discoveries vol15 issue 1

YBK

DISCOVER MOREDISCOVER MORE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKimberly D. Hanzo

LAYOUT EDITORMatt Leighton

COPY EDITORAnn Akers

DESIGNERSNathan Atwood, Erin Doran,

Kerri Moskow and Stacey Reed

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSPaul Ender,

Herff Jones Special Consultant

Tom Gayda, yearbook adviserNorth Central HS, Indianapolis, IN

Tamra McCarthy, yearbook adviserJames C. Enochs HS, Modesto, CA

Mark Novom, yearbook adviserBrentwood School, Los Angeles, CA

Kristen Orlando, yearbook adviserWoodrow Wilson HS, Tacoma, WA

Meghan Percival, yearbook adviserMcLean (VA) HS

Landon Wrather, yearbook adviserMountain View HS, Mesa, AZ

HJ LOCATIONSCharlotte, NORTH CAROLINA

charlotte@her ff jones.com

Gettysburg, PENNSYLVANIAgettysburg@her ff jones.com

Kansas Cit y, KANSASkansascit y@her ff jones.com

Logan, UTAHlogan@her ff jones.com

Montgomery, ALABAMAmontgomery@her ff jones.com

Winnipeg, CANADAwinnipeg@her ff jones.com

Herff Jones Yearbook Discoveries Volume 15 Issue 1 was produced electronically using Adobe® InDesign CS5, Adobe Illustrator® CS5 and Adobe Photoshop® CS5. This

magazine was created on a Mac Pro, 2.66 GHz with 6 GB of RAM and printed by Herff Jones, Inc., at its Charlotte,

NC printing facility. The outside cover was printed on 65# Matte C2S stock using four-color process. The inside cover

was printed on White Vibracolor Endsheet stock using four-color process. The magazine pages were printed

on 100# matte stock using four-color process inks. The fonts used in Yearbook Discoveries Volume 15 Issue 1

were AHJ New Gothic and AHJ University Oldstyle. Herff Jones and the Herff Jones logo are registered trademarks

of Herff Jones, Inc. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Photoshop

are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.

VOLUME 15 # 1

WHAT’S INSIDE WHAT’S INSIDE

02FEATURE

HJ’s AMAZING AWARD WINNERS37 different 2009 Herff Jones yearbooks lead the pack in national journalism award competitions!

DEPARTMENTS

10 DESIGN STUDIOAllow each year’s book to speak to readers with a strong voice that sets it apart from others.

12 WRITER’S BLOCkOne of the first keys to writing great copy is seeking out truly compelling stories.

16 PHOTO CORNERMugs that accompany quotes don’t have to be boring; use these small shots to further develop the story.

IN THE CLASSROOM18 MOTIVATIONMore than fun and games; these activities create strong staffs.

20 TRAININGSometimes a little planning can make a big difference.

22 STAFF MANUALSA well-developed guide to publications shares rules and more.

24 STAFF ORGANIZATIONNew approaches to coverage sometimes affect staff set-up.

26 THEME vs. CONCEPTThe debate continues — but some books blend the best of both.

30 PHOTO ORGANIZATIONThis easy-to-follow system can help with many aspects of photography.

32 YBk ETC.A yearbook yard sale? Brilliant! And industry recognition that makes us smile.

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w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z0 2 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

HERFF JONES

THE LIST OF BOOKSAPPEARING ON BOTH

ALSO LED

THE CROWN& PACEMAKERFINALIST LIST WITH

THE NEXT CLOSEST COMPANY HAD 22

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 0 3V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1

WE COULDN’T BE

When it comes to award-winning books, Herff Jones continues with impressive showings year after year, competition after competition.

PROUDER

The composiTe resulTs are TrulY amazing, wiTh herff Jones books conTinuing To lead The waY. from prinTing more middle and high school pacemakers Than all oTher companies combined To having nearlY Twice as manY finalisTs as The nexT closesT companY, herff Jones shines.long-Time advisers wiTh award-winning programs choose herff Jones qualiTY and service as TheY value Their relaTionships wiTh knowledgeable, TrusTed reps and sTaTe-of-The-arT TechnologY in caring planTs run bY experienced Teams of prinTers who excel aT Their crafT.

In addition to showcasing the 2009 books that received recognition from the major associations, it’s important to note the many ways these books have built on the foundations of good journalism and design. The judges for the Pacemaker and Crown competitions and many at the local, state and national levels would tend to concentrate on the same areas that are evaluated in critiques: concept, coverage, design, photography and copy.

As has been the case for more than a decade, both the Crown and Pacemaker competitions are completely separate from the critique services offered by CSPA (Columbia Scholastic Press Association) and NSPA (National Scholastic Press Association). Both associations also offer their members a critique which earns them a certificate showing their rating and specific feedback from an experienced, award-winning adviser or media professional.

Let’s take a look at how some of the award winners adhered to the standards and what they did to set themselves apart.


PACEMAKERSTiTanium, anTelope HS, Antelope, CA

RampageS, CaSa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA

THe paTRioT, HaRveST paRk mS, Pleasanton, CA

piloT, Redondo union HS, Redondo Beach, CA

aSH a WuT, gabRielino HS, San Gabriel, CA

CayuSe, WalnuT HS, Walnut, CA

log, ColumbuS noRTH HS, Columbus, IN

magiCian, munCie CenTRal HS, Muncie, IN

THe Jag, mill valley HS, Shawnee, KS

THe HaWk, pleaSanT gRove HS, Texarkana, TX

CRag, TuRneR aSHby HS, Bridgewater, VA

odySSey, CHanTilly HS, Chantilly, VA

SenTRy, RobinSon mS, Fairfax, VA

THe Clan, mClean HS, McLean, VA

noRTH STaR, noRTHSide HS, Roanoke, VA

2009


aSH a WuT, Gabrielino HS, San Gabriel, CA The quote bar that spanned each spread included 1,686 students, further developing the concept,

“You’ve Got People.” magiCian, Muncie (in) cenTral HS The dominant image from the student life divider shows intensity during float building and features natural framing and a shift in perspective.

CayuSe, WalnuT (ca) HSGreat full-bleed images set the concept pages apart. Enormous photos on the dividers made the break between sections clear as content pages featured several smaller photo and copy

packages. odySSey, cHanTillY (Va) HS While a subtle rule line separated the word “Candid” beginning on the cover, it was on the opening spread that readers probably realized the words could

also be read separately. THe HaWk, PleaSanT GroVe HS, Texarkana, TX Playful hand-drawn graphics (like the easel on this art spread) set this

volume apart. Jag, Mill ValleY HS, Shawnee, KS The graphic typewriter ribbon containing theme type on the cover and in the opening is one of many way “found type” creates artistic texture further developing the concept, “Words.”


THE PROWL, POWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, Littleton, CO Using a pair of pick-up

colors on each spread added variety and sophistication to designs through the

book. CaRpe diem, norTH ForSYTH HS, Cumming, GA The rationale behind the book’s chronological approach to

coverage was explained from the start, and both time- and datestamps were used

consistently. WeSTWind, WeST HenDerSon HS, Hendersonville, NC A single large photo made the dividers distinctive, and a contents

listing for the section led readers inside.

EyRiE, OSBOURN HS, Manassas, VA Type-as-art headlines highlighting the

many questions that reveal stories of the school, the year and the students were

paired with a powerful dominant image and a series of smaller shots leading to

inside content. ebb Tide, carlSon HS, Gibraltar, MI A customized varsity letter

boasting both the year and the name of the yearbook was tipped onto the

Silktouch cover to proclaim the theme. Inside the book, the staff used AHJ Allstar in small doses to achieve the same effect.


2009

PACEMAKER finalisTs

THe valkyRie, pleaSanT valley HS, Chico, CA

HoofpRinT, San dieguiTo aCademy, Encinitas, CA

eye, eveRgReen valley HS, San Jose, CA

THe pRoWl, poWell mS, Littleton, CO

CaRpe diem, noRTH foRSyTH HS, Cumming, GA

Saga, SHaWnee miSSion WeST HS, Overland Park, KS

ebb Tide, CaRlSon HS, Gibraltar, MI

WeSTWind, WeST HendeRSon HS, Hendersonville, NC

SkJÖld, CoRning painTed poST WeST HS, Painted Post, NY

bobCaT, HallSville HS, Hallsville, TX

eyRie, oSbouRn HS, Manassas, VA

laConian, Salem HS, Salem, VA

Jr. HiGH/MiDDle ScHool SPecial recoGniTioneagle eye vieW, SieRRa mS, Parker, CO

colleGe anD uniVerSiTY booKSPacemaker finalists until October 30, 2010 when Pacemakers are first announced.

linC, univeRSiTy of evanSville, Evansville, IN

ilium, TayloR univeRSiTy, Upland, IN

Royal puRple, kanSaS STaTe univeRSiTy, Manhattan, KS

legenda, WelleSley College, Wellesley, MA

SelaH, libeRTy univeRSiTy, Lynchburg, VA


CROWNSSILVer

CROWNSGoLD

TiTanium, anTelope HS, Antelope, CA

THe paTRioT, HaRveST paRk middle SCHool, Pleasanton, CA

THe piloT, Redondo union HS, Redondo Beach, CA

CHiefTain, WeST HS, Torrance, CA

RampageS, CaSa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA

ReSumé, geoRge WalTon aCademy, Monroe, GA

aRbuTuS, indiana univeRSiTy, Bloomington, IN

Royal puRple, kanSaS STaTe univeRSiTy, Manhattan, KS

WeSTWind, WeST HendeRSon HS, Hendersonville, NC

THe HaWk, pleaSanT gRove HS, Texarkana, TX

CRag, TuRneR aSHby HS, Bridgewater, VA

SelaH, libeRTy univeRSiTy, Lynchburg, VA

THe Clan, mClean HS, McLean, VA

laConian, Salem HS, Salem, VA

SenTRy, RobinSon middle SCHool, Fairfax, VA

TeleioS, mounT paRan CHRiSTian SCHool, Kennesaw, GA


TeleioS, MounT Paran cHriSTian ScHool, Kennesaw, GA Theme graphics and colors tied supporting coverage packages to the book’s overall look.

aRbuTuS, inDiana uniVerSiTY, Bloomington, IN While most spreads featured multiple story-telling images, large seasonal scenes were used to anchor the story on campus.

TiTianium, anTeloPe (ca) HS Giving the students at this new high school a voice was important; three of the four kinds of quote packages on

this spread are visible. THe piloT, reDonDo union HS, Redondo Beach, CA Umbrella coverage allowed development of stories on changes in the cheersquad, a football injury and a swimmer who persevered to appear together logically.

SenTRy, robinSon MiDDle ScHool, Fairfax, VA Rather than taking all photos from eye-level, the photo team experimented with various

perspectives. laConian, SaleM (Va) HS A series of full-spread profiles, distinctively designed using theme-related graphics, wove both the concept and the graphics through the book.

w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z

opening spreads

THE HAWK, pLeasanT groVe Hs, Texarkana, TX

Throughout the book, the circles, the colors and a pair of complementary fonts contribute to a distinctive visual voice. While the colors are

combined to create different palettes and the

circles are sometimes seen as arcs, the look is definitely

cohesive.

THe ConCepT QUiCKLY BeCaMe seCond

naTUre To sTaffers and oTHers. Of course 10 words meant they had 10 sections, each with a single word title. Traditional sections like sports,

academics and student life were gone; content

was divided among the 10 sections which averaged 16-20

pages each.

naTUraLLY, aLL pULLed QUoTes feLL inTo THe

ConCepT’s presCriBed paTTern. The staff shared the plan with some classes and staffers also helped sources pare their thoughts as needed.

coach cody deal sadie vows

in 10 words: “roman, be nice. abby is better at sports than you.”

Y e a r b o o k d i s C o V e r i e s 11V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1

design sTUdio

For decades, staFFers have bought into the Fact that visual identiFiers make a yearbook’s theme or concept easy to identiFy. they have used color, type, shapes and patterns to link the cover, the endsheets, the opening, dividers and closing to create a cohesive visual package that distinguishes each volume From its predecessors and successors.

Through discussions on tone (or personality), it’s generally understood that the “look” of the theme and the context of the message need to be similar. It’d be crazy to use wild, over-the-edge visuals with a “Classically Central” theme or a script reminiscent of a wedding invitation on “The Ultimate Challenge” or “Those are Fighting Words.”

More staffs are working on really creating a unified verbal voice as well. The word choice, the flow, the cadence can have an amazing influence on the stories you choose to present. Just as it’s important that all of the designs feel like they work together, it’s usually best if a single writer or team provides all of the theme/concept copy. And consistency in message is equally important here; a sassy visual with concise, polite sentences will have less impact than a loud, proud look accompanied by staccato sentences paired with power verbs and concrete comparisons.

As we move on to books whose voices are even stronger and more developed, there may also be an effect on the book’s organization. The “requirement” of a theme followed by six traditional sections has been replaced by books with two sections, three sections or more. The thing that’s important is this: the book needs to be easy for the readers to use and the change to a completely new and different book format should make sense once they’ve read the opening copy. If you decided you want to do a three-section book and then chose “Two Sides to Every Story” as your theme or a pattern of five photos as your graphic, we’d be right back to the mixed messages we want to avoid.

The most amazing thematic work takes conceptual development a step further, adding coverage modules and specific stories based on their relevance to the central idea and the contributions they make to the overall message. This could be an array of first-person stories or adding actual signatures in a volume themed “I Am” or a library of mods tied to the concept “Either/Or” with labels like “Pro/Con” and “He Said/She Said” or “Better/Worse” and “Pass/Fail.”

Remember, the voice of the book should be strong and unified; the look, the feel, the tone, the organization and even the coverage will be united by the strongest of themes.

VOICE If you’re going for highest impact, the

by paUL ender

is all of that and more.

oF YoUr YearBooK

It’s more than a look, more than an attitude.

HardCore sTaffers WroTe seCondarY

HeadLines THaT Were 10 Words Long.This was not the case on every spread, but there were lots of 10-word headlines for those who sought them out.


by tamRa mCCaRthy

A boy gAve A heArt-felt presentAtion in his english clAss About losing his brother to leukemiA. WhAt begAn As A story About deAth becAme one About the motivAting lesson of life. students mAy AlreAdy be telling their stories in other clAsses on cAmpus — creAte contActs And build positive relAtionships With the stAff on your cAmpus; they cAn connect you to these stories.

A teacher stopped for coffee at a local donut shop and discovered from the owners that their daughter was graduating high school a year early with a full-ride soccer scholarship to UCLA. Train your students to keep their eyes and ears open — you never know when a story might fall into your lap.

A brainstorm session in yearbook class yielded a lead about two siblings whose parents had recently died. The reporter who agreed to pursue the story not only learned that the two parents perished in a freak motorcycle accident, but that their surviving children found a way to adapt to this tragic change in their lives. Don’t discount a story possibility because it may seem too sensitive.

Yearbooks should not only echo the year, the school and the students — they should also give voice to the teens who read and buy them — teens of the 21st century. Traditional coverage of high school retells events of the year that students are already aware of. But often the story that needs to be told is only something that can come from the kid in the third row, four seats back.

It is a staff’s responsibility to uncover the stories that matter to high school students — storiesthat students identify with through voice and experience. These stories break up the predictability of a yearbook and entice students to read. They breathe humanity, empathy and understanding into readers and help diversify a yearbook in a unique way. They can also enhance a book’s theme, concept, coverage and voice and make the stories of the school year much richer.

FIND hUmaN INtERESt

StORIESbut working to

It takes some effort,

pays big dividends in impact.

V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 1 3

1. ideAs Are everyWhere. Brainstorm as a staff who you know and what you know about them. Make sure the stories you seek are relevant to the theme, concept and voice you want to communicate in your yearbook.

2. Ask for submissions. Use the daily bulletin, school website, school newspaper, Facebook, etc. to invite students to submit a summary about an interesting, emotional, life-altering or unique experience in their lives that could be considered “story worthy” for the yearbook.

3. teAchers knoW students best. Ask English teachers to recommend students who have shared interesting, emotional, life-altering or unique experiences in their writing. Teachers will generally pass on such information only after they have sought permission to share.

4. hAve conversAtions. Interview the subjects of the stories or do what my staff identifies as “having a conversation.” Often the profound details of a story develop from the one-on-one conversation with the student telling the story. Staff members must be trained to be good, empathetic listeners who ask the right questions at the right time. These skills allow them to relate to their subject as a confidant establishing a sense of comfort and ease that lends to a more intimate and detailed story, and therefore captures a real sense of honesty and authenticity. It is best to record these conversations and only write down details about facial and other physical mannerisms noticed as you listen; this way you can capture the intimacy of the story.

5. A picture is Worth A thousAnd Words. A photograph has the ability to convey emotion, mood, narrative, ideas and messages — all of which are important elements of story telling. Just like story telling, however, great photographs don’t simply happen. Good storytellers are intentional about learning how to tell stories and practicing their craft. Human interest photos need to have something in them that grabs the attention of a viewer, something with visual and/or narrative focal points that lead the viewer into the photo. A photo should intrigue and leave a reader imagining what the photo reveals about the topic.

6. be sensitive in seeking stories. Stories sensitive in nature, such as dealing with loss, terminal illness, addiction, etc. must be approached in a sensitive manner. The responsibility for getting permission to write or approach students about such stories and determining the viability of these stories is generally left to the person with a familiar bond or awareness of the subject.

(continued on next page)

WRItER’S BLOCK

WINGSPAN, JamES C. ENOChS hS, Modesto, CASometimes staffs imagine that all compelling stories deal with tragedy or trauma, but that is definitely not the case. Amazing

experiences, passions and dreams are equalling interesting when interviewers dig deep, share details and provide insight into a subject’s interests. Features in the underclass portraits

section of this book tended to be shorter and lighter, while 20 seniors were covered with full-page profiles on the pages

showcasing the Class of 2010’s senior portraits.

w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z14 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

The three stories on this spread relate to a single idea about what motivates change for these individuals. The yearbook staff wanted to find stories about personal revolutions that students

on their campus had experienced that had motivated change in their lives. The story about Jonathan Denney was first

provided by a teacher after Jonathan had given an emotional in-class presentation about losing his brother to leukemia and finding motivation in his brother’s strength to accept life as it

comes and live it as completely and as passionately as possible. Jonathan came in for an interview and discussed the impact his brother had on him during his short life on earth and from that interview the staff writer was able to capture the details of what

motivates this young man to succeed.

The yearbook staff developed their concept of Revolution by developing four ideas that affect change: inspiration, motivation, innovation and adaptation. They found four

stories for each concept and developed one of the four in a full feature spread and captured a tightly told tale for the other three stories on each of the four theme spreads. This story was

discovered after a teacher stopped by a local donut shop for coffee and realized the owners had a student attending Enochs. The parents revealed that over the weekend their daughter had signed to play soccer for the UCLA Bruins. The interview lead

to an in-depth story about this young lady’s life-long pursuit to play college soccer and her journey to get to that point.

This story was a part of the theme’s adaptation component — how sometimes we are forced to adapt to change rather than

create that change ourselves. This story deals with loss, a very sensitive topic. It was through conversations with siblings

Corey and Brianna Moore that the staff discovered the tragic loss they experienced the night their mom, dad, aunt and

uncle were all killed in a freak motorcycle accident. The story is very heartbreaking but touching and reveals the power of the human spirit to overcome and the strength these kids found in

each other to survive.

V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 1 5

Senior profile stories are another way to get a diverse population of students covered in your yearbook. The staff wanted these stories to also reflect the theme concept of personal revolutions. The difference between the senior profiles and the human interest stories on theme pages is that these stories include a story-telling photo to enhance the written story. These photos are taken as environmental portraits to further develop the interest in the story and capture the subject in an authentic way. Photographs can and do have a big impact on the stories you tell in a yearbook. This particular story is about a young man who, along with his brother has never really experienced what most understand as the idea of “home.” They have been homeless and in and out of foster care their entire lives. The photo was taken at an old dilapidated train yard among the rubble of the collapsing buildings. It served as a symbol of their journey in life so far.


THEOGONY, HIDDEn VallEy HS, Roanoke, VAWhile the spread on guys’ fashion is mainly quotes

with supporting photos, effort involved in obtaining great images paid off. Using both small candids and

silhouetted images alongside the quotes, the staff successfully avoided plain mug shots.

Originally, the mug shot was tied to a

criminal’s arrest. The simple images with plain backgrounds commonly showed

both a front view and a side view of a subject for

the purposes of identification and historical record.

Later, yearbookers borrowed the phrase

“mug shot” as a synonym for class

portraits and a description for small shots accompanying quotes. But there are

lots of options for

(It’s only a crime if it’s boring.)

MakIng

PORTRaITS

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 0 1 7V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 1 7V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1

It’s almost a gIven that a “portraIt photographer” wIll provIde the class photos for your yearbook. there’s lots of varIety In these Images, but most schools have requIrements dIctatIng some conventIons such as head sIze, background requIrements and attIre. the polIcIes for decIsIons such as these must be communIcated In advance to the contracted portraIt photographers, so thIs Is a dIscussIon that would be held thIs sprIng If you want to suggest changes for future books.

But many current books will include hundreds of other mug shots. One of the most obvious features of a contemporary yearbook is the coverage mod that allows multiple students to speak out on a given topic. You see an array of small packages with a couple of different quotes as well as photo bars extending from the top of the page to the bottom with as many as five or six mug/quote combinations and horizontal bars of quotes with small photos that run clear throughout the book.

There’s lots of research that points to the fact that students who are in the yearbook more often are more likely to buy the yearbook, so conscientious staffs are planning their coverage and designing their books to give more students a voice.

LacONiaN, SalEM HS, Salem, VA The use of process colors and other theme-related graphics tied this quote package to the book’s visual voice. Even though they were only an inch or so tall, the small candids worked well as environmental portraits. NOrTH STar, nORTHSIDE HS, Roanoke, VA Here, the modified teardrop used in developing the book’s overall concept came into play with duotoned portraits in some quote packages. raMPaGES, CaSa ROBlE HS, Orangevale, CA Rather than have their subjects stand against a neutral background and smile, the staff allowed quoted students to express themselves, providing some levity and personality in the yearbook. THE criMSON, DuPOnT Manual HS, Louisville, KY Three treatments set this quote bar/photo package apart from thousands of others. The fact that it looks like a comic strip may be enough to attract some readers. The use of the same color screened three different shades behind the C.O.B. portrait also attracts interest as do the speech bubbles. ParaGON, OakTOn HS, Vienna, VA In addition to a small candid, the staff used a smaller still portrait, which they silhouetted and placed on top of a solid colored background which picked up hues from other content on the spread.

PHOTO CORnER

While it would definitely be easiest to simply use the same exact photo image from the photographer’s Picture Day CD, having the same picture appear in the book twice does little to excite readers (and you can almost hear the subjects whining that “It doesn’t count if it’s the same picture.”) And it’s probably not all that much better if every person who is quoted is shown in front of the same red brick or cinder block wall.

Consider, instead, some options that provide additional visual interest. You might use small candids or environmental portraits which include the subject in some telling context (lacrosse players should be in uniform, and while in action or on the field are options, you do want to be able to identify the person being quoted.)

Depending on the design of your book, you might use a number of different effects on the photos of those being quoted. Any specifical effects you use should not distract from the content itself.

As with most of aspects of yearbook, investing a little energy and creativity can pay off in a yearbook that earns compliments and smiles from those aware of the little details and a positive vibe from readers who notice that it all works together even if they can’t explain why they think it’s awesome!


Yearbook can be a stressful, challenging class. our solution is to create a sense of familY right awaY — so students feel safe and supported when deadline looms and things get tense.

One of the best activities that I do to build a sense of family amongst the staff begins in June. When the new students who will be joining the staff in September are selected, and before the seniors on staff are gone, we have a large group event. It is the only time that the “old” staff and the “new” staff meet.

Each graduating senior is asked to find his/her “replacement” and looks for a new staff member whose personality is similar to their own — that way we maintain the diversity of styles that is so important for the production of a yearbook. During sixth period, which is the actual yearbook class period, the new staff inductees are notified that they have been selected for the next years’ staff.

They are also notified that they must complete the scavenger hunt/dare list included. The hunt takes the students around campus to different stations. Each year, the scavenger hunt has a theme. One year it was a circus theme.

This year, it was a medieval theme. At each station the student must perform a task, receive a prize and then move on to the next station. In keeping with the medieval theme this year, one station was Court Jester. The inductee had to tell a joke. Upon successful completion, the inductee was given a tattoo. At the next station, the inductees had to joust with pool noodles while riding a steed (scooter). Upon successful completion, the inductee received a crown. It continues on until the last station which, of course, leads the students to the classroom.

When all the students arrive, we sit in a big circle. We introduce ourselves, and then play an icebreaker game. The “old” staff has a chance to share wisdom with the “new” staff, and the “old” staff has a sense of completion

for their involvement in yearbook as they welcome in their replacements. And, of course, the inductees must wear their crowns, tattoos, etc. to school the next day!

This year-end activity is followed up with a one-day Yearbook Camp which happens the week before school starts. It lasts about four hours and takes place in the yearbook room as well. The students arrive and we have a few getting-to-know-you exercises. Then, the new editors share their summer camp experience and reveal the theme for the year. The new staffers have their first chance to brainstorm ideas and learn the “rules” of the family. Then we celebrate with food — since that is a central motivator in the class!

Most importantly, for team building and motivating, is the fact that we always refer to the staff as the NOVA family. Every member of NOVA staff, past and present, tells me that this is the secret to success. We take the time to know each other, treat each other with respect, and then, coach each other. For the first two weeks of class, we have daily activities that are focused on personality sharing, value sharing and developing trust among the staff members.

From this solid ground, we move into creating and taking risks to produce a work of art — together.

NOtE: It’s not too late! If you’ve started the year without taking the time to turn your diverse group into a unified team, make the effort in the next two weeks. You’ll notice a difference in the atmophere almost immediately.

Ask two of your most outgoing, energetic staffers to take on the task of finding (there are lots of great books and you’ll find more icebreakers and teambuilders online than you can ever do) between five and 10 activities that teach/reinforce different ideas in under 10 minutes. Model a quick exercise one day, showing them how you can extract the “moral” from the group once the activity is complete and allow them to run the show for the next week or so.

team-building exercises helpteam-building exercises helpteam-building exercises help


by kRIStEN ORlaNDO

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for more favorite Yearbook icebreakers and teambuilders

like the human knot, go to Yearbooks.biz/go/teambuilders

or use Your smartphone with this enabled tag.


2 , ,

Tip 1: RecRuiT gReaT sTaffeRs.This seems obvious, right? No one looks to recruit lousy staffers. The key, though, is to determine how you define a “great staffer.” Personally, I place a high priority on recruiting kids with positive attitudes and solid work ethics. Sure, I look for strong writers and photographers, but not every kid who writes well makes a good staffer. It’s much easier to teach writing and photography than attitude or work ethic. If I can find a kid who is fun to be with and consistently gives their best, I can work their skills.

I also explain this to my colleagues when I ask them to recommend students. On the form I send to my colleagues, below descriptors like “strong writer” and “responsible,” I have the following sentence: “A positive attitude is a must. Deadlines can be stressful, so no grumps, please.”

2 0 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

1Tip 2: collecT a libRaRy of amazing yeaRbooks as well a few… noT-so-amazing yeaRbooks. It’s important to have yearbooks that exemplify the best in design, coverage, photography and writing. When I teach design, for example, I show examples of effective use of typography or photo packages. When I teach the craft of writing a lead, I read examples from other books. Magazines are another fabulous resource, but students need to see the work of other students. Show them what is possible by showing them examples of what a group of committed staffers can create.

Conversely, get a few books that do not reflect thebest of yearbook journalism. The amazing books show staffers what strong design, coverage, photography and writing are, while the weaker books show why they are important. For example, when I teach the basics of design, I show my staffers numerous examples of beautifully designed spreads. But it’s often not until I show them a spread from a book that lacks strong design that they fully grasp the power of design. They say things like, “I don’t know where to look first.” At which point, I say, “Exactly, and that’s the purpose of good design.” Don’t underestimate the power of a weak book.

Why is it that in some staff rooms there seems

to be more drama and more confusion than

others? Try these three things to make yearbook as

easy as

V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1

,Tip 3: give eveRyone The oppoRTuniTy To be an ediToR.Once you have taught the basics of design, writing and photography and your staff has had ample practice, put their new-found knowledge to the test by letting staffers take on the role of editor.

Give staffers poorly written theme copy and instruct them to re-write, with details specific to your school. Give them feature copy with dull quotes and instruct them to re-write the copy and weave in “quotable quotes” from a variety of students.

Give them a layout design that needs work and instruct them to come up with 10 changes that would improve the layout. Give them a spread full of posed photos and have staffers replace the photos with candids. You get the idea.

The point is, this opportunity to “edit” gives staffers the opportunity to see that they now possess a body of knowledge that they did not only a few weeks ago. It’s empowering for them, and it will make the rest of the year easier for you.

Strategic selection, exposure and opportunity definitely contribute to a more enjoyable year.

3by LanDOn wRathER

w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z2 2 y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

Tired of answering The same quesTions Time and again and noT having a way To besT direcT kids To The resources we had available, i decided To creaTe our firsT sTaff manual several years ago.

Creating a staff manual the first year took a lot of time and effort, but the results have been worth the investment. Students now have a resource full of information that helps them function faster and not waste time hunting down how we do things.

ultimate source of staff

It’s the

Whether they’re looking for dates, digits or policies, it’s there. Style rules? Check. Style palettes? Perhaps. What you include is up to your leadership team.

info by ToM GAYDA

& more


ADViSERSFor access to more great staFF manuals, vIsIt YEARbookS.biz/Go/STAffMAnuAlS or you can use thIs enabled tag wIth your smartphone.

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 2 3V o L U M e 1 5 I S S U e 1

bEYonD THE bASiCS Gayda’s tome at North Central HS (114 pages for 2009-2010) is one of the most detailed and complex staff manuals out there. It’s used by all media students at the Indianapolis, IN school and also serves as a history of the publications programs. In addition to staff policies and classroom rules, the manual includes style resources, job descriptions, guidelines for travel on staff trips and more. For some of Gayda’s materials and those shared by other advisers, use your smartphone with the enabled tag on page 22 or go to yearbooks.biz/go/staffmanuals.

I took some time and reviewed staff manuals in use at other schools and quickly realized they would never work for my staffs. There was nothing wrong with the other manuals, they just lacked the “fun” that I decided ours would need.

So, besides the components that you would expect to see in a manual: editorial policies, codes of ethics, how-to’s and various resources, I also made the manual an almanac of North Central publications.

I added a photo album, lists of all past editors-in-chief and staff members and a history of our publications.In addition, I made the

manual full-color. In order for kids to see the value in using the manual, I knew it would need to be valuable to them.

As part of each senior’s final final exam, I ask those students to offer any suggestions for changes they would make in the staff manual. They are also able to offer advice to future staff members that I include in the manual.

After five years, the manual has struck a nice balance between important information and entertaining content to create something students use as a resource and keep as a memento.

the staff manual has become the textbook for all publications. each year it is updated to reflect any policy changes we have made and to add new examples of great work and ideas.”

“


decembercoverage of one acts january

auditions

rehearsals

TO lEaRn mORE abOuT mClEan hIgh SChOOl’S TEam aSSIgnmEnTS anD

ORganIzaTIOn mEThODS, gO TO: www.yEaRbOOkS.bIz/gO/

gETTIngORganIzED

becomes even more important when coverage strategies require rethinking the way work is completed.

by mEghan PERCIVal

THE CLAN, mClEan (Va) hS

wITh ThE TEam aPPROaCh, a SPREaD IS nO lOngER juST OnE PERSOn’S jOb — IT’S ThE

TEam’S jOb. ThE bEnEfITS Of ThIS aRE many:-more ideas for how to best cover a topic

-better coverage of events-more people editing the spread,

so if someone cannot cover an event, others can help pick up the slack

-spreads don’t “fall through the cracks.”



january (cont.) february march

rehearsals

opening night

encore shows

When my staff decided to tackle a chronological book for the first time, We kneW We needed to rethink our staff organization. While We moved to a team approach out of necessity, the results Were so positive We noW can’t imagine doing a book any other Way.

The biggest change when moving to the team approach is that instead of assigning one spread to one staffer, each spread is assigned to a team. Since several staffers work together to brainstorm coverage ideas, conduct interviews, write copy and captions, take pictures and design, the spread shouldn’t just be good — it should be amazing! Everyone on the team proofreads before the spread ever goes to the copy editor or EIC, allowing us to catch problems early.

Our coverage of events has improved dramatically with the team approach. For example, in covering the spring musical one member of a team covered auditions, several team members attended rehearsals,

two team members took pictures at the dress rehearsal and a different team member attended each of the four performances. Comprehensive coverage like this rarely occurred when we assigned spreads to just one staffer — thanks to the team approach, it’s become the norm.

An important part of implementing the team approach is having strong team leaders. Team leaders know at all times the progress that is being made and work with EICs to troubleshoot problems. They were also responsible for leading brainstorming sessions and delegating jobs.

Teams are a powerful motivating force for staffers. Since no one can be considered “done” until all of the spreads assigned to their team are complete, there is significant positive peer pressure for everyone to pull their weight. In addition, yearbook sales contests, deadline awards for the first team finished and a

spirited Yearbook Olympics competition between teams allows team members a chance to work together and have some fun along the way.

We now can’t imagine doing a book any other way.”

“


For decades, the best yearbooks had themes that uniFied each volume and distinguished it From others at the same school. both visually and verbally, the theme created unity, appearing on the cover, endsheets, opening, dividers and closing.

When it came to themes, the development tended to be very literal. Sections were generally renamed with a consistent repeating phrase (Here’s to life, Here’s to learning, Here’s to competition, Here’s to involvement, Here’s to you) or by using phrases including key words from the main theme to label the various sections. For example, a book with the theme “Going all out” might include sections titled Outstanding, Out and about, Work it out, Say it out loud and Without a doubt.

SOUVENIRS, JamES F. ByRnES HS, Duncan, SC In a textbook example of theme development, the staff expanded on the word “us” from the theme, “It’s just us” to create titles for the traditional sections of the book. After titling the sections adventuroUS, focUS, strenuoUS, curioUS, spontaneoUS and momentoUS, the staff used the hundreds of other words ending in US to create a textured bar of type on the cover and endsheets.

some people use the Words “theme” and “concept” interchangably, While others see a distinct diFFerence betWeen

the tWo. it’s true that both are types oF Whole book uniFiers. and they’re not alWays mutually exclusive.

y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 2 7V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1

In contrast, a concept would be developed using less of a formula. There’d still be a set of visual identifiers, and the sections might be renamed. But instead of using some linguistic pattern to name the sections, the staff would find words or phrases centered around the main idea or concept.

Using the concept of credit cards, one staff adopted “We Take Credit” and titled its sections Master the possibilities, The rewards are endless, Membership has its privileges, Don’t leave home without it, It pays to discover and Everywhere you want to be. As more staffs began to use concepts rather than

AERIE, BREntwOOD SCHOOl, Los Angeles, CA After the cover proclaimed “Where Brentwood happens,” it makes sense that the yearbook might not use traditional sections. Instead, the book has been divided into the various locations on campus where Brentwood happens. The endsheet’s aerial photo is layered with smaller photos of the quad, the theater, the classroom, the field and other areas which now represent the sections of the book.

themes, it became clear that a concept might also be a factor in the reorganization of the yearbook’s sections. Logically, “You Think You Know, (ButYou Have No Idea)” had two sections and “Tri,Try Again” was a three-section book. In addition,a concept can also affect a book’s coverage plan or strategy.

In reality, there’s a continuum between a pure theme and a book that’s completely conceptual. It’s becoming more and more common to develop a theme conceptually or use a thematic approach on a concept.


Rather than argue the semantics of theme versus concept, it probably makes most sense to agree that however the unifier is developed, it should relate to the school and to the year. Using concrete details to tie the theme to the school and images that scream the theme will emphasize the many ways the theme fits.

It’s important that the main idea is strong both visually and verbally, and the impact is clear to the readers.

LACONIAN, SalEm HS, Salem, VA While students in English classes may be accustomed to toting an anthology of work from class to class, few give much thought to the meaning of the word. The Laconian staff saw a collection of authentic and engaging stories as their goal and adapted the fitting label and accompanying tagline “the story of us.” In some ways, the volume’s development is absolutely thematic; traditional sections prevail and they’re labeled using only the section name as a read-out of the header “the story of” creating a list: the story of student life, of academics, of clubs. Clever conceptual development is apparent throughout as well. The retro yet almost timeless pattern hinted on the cover and introduced on the endsheet inspired an array of designs that led readers through the book, alongside rich colors and decorative fonts. In addition to adding layers of coverage to content spreads, the staff incorporated jump coverage with beautiful openers, full-spread profiles and other formats into the coverage medley. The impact is significant — and the stories of Salem have been captured for all time.

tHEmECOnCEPt

And decisions like changing the number of sections in the book or altering a coverage plan have the most impact when they are driven by the theme/concept rather than based on a whim.

There’s no consensus on whether a theme or a concept is most powerful, because it’s the development of the idea that wields power and impact. Everything about a well-developed theme/concept should be a decision based on strengthening the message of the unifier.

y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 2 9V O L U M E 1 5 I S S U E 1


While this system isn’t at all fool-proof, We’ve developed a plan that Works — as long as your staff continues to folloW it throughout the year.

Our school (as I’m sure most of yours do) has a server to which everything is saved. On occasion, the server has failed or bumped us off while we are working or uploading photos. To curb that, we have become religious about saving everything to the desktop first. We plug in the camera, Adobe Bridge starts up, and we create a folder on the desktop, saving all the new photos to that folder. (If you don’t already use Bridge to organize and look through your photos, you should check into it!)

Once the photos are uploaded, unplug the camera, and delete all the photos from the camera. (Another important tip that keeps your system efficient: Train your students to delete all images and format the memory card every time they upload!) Then begins the organization process. We have a folder on the server called “Photographers” which contains a separate folder for every photographer on staff. Within each student folder, are other folders labelled by event, activity or topic. The first step is to drag the folder on the desktop that you saved with, let’s say, pictures of homecoming into the student’s folder onto the server.

Open Adobe Bridge and open the folder in Bridge. To “batch rename” all the photos in that folder, select all the photos and choose “batch rename” in the tools tab, which will rename all the pictures at once. We save them as event name, underscore, photographer, underscore, and the number of the picture (ie: homecoming_novom_001.jpg). Once you have done that, all your photos in the homecoming folder will be renamed and organized.

Every photo in the photographers’ folders is an original. Do not edit them, do not rename them, do not crop them in these folders. Once you find some photos that you want to use on the spread, copy them into the folder with the InDesign file. As you can see in screen shot 2, for the spread on “September Splash-Field” we have pictures from four different photographers on that spread (Messinger, Mengenstab, Mayerson and Bernstein). The photos you copy into the folder with the page file are the copies of the image that you open in Photoshop, where you can crop and edit to your heart’s content. And once you finish editing them, do not rename them. Just save them as they are in this folder (remember, you still have the originals saved in the photographer’s folder).

Lastly, to keep track of which pictures you have used in the book (inevitably you and your staff won’t remember in March what photos you placed in September), mark the original photos (in the photographer’s folder) red so you know that they have already been used. While this method is not 100% fool-proof (just look at screen shot 2 and you’ll see several variations on the simple task of renaming their photos), it’s as close as anything I can think of. My staff and I have been using this method for the past few years and it’s worked wonderfully.

properly

With the advent of digital photography, people are taking more and more pictures

without the repercussions of cost. Translated into yearbook-speak: At the end of any given

week, month or year, your staff will have thousands of photos to sort through in order

to find that one perfect picture.

There has never been more of a need than

organizeyour

photosnow to

by MarK noVoM

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 3 1V o L U M e 1 5 I S S U e 1

AERIE, BrentWooD schooL Los Angeles, CA Screen shots above show the system in action. From the folders established for each deadline, there’s further division by spread. Each spread’s folder begins with the page number and includes all images being considered for use on the spreads — as well as the information necessary for accurate photo credits. Once an image is included on a spread, it’s tagged in red in the photographer’s folder, alerting others to avoid duplication.

photos

for some fun, mind-bloWing folder organization, check out this video:http://tinyurl.com/37rdmm8


screen shot 2


We recently learned that three HJ yearbooks and a pair of marketing projects have been recognized by Printing Industries of America. The Premier PrinT AwArds is The indusTry’s mosT PresTigious inTernATionAl PrinTing comPeTiTion. Judges awarded Resumé 2010 from George Walton Academy in Monroe, GA and the Herff Jones

Experience promotional campaign which included brochures, eBlasts, videos and web animation the Award of Recognition, which honors top finalists in each category. In addition, Blue & Gold 2009 from UC-Berkeley; Westwind 2009 from West Henderson HS in Hendersonville, NC; and Ideas that Fly, Volume 15 each received a Certificate of Merit.

LOVE THIS!LOVE THIS!

YBK ETC.

when consTrucTion forced The Log yeArbook sTAff AT columbus (in) norTh hs To liquidATe some bAck volumes lAsT yeAr, The sTAff brAinsTormed whAT To do And cAme uP wiTh “The world’s lArgesT yeArbook yArd sAle.” They scheduled their sale for two hours before the start of the Homecoming game, contacted the local paper and aired public service announcements on two local radio

stations. They spread the word via Facebook and the school’s website as well as the student media website. The business staff tiered prices based on decades: the lowest price was for the books from the

1920s through the 1950s – $20 in “as is” condition and the books from the last four years commanded the highest price: $70. Setting up a table across from the Athletic Boosters Hog Roast booth, adviser Kim Green reports that the staff really went

all-out with it, and the result was awesome. They made over $3,500!

But, according to Green, the best part had to be the stories folks told the kids about how they were so grateful they could get a book they couldn’t afford to buy in high school, or about how they lost their books in a flood, divorce, move, etc., or about how they were going to surprise a father, sister, friend, daughter with it for a birthday or Christmas gift. One guy, who was a local history buff, paid $1,000 cash for 40 books from different years! “In a tough economy, the process was a sweet boost to my kids’ budget and their morale!” said Green. “And because the kids did the work, I just stood around and smiled a lot!”

GREAT IDEA!WHAT A

3 2 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

The staff really went all-out with it, and the result was awesome. They made over $3,500!”

HERE’S A COOL CLASSROOM ACTIVITY!

<<

>>

“

HERE’S A COOL CLASSROOM ACTIVITY! Yearbook advisers use

all kinds of interesting techniques to motivate

their staffs. trY this interactive quote wall to

encourage fun discussions among staffers.>>

also be sure to check out the papercraft Yerd

included on the inside of the outer cover. assemble

<< and enjoY!

Carefully cut out each shape.Use a cutting utensil to make slits on the labeled dotted lines.Assembly tip: Tape comes in handy to keep tabs in place.Check out our website for more papercraft yerds!

PAPERCRAFTYERD STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Optional ponytail!(fold in half and place on head)

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discoveries vol15 issue 1

Documents

herff jones yearbooks

herff jones logo

yearbook adviserjames

r b o o

yearbook yard sale

adobe photoshop cs5

adobe illustrator cs5

adobe indesign cs5