Yearbook still special for former college editor, even years later

For me, the meaning of a yearbook has changed over the years.

In elementary school, I was just excited to get dressed up for picture day. My attention span was too short to look through a 20-page picture book. As I entered high school, I knew that a yearbook was more than just a picture book. It was something that contained moments – moments of victory, moments of defeat, moments of joy. Moments that I would have with me forever.

As soon as the yearbooks were handed out every year, I would yank open the shiny cover and flip through the pages to find pictures of me and my friends. It was a day where everyone exchanged their books to sign.

It was very important to pick the perfect spot to write your meaningful message. You know, messages like, “You rock! We are going to rule the school next year-Seniors finally! Love Always-Your BFF.”

Eight years later, I still flip through my high school yearbooks every once in awhile, giggle at how dorky I was, but smile as I read through the stories, read what my friends wrote and reflect on what has changed.

I also think back to when I was a yearbook staffer in high school. Back then, we had to work with PageMaker on ancient Macs. But I enjoyed the whole process of it, so much so that during my senior year I realized I wanted to continue working on yearbooks when I went to college.

Working on a college yearbook was a whole new ball game. When I became editor-in-chief my senior year, I gained a whole new perspective on the yearbook process and what it took to piece everything together.

The yearbook office became a second home to me, but I knew the end result wasn’t just for me. It was for the 6,000 students and staffers of Missouri Western State University who would be reading the stories and looking through the photos of the first MWSU yearbook. I got the privilege of being the editor of the Griffon the year the college became a university and that is something I can be proud of.

I had a vision and that vision came out as a book full of moments that will last a lifetime. Advances in technology happen every day, but a yearbook is something you can hold onto forever.