The class of 1975 was the first and only University class to graduate without publishing a yearbook. Three weeks ago, however, the class of 2008 almost became the second.
At the beginning of this semester, the senior class received an e-mail from Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) Office Coordinator and Yearbook Committee Advisor Lisa Hendrix that ended on a rather ominous note: “Several attempts have been made last term to put a [yearbook] committee in place. Unfortunately, the response was very poor and therefore if we do not get enough students to join the committee, a yearbook will not be produced this year.”
But, sitting in Hendrix’s office at 9 a.m. this past Friday morning, there was no trace of this note’s desperate tone. The student yearbook editors, Alicia Collen ’08 and Sara Green ’08, were already awake and discussing layout ideas.
Although the yearbook, which is titled “Olla Podrida,” Latin for “rotten pot” or “mixed pot,” is currently on its way to yet another successful publication year, Hendrix noted that the situation had indeed been precarious. She said that during the past few weeks, she had been keeping her fingers crossed that 10 enthusiastic seniors would volunteer for the committee. Hendrix speculated that the lack of interest was probably due to the fact that many students do not even know that the University publishes a yearbook.
“The awareness was just not there,” Hendrix said. “The class is just not aware that Wesleyan produces a yearbook.”
Some students’ reactions verified this reasoning.
“The yearbook, what’s the yearbook?” said Cam Maloni ’09. “Why would you buy a yearbook?”
This lack of awareness, however, was not for lack of notification. While Hendrix was on maternity leave during the Fall ’07 semester, her stand-in, Mickie Dane, sent three separate e-mails to notify seniors about the yearbook committee.
Latonja Sinckler ’08, a member of the yearbook committee, was not shocked by this lack of response.
“Most people have a habit of ignoring all-campus e-mails,” Sinckler said.
Since Hendrix sent her last dire e-mail, a yearbook committee comprised of eight seniors and two underclassmen has been formed.
“[I] worked on the yearbook committee back in high school,” Sinckler said. “In total I received four yearbooks, one for each year, and like to look back on them every once in a while. I believe I felt that I wanted to have the same sentiments with regard to my college yearbook.”
Sinckler underscored that yearbooks are an important way of remembering valued times spent in a certain location.
“A yearbook is simply a commemorative volume of your year or years at an institution,” she said. “Is there something more [worth commemorating] about high school than college? If your answer is ’yes,’ than I’d say you probably haven’t spent your time wisely.”
Not all students shared Sinckler’s sentiment, however. Some noted that a yearbook seems juvenile and superfluous for a college-age student body.
“I don’t think [Wesleyan] needs a yearbook,” said John Gottfried ’09. “It’s more of a high school thing. I think you can remember your time in college without a yearbook.”
While Hendrix plans to increase publicity of “Olla Podrida” this year with all-class e-mails and notices to WesBoxes, the committee will continue to publicize to parents with mailed notices.Publishing of the yearbook is funded partially by the University and partially paid for by the profits themselves. Maria Hwang ’08, also a member of the yearbook committee, estimated that two-thirds of seniors would purchase the book.
The class of 2008’s yearbook will be sold for $55. It will feature pages for every student group as well as a section dedicated to 2008’s freshman year. The book will also include a page dedicated to Chase Parr ’10. Although Parr wasn’t a member of the class of 2008, Hwang explained that the committee deemed the tribute appropriate because so many were affected by her presence at the University.
For next year, Hendrix plans to start the campaign to educate the class of ’09 a bit earlier. Rather than wait until they are seniors, she intends to start sending out e-mails at the end of this semester to keep students in the know.
Due to the many contrasting opinions on the issue, Hendrix suggested that a good compromise would be to allow each graduating class to decide for itself whether it should have a yearbook.
“We should poll the juniors,” Hendrix said.
Along with choosing whether or not to make a yearbook, Hendrix emphasized that each year can also use the format of its yearbook to creatively express its class identity. While the class of 2006 chose an image of North College in a traditional matte to represent its Wesleyan experience on the cover of its yearbook, the class of 2007 decided on what appeared to be Photoshopped Muppets.
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