discoveries vol 20 iss02

DISCOVERIES

PROMOTION

STAFF MANAGEMENT

PHOTOGRAPHY

DETAILS

CYCLE OF YEARBOOKTHEME | CONCEPT

DESIGN

REPORTING

PRODUCTION

SALES

SCHEDULE PICTURE DAYS

PLAN COVERAGE

PASS TORCH

DISTRIBUTE BOOK

FIRST SALES PUSHCOMPLETE PAGES

TRAINING

TRAINING

INSPIRATION

FINAL SELECTION

BEGIN WITH TH

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PLAN COVERAGE STRA

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BEGIN REPORTING

DETERMINE ANGLES

CONTINUE REPORTING

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RAISE

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NATIONAL YEARBOOK WEEKSTA

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MOTIVATION

RECRUITMENT

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COVERAGE REPORTS

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FINANCES SUBMIT FOR CRITIQUE

RECORD THE YEAR

SHOOT MORE IMAGES

ARCHIVE

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PLAN NEXT YEAR’S STRATEGY

BRAINSTORM

HERE WE GO AGAIN. WHILE SOME ASPECTS OF THIS YEAR’S BOOK ARE BEHIND YOU, OTHERS REMAIN ... AND IT’S TIME TO GEAR BACK UP FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2017. THE PROCESS SIMPLY BEGINS AGAIN.

SPRINGTIME TASKS FOR THIS BOOK AND NEXT

INDEXING TIPS FOR READER AIDS

RECOGNIZED ADVISERS SHARE THEIR VIEWS

V O L U M E T W E N T Y I S S U E T W O

YEARBOOK

IT'S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAnn Akers, MJE

DESIGN EDITORKatherine Morgan

DESIGNERSRashaad Bilal, Brandon Lee, Martha Moye and Erin Wilson

COPY EDITORKristen Creed

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSAlicia Marrara, yearbook adviserMelbourne (FL) HS

Michelle Dunaway, MJE, yearbook adviserFrancis Howell HSSt. Charles, MO

Paul EnderHerff Jones Special Consultant

Tom Gayda, MJE, yearbook adviserNorth Central HSIndianapolis, IN

Tabatha Burn McMahon, yearbook adviserColumbia HSLake City, FL

Leslie Shipp, MJE, yearbook adviserJohnston (IA) HS

Lynn Strause, CJEHerff Jones Special Consultant

Sarah Verpooten MJE, yearbook adviserLake Central HSSt. John, IN

Sharon Yost, yearbook adviserMelbourne (FL) HS

Laura Zhu, CJE, yearbook adviserToby Johnson MSElk Grove, VA

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSJoseph Anderson, Lawrence (KS) HS

Elizabeth Bustamante, Lake Central HS, St. John, IN

Brian Clark, Riverview, FL

Tina Dang, Cleveland STEM HS, Seattle, WA

Kathy Daly, Denver, CO

Lexi Fleming, Conifer (CO) HS

Anna Richardson, Columbia HS, Lake City, FL

Jake Russell, Corning-Painted Posted HS, Corning, NY

Julius Sheinman, Melbourne (FL) HS

Kayli Vang, Toby Johnson MS, Elk Grove, CA

HJ LOCATIONSKansas City, [email protected]

Logan, [email protected]

Montgomery, [email protected]

Winnipeg, [email protected]

Herff Jones‘ Yearbook Discoveries Volume Twenty Issue Two was produced electronically using Adobe® InDesign® CC, Adobe Illustrator® CC and Adobe Photoshop® CC. This magazine was created on a Mac Pro, 2.66 GHz with 6 GB of RAM and printed by Herff Jones, LLC, at its Logan, UT printing facility. The cover was printed on White Vibracolor endsheet stock and the magazine itself was printed on 80# matte stock using four-color process inks. The font used in this issue was AHJ Urbano. Herff Jones and the Herff Jones logo are registered trademarks of Herff Jones, LLC. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.

Available at no cost to your school or to anyone who has purchased a yearbook, Plus One, Herff Jones’ digital yearbook app, provides 2016 yearbook buyers with a mobile version of the yearbook for easy, on-the-go access.

For resources to engage your student body, go toyearbookdiscoveries.com/plus-one-app/

YOUR JOB. MADE FUN. MADE EASY.

Plan now to promote the app and to use it to sell more books or increase anticipation for the arrival of the 2016 yearbook.

VOLUME T WENT Y ISSUE T WO

YEARBOOK

02MAKE IT MATTERThe index might just be a way to show the readers how important they are; make it thorough and easy to use.

04 MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARESocial media is a powerful tool for any staff; be sure you use it to your advantage.

06 WHO KNEW HOW EASY?Grading headaches can disappear when you share the burden with your students.

08 THIS BOOK’S FOR USAll year long, we avoid covering ourselves in order to best serve the school. Then, it’s our turn in the spotlight.

10 MARKETING, SALES & FUNThere’s more to yearbook than creating the masterpiece that records the events of the year.

WHA

T’S IN

SIDE 12

DECA MARKETING RESULTS CHALLENGE SUCCESSESLearn about the first-ever competition and see how you can apply lessons learned by these DECA marketing gurus.

14SEEING THE POSSIBILITIESWhen you finish work on one volume, it’s time to start thinking about the next. First, collect ideas then think about how they might be used.

16MAKE IT REMARKABLEChanging up your process just a little can result in big differences in your yearbook. Thinking about the challenge of producing a permanent history provides focus.

18PROTECTING CREDIBILITYAdding a simple step to your reporting cycle makes all the difference in the world; it’s an easy end to possible post-distribution controversies.

20 SUMMER WORK PAYS OFFOf course they are busy. You are too. But investing a few days at a summer yearbook workshop can pay large dividends all year long.

ADVISERS BEING HONORED THIS SPRING SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS, PROVING WHAT WE’VE HEARD FOR YEARS IS

TRUE. GREAT MINDS DO THINK ALIKE!

22

0 2 V O L U M E T W E N T Y I S S U E T W O

by LYNN STRAUSE, CJE

FIRST, SERVE YOUR READERSCOMPLETED LAST, THE INDEX MAY BE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT, MOST USED READER AID

In fact, the majority of our yearbook readers are not.

That’s precisely why it’s so important for us to make it easier for the non-yerds to access the contents of the yearbook. Reader aids help us do just that.

One of the most important reader aids is the index. With the popularity of chronological and other organizational plans that stray from traditional sections,

the index, along with a complete table of contents, becomes even more important.

So let’s get really picky about the details that make up a strong, reader-friendly index. When we look at these details, we need to consider two areas: content and design.

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT CONTENT.What exactly belongs in the index? The short answer

is EVERYTHING. In addition to every name mentioned in the book, the index should include every academic class, every club/organization, every sport, every activity, every event and every ad contained in the book. The index should be a continuous alphabetical list that includes all these things. Some items like sports might even require multiple listings. For example, boys varsity basketball should be listed under boys, under varsity and under basketball (basketball, boys varsity).

The addition of topical indexes can make the index even easier to access, providing quick references for the traditional sections of the book: student life, academics, sports, clubs and people. A topical index includes all the listings for each of those topics in a sort of mini index.

So as far as content, the best indexes include everything in the book (even current event topics) and make listings even easier to find through the use of topical indexes.

NOW LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT DESIGN.The first design consideration should be some kind

of theme tie-in. This can be as simple as using the theme font and graphics as part of the initial letters. Tying the index design to the overall thematic design of the book creates that whole book look.

NOT EVERYONE IS A YERD.

LEGACY, POTOMAC FALLS HS, STERLING, VA

Y E A R B O O K D I S C O V E R I E S . C O M 0 3

Two other design aspects involve creating an even stronger reader aid.

First, it’s helpful to readers to use some kind of emphasis type for non-name listings. This may be as simple as using variations on the font, like italic type, bold type, bold italic type and capitalization. Or it may be more complex, such as using colored type for different sections. Whatever the pattern, it’s important to provide readers with a key.

The other design aspect to increase reader ease is hanging indents. That means the first line of each entry lines up with the left margin of the column and all other lines are indented. This makes it easier for readers to see where each listing begins.

Often by the time we get to the index on that final deadline, we’re so ready to be done that we overlook the picky details. But we need to remember that our audience is made up of non-yerds who want to easily find themselves and their friends in the book.

PUT THE EXTRA TIME INTO YOUR INDEX AND INTO THE DETAILS THAT WILL BOTH SATISFY YOUR READERS AND MAKE YOUR BOOK THE BEST IT CAN BE.

TECHNIQUES, THOMAS JEFFERSON HS FOR SCI AND TECH, ALEXANDRIA, VA

THE PROWL, POWELL MS, LITTLETON, CO

0 4 V O L U M E T W E N T Y I S S U E T W O0 4 V O L U M E T W E N T Y I S S U E T W O

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WHO TO FOLLOW

In addition to following us on

Twitter, (@hjyearbook) you might

also follow:

@NSPA | @CSPA

@nationalJEA | @nhsjc

@SPLC | @FrankLoMonte

@AIGAdesign | @Adobe

@InDesign | @Photoshop

@pantone | @Pantonetrends

@CanonUSA | @NikonUSA


MAKE A PLAN. If you’re trying to develop a following, the worst thing you can do is have a burst of energy that fizzles out. Put one person in charge of ensuring that posts go up regularly and often. Once a week is probably not enough. Your students are media-savvy enough to expect regular posts that are meaningful, fun or informative. Study some of your favorite news Twitter accounts. Look at what time they post; look at how many posts are features or news; look at what they link to. Don’t think too hard. What are you attracted to? Do more of that. Your social media editor should be your most responsible student who recognizes that instant publishing is a giant responsibility.

SHARE AWAY. Don’t be afraid to share some of your awesome photographers’ work on Instagram or Snapchat. Instead of keeping your content a secret, use your best images — and their complete captions — to advertise your yearbook. A screenshot doesn’t replace a yearbook, but it can sure make a student excited to buy a book with the photo in it.

TAG IT ALL. When you do post photos, search the main subject’s social media handle. Tag them. They’ll retweet or favorite your work and you’ll see your number of followers skyrocket.

AVOID SOME PITFALLS. Be ready for people to respond to your posts. You’ll hear lots of great comments, but you may see an instance or two of negativity. Before you run into a difficult situation, have some guidelines set for your staff. Think about who you will follow, how you will handle any cyberbullying and what your posting may look like in times of school crisis. Prepare for students to ask you questions about prom tickets or basketball games. Have an answer.

MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA WORK FOR YOU. Ask your followers to post a photo, answer a question or share their experiences using a specific hashtag. Search that hashtag and you’ll get tons of information that you can use later. Rarely will you be able to use the information directly. Most likely, it will give you a good starting point for story ideas. If someone Instagrams a 2-hour late prom limo, then you have a story to ask about on Monday. Train yourself to look for stories; if someone took the time to post it, it may be worth an interview.

From raising awareness and building a culture of readers to crowdsourcing and previewing your work to help increase sales, social media can make an enormous difference in your program.

WHEN IT COMES TO

SOCIAL MEDIABE A LEADER AND THEY WILL FOLLOW

by SARAH VERPOOTEN, MJE

TRAIN YOURSELF TO LOOK FOR STORIES; IF SOMEONE TOOK THE TIME TO POST IT, IT MAY BE WORTH AN INTERVIEW.


Fed up with grading frustrations, primarily because every kid in class is doing something different every day, I decided to put the power in their hands. The solution: a system by which kids track and record what they do and submit their progress to me on a weekly basis.

My new system allows for modification from time to time, which keeps the process fresh. Some semesters, kids need to earn a certain number of points. Another semester, kids must record what they did each day, and at other times, they complete a more thorough self-reflection. I find kids to be quite honest, and actually tougher on themselves at times than I would be.

The process all takes place via an online form at www.ncstudentmedia.net/grade-reporting.html. Each week, students need to complete this form to earn weekly points. Those are for work that has been assigned. While kids determine 67 percent of their grade, I control the other 33 percent. This balance makes for a nice way to hold kids accountable from my end and still let them reward themselves for the things they take pride in doing.

This year I upped the ante by having kids maintain websites that serve as digital portfolios, too. For those students who might sneak by with questionable weekly reports, this adds an extra level of accountability.

Since beginning the process there have been minor adjustments made here and there, but no major complications. Putting the responsibility in the hands of the kids to show their work is both good for them and nice for a teacher struggling to get a handle on grading.

WELL, HOW I USED TO HATE YOU, AT LEAST.

by TOM GAYDA, MJE

OH, GRADINGHOW I HATE YOU SO

QUICK AND EASY-TO-USE SITE Every week, students must log into www.ncstudentmedia.net/grade-reporting.html and complete the form to earn points.

Y E A R B O O K D I S C O V E R I E S . C O M 07

PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE HANDS OF THE KIDS TO SHOW THEIR WORK IS BOTH GOOD FOR THEM AND NICE FOR A TEACHER STRUGGLING TO GET A HANDLE ON GRADING.

0 8 V O L U M E T W E N Y I S S U E O N E

That phrase hangs prominently in our yearbook room, a not-so-gentle reminder that we don’t put ourselves in the book. We don’t put our friends in the book. Because the school’s yearbook is not about us, it’s because of us.

Enter, the Yearbook Yearbook.The Yearbook Yearbook is a 20-page, hardbound

book, solely about the yearbook staff. It’s 100 percent about us. And it’s only for us.

In term four, when the yearbook is finished and students are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the book, we make a book only about us. Teams are only allowed to work on one page of the book. The students brainstorm all of the topics to be covered and are assigned to pages 1-20. Highlights have included staff shirts, late-night work nights, marketing schemes, theme development, inside jokes and class parties.

As the adviser, I send out an email requesting shout- outs from any staff member to another staff member. Then I design a two-page spread sharing all of these amazing positive messages from the staff, keeping it a secret from them at the same time.

The secret designs, pictures and messages are part of what makes this project so successful. As excited as my staff is for the printed yearbook to arrive, once it arrives, they pet the cover, flip to a page or two and then tuck it away. They’ve seen every picture, syllable and comma so many times that they are, frankly, quite sick of seeing it. But not the Yearbook Yearbook.

When the Yearbook Yearbook arrives, the yearbook staff acts just like the rest of the student body when they receive the school’s yearbook. They read with excited squeals, desperate searches to find their own pictures and a wide range of emotions in regards to all that took place over the last nine months.

It’s incredibly powerful and rewarding to witness. It’s also a great final project. The Yearbook Yearbook is required to be related to that year’s theme. The fonts, color palette and graphics are all the same. Layouts and designs from the book could also be used.

Another great reason for making the Yearbook Yearbook is that it is further proof that the yearbook certainly is because of us.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT US, IT’S BECAUSE OF US.”

IT’S INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND REWARDING TO

EXPERIENCE.

TO SEE LAST YEAR’S ENTIRE YEARBOOK YEARBOOK, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/MAGAZINE/


by LAURA ZHU, CJETHE YEARBOOK YEARBOOK

ONE LAST DEADLINE

10 V O L U M E T W E N T Y I S S U E T W O

As yearbook advisers, we teach students how to develop and produce a high quality product. But we also need to provide them with the structure and tools to implement a good marketing and business plan. Marketing can help increase revenue, which can provide extra equipment, such as computers and cameras or design enhancements to your yearbook.

Marketing is also about increasing visibility and recognition of your product. This can be a challenge for advisers already stressed with production deadlines and lesson plans. The good news is … it’s harder than it looks, but easier than you think.

After a few missteps, this is what I have learned. IT’S ALL ABOUT THAT BASE. Setting up a strong marketing base-plan allows your students to use their creativity within an established construct — so everyone is on the same page and there are concrete dates and avenues of action to support increasing your revenue and market visibility.

In marketing, just like design, three is the magic number. Think Online, Offline and Analysis. Online is everything related to social media and the internet, Offline is anything that is print or event-related and

Analysis is taking a moment to reflect on what is working and what isn’t.

Keep the structure simple — then let the creativity commence! We made a wall calendar for each month with categories and events we would market for that month including any photo days we had (undergraduate and senior re-takes).

We then created a Marketing Editor position that coordinates with all other positions to advertise our events, such as picture days and club photo days as well as marketing our product — yearbooks — and engendering an increased social profile.

We created a CHS_YBK Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Vine, email account and Snapchat two years ago and really started using them this year. Because social media can be labor intensive, we also designated a staffer as the Social Media Guru (SMG). The SMG reports to the Marketing Editor and is responsible for posting and cross posting to our social accounts.

We broke our efforts into the two areas — Offline and Online and updated the calendar with what, when, where and how we planned to run the campaigns.

We make sure to take time after each campaign (large or small) to analyze what we did well, and

by TABATHA BURN McMAHONIT'S ALL ABOUT THAT BASE MARKETING? BUSINESS PLAN? HUH?

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where we can improve. So far, we’ve had three video campaigns and also started the “Minute to Win It” games in the commons area where students congregate in the morning.

We want students and parents to look to us for information and fun! Getting our presence out there allows us to communicate with our clients and serve them better. By increasing our marketing efforts, more people saw our updates and messages.

One result was a 20 percent increase of students taking their school picture, as well as an increase in yearbooks sold compared to the same time period last year. That’s more portrait commission (revenue) for our program, more students in the yearbook at least one time AND more yearbooks sold!

Yearbook is not just about creating a 336-page book. It’s about creating the memories that go into the book. Getting our message and information out to students and parents helped us sell more senior ads, get more action shots and generate more ideas of what and who to feature. It also provides my students with real world experience on a whole different level. From product development, to implementation, to sales.

IT IS ALL ABOUT THAT BASE…

ONLINE 60-second, 30-second and 2 or 3-minute videos

General tweets and retweets to grow consumer base

Instagram

Snapchat stories

Facebook for parents – Class Facebook pages

OFFLINE Emails to parents

Mailings

Chalk it up!

Sign Spinner at car rider and bus rider areas

“Minute to Win It” games

“You’re in it” cards – delivered to all students in the yearbook

who haven’t purchased

ANALYSISThe SWOT analysis, which suggests examination of Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, works perfectly here. In

addition to considering what worked or needs improvement, the

structure provides a look at additional options and challenges.

THE RULE OF THREE

TO SEE MARKETING IDEAS, GAMES AND VIDEOS, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/MAGAZINE/

PASSION FOR SALES Senior Madeline McKinzie advertises that yearbooks are on sale during Columbia HS’s Ed Fair in late January. As Marketing Editor, McKinzie kept books sales and yearbook awareness in the public eye at the evening event (an open house where students and their parents are invited to come learn about what courses are offered as departments promote their programs). In addition to a recruiting booth, the Columbian staff hosted a selfie station so parents could take selfies with their Fighting Tigers.


SOUTH FORSYTH HS DECA | CUMMING, GADECA advisor Katie Urbanovich

Alex Forbes | Ben Braner | Jack JohnsonYearbook adviser Rebecca Bennett

Focusing on freshman class sales only, this team’s campaigns included student promotions

like a homeroom sales competition (winners got donuts/coffee/cocoa) and over-sized posters in freshman classrooms/hallways and parent

promotions such as human billboards in the pick-up lane after school and a video reminding parents that a yearbook might be the only way their students would be able to remember their freshman year. They also divided the students

into tribes by activities and had leaders from each group remind members to buy yearbooks

because their groups would be covered. Nearly 250 books were sold to freshmen during the three-week campaign, which represents a 32 percent increase over books sold to freshmen

by December 1 last year.

LAKEVIEW HS DECA | BATTLE CREEK, MIYearbook adviser Jodi Darland

Lila Elliott | Erin StaffordDECA advisor Myra Bost

Three Days of Yearbook Festivities, a campaign with catchy slogans, an engaging video and

memorable music raised yearbook awareness and sales. As both yearbook editors and experienced

DECA members, this duo believed that their Black Friday/Cyber Monday discount, a penny war that earned the winning class a grade-specific spread

in the yearbook and a raffle that entered all buyers from each grade into separate drawings to see who

would win free yearbooks would increase sales — and they did. Insight into promoting both the

value of the book and hinting to the theme of the 2016 volume combined with research, analysis and

strategic planning allowed this team to execute with precision. In addition to starting a new school-wide

tradition and upping their order by more than 50 books, the short sales period yielded a 470 percent

increase over the same period last year.

SMITHTOWN HS EAST DECA | ST. JOHN, NYRyan Micozzi

DECA advisor Stephen Costello Jr.Jainee Gabrielsen

Research played a major role for this team; they began by polling 100 students (50 boys, 50 girls) from each grade and 100 parents to understand the market at their school. Using

the information they gleaned, they established three target groups — involved students,

uninvolved students and parents — and then built an omni-channel strategy for each group.

Designed to make the yearbook more accessible, affordable and memorable, the project set out to simplify the processes of submitting photos and buying yearbooks. Publicizing the school’s

established tiered pricing provided understanding about when to buy the book for the best price

and the financial ramifications of buying at the last minute. Posters, postcards, social media

messages and a hallway display contributed to a 53 percent increase in October sales.


PLAYING TO THEIR

STRENGTHSDECA TEAMS ROCK YB SALES CHALLENGE

TO SEE THE ORIGINAL DECA VIDEO SUBMISSIONS, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/MAGAZINE/

there would be some in every crowd who thrive on the challenge of selling more books, some willing to invest in research before strategizing marketing campaigns and others who get as excited about watching sales tick upward as their yearbook peers do about selecting fonts, capturing the peak of emotion and choosing an amazing theme.

While those sales/marketing gurus are not always found in the yearbook room, there are some on most campuses — especially when there’s an active DECA chapter. An international organization for student leaders passionate about sales, marketing and other aspects of business, DECA offers an array of competitions allowing members to demonstrate the knowledge and processes they learn in the business and marketing classes.

As school began this fall, Herff Jones and DECA announced a new video competition: the DECA/Herff Jones Marketing Results Challenge. In teams of three or fewer, members would analyze yearbook

sales on their own campuses before planning campaigns intended to raise books sales there.

The preliminary video entries answered a series of questions before explaining proposed campaigns and revealing results. Reviews by panels of judges narrowed the competition to three teams which were invited to do live presentations at the Herff Jones International Sales Conference in Palm Desert in January.

The resulting presentations, judged by leaders from marketing, sales and corporate teams, yielded some powerful insights and a mix of ideas that could be used at other schools this year or in the future. In addition, each team met with sales representatives as they arrived at the conference and presented informal talks about their work.

HJ Sales Operations Manager Annette Rollyson had been involved with the challenge from the start. “We imagined this powerful collaboration between the yearbook staff and the school’s DECA chapter,” she said. “The yearbook staff could invest their energy in creating the book because DECA’s sales and marketing gurus would handle book sales. The teams we saw were so impressive; they used a mix of marketing ideas to drive more book sales at their schools.”

When the votes were all tallied, the team from Long Island’s Smithtown East High School took top honors. Their prize? A travel award for on-stage general session recognition at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Nashville in April.

MOST YERDS BECOME INVOLVED IN YEARBOOK

BECAUSE THEY LOVE TO WRITE, DESIGN OR TAKE

PHOTOS, OR BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TELL THE

STORIES OF THE YEAR AND BE INVOLVED IN

SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES.

IN A PERFECT WORLD,


SEEK A STRONG IDENTITY

PLAN FOR VARIETY

MAKE GOOD CHOICES

You want a look that is recognizable even to casual readers. Make sure you consider fonts and colors, the use of space and graphics that work together to promote a singular visual message and — if the verbals you choose don’t support that idea — decide which you prefer more. Then bring the other aspect into line.

Look for type treatments and graphic devices that go together and be on the lookout for type packages that add other dimensions to your look. When you begin with libraries of options that can be used interchangeably, you will avoid redundancy anddelight your readers again and again.

Anything you decide to include should be added to the mix only because it strengthens the package. If everything coordinates except for one “interesting” graphic device that two junior editors fell in love with, the right answer is to find another time or way to use the device so that the conceptual package is as cohesive as possible.

THE TONE OF YOUR 2016 BOOK PROBABLY INFLUENCES

WHERE YOU BEGIN. WHETHER THIS YEAR’S BOOK

IS WHIMSICAL OR EDGY, BOLD OR CLASSIC, YOU

PROBABLY WANT TO GO IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.

Choosing a different vibe will give alert your readers that it’s a completely fresh book, not the same old, same old volume again.

If you land on a new verbal first, you’ll easily be able to maintain the tone by adopting visuals that correlate. A powerful pride theme with a delicate font and dainty color palette sends mixed messages galore. But the same theme could be magnified by strong fonts, bright colors and bold graphics.

That challenge may well be reversed. Idea files filled with modern graphics and a trendy hue suggest an authentic or contemplative theme. The use of thin sans serifs, blocks of color and black and white photography simply don’t set the stage for playful verbals.

No matter whether visual or verbal inspiration strikes first, there are some conceptual principles that will increase your chances at maximum impact.

IF WHAT’S BEST FOR THE BOOK AND ITS UNIFYING CAMPAIGN IS ALWAYS YOUR FIRST CONSIDERATION, YOU’LLBE AHEAD OF THE GAME AS YOU BEGIN TO WORK.


FINDING YOUR INSPIRATIONby PAUL ENDER

SOME PEOPLE CONTEND THAT FINDING THE VERBAL BASIS FOR YOUR BOOK ABSOLUTELY COMES FIRST.

OTHERS SHOP FOR VISUALS ALL YEAR LONG AND JUMP INTO A FULL-ON SEARCH AS SOON AS THEY’RE

NAMED EDITOR. BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT YOU NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT BOTH AND HOW THEY CAN

WORK TOGETHER FROM THE START AS YOU BEGIN WORK ON YOUR 2017 YEARBOOK.

GOLD

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16

EMBRACE THER’S OF YEARBOOK MAKE YOUR BOOK RELEVANT, RESPECTED

by MICHELLE DUNAWAY, MJE

WE’VE ALL HEARD OF THE THREE R’S (READING,

WRITING, ’RITHMETIC), BUT IN YEARBOOK, A

DIFFERENT SET OF “R” WORDS CAN HELP MAKE THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD BOOK AND A GREAT

BOOK. HERE ARE SOME “R” WORDS FOR YOU TO

REVISIT AS YOU ARE WORKING ON YOUR BOOK.

HOWELLTONIAN, FRANCIS HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL, ST. CHARLES, MO


REMEMBERThe yearbook becomes really valuable 10, 20 and 30 years after graduation. It should always be about what we will remember — and it will remind us when we reread it what we’ve forgotten. Therefore, look for the following:

REDUNDANCY. The book should be about everyone. If someone has been used more than 3-4 times and can be replaced with a kid not in the book, do this. The goal is to get everyone in the book, especially those who buy it.

RELIVE. Yearbook copy should be specific to the year and shouldn’t be boring. If you are bored writing it, your reader will be bored reading it. Stories are about people. Focus on letting the reader learn something interesting and special.

RETHINK. Any quote that is generic like “It was fun. The team really bonded.” says nothing. Get meaty, storytelling quotes that will help students remember the year and that help them connect and care about those in the photo or story, even if the reader didn’t know that person.

IF YOU ARE BORED WRITING IT, YOUR READER WILL BE BORED READING IT. STORIES ARE ABOUT PEOPLE.

REMAINThe yearbook remains a lasting legacy. After you finish, make a list of all the things that should remain part of your yearbook branding. Just like everyone knows exactly what they are going to get when they open a package of Oreos®, so should everyone know what to expect when they open your yearbook. This doesn’t mean you’ll use the same layouts and design every year (after all, Oreos® come in multiple flavors and styles), but it means that your yearbook has the same content and filling. Readers know what they are buying, and therefore they keep buying.

REVIEWOnce you are in production, even before first proof, you need to review your book.

READABILITY. It amazes me how many yearbooks these days aren’t readable. In a quest for trendy design, the idea of actually reading the content gets lost. So ask yourself these questions:

1. Are my fonts readable at the size we’ve chosen? Can a 50-year-old parent using reading glasses easily read my book? After all, parents are buyers and readers. Is any script font clear? Is there enough leading?

2. Are all reversed captions or those overprinted on photos readable?

3. Is any type turned sideways easy to read?

RESOURCE. Because the book is a historical resource and reference, you need to make sure that all photos have captions, even if it’s just a single line name. If more than five people are in the photo, then it can often be labeled as a group: varsity football players.

REMOVE/REDO/REWORK. 1. All opinion and editorial

statements. 2. All confusing elements — be

sure it’s clear which caption goes to each photo.

3. Page/Photo/Design credits that are too large — these should never dominate the spread. Keep them small.


about a prom dress. A yearbook staff member had quoted a junior girl as saying, “It was sort of funny when another girl and I discovered we were wearing the same dress” in the prom story.

Who knew a story about a prom dress would change procedures in the journalism lab forever?

Shortly after delivering the yearbooks, the girl came to the lab and told us she said no such thing. When yearbook class met, the editors conferenced with the writer of the story. The reporter maintained she had quoted her source accurately. Unfortunately, although trained to keep all of her notes, she had thrown them away at the end of the previous school year.

But it was then September, and our yearbook — a summer/fall delivery volume — had just been distributed when the larger-than- life version of she said/she said

commenced. And no one wins. Even prom girl’s mom got involved.

About this time, life-long adviser/journalist Wayne Brasler, wrote on the JEA Listserv about his staffs’ use of quote check sheets. We emailed him. Within 15 minutes, he sent back an example. We created our own version and instituted their use starting immediately.

Yearbook, newspaper and online use the same procedure. Writers check every quote. In stories. In captions. In mods. More experienced students check quotes during the interview.

Less experienced writers check back after writing the story or caption. In every folder of spreads to be sent to the plant resides a quote check folder. One editor monitors the folder and coaxes/demands that every quote gets checked. We make quote checking a priority. We can go back into old folders from years ago and there is the quote check sheet.

As part of the quote check, writers also double-check the spelling of every name. They must write the correct spelling on the quote check sheet. The quote check sheet also helps reveal if anyone is using email to conduct major interviews, something frowned upon in the journalism lab.

New staff members who have not quite had that ingrained might ask if they have to quote check if they have all the quotes in an email. Sirens and flashing lights go off and no one does an email interview for a while. Usually, several times a

by LESLIE SHIPP, MJE

FOR THE PAST DECADE, QUOTE CHECKS

HAVE PREVENTED INNUMERABLE SITUATIONS.

QUOTE CHECKS SAVE YOUR NECK A SIMPLE STEP TOWARD PEACE OF MIND

IT STARTED WITH A QUOTE


year, a source will want to change a quote. We have been resistant to this. However, we are beginning to understand that changing a quote to clarify what was said is one of the purposes of quote checking. That is different than wanting to change the context. Hardly anyone claims being misquoted, or even worse — that we made up a quote.

The quote check continually reminds staff members they must be accountable. People know we check quotes and document that we did, resulting in accountability from interviewees also. In rare instances when people think they were misquoted, we show them the quote check sheet. We will never know whether the girl said the quote about her dress. However, now we can trace back what sources say in an interview.

When a student came in a few years ago about being misquoted, we pulled up the quote check sheet from the server. Documented on the check sheet was the quote as it appeared in the yearbook. She read through the other quotes she said in the story and confirmed she said them. She read the quotes of others. She saw that the journalist had recorded the date and time of each quote check.

FOR A COPY OF THIS CHECKSHEET, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/MAGAZINE/

DOCUMENTED ON THE CHECK SHEET WAS THE QUOTE AS IT APPEARED IN THE YEARBOOK. SHE READ

THROUGH THE OTHER QUOTES SHE SAID IN THE STORY AND CONFIRMED SHE SAID THEM. SHE SAW THE

JOURNALIST RECORDED THE DATE AND TIME OF EACH CHECK.

HER RESPONSE? “I GUESS I DID SAY THAT QUOTE.” OUR EXTRA EFFORT ON THE FRONT END HAS NEARLY ELIMINATED SUCH ISSUES.


MEET AS A STAFF BEFORE YOU GO

Set goals, do some preliminary brainstorming

and be sure that attendees are “all in” and feel

comfortable contributing.

BE PREPARED

Arriving with a theme, lots of sources for

inspiration or at least a consensus on the tone

you want for the next volume will improve

your efficiency.

BE OPEN

Anything you do beforehand is a start, but you

might hear and see things that encourage you

to go another direction; summer is the time

to experiment.

BE WISE

Yes, it’s fun to be in the same section as your

besties, but it’s smart to see and hear as much

as possible, so take advantage of all resources to

make your book the best it can be.

GET OUT THERE

Work to meet people from other schools, trade

books and contact information. Yearbook is

more fun when you connect with other staffs.

HAVE FUN

Your readers will be able to tell if you see

creating their yearbook as a dreadful task.

Include new topics, seek out amazing stories

and strive for smiles from your readers.

DO IT!

Use the workshop as a springboard to creativity

and collaboration. Make plans and follow

through. It’s your privilege and responsibility to

record the events and emotions of this year.

Nine years ago, two weeks before the start of school, the phone rang and we were “voluntold” that we would be taking over the yearbook program. A veteran teacher who knew our school and a first-year teacher who had done yearbook in high school. We had students, but the rest is a blur!

By spring, our first book was published and we were looking forward to the following year. We learned that our rep hosted a summer workshop open to schools around the state and that seemed like something we should do. WOW, were we correct.

The knowledge that we gained that first summer was unbelievable. If we had only known those tips and tricks during our first year of publication! What surprises us to this day is that we continue to grow.

We invite each of our staff members to attend the summer workshop and each contributes a portion of the registration fee. Paying for part of the expenses not only keeps the students from backing out, but it also instills ownership in the process. Some have other summer commitments and are unable to attend, but majority of our students find a way to go. Last year, 16 from our staff of 20 attended. College courses, family vacations and church camps might all play a role in who goes to the workshop, but most do attend.

GETTING THE MOST

FROM A WORKSHOP

INVESTING TIME AND ENERGY IN SUMMER

TRAINING MEANS HAVING A COHESIVE AND

KNOWLEDGEABLE TEAM THAT’S UP-TO-DATE

EACH SUMMER BRINGS NEW JOURNALISTIC TRENDS, STYLES AND TOPICS, SO STUDENTS (AND ADVISERS) LEARN SOMETHING NEW EACH YEAR AND CONTINUE TO GAIN A FRESH PERSPECTIVE.


WORKSHOPS:WORTH IT!by SHARON YOST, ALICIA MARRARA

Every student gets something different out of the workshop experience. If they are newbies, they’re exposed to the language of yearbook and they see a spread for the first time. Veterans expand their skills and incorporate new trends, business managers learn to handle sales and strategize marketing campaigns while editors take leadership of “their book.”

Besides the obvious benefits of exploring our theme and designing the cover, perhaps the most important aspect of attending camp is the bonds that are built.

We start the journey with students from multiple grade levels, most who barely know each other, and we return to our destination as a tightly bonded group, with a shared experience and theme information that we only share with each other, fondly calling it “secret squirrel.”

It is this tightly bonded group that shows up on the first day of school ready to go, as all the awkward stuff is out of the way.

TO FIND SUMMER WORKSHOP DATES AND LOCATIONS, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/EVENTS/

PHOTO BY JULIUS SHEINMAN


ERINN HARRIS, MJEDistinguished Adviser Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & TechnologyAlexandria, VA

MICHAEL SIMONS, CJE Distinguished Adviser Corning-Painted Post HSCorning, NY

THE HERFF JONES-SPONSORED SATURDAY ADVISER AWARDS LUNCHEON AT THE SPRING NATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM CONVENTION IN LOS ANGELES IN APRIL INCLUDES RECOGNITION OF JEA’S

YEARBOOK ADVISER OF THE YEAR AND RISING STAR WINNERS. NINE HERFF JONES ADVISERS ARE

BEING HONORED THIS SPRING AND WE ASKED THESE PASSIONATE EDUCATORS TO SHARE YEARBOOK-

SPECIFIC WISDOM OR ADVICE.

ADVISERSUCCESSWHY YEARBOOK MATTERS

I LOVE THE PROCESS. I LOVE HOW IT CHANGES EVERY SINGLE YEAR —

NO TWO ARE THE SAME. I GET MORE OUT OF MAKING A YEARBOOK

THAN I DO LOOKING AT IT WHEN IT COMES OUT. MY JFAM ALSO KEEPS

ME GOING; NO ONE IN THE BUILDING TRULY UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE

DO, SO IT’S A BLESSING THAT I HAVE A NETWORK OF COLLEAGUES ALL

OVER THE COUNTRY THAT I SHARE THINGS WITH – GOOD AND BAD!

THE JOYS OF ADVISING ARE MANY, BUT THE BEST PART OF WORKING

WITH MY STUDENTS IS THE PRIDE I FEEL WHEN THE TRUCK ARRIVES

IN MAY, OUR STAFF EAGER TO GREET THE DRIVER AND CRACK OPEN

THE FIRST BOX OF BOOKS. THE ANTICIPATION, FOLLOWED BY A SENSE

OF AWE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT AS THEY HOLD THE BOOK IN THEIR

HANDS FOR THE FIRST TIME, IS LIKE LITTLE ELSE.

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LESLIE SHIPP, MJE Special Recognition Adviser Johnston (IA) HS

SARAH VERPOOTEN, MJE Special Recognition Adviser Lake Central HSSt. John, IN

LAURA ZHU, CJE Special Recognition Adviser Toby Johnson MSElk Grove, CA

YEARBOOKS ARE THE ONLY PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE

WRITING DOWN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AND

THE PEOPLE IN IT. BOOKS STILL REPRESENT OUR MOST

PERMANENT FORM OF STORING INFORMATION.

AN AMAZING EDITOR HAS THE ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO

SEE THEIR VISION AND WORK TO ACCOMPLISH IT. IT’S ALL

ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND BUILDING PEOPLE UP SO THEY

WANT TO WORK WITH YOU.

THE THING THAT KEEPS ME MAKING YEARBOOKS YEAR AFTER

YEAR IS WATCHING MY STUDENTS DEVELOP SKILLS THAT

PREPARE THEM FOR THE REAL WORLD. BY THE TIME MY

STUDENTS ARE READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL, THEY’VE ALREADY

SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED THEIR FIRST BUSINESS.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE AMAZING ADVISERS, GO TO WWW.YEARBOOKDISCOVERIES.COM/MAGAZINE/

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ASHLEY CLARK Rising Star East Bay HSGibsonton, FL

TERESA SCRIBNER, CJE Rising Star Cleveland STEM HSSeattle, WA

BARBARA THOLEN, CJE Rising Star Lawrence (KS) HS

LESLIE THOMPSON, CJE Rising Star Conifer (CO) HS

YEARBOOKS TELL

STORIES OF PEOPLE

WHO DON’T REALLY

KNOW WHO THEY

ARE YET. IT IS NEAT TO

LOOK BACK AND SEE

WHAT THEY HOPED

THEY WOULD BE OR

THOUGHT THEY WERE.

THE PROUDEST

MOMENT I’VE HAD

AS AN ADVISER WAS

THE FIRST TIME MY

STUDENTS WON A

CONTEST. THE LOOK

OF SURPRISE AND

TOTAL SHOCK ON

ALL OF OUR FACES

IS A MOMENT I WILL

NEVER FORGET!

THAT WAS THE DAY

THAT SOLIDIFIED

MY STUDENTS

AS JOURNALISTS

AND NOT JUST

JOURNALISM

STUDENTS.

WE HAD AN AMAZING

YEAR AS A YEARBOOK

STAFF LAST YEAR.

THE STAFF GOT IN A

GROOVE EARLY ON

AND THE COVERAGE

WAS REALLY GOOD.

WHEN I HANDED A

SNEAK PEAK OF OUR

BOOK TO THE EDITOR,

SHE CRIED AS SHE

LOVINGLY WENT

THROUGH EVERY

PAGE. WATCHING A

KID HOLD THAT THING

SHE HAD PATIENTLY

SHEPHERDED TO

COMPLETION WAS A

POWERFUL MOMENT

FOR ME.

YEARBOOK IS THE

COOLEST RECORD OF

HISTORY EVER. THE

COMBINATION OF

FONTS, VERBAL TAGS,

GRAPHIC ELEMENTS,

COLOR AND OLD-

FASHIONED HARD

WORK IS A SYMPHONY

OF EXPRESSION THAT

EVERYONE SHOULD

EXPERIENCE.

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YOUR YEARBOOK. Whether your 2016 masterpiece is now complete and in the plant’s hands or you’re working to finish coverage of as much of the year as possible, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The year’s biggest group project has likely revealed some skills and talents you never knew you had, tested your patience and introduced you to people you’d never have met otherwise. Between brainstorms and production, deadlines and sales campaigns, you exemplified 21st century learning, compelling storytelling and new world media. We’re here to support and celebrate all your efforts because we love the process and the product. It’s true. Your yearbook is OUR PASSION.

discoveries vol 20 iss02

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