Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Colfax High yearbook
Colfax High advisor Tina Scholz and yearbook co-editors Zoe Burt, middle, and Jullene Sager head a group of five students producing the school’s annual.
The Colfax High School yearbook staff faces its first deadline just after Thanksgiving for the 2017-18 edition, looking to follow last year’s book which was named a first-place recipient in the American Scholastic Press Association’s annual competition.
Co-editors Jullene Sager and Zoe Burt are back for their senior year, advised by Tina Scholz, working on her 23rd Colfax High yearbook.
The staff of seven students meet daily in yearbook class and in night sessions every month when a deadline looms.
Last year’s publication, like each year, began at camp in August. Five Colfax students went to EWU in Cheney for three days, where they picked the “Our Journey” theme. Along with it, they chose the two to three typefaces to be used.
Burt and Sager began as sophomores on the annual, under editor Doug Willson.
“We just kept coming back,” Burt said.
The two of them manage other activities – babysitting, volleyball, managing softball, playing saxophone and clarinet in band – while seeing to it that proofs of each yearbook section are submitted on time. The publisher’s Nov. 27 first deadline for Colfax is for People, Homecoming, Palouse Empire Fair and Distinguished Young Women.
During a deadline rush, the night sessions can stretch on.
“It’s a lot of Westside Pizza,” said Sager. “It’s good until you’ve had it the third day in a row. Can we get Zip’s now?”
Scholz’ first period yearbook class counts as a fine art credit or career and technical education. The five students in this semester’s class is a small number, with some previous years’ rosters as high as 15-20.
Scholz attributes the difference to schedule changes.
All the while, the work continues. Homecoming Week was particularly full with activity. Part of the students’ grade was to take 20 (useable) pictures per day of Homecoming events.
Yearbook staffs are made up of mainly sophomores and above, although last year freshmen were permitted in Scholz’ class for the first time.
“It should be encouraged for upper-level students,” said Scholz.
“It was the last year she’ll probably have freshmen,” said Sager.
The yearbook kids’ main work is covering events – taking pictures, gathering information from people — and laying out pages, using Adobe InDesign on the computers in Scholz’ classroom.
“Yearbook really helped me be a part of everything,” Sager said. “You’re putting it together, then it comes out in the last week of school and it feels good; I built this.”
Along with layout rules to learn, other rules also apply: No “to be” verbs such as “have,” “had,” “got,” “was,” “been.” No “-ing” words.
“Writing the stories has helped me in English class,” Burt said.
Her first assignment as a sophomore was to build a mock layout spread of the Fair.
Sager was first drawn to yearbook by graphic design.
“I’ve always loved art, and being in yearbook has helped me find another application for it,” she said.
What is the most frustrating part?
“The underclassmen don’t work as hard as you want them to,” said Burt.
“It’s like, I understand where Doug (Willson) was coming from now,” said Sager. “Last year I really developed in my patience as a leader.”
American Scholastic Press Association scores yearbooks on a point system, awarding each a first, second or third-place designation in its classification. For Colfax, it was high school yearbook for an enrollment between 500 and under.
Criteria of grading includes content presentation, general page design, general photography, publication structure and creativity. Colfax scored highest in page design (225 out of 225) and content presentation (345 out of 350).
“We try to use the same rules, same specs each year. We work on consistency,” said Scholz. “I guide the students but I want them to have ownership of it.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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