Yearbook Survives: New Editors and New Ideas

Students Rachel Knaub ’15 and Shelby Erb ’15 have volunteered to take over current yearbook editor Victoria Alterio ’14’s position after she graduates this May, to the delight of Alterio, who feared that no one would volunteer for the position and that the yearbook would perish.

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Yearbook Club Meeting. Photo by Wilson Billboard

“We did not have an editor, and we could not sign our contract with Balfour Publishing for next year without an editor,” said Alterio.

Wilson’s yearbook has faced tough times in previous years, noted Yearbook Advisor Robin Herring ‘07.

“The existence of the yearbook has been threatened before, mostly due to the lack of staff,” said Herring.

Knaub and Erb’s decision to serve as co-editors will allow the yearbook to continue next year.

While Knaub and Erb do not currently participate in yearbook, they participated in their high school yearbook clubs, and they are confident that Alterio will help them transition into their new positions.

“I am excited about being one of the new editors of the yearbook for the 2014-2015 school year.,” said Knaub.

Knaub noted that her previous yearbook experience persuaded her to volunteer for an editor position.

“Having been an active member in yearbook in high school and even being copy editor for my junior and senior year there, there was no question in my mind about volunteering for the open position here.  I would have felt terrible if the yearbook would have fallen through” said Knaub.

Knaub hopes to attract new members to the yearbook club next year.

“The more people we have on staff, the less time it takes to get everything done. It will run much smoother if more people are involved,” said Knaub.

Patrick Fox ’16, a member of the yearbook club, also mentioned that members can choose when and where to work on their assigned duties.

“The cool thing about it is that you can work on the yearbook anywhere you have internet because the software that we use is universally available. Students can make participation in yearbook work around their personal schedule,” said Fox. “It is incredibly flexible.”

Knaub also mentioned that yearbook allows students to forge great memories.

“I’m looking forward to being back on a yearbook staff because I can honestly say that my best memories in high school came from within the four walls of our yearbook classroom,” said Knaub.

She wants other students to share these amazing experiences.

Alterio and Fox have brainstormed some changes for next year’s yearbook. These changes include appointing individual participants to take charge of specific functions, such as fundraising.

“I am considering something that would represent Evens and Odds, that is thematically representative of traditions, something that is a hail to the original student yearbooks of past years,” said Fox.

He also wants to help encourage students to participate in yearbook.

“We hope to somehow allow graphic design students to acquire college credit for participating in yearbook,” said Fox.

“Participating in yearbook would allow graphic design students to gain practical experience before they leave here,” said Alterio.

Herring noted that adding yearbook to the graphic design curriculum would require student support and increased student participation in yearbook.

“Since Graphic Design is part of the Fine Arts Department, Professor Dickson, head of the department, would need to submit that to the Curriculum Committee and have it passed by the faculty,” said Herring.

“I’ve been trying to get yearbook back in the curriculum since it’s been taken out of the curriculum about 10 years ago,” said Herring.

Herring feels secure about the future of yearbook.

“Now that we had two students step up, I feel a lot better about the future of the yearbook. You don’t really realize you are going to lose something till it’s almost gone,” said Herring.

For more information about the changes to yearbook or to get involved, contact Victoria Alterio at victoria.alterio@wilson.edu.

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