Last year, the yearbook sold more than 200 copies to non-seniors, 52 to the administration, and, per usual, a free copy for every senior. This year, however, may see a sizable increase in yearbook participation because of the efforts of its new staff.
Junior Anna Eby has taken the helm of the Winona yearbook from Meg Prom ’16 and now manages a staff of 14. More than 300 students had their portraits taken, and 115 pre-ordered copies in the fall.
“We had more people show up to portrait day in one semester than all last year,” faculty adviser Maria Servold said.
Eby estimated 380 people had their portraits taken for last year’s yearbook, while 335 have already taken photos this year, and the second photo day is on Monday.
The yearbook staff doubled this year, requiring an additional $1,500 in funding, doubling the staff’s salary budget and bringing its total use of student fees to $25,000. This takes almost $17 from each student’s $426 allotment per semester to “general fees” listed in the college’s handbook. The fees pay for the yearbook, Collegian newspaper, Tower Light literary magazine, admission to athletic events, health service, graduation cap and gown, and ID card.
Dean of Women Diane Philipp, vice president of student affairs, said the yearbook was once ordered for every student, but too many books were left untouched.
“Not everyone was picking them up,” she said. “We’d order enough yearbooks for every single student, and we’d have 400 left in boxes. They’re very expensive.”
Each yearbook costs $42 to print and deliver to students, but non-seniors can buy them for $5 after student fees. Faculty and staff members pay $50 per book. Mossey Library and the external affairs office each receive a free copy.
Instead of the publication’s editor, Servold had to request funding from the Student Federation last year, because the editor-in-chief position lay vacant after Prom graduated. This year, participation in the new yearbook class has been good. Servold praised the staff’s efforts to design and promote the yearbook, as well.
“It’s a huge challenge in this day and age to make people care about the yearbook because of Facebook,” she said.
The new staff has taken this challenge head on, reaching out online to students through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, and students can now share photos to the staff using the mobile phone app Balfour Image Share. Balfour is the yearbook’s publisher. Eby said students can type “Hillsdale College,” enter the code 706657, and send pictures to the yearbook.
The staff has already laid out some of the first pages and is prepared to print draft copies, Eby said. There’s only one catch.
“We’re still waiting for pictures for a lot of them,” Eby said. “We still do have photographers, but it’s really hard to make sure somebody is going to every single thing.”
Last year the yearbook had an issue with photos appearing under the wrong titles. Eby explained this was because the photos weren’t linked in the files correctly, but the staff plans to avoid the issue by printing out drafts of the pages and using the additional sets of eyes in the office, she said.
Nearly a decade ago, Student Fed decided to have students pay for the postage of the books. This is now the $5 holding charge that all students pays to receive their yearbook order. The end-of-year inventory is only half a box now.
Philipp noted the yearbook held great value with people interested in the school’s past, especially students of alumni who visited her office.
“It’s a pictorial history,” she said.
Students can get their portraits taken and pre-order yearbooks on Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Grewcock Student Union.