Our life is made up of a collection of memories. As students in high school we often take this time for granted. However, as our graduation year nears we begin to look back at our memories and desire to go back to simpler times. Yet, this isn’t possible, so we seek solace in pictures we took over the years.
However, our camera roll can only capture so much and that’s where yearbooks come in. They are often the tools that help us look back on our time in high school and essentially re-experience those events through the collection of pictures.
Yearbooks used to be a sensation as they captured the true essence of being a student. They allow us to look back on our past selves and see how much we have grown since then. However, yearbooks have become less and less sought after. In an informal survey of 519 responders, more than half (57.3%) of the respondents said they would not be purchasing the yearbook. This brings the question – Why aren’t people buying the yearbook?
Full disclosure: I am on the yearbook/newspaper staff. There are various reasons why people wouldn’t buy the yearbook, but the more recurring ones included the price ($110) being too expensive, most underclassmen wanting to wait until 12th grade, and not being in enough extracurricular activities to care about the yearbook. 9th grader, Ruby Almaraz said not being in extracurriculars influenced her decision to not buy the yearbook, though she would be open to purchasing to see her friends in the book. Almaraz is just one of many that responded this way and it honestly shocked me since I am involved in my fair share of extracurriculars and haven’t bought the yearbook once. Despite me not buying the yearbook, I have seen a few volumes and I have to say, they are really nice and well thought out.
I do admit to being one of those people who borrows yearbooks, but there were others who thought this way too. “It’s too expensive and I can just borrow it from some of my friends,” Kevin Rizo, an 11th grader, said.
Rizo makes a good point as the yearbook can be pricey, but when it comes to the price, it’s an issue of supply and demand. In a school of almost 3,000 students, about 10% purchase the book. The cost of producing the book is around $35,000 for the 300+ books we order. If double or triple that number committed to purchasing the book, it would be less than $100, according to Mick Battaglini, the yearbook adviser. “Look, people have no problem spending $100 on a pair of shoes that will wear out in a year or less or a phone or smartwatch that will be obsolete in 3 years (or less). A yearbook lasts forever,” Battaglini said. “I have all four of my yearbooks, even though I was barely in them my first two years. I still like going through all of them on a regular basis.”
People have to understand how much work and planning goes into the yearbook. Also, what happens when we leave high school? I’m not here to be a party pooper, but when we leave, we end a chapter of our life which includes leaving some people behind. The reasons that were brought up were good ones as there are some who don’t have the money to spend and if they do they might have other things to buy, which is completely understandable. Same with waiting until your last year, as that is what I did since I thought it would be more meaningful then.
Now that I am in my last year, I have started to reflect on my experience and truly regret not buying the yearbook in previous years. I didn’t appreciate the yearbook before getting into the yearbook class, as I thought other years weren’t as meaningful since I was an underclassman and would still see many of the faces that were in the yearbook. However, now I regret not buying it as there were many memories I wish to look back on. I miss the football games where the crowd was way louder and track and field freshman year where I had some of my favorite memories.
A major drawback of having a limited number of books available is that it has sold out the last 3 years, so I missed out twice.
Being in the yearbook class has also made me appreciate the yearbook more as I get to see firsthand how much planning goes into the yearbook. Everyone, myself included, is very passionate about creating a yearbook that will be loved and become a special memory for the students at our school. Having done the girls’ tennis spread, my perspective was expanded, as I wasn’t just a viewer anymore, but I was actually contributing to the yearbook. I had to take many pictures and conduct many interviews with the players, but I really enjoyed it all. When I finally finished my spread, I was very proud of the final product.
The yearbook isn’t just any book, it holds all the small moments occurring in the school year from the start to the end. This year’s theme is centered around the passage of time through an hourglass and I have to say is very fitting since there are so many things going on such as the construction. With all this chaos, we might overlook the small moments but the yearbook helps us catch them before time passes, giving us a canvas to look at whenever we reminisce.
I understand the yearbook can be pricey, but it’s a cost that is worthwhile. Don’t rely on just viewing pictures from your phone, instead invest in the yearbook since all the unique events that happen each year can’t be recreated. Also, don’t wait to buy it. People always ask “When’s the last day to buy it?” but it doesn’t work that way. When we sell out, that’s it! The yearbook is a limited edition – we have 350 copies and once they’re sold that’s it! So reserve yours today or live with your regret.
