Making a yearbook without being in school sounds like a paradox: but this year, the yearbook class made it possible. Much of the content relies on pictures sent in by students, meaning that the pictures are more personal. Shots of students at home with their friends and photos of teachers with their pets give a never-before-seen insight into the lives of Cypress students and staff.
The yearbook staff has been working extremely hard to contact people through email and social media in order to have stories and photos to fill the pages. “To me the most important thing about this year’s yearbook is how hard everyone is working on it. I want to put out there that it’s hard on a regular year, and now that we’re online it’s even more difficult. But I really think that we’re pulling through and getting it done,” declared Mrs. Monera, the supervisor of the yearbook staff. Contrary to years past when yearbook staff could simply go to campus and take pictures during classes and sports, this year, virtual school has pushed a new approach. The editors have had to get in touch with students they’ve never spoken to before, edit pages and ensure correct names are used, and organize photoshoots. It seems impossible, but the yearbook is actually progressing better than planned. The pages are meticulously designed according to the theme, and students have been helpful enough to fill everything from clubs to summer jobs.
One major tool to collect the content for pages is through online surveys. Often linked through social media pages, students have the option to send in their photos and answer questions in order to be featured. Monera noted, “I was surprised by the lack of participation from students in the beginning of the year. It was a struggle to get responses and pictures from them, but around the second quarter we saw a turnaround. People were really excited to be included and wanted to contribute more.” Due to the efforts of the staff and the new technology, interviews are faster and easier to access.
The big change between this yearbook and those of other years is that this one will be a “year-round” yearbook, which means it will include more of the school year. Before, the book would usually end right at the beginning of the second semester, meaning it excluded any end-of-the-year events such as prom and graduation. This year, the yearbook is extended to include Grad Nite and Graduation day, which will be interesting to document and one of the few in-person events for the entire year. As a result of the timeline change, the book will most likely be distributed in the summer.
In a year as strange as this one, the yearbook will be a hot commodity to look back on. Thanks to the effort of the yearbook staff and participation from students, there is a unique yearbook this year that includes never-before-seen events and behind-the-scenes moments of the 2020-2021 school year.