YBK for life
SPOT LIGHT ANNALIESE AVILA CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS DUARTE, CA
ABOUT THE GEAR: Canon 80D and Canon 55–250 4–5.6 lens at f5.6, 1/200th, ISO4000, at 178mm
Annaliese Avila, a first-year staffer and junior, tells us how she got the shot. “This photo was taken on Nov. 7 at the fall musical, ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’ Wes Jensen, who plays the character of William Morris Barfée, was belting out his solo number, ‘Magic Foot.’ The lighting for this show was very colorful, with abrupt changes. Before the lights turned purple, they had been a bright white, so as soon as they changed the lighting to something much darker, I altered my camera’s settings to suit the darkened stage. They had a sole spotlight on Jensen, so I wanted the photo to capture just that, and have a sole focus on him. One of the biggest challenges was how swiftly the actors moved on stage and how outrageous some of the musical numbers could be. I had to keep in mind that anything could happen throughout the show, so it was best to be prepared to capture any little moment that was photo-worthy. This was my first time photographing an event on the grand scale of a musical, so I was excited to be able to capture performers in motion. It was a wonderful experience to get to capture the hard work of the students, and I was thankful that the director allowed me to have free reign while photographing. Getting to cover the musical, as well as interviewing the performers, was one of the highlights of my year, because the students were so passionate and enthusiastic about the show.”
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Video and yearbook
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So many options (and more opportunities) to tell stories and interact with readers.
Teamwork made the dream work Requests for yearbooks lost in a California wild fire inspired the
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replacement of missing memories.
YBK for life
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As the yearbook experience becomes richer, more intense or more meaningful, so does the phrase.
Passing the torch Student leadership begins with younger students dreaming of
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taking their turn at the helm.
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picture perfect
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In the world of social media, what a difference a year makes
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H AV E A C ON F E S SION T O M A K E . Sometimes I find myself bewildered by social media. Facebook didn’t become a “thing” until mid-senior year when I was in high school — and at the time, you weren’t able to create an account unless you had a college email. When the f loodgates opened a year later, “everyone” scrambled to set up an account, upload photos, write posts and leave unsolicited commentary. Facebook was for teenagers and 20-somethings who wa nted to sha re their lives online a nd exercise the right to spam everyone with weird cat videos. Less than 10 years later — and now it’s for “old people,” according to my students. I seriously don’t get it.
MAKENA BUSCH, CJE MEAD HS • SPOKANE, WA
INSTA-SKEPTIC
CONFESSIONS
Fast forward to the fall of 2018 when my yearbook staff was struggling to agree on which social media platform we should use to communicate with our community. I barely got the word Facebook out before I was shot down with a dozen eye-rolls and at least one audible sigh. My staff proceeded to in for m me that nobody uses it unless they ’re “hella old” and that Instagram was clearly the way to go. Admittedly, I resisted. Instagram? Really? How can we share images w ithout spoiling what ’s in the book? If we’re not sharing photos or stories from the book, what other content could we sha re? Does my staff really have time for managing an account? Do I, as the adviser, really have time to manage one more thing? Is this a necessity or something that’s going to quickly die the minute we create the account? Ugh. I know what the advisers out there are thinking... this is something the kids can run with because nobody has time to deal with one more thing. After a year of rolling my eyes and resisting, I was converted to the platform my students used to build interest in the yearbook and the program. I introduce to you: The Hype Video. For those of you who are probably asking yourself, “What does video have to do with yearbook?” I can say with all honesty that video has completely revolutionized the way we yearbook. For the past three years, my staff has been trained to capture at least a minute of video while photographing an event. We started this journey by creating an end-of-the-year video for our last assembly. This quickly morphed into a yearbook hype video, which brought things full-circle when we unveiled that yea r ’s book for the f irst time during our distribution party. We’re now pumping out mini-seasonal hype videos online, and let me tell you they’re a huge hit. Our first was a teaser for our rivalry week face-off, “Battle of the Bell.” Within minutes of posting the 24-second video, we had racked up 16 comments, 20 new followers and the video had been viewed more than 1,200 times.
IN JUST A MINUTE, a yearbook staffer on the scene can capture footage for a hype video. Publishing highlights of the school year on Instagram has been a catalyst for school spirit and connectivity at Mead High School. Atop the shoulders of the football player, staffer Nicholas Nelson uses an Osmo + gimbal camera to capture the fans’ bell-ringing tradition after the annual rivalry game. PHOTO BY JOSH ALLEN
The best part? It only contained four video clips. Simple, easy, done.
From there, we progressed into a fullblown, four-and-a-half minute rivalry video that was played for our student body during a Pep Con assembly. For us old folks, the video also found its way onto Facebook, where it racked up 6,200 views, 150 likes, 21 comments and 63 shares. As my staff continues to experiment w it h v ideo, we have u ncovered a powerful and growing connection with our students. Yearbook is now at the forefront of their social media feeds, a nd we consistently share content h ig h l ig ht i ng t he most i mpor t a nt part of our school — our students. Teenagers loved seeing themselves and being tagged in our videos. It’s like a sneak peek of the book before the real deal is delivered. The staff came up with rules to ensure that online content doesn’t spoil the gems we reser ve just for the book. First, they can only use photos we know are not being printed in the book. We make sure to remind our audience the best photos are for the printed piece. Secondly, no full stories or captions. They write a brief caption, but we make sure to save our stories for the book — where they belong. We tag as many people as possible. Tagging has allowed us to cast a wider net and drive more traffic. We went from around 100 followers at the beginning of the school year to more than 800. The staff posted live stories with action shots from games and events as well as polls, quizzes and Q&A’s to get our audience engaged and interested in yearbook. They even asked students to contribute ideas or content that could be used in the book. With all this activity, I have gone from an Insta-skeptic to a cheerleader. It’s become another place for us to share coverage we would normally delete or let collect dust — and now, we include more students and their stories. After months of building a following and pumping out videos, we’ve found a way to not only interact with our community but also reach them in a new way that makes yearbook relevant. Now, if only we could make Facebook cool again because old folks, including myself, still use it.
HE A R I T F ROM A NN
It’s a small world The magic of yearbook lives on
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e all know the traditional functions of a yearbook. Of course, it’s a memory book, a history book and the year’s consummate photo album. Without a doubt, it serves as a record and a reference tool, too. We’ve asked, “If it’s not in the book, did it even really happen?” so often that students begin to echo as soon as we begin speaking. But one of the lesser-discussed YBK impacts is perhaps the most amazing. It’s not uncommon to hear an adviser say a yearbook is magic. A L ONG -T I M E GU RU S A I D I T BEST W ITH THIS: “If you’re covering the year right,” Col. Charles Savedge would say, “the yearbook is as magical as Mickey’s kingdom. There — no matter whether you’re 4 or 24 or 64 — you’re always a child. Yearbook is just the same,” he’d continue. “When you open that book, you’re right back on campus in the coverage year... if you’re doing it right.” So true. But there’s another aspect of the magic that’s less obvious and so much more mind-boggling.
I recently experienced this (again!) myself. In a completely non-work situation, I mentioned my work with Herff Jones and yearbook staffs from coast to coast. “No way,” gushed the woman across the table. “I am the original yearbook girl.” A nd while the others looked on, puzzled, she launched into her YBK history. Suddenly, we were connected and had lots to discuss. You can find Patricia’s story on page 23, alongside stories of other former editors. It ’s c o m m o n a t c o l l e g e m e d i a conventions to meet former high school staffers who fondly recall their experiences. Many times, the conversations begin when our booth swag causes flashbacks to previous events or workshops. Often, those visits end with a text to a former adviser or rep with greetings and “thanks for all you taught me.” A few weeks back, a friend called with another world-shrinking-viayearbook story. While at a wedding in Tampa, he’d been introduced to the groom’s cousin, a high school volleyball coach from North Carolina. His litany of questions about her school made her ask how he knew about so many schools in so many places. He explained he’d worked with yearbook staffs for years. Guess what? Jill was on yearbook in high school. W here, he asked? Colorado. What school? Overland. Imagine her surprise when he said, “I know Kathy Daly, too.” The fact that another wedding guest knew Daly, a long-time HJ adviser and special consultant, was surprising to the former yearbook editor’s mother. No surprise: Yearbook constantly removes degrees of separation. And I love that. It makes me smile t h a t yea rbook a nd yea rbooker s matter — even years later.
ANN AKERS, MJE A yearbook marketing, sales and people-person, Akers believes that yearbookers everywhere can eliminate degrees of separation if they ask the right questions.
Yearbook — not the book itself but t he culture — actually makes the world smaller every day.
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video and yearbook
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I S N’T V I D E O J U S T M O R E W O R K ?
Without a doubt, yes — it is more work.
But it also represents more opportunities. Bringing video into your workflow means the chance to explore journalism, advertising and media production in a blended manner like the pros, from Teen Vogue to The Washington Post, which have robust video production teams. We know our yearbook audience’s daily video consumption includes news organizations, YouTube vloggers and viral TikToks already. It’s obvious then, embracing video as another outlet for our students’ creativity and energy will help them connect to their audience with a frequency and in a medium that complements the one-a-year book release beautifully. USING A SIMPLE BUT COMPLETE SETUP to interview motivational speaker Dave Rendall after a presentation on campus, juniors Charlie Marshall and Samantha Ward have found that teamwork is helpful for video shoots. The LED lighting panel ensures shadows don’t interfere with the shot and headphones allow Marshall to monitor the audio feed from Rendall’s wireless lavalier microphone. PRODUCING FINAL CONTENT, sophomore Jenna Moylan and junior Conrad West use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit video before uploading to Tesserae’s YouTube channel. PHOTOS BY ROB O’DELL
T H E R E ’S M O R E TO THE STORY With video stories, ads and other content, ambitious yearbook programs go beyond ink on paper
MICHAEL SIMONS, MJE CORNING-PAINTED POST HS • CORNING, NY
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ook ing back now, I had no idea what I wa s doing. Thankfully, I didn’t need to. As so often happens in a studentcentered yearbook lab, the right students came along at the right time and, with access to the right resources, they created something special and transformative. It was nearly a decade ago that West’s Skjöld yearbook staff took its first steps into video production, creating a DVD supplement for the 2011 book, “Your 24.” We had access to an HD camcorder and one Canon Rebel T2i with HD video, and if memory serves, a tripod with a half-busted leg. A wunderkind rookie staffer and self-taught video editor, Ryan Carl, worked with a handful of classmates, those cameras and a single copy of the editing software Sony Vegas Pro to create a seven-video disc we tucked inside the back cover of each book. Ten books later, our video team includes five staffers and two editors, access to a suite of DSLRs and lenses, a set of wireless beltpack lavalier mics, Adobe’s powerful software — and publishes roughly 50 videos a year onto a thriving YouTube channel. We’ve gone beyond pictures and words on spreads, and we’re not looking back.
S TART SMALL
We’ve grown and invested a great de a l si nc e 2 01 1 . T h at sa id , you probably already have the tools you need to get started producing video w it h i n you r yea rbook prog r a m. First, every modern DSLR camera body can capture video and sound. Nex t , c omput er s c ome bu nd le d with editing software, and budget programs are available for purchase in the $40–100 range. Grab a modest $20 tripod, and your staff is ready. What do your students cover first? Maybe it’s a single-game highlight reel or a non-i nter v iew beh i ndt he - s c ene s lo ok at you r d r a m a production’s path to opening night. Perhaps you encou rage t hem to inter v iew a beloved libra r ia n or create a promo piece for your book. Whatever they do, set modest goals and work from inspiration pieces — that is, look at sports highlights, “ ta l k ing head-st yle” inter v iews, newscasts, quick-hit ads for major brands, YouTube channels and more, and break them down as a staff. What do they see? How are angles and perspectives used, just like with photography? W hat is the camera’s relationship with interviewer and interviewee, if there is one? Just as we do with other inspo, we can look to the pros.
L E T ’S G E T T O G E T H E R
As we found in 2011, all you need is one student with the production k now-how or p a s sion t o le a r n , ex per iment a nd create. T hese days, when we’re recruiting for the next year, we routinely ask current staffers if they know anyone active on YouTube or Instagram. Find the st udents who a re creating v ideo content already, and welcome them. We support our seven-person video team with two editor-level positions. The video editors — leaders, not to be confused with those who edit, which we call producers — report directly to our editors-in-chief, and a re my pr ima r y cont acts w ith in their team. Our video staff doesn’t touch the print side — their work i s t he 50 v ideos produc ed each year, complementing the printed
book. It’s entirely feasible to embed video production in a print staff ’s workflow, but — given our large staff size — it hasn’t been our model. Confession: I’ve had varied success keeping our video staff and content f ront of m i nd , especia l ly i n t he midst of 80-page print deadlines. It ’s impor ta nt as you establish a v ideo component, pa r ticula rly if a st a nda lone tea m , t hat adv iser language and actions support them, their content and presence as equal to that of your print staff. When we share photos of the week, spreads in prog ress or celebrate ma k ing deadlines, we feature video, too.
L I K E, S H A R E, S U B S C R I B E
You’ve jumped in — a st udent or team is creating video, you’ve got a highlight package or an interview piece edited and ready to share. But questions remain: Where, when, how? Do you host via an augmented reality app? Post videos to the cloud and embed QR codes in your book? Mass produce a DVD? Where do YouTube and social sharing fit into it all? Options have changed a great deal since 2011. At first, we worked as an assembly line to tuck a DVD into each book. Then we used Google Drive and Dropbox, linking to them with printed QR codes. W hen ou r d ist r ic t con sol idated in 2014, we moved to augmented reality app, Aurasma — which would play synced videos when a student running the app pointed their phone at a spread with embedded content. As many anticipated, support for the app dwindled after it was purchased by HP, and discontinued, rendering all of embedded video inaccessible. Tesserae’s video content now lives where ma ny others post theirs: YouTube. Granted, it might not be around 20 years from now either, but it ’s the best solution for now. Commenting can be turned off, if that ’s a concern. Need a YouTube alternative? Take a look at Vimeo. Finally, we’re happy to share. You can see our current and past content at youtube.com/tesseraeybk.
EVEN THE STEADIEST HANDS are not enough for shooting good video footage. For quick pieces, editor Lewis Wightman uses a monopod to steady the shot and a RODE Video Mic Go for high audio quality. PHOTO BY ROB O’DELL
SOUNDS GOOD TO ME
A camera is all you need, but for better audio quality, you’ll want to make a sound investment.
ON-BOARD MIC:
Your DSLR has a basic microphone included in the body — look for a small pattern of holes near the top of the camera. Good for room and ambient audio, they are prone to mechanical and handling noises and don’t do well with verbal or interview audio at any distance.
S H O T G U N M I C : With a modest $75–150 investment, you can increase the quality of your audio dramatically. These directional mics capture sound from a tightly concentrated area straight out from your camera, so they’re great for isolating interview audio for a subject. They can be used for “b-roll” ambient audio as well, since they can isolate noise from the periphery.
L AVALIER MIC:
The best option for interviews, you can use a wired or wireless lavalier lapel clip-on mic to capture crystal clear audio from your interviewee. For a wired solution, you’ll do best with a 15to 20-foot cord so your interview subject isn’t tethered close to the camera. Wireless, beltpack-based lavaliers like the twin set we have from Saramonic UwMic9 (Amazon, $399) allow you to interview two subjects at once and at far greater distance from the camera, if needed. One of our videographers produced an excellent ESPN-like “behind-the-scenes” feature for our boys swim team by mic-ing the coach at practice, capturing her words of critique and encouragement live while shooting from across the pool deck.
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video and yearbook
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HOW TO AVOID THE BLANK SLATE WITH MITCH ZIEGLER, CJE REDONDO UNION HS • REDONDO BEACH, CA
TAK E NOTE Hear from other yearbookers as they tell us the intent and inspiration behind the book. Then, we’ll share some thoughts, too. Check it out at herff.ly/take-note.
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ome years in the life of an adv iser a re ma g ic a l. The student leaders — after several years in the program — arrive back at school prepared from summer work shop s. T hey come w it h a n a ma zing theme packet featuring a great concept, inspired design, compel l i ng open i ng copy a nd a working coverage plan. Most years, though, begin somewhere lower on the spectrum bet ween magical and disastrous. T he c omput er t r a n sfor me d t he yearbook, but it can also impede creativity. Too often, I see writers staring at blank screens. GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE. R E A D SOMETHING. I have grown tired of designers staring at an empty spread, wanting to invent a new layout — but stuck looking through the same Pinterest designs. Without g uida nce, st udents may produce something they have seen before — or are comfortable with. And more often than not, it looks a lot like the previous year’s book. Ideas don’t emerge from the mind like Athena coming from Zeus’ head. WHEN CREATING PHOTOS OR L AYOU TS , L OOK , A N D T H E N LOOK SOME MORE! If you want to write, read. Ideas do not emerge from a vacuum — you need to internalize the visual and verbal around you before your mind can synthesize those raw materials into powerful yearbook content.
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MY FAVORITE SOURCE IS THE PUBLIC LIBR A RY. The Los A ngeles Count y Librar y subscribes to about 120 magazines, and the design inspo for our 2019 book came from the library’s collection. And don’t forget, not all inspiring design works. If you have developed the verbal part of the theme, you need to consider the tone and make sure it fits with the style of the graphics. A quiet, contemplative or reflective tone does not lend itself to b old typography and colors.
In other words, students need to find inspiration. And that need for inspo can come at different times for different purposes. It may be a piece of writing that contains the message and/or tone the editors wish to convey. All the elements of design: Type, photo pack ag i ng , i nt er na l a nd external separation space, color and texture are all around us. Let’s say you have a strong verbal, with a powerful theme statement, and perhaps even some opening copy — which is where you really should start — but you find the students emulating the design of last year’s book or others from your exchange library. ENCOUR AGE THEM TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR DIFFERENT DESIGN IDEAS. The tried-and-true method is — and was — a design notebook. I have had students who compiled notebooks from their first year on staff, and by the time they became editors, they had dozens of fresh ideas. Digital versions live on designers’ devices worldwide. The key sources for visual ideas? Magazines, other print materials, web desig n a nd online sources. I would avoid Pinterest because there is too much old content and duplicated design.
The 2018 Pilot themed, “Imagined at Redondo, Made by You,” began with design. An editor-in-chief was drawn to art books and other sources, which eliminated a dominant photo and instead used a series of photos tied together with a colored background. Both editors agreed on tone, which they presented in a slide show to the class: “Confident, but not arrogant. Sk illed, self-assured, indiv idual, sophisticated.” While they still struggled with opening copy, verbal inspiration was found from Apple’s “Designed in California by Apple” campaign. EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER WITH THAT BOOK. Its tone, design, t y pography and w riting all worked together. The editors had a vision, and they were certainly able to translate it. The 2019 yearbook vision was harder to create. They started with a desire to develop a diversity-based theme — yet, they had no design ideas. TOO MUCH STARING IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER. They didn’t even understand the point of the theme. They really needed help. We tried to decide on a tone so we could find some verbal and visual inspiration. Looking back, 2017’s book was bold and braggy; 2018 was thoughtful and confident. Someone suggested that we try something fun. The staff looked kind of glum and one editor-in-chief said, “We’re not fun.”
MODERN MUSES, a spread in Allure magazine provided the visual inspiration for Redondo Union’s 2019 volume. After struggling to find visuals that worked together to reiterate the verbal theme, the team found their verbal voice. The challenge then became finding fitting visual inspiration. Thorough analysis helped staffers make choices regarding the use of type, space, color and other devices while creating variations on the work that inspired them.
Then someone showed the editors an old ad from Domino’s Pizza. It was simply a run-on sentence describing many great sports moments during which people were eating pizza. I encouraged my editor to use that copy as inspiration for a stylistic imitation. The results were fabulous — and fun.
The basis of our work was formed by three examples from Allure. The next three — while “fun”— did not fit in either tone or design with the Allure examples. EV EN W ITH A N INSPO PATH, CHALLENGES CAN CONTINUE.
Even with a verbal concept and two workshops completed, the students had no design worth using. I specialize in writing, concept, coverage and photography — everything but design. My editors usually take the lead there.
Once the students find techniques/ colors/fonts they like, their jobs don’t end. In fact, in their enthusiasm, they often want to include every good idea, even ones that clash — in terms of look and tone. Sometimes the problem is the tendency to include too much, which occurred with some regularity when books went to all color. Just because you have unlimited options does not mean you should use all of them.
Using my online library access, I started looking for fun visual ideas. T he a r t a nd scienc e of ad v i ser involvement could be a whole other story. But in this case, I knew my staff needed my help with some teaching and inspiration.
Have students limit their choices with parameters. As an adviser, you need to ask questions: Does that fourth color seem to work with the others? Does this type package work with that one? Do circles and hexagons with color backgrounds send the same message?
I collected examples of what I thought was “fun design” into a slideshow for the staff. We talked about the typography, photo packaging, color use and reporting techniques. Right away, they were focused and more enthusiastic.
T H E Y U S U A L LY C A T C H O N QU ICK LY. A N D M IN E DID.
Soon after, they coined the phrase, which would become our theme: “Not Just One Thing.”
THE LIGHT BU LBS W ER E ON. IDE A S FLOW ED. There were lots of ideas to choose from, but they knew their mission was to create a concept empowered by visuals — which then enhanced their verbal idea. On top of that, they had to make it clear for readers. The discussions we had made it easy for them to isolate the devices they liked and figure out how they could work together.
One hint from me led them to come up with the verbiage for a successful umbrella organization. With this, there was an improved energy in the room as we talked about ways to carry the theme throughout. Maybe they didn’t believe they were inherently fun (of course they were), but we certainly had a lot of it.
FORM MEETS FUNCTION
“NOT JUST ONE THING,” but the overall vibe evolved from the ideas the design team considered and adopted. The staff used alternating versions of the “placemat” layout presented in the magazine as well as the two-color, all lowercase type treatment to give spreads a uniform — but not repetitive or boring — look and feel. The theme’s easily identifiable visuals begin on the cover and are carried throughout the book, not just on dividers but on coverage pages as well.
Lots of schools jump at the chance to offer split-cover options, but Redondo made the intentional choice because it tied into the theme,“Not Just One Thing” perfectly. See more cover and spread inspiration online at herff.ly/showcase.
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Award-winning advisers offer advice to assist anyone who will listen CSPA CHARLES R. O’MALLE Y AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
CSPA /DOW JONES NEWS FUND NATIONAL HS JOURNALISM TEACHER OF THE Y EAR
MARY K AY DOWNES, MJE
ERINN HARRIS, MJE
Odyssey adviser for 31 years CHAN T ILLY HS • CHAN T ILLY, VA 34 YEARS ADVISING TOTAL, EDUCATOR FOR 49 YEARS
ADVICE THAT HELPED ME A LOT
“REMEMBER THAT YOUR STAFF IS MADE UP OF KIDS.”
WORDS FROM THE WISE FIVE HERFF JONES ADVISERS named to top honors this spring for excellence in teaching and advising share helpful advice they’ve given and received through the years. Generosity with teaching tips and other advice is a trait many admire in journalism educators.
“They are learning yearbook skills and leadership — and they have other classes and obligations. Develop a culture that provides them the training they need, a structure that makes expectations clear and the opportunities to both succeed and learn from their mistakes. And let them know you are there to support their efforts.” ADVICE I TEND TO GIVE
“DEFLECT ANY CRITICISM THE BOOK MIGHT RECEIVE TO YOUR EDITORS.”
“When you do so, it reiterates their ownership of the publication. It empowers the students — and it reminds the readers that the adviser should not be making content or design decisions. It’s the kids’ book! The adviser should not jump in and compensate for every weakness, just like a coach can’t run in and execute plays or drama teachers don’t jump on stage and perform to ‘perfect’ student productions.”
Techniques adviser for 11 years T HOMAS JEFFERSON HS FOR SCIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY • ALE X ANDRIA , VA 14 YEARS ADVISING TOTAL, EDUCATOR FOR 17 YEARS
ADVICE THAT HELPED ME A LOT
“IT’S NEVER DONE. SOMETIMES IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE.”
“ I feel like my rep stresses this concept. At a certain point, you need to be okay with what you have and move on. You can modify your process going forward, but meeting deadlines is a yearbook must. Working hours polishing something rather than starting on other tasks is not a good practice. This is great advice for advising — and for life. It’s important for the students to learn that deadlines are not suggestions — that’s knowledge that will serve them well now and for their rest of their lives.” ADVICE I TEND TO GIVE
“LONGEVITY COMES FROM SELF CARE.”
“Taking care of yourself is key. To be the teacher/adviser your students need, you can’t live your life ‘running on empty.’ Being aware of — and prioritizing — your own needs to recharge is so important to your satisfaction as an adviser. We need our students to understand and practice selfcare as well, which can seem contradictory to the importance of their meeting deadlines, but is one of the many life skills yearbook teaches.”
JEA LINDA S. PUNTNE Y TEACHER INSPIRATION AWARD
DISTINGUISHED ADVISER: JEA H.L. HALL NATIONAL Y EARBOOK ADVISER OF THE Y EAR
SPECIAL RECOGNITION ADVISER: JEA H.L. HALL NATIONAL Y EARBOOK ADVISER OF THE Y EAR
KIM GREEN, MJE
HEATHER NAGEL, CJE
DAN REINISH, CJE
Outreach & Engagement Coordinator BALL S TAT E UNIVERSI T Y • MUNCIE, IN Log adviser for 20 years COLUMBUS E AS T HS • COLUMBUS, IN 28 YEARS ADVISING TOTAL, EDUCATOR FOR 42 YEARS
ADVICE THAT HELPED ME A LOT
“ASK WHAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD DO.”
“ I remember Nancy Hastings saying this to me early on, and she followed by providing some questions that would help me become a stronger adviser. ‘What’s your thought process?,’ for example,‘What have you done so far?’ or ‘What do you think you should do?’ Once they explain, of course you’ll ask more questions. You could play devil’s advocate, but they need to decide — and you’ll have to choose between validating their decision or asking more questions. It’s very empowering for them to know you’re serious about their ownership of the publication as editors.” ADVICE I TEND TO GIVE
“BE FIRM, BUT NICE.”
“Like Patrick Swayze explained in ‘Roadhouse,’ that’s what’s right. Advisers and their staffs need to be nice to their subjects, teachers and coaches — even to people who disagree with something they have done or are working on. Nobody joins a publication to make it bad — and ‘fighting back’ can make it look like you have done something wrong. Being nice doesn’t mean you don’t stand your ground.”
Lion’s Roar adviser for 16 years CHRIS T PRESBY T ERIAN ACADEM Y • NASHVILLE, T N
ADVICE THAT HELPED ME A LOT
“WHEN SOMETHING COMES YOUR WAY, TAKE CARE OF IT RIGHT AWAY.”
“ When I was a new teacher, my mentor had lots of advice for me. She was efficient and would point out that she always felt better when she got things done quickly. Plus, she’d have time to make any changes needed without things becoming urgent enough to force her to rearrange her schedule or to push aside things she had planned to do. It didn’t take me long to see how right she was. If I handle tasks immediately, I’m done with them — and I do feel better.”
Columbian adviser for 10 years GEORGE C. MARSHALL HS • FALLS CHURCH, VA
ADVICE THAT HELPED ME A LOT
“FEEL FREE TO ASK FOR HELP.”
“The yearbook/journalism education community is strong, and there are people out there who have your back. Your rep and your CSA are always there, but sometimes advice from another teacher — maybe nearby, but sometimes farther away — helps too. We are surrounded by others who have been in our shoes and can offer suggestions, and then we need to make decisions based on our own schools. I had to learn to trust that it would all work out as long as I had trained the students well and asked the right questions in guiding them.” ADVICE I TEND TO GIVE
ADVICE I TEND TO GIVE
“REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT ADVISING IS.”
“Yearbook is not about the product. It’s about the journey. It’s what the staff goes through together and how that changes their lives. Yearbook is projectbased learning at its finest. Beyond the act of telling the year-specific stories of our school community and capturing memories forever, the staff bonds over a shared goal, learns communication and technology skills and becomes meticulous about details. No other single course teaches as many core and life skills.”
“MAKE TIME TO BUILD STAFF RELATIONSHIPS.”
“Being an adviser is different than teaching some other classes because, in addition to the subject-matter lessons, you need to help the students become leaders. They learn to work together and independently, to consider the ramifications of their decisions and to compromise. Unlike most other classes, their success is dependent on other people, and their work is public — and permanent. Trust and respect are crucial. If you don’t work to establish that rapport, you’ll wish you had.”
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PA S S I O N P R O J E C T
Replacing a little piece of Paradise Many family keepsakes were lost when forest fires swept through Northern California, but Herf f Jones assembled a team to do what we do best
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A lthough Paradise High School remained standing and undamaged, most families were relocated outside the area. When classes resumed at a temporary site in nearby Chico the following January, roughly 700 students showed up. More than 1,000 had been enrolled that fa ll. The numbers spoke volumes: The school and community meant so much to the students that they did whatever it took to be back with their classmates as soon as possible. Nothing was normal for community members who lost ever y t h i ng. Paradise’s population dropped by nearly 90 percent. Crews reported that the debris there outweighed the remains when New York’s 110-story Twin Towers crumbled in 2001.
YOU DON’T H AV E TO BE LOCA L TO IM AGIN E FL A MES SWA LLOW ING THE HILLSIDES SU R ROU N DING PA R A DISE , CA LIFOR NI A , IN THE FA LL OF 2018. T he state’s most destr uctive a nd deadliest wildfire — and the world’s most expensive natural disaster that year — headlined American news for more than two weeks. A drought, strong November winds and a fault y electric transmission line combined to claim 85 lives, more than 150,000 acres and nearly 20,000 structures in small towns near San Francisco. It took firefighters 17 days to contain the blazes, which displaced more than 50,000 people.
Herff Jones rep Michelle HilQuist g rew up about 20 m inutes f rom Paradise and has been “the yearbook lady ” to area schools for nearly a decade. Within days, she started receiving calls. “They were asking about yearbooks and, like always, I had to say we did not have extra copies on hand.” “I had calls from other schools too (not just Paradise), but I was able to handle most of those requests on a one-off basis because the schools still had books they could sell to people who lost their own copies,” HilQuist said. “To me, it made sense to concentrate on the area where the demand would be the greatest.”
Taking part in the recovery As months passed, pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who also grew up nearby, co-founded a recovery fund and donated the first $1 million. Paradise High School requested a grant and was approved to provide 2019 yearbooks to all students. HilQuist w rote another proposal seeking funds to help cover the cost of reprinting previous volumes.
“ We make yearbooks, so I started working on a plan to replace books that had been lost in the fire. I knew it was possible, but I wasn’t sure who needed to give the go-ahead to make it happen,” HilQuist explained. A f ter hea r i ng severa l emot iona l speeches from corporate executives in a January meeting, HilQuist had all the answers she needed. The message — partner with schools to elevate the student experience — was loud and clear, telling her where to set her sights. As she spoke to others, enthusiasm for the idea spread quickly.
HER FF JON ES COU LD — A N D WOU LD — M A K E IT H A PPEN. VP of Operations Doug McWilliams deemed the idea a “no-brainer” and plant leadership in Kansas City was on board from the start. Plant Service Manager Natalie Jones stepped up to coordinate efforts. “We agreed from the beginning that this was the most important thing we’d ever had the opportunity to do. We were definitely going to figure out how to make it happen,” Jones said.
“He was so careful with the books as he packed them for shipping,” she said. “Then he tapped box and said, ‘I’m in here.’ He was a Paradise kid.”
TH AT CA R E CON TIN U ED ONCE THE BOOKS A R R I V ED IN K A NSA S CIT Y.
Herff’s passion project After the busy spring delivery season, the pace in the plant changes. While the summer and fall delivery books are in production, there’s capacity for additional projects. The proposed schedule for the project included taking orders through the end of August and delivering the first wave of books at a distribution event in late October. About half of the 800 books ordered, Jones noted, were to be shipped directly to their owners because so many families had been relocated outside of Paradise.
“We definitely understood the value of the yearbooks we were working with,” explained Deb Salas, Herff Jones’ KC imaging lead. “It weighed heavily on us that we were scanning what might be the last copy of each book in ex istence. Obv iously, we wanted the scans to be the best they could be and we knew how careful we had to be with those only copies. We a c t u a l l y s c a n ne d t he b o ok s wearing white gloves.”
ON LINE PHOTO GA LLERY Distribution of the reprinted books took place on campus in October 2019. Photographers Cindy Hopkins and Lauren Barrara-Green — both former yearbook advisers — captured the emotions of the afternoon, while the plant in Kansas submitted images of some of the personnel involved.
Ta k ing a s ma ny a s fou r days per volume, the scans took weeks, and Salas and others helping w ith the pr oje c t of t en fou nd t hem s el ve s re-scanning for impact. Ever yone took the utmost care, Salas said.
Some project aspects had obvious solutions. The plant had archived files from recent years, so reprinting those books would be easy — and the plant could use the actual cover files for those most recent books. Luckily, the high school building had survived the fires unscathed. That meant archival copies were available to be scanned, so HilQuist collected volumes from 2000–2014 and sent them off to the plant. In order to get the word out, HilQuist a nd others contacted a rea media outlets, did lots of inter views and used social media to make ordering information available. “It was great,” she remembered. “I was in FedEx, getting ready to ship the books to the plant and the guy at the counter asked if these were the books for the reprint. He’d heard about it and commented on how cool he thought it was.”
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Selling 19 books for the same school simulta neously r uled out online or der i ng , me a n i ng ever y or der involved a phone call.
“We do that every day, but — in this case — there was the possibility the replacements could be even better t ha n the originals … and we knew they’d mean so much more.” The whole process was absolutely heart-warming, according to Salas. “People tend to keep their high school yearbooks, and you think you can always return to those memories by going back to your books. But that was no longer true for so many people in this one area. And it was incredible to help restore that privilege.” During that same time frame, PHS yea rbook adv iser St acie Ma r t i n , HilQuist and HJ plant cover artists collaborated on a single cover that could be modified by adding the yeardate for the coverage year and each volume’s theme for the earlier books. W hile people in California and all throughout the plant were dealing with the physical books themselves and production, the Yearbook Order Center was handling calls. Sandy Genola, the order center lead, said the impact of the Paradise project was special in so many ways. “Everyone knew it had been a big fire. But it was far away, and you don’t really think about — or comprehend — the magnitude until you have a connection to an event. We checked out the area on Google maps and realized the immensity of the damage. That made doing this even more worthy.”
“There were quite a few questions,” G enola sa id . “ People wa nted to clarify that they could, indeed, order multiple copies and multiple years. And that they could buy books they had not purchased years ago. Parents wondered about whether they would be able to replace their own books — because many were ordering books for their children in the first round. The callers were universally grateful, and they’d tell us about how much it meant to be able to have something so cherished back — because so much of what they lost simply cannot be replaced. Sometimes we just had to compose ourselves.” Major d i f ferences, accord i ng to Genola, were that the ca lls were often longer than normal and were all about being able to say, “Yes. It is amazing and we are delighted to be able to do this for you.” With other accounts, she said, “We sometimes have to disappoint callers because t hei r cut- of f date ha s pa ssed or the school has already sold out. We actually missed the Paradise calls after we closed orders.”
Reconnecting at YBK Day The campus reopened as school began in mid-August. Like before, the school was “a community hub,” according to Martin. “And it’s even more so now,” she continued. “We understand we’re protecting the history of our school — and of Paradise.” “Michelle was the person who believed from the start,” she said. “I felt I was the voice of reason. We saw so much generosity. Before I knew it, I found myself thinking, ‘This is happening.’ It was just huge — and it wouldn’t have happened without her.”
FINA LLY, DAY OF DISTR IBU TION A R R I V ED. Less than a year after their lives were changed forever, alums came to campus to pick up their replacement yearbooks. The event brought together families and friends. Former neighbors who had relocated to other communities recon nected a s they cla imed the volumes they’d waited for.
Teresa (Hess) Young, 1984 grad, was there to pick up books for her daughter, a 2010 graduate, whose yearbooks were lost when the family home burned. “I always used my own yearbooks lots,” she said. “At least once a week, I’d see or think of someone and go look them up in my yearbook. So I have touched my books a lot through the years. It meant so much that I could replace Crystal’s yearbooks for her. We are all so thankful for this — and I am really hoping I will be able to replace my own yearbooks at some point.” Young and her husband now live in another small town just five miles from Paradise, but they dream of returning one day. More than a year later, she says she still feels a range of intense and fluctuating emotions and recalls their escape in vivid detail. “Even before the fire,” she said. “Town had changed so much. Older books (like mine) provide such strong history of the school and the community. There are so many memories in those books. They mean everything.” Bethany Mercer did not lose her home, but she lost all her yearbooks. A 2002 grad, she’s married and has a family of her own — and a house in Chico.
BU T HER Y E A R BOOKS W ER E STILL IN PA R A DISE AT HER PA R EN TS’ HOUSE FOR “SA FEK EEPING.” Her parents have now moved hours north to Ashland, Oregon. Her friends who had remained in town lost their homes as well, so she feels lucky on many counts. “It’s different for us because we still have our home, but we lost lots of things. I have a pretty strong sense of community because I am tight with many of my friends from high school — so it’s huge to be able to have my yearbooks back.”
While her own eight-day evacuation h ad b e en “ad v i se d ” r at her t h a n “mandatory,” the proximity of the fire, the smoke and the ash encouraged her family to stay with her parents to ensure safety.
Mercer’s 6-year-old daughter went along to pick up her mom’s yearbooks. “We talked about the importance of good friends and memories and having a history of your life that school year,” she recounted. “We sat together and looked at the books and talked for quite a while.” Cindy Hopkins attended distribution in October to take event photos. She is a former award-winning yearbook adviser who lives and teaches in nearby Chico, but lived in Paradise as a child. “I wasn’t sure at first,” she said, “but I’m glad I went. It was great to see so many people who were so thankful to have a powerful piece of the past back. They were overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the generosity that made this possible.” She described her interactions. “Every person has a different fire experience stor y — and there was quite a bit of sharing.” Some people, she said, did not stay and talk to others. “I can totally understand that, too,” she said. “The whole thing has been so public and so documented that a little normalcy seems special.” L au r en B a r r er a- Gr e en , a not her photographer and former area adviser who now teaches at the same school as Hopkins, accompanied her that day. “It was my only my third time back to Paradise since the fire,” she said, “but it still just knocked the breath out of me. I’d been to the school a lot; we competed there when I was in high school. When we pulled in, across the street from ruins and saw the school — and that huge, perfect redwood tree — still standing strong, I felt such a massive sense of community.”
“Everyone’s experience was different, so it makes sense that their reactions are, too,” Barrera-Green said. “Some people were more open to sharing (and being photographed) and others just weren’t ready. It was hard for all of us.”
THEIR DR I V E HOME WA S QUIET. “We heard so many stories and saw so much raw emotion that we sort of drove home in silence. We were done, but it was a good afternoon,” Hopkins said. “I was emotionally drained,” added Barrera-Green. “I really was just ‘talked out.’”
Looking back T he va lue of yea rbo ok s b ec a me even more apparent to the Paradise community as a whole, those who got books replaced, the advisers there to support and photograph the event and the many people from Herff Jones who were involved. “This whole process has made us understand even more how much our work means to people,” Natalie Jones explained. “Interest in the community is still high and we’ll be scanning and reprinting more books again this summer. Plus, it really emphasizes the value of archiving files. This project and changing digital technologies have encouraged us to think about how we can protect our customers’ yearbooks going forward.”
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Regardless of where they landed, these pros can trace to their roots in yearbook
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t ’s been on f la i r, merch a nd on classroom walls through the years. It resides in ema il sig natures a nd certainly isn’t an uncommon sentiment, but the phrase means different things to different people. To some, it’s merely a declaration of pride and buy-in from staffers. As the YBK experience becomes r icher, more intense or more meaningful, so does the phrase. W hile more former yearbookers work in careers outside media than those who later photograph, design, write or edit for a living, it’s not unusual for there to be a connection.
AS AN INTERN with the Boston Red Sox, Maddie Malhotra got used to spending long hours at Fenway Park on game days. Her college and professional experience built on years of shooting sports in middle school and high school yearbook. PHOTO BY CAMERON POLLACK/BOSTON RED SOX
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME
“I sort of fell into it, and I have never looked back.” In seventh grade, Maddie Malhotra took a digital media class at Sierra Middle School in Parker, Colorado. She found it interesting — and she conv i nc ed her pa rent s t hat she “needed” a DSLR camera. She knew there was a yearbook at her school, but she was not aware of what being on staff actually involved. Her neighbor (conveniently, an adviser at another school) noticed her interest in photography and suggested that she consider yearbook as an eighth grader. Malhotra took that advice and signed up, even though she had “no idea about the program’s national reputation or what being on staff could mean.” The stars seemed to align. Malhotra wanted to learn as much about photography as possible. She was looking for opportunities to shoot, get feedback and challenge herself as much as possible. She often accepted assignments photographing athletics. “I didn’t really know anything about sports, and I am definitely not athletic, but I found myself loving it,” she said. “Other staff photographers tended to shy away from those assignments, but I thrived on getting past the creative and technical challenges.” By year’s end, it was a given that she wanted to continue yearbook in high school. By continuing to shoot sports and improve her craft, she captured top honors in NSPA’s Picture of the Year competitions for both Sports Action and Sports Reaction, as a junior. Her adviser took note of her other skills as well. She liked design, was a writer and was great at conceptualizing. By senior year, she was editor-inchief of Golden Images at Chaparral High School. The volume she edited won a Gold Crown from CSPA and was an NSPA Pacemaker Finalist, making both lists the first time it was recognized nationally.
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A VARIED PORTFOLIO includes images from an array of Red Sox games as well as other team events and environmental portraits, but also additional assignments and projects demonstrating prowess in many kinds of shooting situations and mastery of a range of techniques. See more of her work online at maddiemalhotra.com. PHOTOS BY MADDIE MALHOTRA
“Being EIC was a full-time job” she recalled, “but I loved it, and I knew I wanted to major in journalism.” So, she headed to Boston University where she designed her studies around a focus on photography while continuing to take design, reporting and editing classes. Her work at The Daily Free Press involved more work in sports. “I shot a lot of hockey,” she said, “but I also got to shoot concerts and campus events.” After graduating in 2018 and still seek i ng oppor t u n it ies to lea r n , Malhotra stayed in Boston, assisting the creative director for BU marketing and communication.
Interns often cover the pre-game and warm-ups, then Malhotra moves behind home plate for the first couple of innings before moving into the photo pits near the dugouts. “Though we edit during the game, there’s a mad rush to edit afterward,” she said. “It might take another hour or so to pack up after.” Looking to the future, Malhotra said while Boston feels like home now, she knows she may need to be open to following opportunities that will allow her to advance and keep shooting fulltime for a major sports franchise. But she trusts her passions will continue to open doors as they have in the past.
On top of that, she interned for an array of publications and media outlets, including a Little League organization, The Players’ Tribune, the NFL as a Patriots correspondent a nd the Boston Red Sox . A f ter less than a year with the Red Sox organization, she was named a fulltime staff photographer. Now her work involves all of the team’s photo needs. “People have no idea how much effort it takes to support a team,” Malhotra said. In addition to herself and the club’s photo ma nager, t he ma rket i ng department’s creative services team includes a pair of photo interns, several designers and a number of social media specialists. “W hether it ’s a game day or not, we are working and posting,” she explained. “Game days are definitely longest. It’s normal to arrive four to six hours ahead of the game to set up the file structure, gear up and shoot pre-game appearances and other assignments.”
A f ter attending Rock y Mountain Journalism camp repeatedly as a student, she returned twice more as a camp assistant and photographer. When Herff Jones was looking for a n adv iser/ed itor tea m to ma ke instructional Yearbook Academy videos, Malhotra and her middle school adviser Jed Palmer accepted the assignment and starred in the six-part series on photography. Because Malhotra traces the roots for her work back to her yearbook experiences, it’s easy for her to see connections. “There was nothing like opening the first box of the book I edited,” she said. “I couldn’t stop smiling all day.” And, though she now sees her work being shared constantly, it still has an impact. “Now it’s less about me and more about the team, but it still helps connect people,” she explained. “That’s what it’s all about.”
After that, it’s off to the clubhouse and batting practice for some behind-thescenes work.
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CRAZY DEADLINES, CREATIVE ENERGY AND BRILLIANT PEERS
“The things I liked best about yearbook are still part of my daily life. I loved that in high school and I feel like I am lucky to have that as adult.” Yea r s i nt o h is col lege c a r eer, Tu Phan realized that he’d originally chosen the wrong major.
A n internship at San Francisco’s BBDO — the ad agency that inspired the show Mad Men — cemented his future before his senior year. And after graduation, he was back in San Francisco as an art director. “It’s the perfect fit for yearbookers who love the rigor of making ideas become reality,” he said of his work.
The former Smoky Hill editor-inchief from Aurora, Colorado, was t h r e e ye a r s i nt o a bio c h em i c a l engineering degree when he found h i m s el f ad m it t i ng he w a s mor e excited about the posters a nd present at ion s he created for h is classes than he was about the work he was assigned to present. Shifting gears, but remaining true to himself, he went on to graduate with a bachelor’s in advertising and linguistics, and minors in technology, a r ts a nd med ia with a leadership studies certificate. None of this was surprising to Summit adviser Carrie Faust, who recognized his talent and hunger to learn about design when he was a sophomore in her program at Smoky in 2007. “ I s t a r t e d i n J V ye a r b o ok a s a sophomore,” Phan explained, “but wa s i nv ited onto Va rsit y second semester.” He began his junior year as student life editor and became junior ed itor-i n- ch ief second semester before editing the award-winning volume his senior year.
Of the many clients with whom he worked at BBDO (HP, Wells Fargo, Mars chocolate and many others), his work with Mattel was most rewarding. In addition to Hot Wheels, FisherPrice and American Girl campaigns, Phan was on the team that rebranded Barbie for a 2016 release of three new body types to refresh the doll’s relevance after 57 years. “We all join yearbook for a reason,” he said, hitting on a piece of advice for students. Recording what students loved about yearbook could help determine which paths make most sense for them. “Now it’s so obvious to me that I just came full-circle,” he revealed. “The theme of the book I edited in high school was inspired by a Nikon ad. Now, I am the one helping imagine high-impact ads and campaigns.”
“Much of the time, I was the sole creative in the room.” In fewer than four years there, he was named senior art director and he and the BBDO team received lots of recognition. He originally declined when was approached by LinkedIn about joining a new in-house team there. After a year of conversation, they captured h is at tent ion by ack nowledg i ng that they knew he liked envisioning projects and helping build them out.
YEARS LATER, SHE’S STILL “THE YEARBOOK GIRL”
THIS WAR ROOM was home to rebranding efforts to make Mattel’s Barbie relevant for years to come by introducing new body types for the iconic doll to the market. Representing the creative process in the room made the lengthy assignment one of Phan’s most rewarding assignments at BBDO. IN HIS NEW ELEMENT, after interning in San Francisco as a college junior, Phan decided to seek work there after graduation. See some of Phan’s work online at tuthanhphan.com. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TU PHAN
The recruiting, training and cultural aspects of LinkedIn’s plan for an internal agency, reminded him of yearbook and he accepted the Creative Studio challenge. Today, as a senior art director on a team that’s grown from 10 to 40, he concepts and art-directs fully integrated campaigns to evolve the look and feel of LinkedIn’s brand. After coaching younger members of the yearbook staff and others on his creative teams through the years, Phan found another way to strengthen the f uture of the industr y. Pha n began teaching courses like Content Creat ion , Ever y t h i ng i s Med ia , Interactive Concepting, Pop Culture Engineering, Thinking Strategically and Visual Impact & Art Direction at the San Francisco campus of Miami Ad School. He works alongside other industry leaders to mentor students in portfolio, undergrad- and graduatelevel degree programs at the school, which is described by the founders as the school they wish they had gone to. “ It ’s l i ke a f i n ish i ng school for creatives,” Phan said. “My work there is rigorous, fun and rewarding.” Much like yearbook.
Despite varied degrees and jobs, one label remains. A l ife-long lea r ner who hold s nu merous deg rees, Dr. Patricia Fletcher attributes who she is today to her entrepreneurial interest and her understanding of well-told stories. A shy ninth grader, Fletcher first impressed a teacher with her writing skills. When Cillon McKinley first invited Fletcher to join the yearbook staff at Greater New York Academy, he had no idea she also liked design. Assistant editor her junior year and co-editor as a senior, Fletcher found yearbook gave her purpose.
WORKING REMOTELY is common for Dr. Patricia Fletcher, PhD. When deployed to a disaster zone by FEMA, she finds herself working in a range of locations as she strives to serve elderly victims of natural disasters.
“People knew it was my thing,” she said.“I truly was the yearbook girl.” The same was true in college. She inquired about yearbook as soon as she arrived at Oakwood University as a communications major. “It was definitely my main activity there too.” Her yearbook experience built her confidence. She became organized, independent , creative a nd more comfortable as a leader. Fast-forward through years in print production, as an NYC designer, with a graduate certificate in design thinking and a master’s in public relations. “I kept uncovering more aspects I liked and more talents I had,” she said. Tel l i ng c omp el l i ng s t or ie s a nd presenting information in all forms is at the core of everything she’s done professionally — even her second ma ster ’s i n gerontolog y a nd her d o c t o r a t e i n pu bl ic p ol ic y a nd social change.
And then, it happened again. Another opportunity found Fletcher. As a researcher, a gerontologist and a trained communications professional, her work at FEM A provides her a way to serve the elderly when they need help most of all. While she is currently back home in Charlotte, North Carolina, completing a project centered around Floridian victims of Hurrica ne Michael, she could be deployed to the next disaster at any time. When that happens, she’ll relocate for as long as a year to assist victims as they attempt to recover. “This type of work is rewarding in every way. It redefines who I need to be — and it allows me to use my yearbooking skills to help others,” she explained. “This is my soul’s mission.”
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Working the room The physical space of your room should reflect how student leadership comes first. EVERYONE FACES EACH OTHER Flexible seating is essential to discussion. We have what we call “the U” (because the tables fit together to look like the letter). When we have big class discussions, no one’s back is ever to another staff member. But for smaller meetings, chairs can move to the center of “the U” to facilitate closer conversations. As you — or even better, your editor — decide the seating chart, place newer or more cautious staffers with more experienced ones. HAVE A STAFF BOARD Staffers must take a Polaroid photo to post on the staff board. They write their names and birthdays on the edges. We have a really handy space right when you walk in the room that tells our names, reminds us to celebrate birthdays and shows visitors who the staff is. COLOR THE LADDER On our submission nights — which can drag on — once I hit submit on the Herff Jones website, we have a very specific ritual. First, we get out our special set of Mr. Sketch markers and decide the color of that deadline. Then someone picks a pump-up song as our soundtrack. Finally, and most importantly, we announce each spread and who worked on it — and then they get to color in those boxes on the ladder while their fellow staffers cheer them on.
SPRING FORWARD W hat you can do to help your staf fers become the leaders you need
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ll of my g o o d ide a s h ave c o m e f rom my st udent s. Usually, my best ones are pretty basic. As basic as suggesting we order one or two more pizzas for deadline dinner or we need two or three more days to work on editing those spreads. The big structural changes to my program and its yearbook, Paragon, started with a student leader coming to me and saying, “Can we talk? I have an idea.” Student leadership is essential to any successful program. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) only come from your top editors. All your staff members need to learn how to take the lead. It’s a daily effort to get students to a point where they know their voice matters in the yearbook room. Although we’re nearing the end of the year, there are day-one things to make it easier for all staff members to feel that they can make an impact — and have each voice heard. Because of this, it makes it easier for me to transition from one editor to the next each year. As adviser, I am a warm, welcoming fire. You want to make yourself a positive presence in the room — someone who is always leading by example. If I don’t act as if I want to be there, no one will want to be there. When it doesn’t go well, I let them know where I messed up. During critique, I ask questions (“Did I maybe not teach you enough about captions?”) or I say what I wish I’d done better. Another thing about that fire? It’s the one in my belly — a passion for yearbook. I don’t just want Paragon to be great for viewing on distribution day, or just for seniors, but I always talk about how that story will sound in 20 years.
Our guiding principle is always what’s best for the book, for history and for the reader. But, fire is also powerful, and it can hu r t , so don’t mess a rou nd. T he best thing I do for my editors is help them set a high standard and then hold them to it. At critique, or just during the day-to-day drudgery of deadlines, leaders should be publicly applauding what’s great and privately encouraging all their staffers to make so-so work even better.
The force behind Folio: Kyle Lewis, Cindy Dubé, Betsy Brittingham and Ann Akers
We thank those in our network for their contributions: WHEN STUDENTS TEACH PEERS, like Vanessa showing Lucy how to cut out a background in Photoshop, both staffers become stronger at skills needed and they establish relationships. PHOTO BY CHLOE LAMBERT TAKING TIME FOR FUN, the Paragon staff teams up to play kickball against the Crier newspaper staff. PHOTO BY TODD MCKECHNIE WELCOMING VISITORS, a display of staff Polaroids and birthdays is a time-honored tradition. STAFFERS CELEBRATE the completion of a spread by coloring in the ladder. PHOTOS BY SARAH-ANNE LANMAN
Makena Busch, CJE, adviser Mead HS
Michael Simons, MJE, adviser Corning-Painted Post HS
Mitch Ziegler, CJE , adviser Redondo Union HS
Sarah-Anne Lanman, CJE, adviser Munster HS
how applicants would describe their leadership style and how they envision the staff fitting together next year. B ot h t he a ppl ic at ion s a nd t he interviews matter. But what matters nearly as much is the opinion of the outgoing editor: Who’s been leading by example all year long? Who could handle the stress that comes with leadership? I deeply respect what my outgoing editors have to tell me about the staff they’ve trained. W hen the decision is made, there are only two more things to do: 1) Take notes for next year. I assign s en ior s t o w r it e let t er s t o t he future members of the publications depa r tment, so their k nowledge doesn’t leave with them. We know the most about our systems at the end of the year. Pulling notes out on day one of the next year will help you and your editors build on previous successes. The torch must be passed from editor to editor by the students themselves. Whenever it gets to the end of the year, I put out applications for all the possible staff positions, and schedule interviews after school. The application asks questions like “What is something on Paragon that you think can be improved?” and “What’s a problem you’ve faced, and how did you solve it?” At the interview, which my senior editors run while I take notes, we ask about things like
2) Have some fun. The new positions are announced at our annual banquet, which is held at a local restaurant. Staffers dress up, create gifts for each other, bestow awards and applaud a s t he new ed itor posit ions a re announced. I think my most important role in all of this is having confidence in my students. Trust your editors to know what to do once trained.
Annaliese Avila, student photographer California School of the Arts
Maddie Malhotra, photographer provided the cover photo
COLOPHON Herf f Jones’ Folio magazine serves as inspiration and education for students and advisers and all who share an interest in scholastic journalism. Volume 25, issue two — originally set for distribution at the National Spring HS Journalism Convention in Nashville April 2020 and scheduled to be mailed to yearbook advisers everywhere afterward — instead makes its debut in a digital format. Because so much of the content was most relevant in spring months and advisers and staffs everywhere were relegated to their homes when COVID-19 closed schools from coast to coast, mailing hard copies to shuttered campus did not make sense. Folio was produced using Adobe® InDesign® and Photoshop® CC 2019. Herff Jones and the Herff Jones logo are registered trademarks of Herff Jones, a Varsity Achievement brand. Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. R e m e m b e r, t h i s m a g a z i n e is for inspirat ion, not duplicat ion.
Staff members from our international network submitted their work for consideration. Each is credited to the extent submitted by the staff member with photographer name and school information. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PORTION OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE DUPLICATED, REPRODUCED OR PHOTOGRAPHED FOR ANY USE, INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND SLIDE SHOWS, WITHOUT PRIOR, WRITTEN CONSENT FROM HERFF JONES,
SARAH-ANNE LANMAN, CJE MUNSTER HS • MUNSTER, IN
THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OF THIS PUBLICATION. THE WORK DISPLAYED REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF ITS CREATORS.
25 TWO
»REDESIGNED«
I T’S A L M O S T H E R E.
There’s a whole new look and feel on its way. Get a sneak peek of the new interface online. WAT C H T H E V I D EO AT
H E R F F. L Y / E D E S I G N
Keep an eye out for more preview videos to come.