Questions and Answers

Samantha Nix

1) Why do you think schools are getting rid of their yearbooks?
I think that college students do not know the difference between the typical college yearbook and the typical high school yearbook. High school yearbooks are really "picture books" and we value these because you can see the passing of age more overtly when you're young. But college yearbooks are really like big magazines about the past year, so it features a bigger picture of student life that is so valued in America. Perhaps if more people understood this, they would keep their yearbooks as keepsakes, or as coffee table books.
Of course, there's the obvious issue of payment. Some university yearbooks charge their students to receive the book. At Southern Miss, for full time undergraduate students who attended in both the fall and spring, the book is fully paid for through the student activities fee. I believe that some students feel that a yearbook may be a foolish thing to pay for, in light of needing a better education. Of course, I would counter that education does not occur simply through a classroom, and what makes American universities special is the existence of a vibrant student life, which is only recorded in a long term manner through yearbooks.

2) What is needed to keep a yearbook running? Funding, good staff, support from the school (anything else you can think of)? Which is the most vital?
In short, yes, you need money, a staff of diverse students, knowledge of how to create the book, etc. The most important aspect, however, is passion. Staff workers must be passionate about their university and their education. After all, they have to spend all that time working on it! I have found that the most passionate staff members not only stick around, but are Southern Miss's biggest fans. On the other side of that, the administrative and student passion for the yearbook is key. Administratively because that provides us with funds, and student passion, because that provides us with the cause for service. When our staff sees that people -want- and -look forward- to their book, it makes us strive to produce the best we can.
Another important aspect is both knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge because yearbooks are more complicated than ever: we use the same programs as contemporary graphic designers at magazines, newspapers, etc. and we expect the same photo and reporting quality as what is used in more mainstream medias. Obviously, without becoming educated in how to use the programs, write well, compose pictures, we couldn't do our jobs well. Also, our staff needs to be knowledgeable about Southern Miss. We can't possibly capture our yearly story without being "in the know" about what's going on at the university and knowing who/how to contact people. On the other hand, our staff needs wisdom, especially in the managerial positions. We are completely student run, which means that you'll often have sophomores managing freshmen, etc. Therefore, students not only become knowledgeable about their individual parts of the yearbook, but they begin to cultivate experiences that will help them communicate, negotiate, follow, and lead others. They also learn how to manage their time, survive hardships that they think they can't overcome, and how to work with a diverse set of people. These are skills that cannot be taught in a classroom effectively.

3) How can a school better keep a yearbook successful? / 4) What is the importance of a yearbook in a school?
Universities need to care about their yearbooks, and recognize them for what they are. Most view yearbooks as a passive stack of bound paper, but they are active participants in university life. They celebrate accomplishments, creating a better morale on campus. They act as time capsules for alumni, who may pick them up, remember their times at Southern Miss, and donate money. They act as recruitment tools for prospective students who are interested in what happens at the university. They act as incentive to current students to reach their senior year and be awarded high honors which get them placed in the book. They serve as one of the only student groups which serve to simulate a work experience in the media industry, etc. So universities need to recognize this, and give their monetary and experiential support.

5) Is anything lost when a school gets rid of or does not have a yearbook?
This year, Mississippi State pulled funding from their yearbook. From now on, they will only have their newspaper to document their history. They will not have graduating seniors who take their books home, and flip through them and remember their university in a positive manner.