We all know the bittersweet feeling our getting our hands on a yearbook hot off the press at the end of the year. Waves of nostalgia take over as we see pictures from some of the most memorable moments of our year and emotions run high ass the feeling of leaving friends behind, or being the one left behind, become real in our minds. But what about the process of making this treasured book? The hours, days, and even months of work that go into its creation and distribution? I sat down with Quinn Tucker, a staffer of The Islander, and asked her how the yearbook’s production and being a part of the committee changed her.
What is your role and how long have you been on The Islander?
I’m the editor of the SAS yearbook, and I have been on The Islander staff for the past two years of my high school career.
What made you join the yearbook team?
I joined the yearbook committee because I really wanted to be a part of a close-knit and co-operative community within SAS. I have also always been interested in design and layout, and yearbook combined both, so I decided to try it out. I have been at SAS since elementary school, and yearbooks have always been my favorite memory of each year. I became intrigued by the prospect of making something like that happen.
What has been the most challenging part being an editor and what has it taught you?
Being a part of the yearbook committee has taught me so much about leadership and working on a team with people of various ages. The biggest hurdle I faced was trying to create a book design that represented all 1200 students and 100+ faculty in our section of the school, and at the same time keep it all in theme with the SAS community and remain visually appealing. Time management was also a killer, with deadlines coming at us from all angles. It taught me to stay organized and responsible—both qualities that will help me when I head to university in the fall.
What made you the happiest / gave you the most satisfaction during the production?
Although, of course, I was so happy with the final product and how everything turned out, what made me the happiest was the family we built within yearbook. The classroom became my home away from home. The people in yearbook have become some of my favorites. I can cry (and have, in fact) with them, laugh with them, and talk about anything with them, and I will miss our bond more than I realize.
Is this something you would want to pursue in college?
I don’t think that yearbooks necessarily are something I would like to work on in the future, but from my two years on The Islander I have found a passion in journalism and would love it look into it further in college and beyond. I also want to keep looking for places where I can find little communities much like the yearbook committee, people with whom I can collaborate on big projects.
THE EYE 