When students receive their yearbook each spring, they do not often realize how much work goes into building it for them. The yearbook team hits the ground running from the very first day of the year.

The yearbook class’s advisor, Kate Gooding, put her two cents in on the workload.

“[Making the yearbook] takes the whole school year. As soon as school starts, we start talking about a theme for the yearbook and telling a story for what the year could look like,” Gooding said.

Assistant Editor Rain Peña-Shibata agreed, explaining the more complex aspects of the process.

“We have deadlines to meet and a number of pages due by a certain day. We work until March, and then we start the spring supplement that we add in at the end of the book,” Peña-Shibata said.

However, the extensive editing process takes more than simply correcting writing.

“I do a lot of design work,” Peña-Shibata said. “I make sure that… things are aligned correctly, fit our style and look professional and clean.”

Yearbook staff member Angelo Luchini agreed, mentioning how much time goes into securing photos and visuals.

“Most of the work that goes into building the yearbook is taking pictures of the different activities so we can put them on the page,” Luchini said.

This often requires lots of time outside the classroom attending school functions like sports matches, theatrical performances, club meetings and school-wide assemblies to get as much information and material as possible.

“For me, some of the harder challenges are being able to attend two different sports, events or clubs to take pictures or media because I have a lot going on in my days, especially in the spring,” Luchini said.

As a lead in the spring musical, Luchini has limited time to travel to school events and gather materials for the yearbook. He is often seen around the campus, taking photos and collecting information.

Luchini is one of many students who dedicate much time and energy to the program.

“[Yearbook takes] a lot of work outside of class. Making sure we find everyone’s strengths and ensure they work together in a cohesive way is a challenge, but I’m proud of the team we have this year because everyone really wants to be here,” Gooding said.

According to Peña-Shibata, the hard work put toward the yearbook pays off.

“I think we’ve found our rhythm, so I’m pretty optimistic about how things will go,” Peña-Shibata said. “It’s really rewarding to watch the whole thing come together and see a physical copy of something that everybody has worked so hard on.”

Peña-Shibata and the entire class believe the 2023-2024 yearbook will be a success, but they hope students will keep in mind the effort put into the project when purchasing it.

“I don’t know if people realize how much hard work really goes into making the yearbook, and I hope that more people will be aware of that. I want people to know that this was made with a lot of hard work and a lot of love on our part, and I hope that people like it.”

Gooding, Luchini and Peña-Shibata all agreed on the familial vibe of the yearbook class.

“My favorite part about the yearbook class is the atmosphere and the big family we create. Everybody in the class is super close and enjoys each other’s company,” Luchini said.

Gooding wants everyone to look forward to the yearbook, noting her excitement about its release.

“I’m really proud of the team that we have. I was really proud of the yearbook we put together last year, and I think the students will like what they’re working on for this next year,” Gooding said.