This school year has been like no other. COVID put a halt to many of the typical plans that would occur throughout the year, and everyone has had to change course to keep these plans going, granted in a slightly different way. The yearbook has adapted to these changes by finding unique ways to work virtually on a typical hands-on project.

A challenging feat, the yearbook staff work tirelessly to supply the school with a hard copy memory of the latest year at Seattle Preparatory School. The amount of time the yearbook requires to develop, publish and manufacture takes an entire year. It requires rigorous planning, development, and skill. Consequential to this, the yearbook staff is chosen months in advance, with applications being released at the end of the year and accepted by the start of the yearbook boot camp. This boot camp begins in the summer. During this boot camp, the staff bond as a group and discuss ideas for the next yearbook. At the camp, they determine what the theme should be of the yearbook. Every year the theme of the yearbook is always one word to encapsulate the idea they want to tell the story of the year. Last year the staff selected “Elevate” as their theme. After the camp ends, the newest members of the group officially become a part of the Seattle Prep yearbook staff.

This year has been incredibly unique from other years, and the zoom calls have put the staff at a disadvantage in what Mr. Danielson calls, “work that is all hands on.” COVID-19 has put a significant delay on the creation of this yearbook. However, the staff have been fully able to push forward through this experience and have managed to make this year’s yearbook like no other.

In a normal year, the yearbook is around 180 pages, with typical themes that would be present in other yearbooks. For this year, the pages about spring sports will be added as an extension to the yearbook set to be released in the summer, subtracting the total page count. However, Mr. Danielson and the staff have been able to make this yearbook far more unique than any other year, going on the record saying, “We are having eight pages about the experiences of corona, everything with pets, hobbies, cooking etc.”

Everyone’s high school experience only lasts four years, a short span in comparison to a person’s entire life. The creation of Prep’s yearbook helps to capture these memories so that these short years can be remembered by the people within those memories and people from the future can take a glimpse of the past.

“We are having eight pages about the experiences of corona, everything with pets, hobbies, cooking etc.” These eight pages are being developed from the submissions that the students and faculty of Seattle Prep have responded. Finding ways to make the yearbook different from other years is one of the challenging feats that they must take on; on the other hand, this year they “were getting so much from people we went from four pages to six pages to eight pages.”

The overwhelming response from the members of the school has allowed the staff to creatively explore new ideas in this yearbook to make it one to remember.

Looking back on the past year, the unusual circumstance COVID has put the world in can help the purpose of this year’s yearbook shine above all others.

“The mission is to tell the story of the year,” stated Danielson. Every year, the staff aims to capture all the big events and memories from the 12 months the yearbook tells the story of. There is always something unique about each year, and the yearbook is a platform where those memories are kept. Danielson wants “people 20, 40, 60 years from now to remember that year,” which is accomplished through the creation of the yearbook. Everyone’s high school experience only lasts 4 years, a short span in comparison to a person’s entire life. The creation of Prep’s yearbook helps to capture these memories so that these short years can be remembered by the people within those memories and people from the future can take a glimpse of the past.