Bold colors splash across the pages of this year’s yearbook, breaking tradition and capturing the unique spirit of the 2024-2025 school year. The yearbook team is hustling to meet deadlines, their creativity buzzing in a classroom filled with innovative designs and fresh ideas.
“Our colors are very different from the traditional yearbook,” shared Editor-in-Chief Emily Tu, senior. “It’s completely unique from last year too.”
The journey to create this groundbreaking yearbook began months ago, requiring extensive teamwork and meticulous planning.
Co-Editor-in-Chief Lena Miao, senior, explained their early start: “We began working on it near the end of last year, attended a camp during summer, and even continued at the beginning of this year. We wanted to make an impact with the theme.”
The creative process involves close collaboration with their advisor, Phillip Zamora. The team refines their vision until every element of the yearbook fits seamlessly. “We base a lot of our visuals around our verbal theme, and we talk a lot with our advisor, Mr. Zamora,” Miao added.
Capturing the year’s memorable moments is the responsibility of the photography team. Photo Editor Hannah Lee, senior, described their strategy: “We distribute who takes photos all the time and talk about who’s already been covered. We don’t want to shoot people who have already been covered. Mainly, we try to go to all sports games and events so we have a variety of photos to choose from.”
While Lee focuses on capturing diverse moments, fellow Photo Editor Megan Chan, senior, keeps the team organized and efficient. “I usually assign tasks to other staff members,” Chan said, “but sometimes they take initiative on their own.”
The written content of the yearbook is just as crucial as its visual elements. Copy Editor Alexandra Wakamatsu, senior, plays a vital role in maintaining quality and consistency. “I’m in charge of going over everyone’s spreads and making sure all the writing flows well and reflects what the spread about,” Wakamatsu explained.
Wakamatsu also takes on major writing tasks herself, proudly sharing, “I wrote all the copy for the fashion spread, and I’m really proud of how it turned out.”
Motivation is key to meeting tight deadlines. Tu shares how they stay on track: “We’re split up into mini groups, and most of the time we’re motivating each other by assigning work that keeps us busy instead of just sitting there. By having things to do, it keeps us motivated to finish the deadlines.”
The yearbook staff’s dedication is evident in every spread, photo, and line of text. With months of hard work, this year’s yearbook will not only preserve memories but also present the 2024-2025 school year as unlike any other.
