A Glance Into the Yearbook Club

A picture is worth a thousand words; multiply one picture into over a thousand all in one book. A yearbook holds memories that can last a lifetime. Pennridge High School’s Yearbook Club does extensive work creating the yearbook to ensure that students have the best way to reminisce on their school year memories. Advised by Pennridge teachers, Rachael Pulsfort and Carol Ressler, the Yearbook Club holds its meetings in Room 315. Students must apply to be in the club and apply each fall and spring. There are multiple jobs that students can hold as yearbook club members. Club meetings take place monthly after school and on some evenings. The process of the yearbook creation starts in June. In June, the theme and cover design is selected for the yearbook for the following year. The staff needs to submit 50-60 pages at a time, starting in November and ending in March. Then, a spring supplement is done to cover spring sports and events.

That said, persistent hard work is essential to being a Yearbook Club member. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done outside of school,” says Pulsfort, “students go to events to take pictures and get information, but most of the actual layouts are done on their own time since the yearbook program is web-based. They also need to reach out to people (students and coaches) to get information. Sometimes it takes several attempts, so persistence is important.” The Yearbook Club is very inclusive in the Pennridge community. All clubs, organizations, sports, and events have an opportunity to be featured. This fall, the editors also created some picture contests to get more submissions to our public submission page. The perseverance that is put into creating the yearbook is all worth it in the end. Pulsfort states, “The biggest highlight of the yearbook club is when they are received! There is nothing better than the new book smell when they arrive! It’s a lot of work for not a lot of credit. Yearbook is one of the clubs students can do even if they are all cyber/remote: the program is web-based! I’m very proud that kids are able to stay connected to the school even when they can’t attend classes here.”

Sophia Keddie, who has been on the yearbook staff for three years, has the role of an editor at large. The editor has the role of designing page layouts and ensuring the yearbook meets the time requirements for it to be distributed on time for students to enjoy. The editor at large also picks a theme that fits well for the graduation class. Sophia says, “This year’s theme is the Roaring 20s, hoping to represent the growth we all have faced the last couple years.” The yearbook club allows for all members to be able to go out and take pictures. Taking pictures and picking the best ones is the most important part of the yearbook. It is essential for the yearbook to have candid, authentic pictures. “To make sure we capture true moments, it’s important to make sure people want to be photographed,” says Sophia, “I find it very important that people want to be in the picture. It is also important to get the vibe of the area and activity.” The yearbook club has many time-sensitive deadlines. With the deadlines for picture and pages publication, it is crucial to have balanced time management skills to be a yearbook club member.

The Pennant is responsible for the publication of the school yearbook. The cost for the 2021-2022 yearbook is $83. Students can order their own copy through Josten’s Website. The link is found on the Class of 2022 canvas page. Online orders must be placed by March 3. Supply is limited, so order fast!