To feel included, or not to be included; that is the question…

As yearbooks are distributed in June, some students may wonder whether they were included past their standard yearbook photo. 

Some might notice that the picture they wanted in the yearbook the most is simply not there, whereas other people may have all they wanted. This was the case for Glenda DeFabio when she was left in “pain over not being included.” Not only was DeFabio not included in a standard yearbook photo, but she also wasn’t listed as an actual student at the school. Skylar Andrascik, a teacher at KHS and yearbook coordinator, puts an end to the exclusion. “Although it could always be more inclusive, we do include all grade levels and teachers. But I feel that more recognition should go to our special needs population, especially more of our life skills students.” Andrascik’s motive is to better the yearbook community and end the non-inclusive dilemma.

Although a yearbook can be seen as a time capsule for student life, elements of student expression can be censored by the administration

When taking a standard yearbook photo, students need to decide the perfect outfit to wear. Some dress in nice clothing and look very put together, while others don’t care as much and will wear an everyday, casual outfit.

But then there is a small percentage of students who want to make a political or sexuality-related statement. 

Although people are free to wear almost anything they desire in yearbook photos, other things must be taken into consideration when it comes to censorship/appropriateness. Some considerable things can include senior quotes, general pictures in the yearbook, and more. 

Andrascik discusses the precautions taken when it comes to censorship in the yearbook. “A lot of the things that we have to gather like pictures, senior quotes, things like that, do go through administration. They do censor the obvious inappropriate stuff, but they will also try to prevent any type of issues from occurring, such as politics and sometimes the LGBTQ community.”

Creative liberty in the community is an asset to crave in the upcoming yearbook

When creating a yearbook, students and teachers need to decide what the best theme can be. Creating a perfect cover, design, eye-catching fonts, and more, can be the most important thing, along with creating something that people will genuinely enjoy. 

Although it may not seem like the heaviest task to take on, it is one of the most important parts in creating a yearbook. At KHS, students and staff have the opportunity to make a yearbook theme. Not only does this allow them to generate something that they can enjoy in the upcoming yearbook, but it can also be featured as the next theme. 

Andrascik discusses what the true process is in creating and using a theme. “Typically, [before me] it was just thought of by the teacher. This year what I did was I looked through some of the student’s designs and I thought one was actually pretty interesting. It was a tough choice but I definitely relied on the students and their imagination”

Additionally, allowing students and staff to create their very own theme can be a fun, mindless activity. This year, chief editor, Lyla Tanis, created the theme for the upcoming yearbook, which will be announced soon. 

The reality of dedication throughout the yearbook community

When creating a yearbook, the amount of time and effort put into it is truly vital, along with allowing creative liberty to soar. Producing the best yearbook possible involves a difficult progress. There are many rigorous tasks people need to accomplish, along with taking on a lot of responsibility when it comes down to the final days before the publication of the final product. 

Some of these tasks include making sure all the sections are in order, that every student is included, and that everything is spelled correctly with no grammatical errors.

 Andrascik shares the truth behind capturing the life of students and staff. “It’s a lot of time and effort, but it’s also a lot of little things. I’m lucky that I have it as a class so my students do that but I still have to check spelling mistakes and if they’re tagging people correctly, along with making sure that every picture has a caption and that they’re appropriate. Overall it’s just a lot of little things that tend to take up time and effort that you wouldn’t think.”