Each year, students and parents look forward to having a yearbook that encompasses the entire school year in their hands. The yearbook staff ensures that the final copy held by South students is high quality, Brenda Field, English Teacher and Yearbook Advisor, explained.

The Etruscan Editorial Board and staff, which consists of around 110 selected members sophomores and older, begin working during the summer by planning the theme for the year, and creating bonds with those they will be working with for the upcoming school year. An integral part of the yearbook is establishing a mission statement for the staff to abide by throughout the year, Field explained.

“In our mission statement, we really aim to make the book inclusive,” Field said. “One of [our] foundational ideas is that everybody has a story.” 

To incorporate a variety of voices from South, the yearbook staff dedicates a portion of the yearbook to students’ stories called the ‘People Section’, senior Sakura Honda, Co-Editor-in-Chief, explained. 

“[Many] times [in the yearbook, people] see the same faces over and over again, but the people section makes [it possible for us to] interview anyone we want [and incorporate their voices],” Honda said.

Senior messages, another yearbook section, are photos and notes from parents to celebrate seniors graduating from high school, senior Lauren Chin, Senior Messages  Editor, explained. The skills that are needed to collect the messages, help senior messages editors build experience for the future, Chin said.

“[My position] is a good, happy medium between marketing and design,” Chin said.

Another aspect of the work done by the yearbook staff to create a well-executed book is the positive spirit and collaborative work environment, Chin explained. 

“The atmosphere is [always] very fun, everybody is playing music and talking, [while] also multitasking [to get] their work done,” Chin said. “I have gotten really close with my friends in yearbook because of the environment and the atmosphere. We all really love each other and we are really close friends.” 

To build a strong environment, every Friday is a ‘Food and music Friday’, where the staff plays games and eat snacks brought in by fellow staffers strengthening their bond as a group, senior Sports Editor Abby Muir, explained. 

“There [are] a lot of fun aspects [of making] the book,” Muir said. “We all hang out at the start of class [which is] a lot of fun [and we are able to become more connected because of it].” 

One of the aspects that makes the yearbook such an overwhelming accomplishment is the time and effort spent by all of the members the yearbook staff, Honda said. The determination by the yearbook staff in creating an almost 500-page reflection of the school year helps the yearbook feel larger than others project at South, she explained. 

“[Seeing all of your hard work] in a 490 page book feels bigger than anything else,” Honda said.

After a year of hard work, the final copy held by students and staff is well worth the wait, Field said. This year, the yearbook staff is looking forward to a possible spring delivery, which for many yearbook staff members will be a new experience due to Covid-19 complications in previous years, Field said.

“My favorite moment of the year is being able to see [the finished yearbook] for the first time printed [and] being able to smell it, to page through [it], and touch it,” Field said. “It is magic. I can not compare it to much else.”