs is purple, academics is orange and life is yellow. In the index all student life listings are yellow type, all club listings are purple type and so on.

AS YOU BEGIN yet another

yearbook season, it may be difficult to think ahead to the day you’ll be completing the final pages in the 2015 edition — the index.

Even with the plug-ins that have simplified the process a great deal, creating a stellar index requires planning and attention to detail.

Want your index to be the best it can be?

Listen up! Start now thinking about the format and the content you’ll be including. This early planning — in addition to running a partial index after each deadline — can save you time and tedium in the end. Instead of rushing to finish the index, you’ll be able to give it the final editing attention it deserves and you can eliminate errors in the book.

First, think about your content. Every staff should commit to the idea of providing a thorough index for their readers. That means more than just listing people’s names. A truly complete index also lists every activity, event, sport, club, class and advertisement included in the book. And the best indexes list all members of the faculty as well as all students. Including all these people and topics turns the index into a valuable reader aid which is especially important if the staff uses an organizational plan other than traditional sections, such as chronological or topical/umbrella organization.

When planning the total book, think about any added content that might be included in the index. Some staffs place their group and team photos, along with complete

18

identification, in their index. Some cover local, national and world events along with entertainment and sports highlights marking the year. Still others add interest with related photos and captions. If you are adding any additional content to these pages, you need to allow for that as you finalize your ladder.

While it’s months before it will be time to format the text, it’s never too early to commit now to making the index as easy for your readers to use as possible. Two formatting details make the index more readerfriendly: hanging indents and emphasis type. Hanging indents (the second and subsequent lines of type are indented) make it easy for readers to determine where each entry begins. Emphasis type lets readers spot different types of content.

For example, feature contents might be bolded and ads might be italicized. Be sure to include a key to these meanings on the first spread of the index.

Also as part of the format, staffs need to consider the design of the large letters that mark the beginning of each alphabetical section. The size of the letters needs to be large enough for readers to easily spot.

They might be in color or include a mug shot and quote. The design should draw on the elements of the thematic design of the book, including display font, colors and graphics.

Take a look at how some 2014 staffs made indexing decisions that allowed them to create reader-friendly listings with real value.

YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

Quinault, Aberdeen HS, Aberdeen, WA The Quinault used hanging indents and emphasis type, then packed in even more coverage. Along with group and team photos with complete identification, they included world and community news with informative captions and journalistic attributions for content acquired from the Internet. The cutouts included with each alphabet letter help readers easily find section divisions.

Saltshaker, Trinity Christian School of Fairfax, Fairfax, VA The staff used helpful formatting, including hanging indents and emphasis type to distinguish topics and groups. They also included extra coverage with a row of candids and a photo mod on the side. All students pictured are identified either with full captions or a list of names. The initial letters, although small, have been set in blue to make them easier to find.

You might imagine it’s too early to be thinking about

...but the best books make some decisions early on.

by Lynn Strause

< Westwind, West Henderson HS, Hendersonville, NC The Westwind features a separate senior index. Instead of listing accomplishments with the senior portraits — and calling attention to students with no listing — they moved the information back to a separate senior index at the end of the senior section. Here, they also included attractive, understated coverage of senior superlatives. The senior names are also included in the main index.

> The Clan, McLean HS, McLean, VA Featuring both hanging indents and emphasis type and including additional coverage across the top of each spread, The Clan staff took the complete index one step further still. Topical indexes for each of the traditional areas of yearbook coverage — classes, organizations, academics and sports — created a quick reference within the reference. Listings in each topical index can also be found in the main index. Along with each topical index come a couple quick reads that reinforced the theme: “Long Story Short.”

VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM

19

It might have

ONE BYLINE BUT

IT’S THE WORK OF THE

WHOLE STAFF Photos by Andrew Mares, Arvada West HS

How your staff can work together to ensure that the writing in this year’s book is better than ever. by Annie Gorenstein-Falkenberg, CJE

THERE SEEMS TO BE

a roadblock that prevents students from improving the quality of the writing in the yearbook. While students are perfectly fine red penning one another’s work for spelling and grammar mistakes, they often struggle to help one another revise their writing for content, structure and voice.

In order to overcome this roadblock, we need to reconsider the way the writing process is structured on our staffs. For my staff this required getting away from just having a traditional copy editor and moving to a more collaborative approach.

We created collaborative writing teams and made every member of the staff a part of the writing and revision process.

20

The goal of our collaborative writing teams is to make sure that every piece of copy in the book is a must read.

The teams meet three times before the deadline. They work together from idea generation to finalizing the story. In the second meeting, the students push each author through the revision process.

The night before that meeting, each writer is required to provide all of the members of their group with their story. Each person reads all of the stories for his or her group before class and takes care of the red penning and initial commenting before the meeting. Then, once they are in the meeting, each member of the group

YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN NINETEEN ISSUE ISSUE ONE ONE

focuses on ideas, voice, the flow of the writing or marriage of elements.

The first staffer reads her story aloud to her team and they give her feedback on a specific element. While her teammates talk, she takes notes. After everyone has shared their comments, they hand her all of the marked-up copies of the story, and the entire team moves on to the next writer.

Every member of the group walks away with a plan for revision. Plus, because other staffers know what they are working on, the entire writing team is invested in the success of the story.

VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM

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I was the Editor-in-Chief of the Calumet yearbook at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, CO and — after the shooting that took place there on Friday, December 13, 2013 — there were many

DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO BE MADE. As a student journalist, I had the responsibility of documenting and commemorating the events in a dignified and accurate fashion.

Ca

by Tori Hoffman

lum

et, A

ra

pa

ho

eH

S,

Ce

nte

nni

al,

CO

THOUGH SOME MAY HAVE SHIED

away from this responsibility, I felt extremely privileged to lead a group of student journalists in one of the biggest years in Arapahoe history. My staff and I, as students and members of the Arapahoe community, had the ability to tell the most relevant story possible, and that was extremely empowering.

I started thinking about coverage immediately after the shooting.

That day I remember wishing so badly that I had brought my camera. I felt it necessary to document such an event that shook us to our core and all the ways we overcame and grew as Warriors.

I had many meetings with my adviser, printing representative, principal and even people at the district level. I was told to expect

22

YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

my work to get national coverage and to put out only what I felt comfortable getting to that level. My principal said she felt I always had the school’s best interests at heart and advised me to just continue with that intention. And overall, a tremendous amount of faith was put in me.

I would say the most important thing to remember when planning coverage for a school tragedy is to keep people in the loop. There should be no surprises. If something seems questionable, it is worth having a discussion about. I looked to teachers who had worked at the school for years and held high positions for their input because I really trusted their judgement.

It is also very important to get permission to print any photos or

WARRIOR STRONG The copy began powerfully: “The unifying slogan. The new mantra.

The redefined Warrior brand,” it said. “It was everywhere and meant everything to us, from then on and forever more.” The process of creating the coverage was good for the staffers.

“We were definitely healing while we were documenting,” said editor Tori Hoffman.

COMMUNITY COMMENTS A four-page tip-in was adhered along one edge creating a partial gatefold to the right. Photos of vigils, friends comforting each other and other healing scenes ran alongside student tweets. Adviser Greg Anderson is proud of his students. “The newspaper and yearbook collaborated. Their work was very well received by the community.”

REAL-LIFE LESSONS With the tip-in open and extended to the left, coverage closes on a healing note with the reminder that “Warriors always take care of one another.” Despite difficult decisions and lots of lengthy discussions, the record of the horrific event provided some unprecedented opportunities. “The yearbook staffers know that if they can make it through a year like last year, they can do anything,” Hoffman concluded.

quotes surrounding the tragedy. What might not be a trigger to some people may be one to others. So trying to be as sensitive as possible is key. I know it is easy to get comfortable with what you’re printing. It seems that after planning, collecting photos, interviewing, designing and editing that you see your work a million times, but it is very important to remember that your audience will be seeing it for the first time and may have an emotional reaction.

And, once something is printed in the yearbook, there’s no way to “take it back;” it’s in the yearbook forever. It is your job to limit the number of traumatic photos while balancing being a journalist and including the most important and powerful details.

I accepted the fact that what we did would not always be fully supported. But what is important is that you feel confident in your

decisions and that you keep every member of your community in mind. It makes a world of difference when you have people standing behind you.

If, by sad coincidence, you ever find yourself in a similar circumstance, remember that there are always people who can help. Whether it be people in or outside of your school, you do not have to make decisions on your own.

I personally found this yearbook to be an opportunity to celebrate life and to show the strength and resilience of the Arapahoe community. I am more confident than ever that we as Warriors can take on any challenge that comes our way, and I am more proud than ever to be a part of this great Warrior family.

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MANY KINDS OF MAJOR

YBK RECOGNITION The awards that books printed by Herff Jones won from ACP, CSPA and NSPA were just the start. Additional honors, presented within the printing industry, recognize Herff Jones — and our customers — alongside other printers and design agencies worldwide.

FIVE YEARBOOKS AND IDEAS THAT FLY,

the annual volume that showcases the work of hundreds of schools, have been honored in the Printing Industries of America Premier Print Awards.

Each school will receive a plaque acknowledging the honor and duplicates of the awards are on display in the plants that produced each winner. Work printed for companies including Aveda, Estee Lauder, Gucci, Krispy Kreme, Mercedes Benz, Neenah Paper and TGI Friday‘s was also recognized.

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION: Freeflight, Torrey Pines HS, San Diego, CA

CERTIFICATES OF MERIT:

The Crimson, duPont Manual HS, Louisville, KY Wingspan, James Enochs HS, Modesto, CA Clan, McLean HS, McLean, VA The Hawk, Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX Ideas that Fly, Volume 19, Herff Jones

TOP HONORS in the yearbook division of Fibermark’s 20th Annual Specifier Awards went to The Buzzer, Brookville HS, Lynchburg, VA. The awards program honors projects that have been created using the company’s materials showcasing the best of color, texture, pattern and design, and The Buzzer’s horizontal quarter bind featured a pair of special order Fibermark cover materials.

An array of art books, promotional pieces, menus, binders and packaging for companies such as Nike, Pantone, Virgin Airlines, HBO and Warner Brothers were also recognized as top winners.

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YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM VOLUME NINETEEN ISSUE ONE

PLAY

HARRY & RANDALL COSTUME CONTEST Harry & Randall are stepping out of their suits and gearing up for Halloween by searching for the perfect costume. Participate by posting a picture of them dressed in costume for a chance to win a bag of goodies including a $25 Visa gift card. On October 31, Harry & Randall will sport the best costume voted by our followers.

USE THE HASHTAG

To be considered eligible, your post must use our hashtag #HarryRandall as well as your school name.

TO PLAY

1. Download Harry & Randall from the link below.

2. “Dress” them up and take pictures.

3. Post your most creative costume ideas using #HarryRandall to social media anytime before October 26.

TO WIN

Once we’ve reviewed all of the posts, our yearbook marketing team will choose up to 10 of the most creative costume designs and prepare them for voting.

Beginning October 27, you can vote by liking your favorites and inviting your friends to do the same. The costume with the most votes will be displayed on our channels on October 31.

DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW US

We invite you to follow HERFF JONES YEARBOOKS on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram to ensure we see your posts. You must follow us on Facebook in order to be eligible to win.

POST | VOTE OCT 1 - 26

OCT 27 - 29

For details and rules, visit www.yearbookdiscoveries.com/harryrandall

VERY PINTERESTING Inspiration for yearbook themes, color palettes, graphic/design ideas and staff fun is all around you, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier than ever to collect and share your favorites. Following Herff Jones on Pinterest is one of the yerdiest things you can do.

VISIT OUR DIY FOR YBK BOARD on Pinterest to find two more free mini-posters that you can print and hang in your staff room. And, follow Herff Jones Yearbooks to discover more yerdly items and yearbook tips.