As a member of the newspaper and yearbook staff during high school, I would always remember the sense of joy and accomplishment when I would see my name in print. I knew journalism was the career for me.
Fifteen years later, the world of newspaper reporting is behind me. No longer am I sitting in my cubicle writing stories and designing pages at a Pittsburgh newspaper. Now I am standing in front of 50 yearbook students, proving to them how journalism can make an impact on their life and give them benefits that are unimaginable.
The words “middle school yearbook” initially conjure up an image of a soft cover with crude artwork of the school mascot, perhaps with a bubble out of the mouth of the lion, bear or panther saying something cute like, “Another year has gone by!” Inside the book are pages replete with posed snapshots.
School starts and the countdown begins. You have six weeks – may- be – to whip the new staffers into shape. And that means teaching them the basics of InDesign, a variety of strange yearbook terms (colophon? ladder? folio?), design rules that may or may not be broken, and the importance of meeting deadlines.
High school yearbooks and newspapers provide students with real-world training and an opportunity to create and showcase their work. Despite these similarities, viewpoints on the roles for the yearbook and the newspaper are usually vastly different. However, with each passing year, the line of distinction seems to be getting blurry.
If you have said at least once in the past year, “there has to be a better way,” then take heart. A support structure is closer than you think.
It is most likely not at your school. Among the dozens of teachers at your school, chances are there is no one you can ask about how to grade yearbook, assign coverage or learn more about desktop publishing technology.
Sandy Jacoby not only found her passion in yearbooks, her commitment and exuberance has helped countless students uncover the same passion and realize their potential as leaders and communicators.
Many stories about former JEA Yearbook Advisers of the Year tell a familiar tale of non-journalism majors who stumbled into yearbook advising by accident, with no experience or preparation, and discovered a lifelong passion.
