Idea File Fall 2024

USING A TEAM SYSTEM TO ORGANIZE YOUR YEARBOOK STAFF

TIME-SAVING TIPS FOR NEW ADVISERS

HOW THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CAN HELP REVIVE BUSINESS AD SALES

CONTRIBUTING

Julia Walker, CJE • Olathe West High School, Olathe, KS • 12 years teaching, 7 years advising yearbook • NSPA Pacemaker finalist, KSPA Courage in Journalism Award, JEA Rising Star, All-Kansas and All-American recognitions • Has two children (7 & 4 years old); likes to bake, cook and take care of her collection of plants; her favorite activity is traveling to new cities

AJ Adams • First Flight Middle School, Kill Devil Hills, NC • 12 years teaching theatre arts, 2 years advising yearbook • Featured on Wavy TV 1 0 Excellent Educators series, Theatre Arts program awarded the Voya Unsung Heroes grant, Walsworth Gallery of Excellence • Enjoys karaoke, rollerblading and long walks on the beach – lives in a beach community, and it’s cheaper than a gym membership

Chris Waugaman • Virginia State University, Ettrick, VA • Teaching for 27 years (yearbook 7 years, high school 24 years, university 3 years) • CSPA Joseph Murphy Award, NSPA Pioneer Award, Dow Jones National High School Teacher of the Year, CSPA Gold Key, Lowell Milken Center Fellow • Owns a Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler and tabby cat, and he and his wife, Stephanie, have spent a lifetime fixing up a 1915 home in Petersburg where Elizabeth Taylor once visited Valerie Cook • Notre Dame de Sion High School, Kansas City, MO • 5 years advising yearbook • Walsworth’s Gallery of Excellence, NSPA All- American rating with five Marks of Distinction • Former travel videographer, animator and digital designer, an alumna of Notre Dame de Sion High School and has a big, fluffy Bernese Mountain Dog she occasionally brings to yearbook work nights so students can cuddle with her Mike Taylor, CJE • Walsworth Journalism Specialist & National Accounts Manager • 13 years as award-winning yearbook adviser at Lecanto High School, Lecanto, FL • JEA Medal of Merit, CSPA Gold Key and FSPA Gold Medallion • Co-Host of That Yearbook Podcast — Walsworth Yearbooks Podcast Network (WYPN) • Always check out his shoes

Janice Webb • Rolla High School, Rolla, MO • 16 years teaching, 2 years advising yearbook • Walsworth’s Gallery of Excellence, featured in Possibilities , vol. 10 • Loves visiting national parks, reading and spending lazy summers at home with her kids

Grace Albright • Walsworth Copywriting Intern • Attends Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville,

MO; 2021 graduate of Smithville High School, Smithville, MO

• 3 years high school yearbook, 2 semesters college yearbook • 3 honorable mentions in the Walsworth Photo Contest • Can hold her breath for a minute and a half,

everyone in her family is a musician and she is oddly good at whistling

Cheryl Franzmann, CJE • Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Rep, Pittsburgh, PA • 6 years advising yearbook • 19 years as a sales rep • Enjoys taking walks with her 3-legged dog, beagle

Jim Jordan • Walsworth Special Consultant • 35 years teaching as award- winning adviser at Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks, CA • 27 NSPA Pacemakers/ Finalists, 20 CSPA Crowns, JEA Adviser of the Year and JEA Lifetime Achievement Award • Co-Host of That Yearbook Podcast — Walsworth Yearbooks Podcast Network (WYPN) • Bow tie connoisseur

and cat (yes, the cat walks also), likes to visit antique and thrift stores in search of vintage cameras and ashtrays, spends as much time as possible with her husband, 2 daughters and baby grandson

Corporate Headquarters 306 North Kansas Avenue Marceline, MO 64658 800.265.6795 walsworth.com Sales and Marketing Office 7300 West 110th St., Suite 600 Overland Park, KS 66210 800.369.2965 walsworthyearbooks.com Idea File magazine is published during the school year by Walsworth Yearbooks as a service to schools involved in the production of yearbooks. It is intended to serve as an educational resource, providing readers with timely and informative features on a wide range of yearbook subjects. All contents of Idea File © 2024 by Walsworth. All rights reserved. Idea File is provided free of charge to schools printing yearbooks with Walsworth. Non-customer schools may arrange to receive a copy by contacting their local Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative.

FONTS USED: Built , Roboto , Waulbaum COLORS USED: CMYK | Formula Color Yellow: 2.10.100.0 | F1500 Orange: 0.91.98.0 | F0105 Blue: 98.70.0.24 | F3520 Cyan: 65.0.0.0 | F4315 Green: 20.0.95.0 | F4315

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Zach Field, Danielle Finch

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Zach Field, Sara Hunt, Stephanie Streicher

SENIOR EDITOR Jenica Hallman, CJE

ART DIRECTOR Sara Hunt

Front cover photo by Noah Josephian Back cover photo by Stephanie Streicher

Photo by Julia Farris

TUTORIALS InDesign | Online Design . . . . . . . . . 22 Using Styles for Consistency in InDesign and Online Design Photoshop Fun .................... 24 Cobbing Transparent Objects in Photoshop FEATURES Teamwork Makes the Dream Work . . . 26 Using a team system to organize your yearbook staff. With so many staff structure options, it can be hard to know what will work best. Trial and error taught Julia Walker, CJE, from Olathe West High School that a team system provided the organization, flexibility and fun her staff needed to excel. She offers insight into her process and tips for implementing it in your classroom. Time-Saving Tips for New Advisers .. . 30 As new advisers, you have to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Pulling from her experience as an adviser and now sales rep, Cheryl Franzmann, CJE, gives you tips that will save time, keep your classroom running like a well-oiled machine and eliminate time-consuming processes in favor of efficient hacks. CONTINUED LEARNING How to with Jim Jordan ............ 34 How to Complete Your Theme Package Now: The most effective approach to planning and building your theme from the start. Planning your yearbook starts with a great theme, so you cannot afford to delay completing your theme package. Your theme package acts as the foundation of your book, setting the tone for the entire publication. Award-winning former adviser and Walsworth Special Consultant Jim Jordan provides a step- by-step guide to building a theme package so you can create a yearbook that shines. Teaching Moment . ................ 36 From Zero to $3,395: How the Chamber of Commerce helped revive our business ad sales. When the yearbook’s business ads stopped after COVID, Rolla High School enlisted the help of their local Chamber of Commerce. Yearbook adviser Janice Webb shares how working together allowed Rolla High School to rebuild their business ad sales and generate thousands of dollars in ad revenue. Caught Our Eye ................... 38

YEARBOOK BASICS Editor’s Corner .................... 4 Yearbook Outside of Yearbook: How yearbook translates to college and beyond Middle School Moment ............. 6 Middle School Marketing Strategies That Work Picture This ....................... 8 Photographing the Presidential Election Ask Mike ......................... 14 How Can I Teach My Seniors to Train the Staff Throughout the Year? Five Simple Ideas ................. 16 Great Yearbook Programs Incorporate

Welcome back, yearbook advisers! A new school year brings a new issue of Idea File magazine, brimming with resources to make your yearbook the best it can be. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your journey, we have something for everyone. This volume dives into what it takes to run a successful yearbook program. We’ll explore middle school marketing strategies to generate school-wide excitement along with beneficial community alliances to build your business ad sales. Need help structuring your yearbook staff? A teams system might be just the thing. Mike Taylor, CJE, shares how your seniors can lead the training efforts to keep your staff on track and ensure a smooth workflow throughout the year. From the very first brainstorming session to the final layout, Walsworth is here to equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to create a yearbook that truly captivates your readers. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in with this issue and get ready to create a yearbook that captures the heart + soul of your school!

Interested in writing for a future issue or have suggestions on content you would like to see? Email me at jenica.hallman@walsworth.com . I’d love to hear from you! Jenica Hallman, CJE Senior editor

We’ve brought some of our favorite yearbooks to your classroom with Caught Our Eye. Yearbook adviser Valerie Crook and the Walsworth marketing team went through hot-off-the-press 2024 yearbooks to make sure you have fresh examples of new trends and creative design to get you excited for 2025.

By receiving this publication, you agree to receive communication from Walsworth. To stop future communication, go to walsworthyearbooks.com/optout.

Photo by Esteban Corral

4 | Editor’s Corner

YEARBOOK OUTSIDE EARBOOK Y EAR OF

How yearbook translates to college and beyond

D uring my time in high school, I heavily involved myself in clubs and activities, including band, community service club and student council. My most impactful activity, however, was my four years in yearbook. I excelled in it and had a wonderful time being a part of it. Some of my best friends also participated, and my adviser encouraged us and wanted the best for the entire staff. The lessons I learned stayed with me long after my time on staff ended and extended well beyond the yearbook classroom. Here are some of the lessons I learned and how they have impacted my life since.

Photo courtesy of Grace Albright

Editor’s Corner | 5

Senior Tribute. Olivia Littleton and her parents, Mike and Linda Littleton, walk down the track at Smithville High School for the girls’ soccer senior night in spring 2021. Littleton played soccer for 14 years and was on varsity all four years in high school. While Littleton stopped playing after high school, she is currently a senior at Southern Baptist University. On the Mound. Jullian Watkins pitches the ball at the Smithville High School baseball game on April 30, 2021. Watkins played baseball as the pitcher up until his junior year. Watkins graduated from Smithville High School in the spring of 2022. Checking the Shot. Ella Lehman looks at a photo she took at the 2020 graduation ceremony. Lehman was in yearbook for all four years of her high school career and later ended up being editor-in-chief of the yearbook in the 2021-2022 school year. She is now a sophomore at the University of Arkansas where she studies graphic design. Photos by Grace Albright ADVICE FROM AN EDITOR Once I started college, I recognized a lot of common factors when dealing with different types of people, and I used my experience in yearbook to help deal with similar situations years down the line. While I don’t have the same level of involvement in college yearbook as I did in my high school yearbook, I still use those same strategies today. The most significant activity I currently participate in is marching band. I attend Northwest Missouri State University and am a part of the Bearcat Marching Band (BMB), where I play the piccolo. BMB and yearbook have several commonalities; good, neutral and challenging. Both include people who believe they are better than you at everything. Although plenty of enjoyable people welcomed me, I’ve learned that everywhere you go, you will find someone with a competitive nature trying to outshine you. Yearbook taught me that when these types of people come around, just roll your eyes and move on… sometimes. It may get to a point where someone gets a little too comfortable telling people what to do and may not realize how they sound. Laugh it off, if you can. Time often teaches them better than you ever could. Situations may also occur where you must stick up for yourself and others. Remember how I said some people would change other people’s spreads? Some of the designs needed serious edits. But rather than changing the design without the original designer knowing, coaching the original designer to fix their spread would have resulted in a cleaner spread and the other staff members learning what to do next time. With all of that said, I loved my experience with yearbook. I value the memories I made and it remains the best thing I did in my high school career. No matter where you go, there will always be someone who gets on your nerves. Learn to deal with it and de-escalate tense situations. Communication is your best friend. Once you know how to communicate with your team, everything gets much easier and things move a lot more smoothly. So next time someone is bringing you down, take a deep breath and think about your time in yearbook. By Grace Albright

DIFFICULTIES BEHIND THE BOOK I finally decided to apply for a leadership role and became the social media editor at Smithville High School my senior year. When I got the editor role, I felt so excited and couldn’t wait to start. I quickly learned that although I had a great time and felt good about the work that needed to get done, I sometimes encountered problematic people. Among them were several editors assigned to revise staff members’ spreads. Instead of working through the spread with the original designer, they trashed the design and redesigned it themselves. Staff members sometimes only discovered this when they saw the printed book. There were also a few of our younger staff members who were overconfident in their photography skills and not open to feedback. Those things made life a little difficult at times, but I learned how to deal with those situations and did what I could to make the situation better.

6 | Middle School Moment

Strategies T h at Work

Thanks for the Memories. Yearbook staff Briana Susano-Santiago, her older sister Kiara Susano-Santiago and photography student Kevin Vicente-Paz pose at a soccer game they photographed. This picture was shared on the campus’ social media page, thanking the student volunteer photographers and reminding parents to purchase their yearbook early. Social media marketing and engagement helped keep yearbook sales strong.

O ur school is located in an isolated, rural, coastal community with a huge summer population of visitors and beautiful natural resources. In the two years I have been in charge of the yearbook, we have experienced sales growth that can be attributed to our commercial advertising on our weekly student news productions. Each Friday, our student-produced weekly video announcements air in every classroom and are also shared with

parents in an email blast by our principal. The student-produced announcements are a perfect conduit to promote the yearbook, encourage participation in yearbook-related competitions and sell our ad space. The Origin Story The process of creating student video announcements began with some grant applications for computer editor stations and camera equipment. Paint for our

green screen space was donated by our local Sherwin-Williams, and the school district pays for our WeVideo subscriptions. WeVideo is a browser- based video editing software that allows me to import all the footage into the specific collaborative projects where both the student editor and I can work together on the promo simultaneously. I provide students with step-by-step instructions, including screenshots of how to layer together the footage in the software and utilize the color-keying feature.

Middle School Moment | 7

Lights, Camera, Action. Seventh-grade yearbook students Emerson Glaser and Makena Jensen explain the yearbook manufacturing process in a promotional sales video for the weekly student announcements. Students used WeVideo software to layer greenscreen footage over a screencast of the Walsworth Live Yearbook feature in Yearbook 360. These videos played a large role in increased sales and yearbook awareness at the school.

Follow the Script I provide students with a rough draft script of the essential information needed in the promo. We convert scripts into large paper cue cards for students to read. We film most of our promos in the green screen space with a recorded screencast of flipping through the Yearbook 360 – Online Design Live Yearbook playing in the layer behind the students. Sometimes we brainstorm out more robust commercial spots integrating humorous seasonal parodies or long forgotten, archived pictures of the current eighth graders when they were in sixth grade. We also frequently use repetition and extreme close-ups for comedic effect to make sure everyone can quickly and easily recall the website where they order. In one particularly effective commercial, the student did a funny, overly enthusiastic, used-car salesman type voice each time they stated “ yearbookforever.com .” Students repeated it back and forth to each other in the hallway mimicking that funny voice for weeks and weeks afterward. The Results Last year we added 25 books to our order and still managed to easily sell out of even our overflow books. This year we ordered 50 books over our normal number and are on track to sell out again. Another valuable effect of the commercials students created was a full four spreads of extra parent recognition ad space we managed to sell this year over last year.

Think Outside the Staff The commercial for parent recognition ads this year was created by a group of chorus friends. They shared all the important price points of ad sizes along with the picture limits, but they also emphasized the idea of teaming up with a best friend to split the cost and celebrate their friendship and the accomplishment of making it through middle school. This made the somewhat cost-prohibitive ad space prices much more feasible for our economically diverse population. The production group for the commercial edited in their own personal pictures of their friend group in a variety of contexts to provide an example of the kinds of charming, intimate moments that could be celebrated in a parent recognition ad featuring a friend group of all eighth grade students instead of just one student by themselves. Equipping students with the knowledge and tools to plan, film and edit their own commercials allows them ownership and authorship of the content created. It simultaneously empowers student voice while cultivating a higher degree of investment from an additional group of volunteers. From the video editors, to the kids behind the camera, to the talent reading the lines, everyone involved is more likely to purchase a yearbook or ad space when they have played a role, even indirectly, in the success of our yearbook program. By AJ Adams

Step by Step. Erik Towler, Elias Heyder and Travis McDow from the eighth grade yearbook staff follow the step-by-step instructions for using the Pixlr editor. The staff used the application on featured cut-outs for the portrait pages. These elements added visual interest to the portrait pages. Picture Perfect. Eighth-grade yearbook staffers Dariya Yagina, Kiara Susano Santiago and Maria Haranovich discuss final picture placement on the basketball page during the winter deadline popcorn party. All three girls served on the basketball videography team that recorded every game of the season for coaches and athletes to review. The team also took yearbook photos of the games when not filming. Photos courtesy of AJ Adams

PICTURE THIS:

Picture This | 9

J ust say, “Where do I go to get my credentials?” Don’t say anything else. Don’t say ANYTHING else. Act like you’ve done this a million times before. Remember, he said that 18 to 24-year-olds will determine the outcome of this election. That’s why you are here. That’s why a journalism teacher is here. I kept telling myself this as I turned off Route 1 in Chester, Virginia, pulled into the Brightpoint Community College (formerly John Tyler Community College) campus and rolled down my window to speak to a line of state troopers and police. When I heard then-Senator Barack Obama would stop nearby to campaign in the summer of 2008, I knew this would be worth checking out. It fit all of the criteria for our Prince George High School media team. The location was 15 minutes from our school, and Obama wanted to talk to students about choosing a community college education for their future. He also knew that social media would impact election messaging in 2008. This was the beginning for my students. My first work covering Obama blossomed into coverage of more candidates, local elections, the work of our General Assembly and the New Voices legislation in our state. Yes, campaign rallies can be a little overwhelming for students, but they provide an excellent opportunity for journalists to gain experience following issues that impact them. If the purpose of being a student is to become an informed citizen, then your staff should find a way to cover these issues in your publications.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Photo by Edmund D. Fountain/Newscom

10 | Picture This

DO WE BELONG? First and foremost, yes.

Student journalists are journalists. They may be learning on the job, but they are still journalists. This point has been reinforced time and time again. Students have the same rights as journalists who are paid to report on these events. Students who attend and take photos of the events own the rights to those photos. You can use those photos in your yearbook or publication just as you would with any student activity. The process for acquiring press credentials is the same. In most cases, if you are covering a rally sponsored by a candidate, you obtain your press credentials through the campaign’s website. Unfortunately, this sometimes requires you to sign up for emails and announcements, which will flood your inbox. When an event is about to occur – and it can be on very short notice – you must fill in the media credentials form online. This requires you to input your name, contact information, publication, editor/supervisor, position and your reason for coverage. WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE GET THERE? Most political events are set up the same way now. Here are some things your students can expect. Before the event, the reporter should receive an email saying whether or not they have press credentials to cover it. Encourage your students to print this email and bring it to the event, along with a driver’s license or school ID and their press pass. Most events will have two arrival times for the press, and both are really early. If your team is bringing a video camera and tripod that requires space, look for the media drop arrival time. This could be three to four hours before the event and may require you to leave your equipment and return later. This allows security to check your equipment for anything that could be dangerous. If you are just bringing a camera for still photography, you can arrive when media is allowed to enter. The media will always have a second media-only entrance separate from the public. The general public is not allowed to enter here. Once inside the event, there are usually three areas for media (this is where your students will be). A riser is usually located in the back, directly across from the stage and podium. This riser is typically full of national and local affiliates. Finding space here is challenging. Most of it is marked off with tape for the biggest mainstream media outlets. The second riser is usually on the side, with more space for still photographers. It is typically a good distance from the stage but not as far as the main riser.

On the Record. Royals media staffers speak to a Virginia legislator in his chambers before the 2019 vote on New Voices legislation in Richmond, Virginia. The staff frequently visited and photographed individuals running for office or in office. The experience developed important journalistic skills . Photo by Chris Waugaman

A Historic Campaign. At a campaign stop at Booker T. Washington, in Virginia, 2020, presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks before Super Tuesday. This would be the last rally before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person events. Biden went on to win the Democratic nomination and named Kamala Harris as his vice presidential pick. Photo by Carter Marks

Picture This | 11

WHAT IF WE CAN’T GET THERE? During the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 campaigns, my students were very fortunate because both parties felt our state was in play, meaning candidates would likely visit to try to turn the purple state red or blue. But what should you do if no one comes to your backyard because it consistently votes one way? There are resources available for your journalism staff to use for coverage. If you locate a photo on a government site, that photo is owned by you, the taxpayer. Since you paid for that photo, feel free to use images from a .gov site of former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic candidate at this magazine’s time publication, from their time in office. Both the Republican candidate and likely Democratic candidate have been in office in the White House, leading to more available photos for you. Many government agencies have user profiles on Flickr , where you can freely download photos for your own use. If you want photos of candidates at rallies, check out the resource started by some advisers with the National Scholastic Press Association and the Campaign 2020 Photo Exchange. This is also a great opportunity to use the power of social media to reach out to other staffs covering the campaigns to see if you can use their photography. JEADigitalMedia.org has a list of staffs who are online.

A Message to Americans. Speaking at the St. Charles Convention Center, President Donald Trump delivers a speech to Missourians on Nov. 29, 2019, in St. Charles, Missouri. He spoke about his administration’s plans to support small businesses and rural America. Trump won Missouri’s 10 electoral college votes with 56.8% of the vote. Photo by Matthew Schott

12 | Picture This

Future Leaders. The media team from Prince George High School poses for a photo on the steps of the Virginia General Assembly. This happened during their visit to Richmond, Virginia, in January 2020. Their school’s location allowed them to meet local and national candidates . Photo by Chris Waugaman

WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW? The election is just a few short months away, so plan now. First, find out who on your staff is interested in following this topic. If you don’t have someone invested on staff, maybe you can ask some of your history and government teachers if they know of any top students who would want to help out.

Like any other story or topic, after you assign reporters, develop a plan for coverage, layout and publication. Have a list of contacts and websites that your reporters and editors can contact now to plan for the end of summer and fall. Reach out to the local offices of your state senators and members of Congress to see if you can interview them early. Once you have local contacts, they can assist you when the national candidates visit.

Photo by Chris Waugaman

HOW DO WE STAY OBJECTIVE? HOW DO WE STAY SAFE? One of the biggest concerns that our staff always has at the forefront of our discussion is how to cover both parties. Once we covered President Obama, we immediately kept our eye on Senator McCain’s group in 2008 and Senator Romney’s group in 2012. We were able to attend events for both of them and also for Vice President Mike Pence. It was important for our reporters to show our community that we were covering both sides of the election. The media is often mistrusted in today’s political climate because the public believes journalists fail to listen to their concerns. Challenging conspiracies or unsupported claims is okay, but as a journalist, it is important to still listen to the person you are interviewing. If you ask informed questions, you will hopefully get informed responses. Just remember, you are in the business of journalism, and the candidates you cover are in the business of public relations. If you can cover the voter rather than the candidate, it generally helps in many ways. How? Because the voter is local, part of your community and typically shares the same concerns as anyone who works and studies in your building. Find the local voter and talk to that person. If you plan to cover anything where groups could be hostile towards people of different beliefs or the media covering the event, please keep these thoughts in mind. Students should never go to a rally alone. Always go with a friend, editor or adviser. I have had students who have been part of a media group jeered at for simply being reporters. It was important they knew they were not alone. Above all, remember that this is a tough business. When you attend your first rally or publish your first spread on an election, give yourself room for growth and mistakes. You are covering history, and few people can say they have had the chance to report on a presidential election. By Chris Waugaman

Meet the People. Senator Bernie Sanders addresses the crowd of supporters on March 2, 2020, in Richmond, Virginia. This was Sanders’ second consecutive run for the democratic nomination, though he is an Independent. He previously ran in 2016. Photo by Madison Bailey

On the Campaign Trail. Vice presidential candidate Mike Pence addresses the audience at a rally in August 2016 at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for presidential candidate Donald Trump. Pence and Trump won the 2016 election. They ran again on the same ticket in 2020. Photo by Kattie Iwanski

IF YOU PLAN TO TAKE PHOTOS, HERE ARE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS: 1. Bring a zoom lens (70-200 mm) and a wide-angle lens (15-30 mm) 4. Never use flash. Security isn’t too kind to big distractions. 5. Try to shoot in manual. The stage

6. Remember, your smartphone has a great camera too. Use your phone to get close-up shots of all that makes a rally visually appealing: signs, logos, crowds, etc. 7. Bring business cards to hand out to anyone who wants to follow your coverage. You never know what kind of connection you might make. 8. Avoid selfies. Remember, you are there to work. You are not there as a fan.

or one with a wide range. You will need the 200 mm distance if you are on the riser. 2. Bring a small, one-step, foldable step stool. This will allow you to shoot above the crowd. 3. Bring multiple SD cards and

will have plenty of lights for the rest of the media, so you should be in good shape. A standard shutter speed setting of 1/125, aperture at f/3.5 and ISO on auto should work. If your f-stop can only go to f/5.6, you could set your ISO to a high number.

batteries. You never want to run out of storage or power on a long day.

ASK MIKE Q A What are the best ways to train staff throughout the year? I would always look for my seniors who could train everyone all year long. Q & A

How can I teach my seniors to train the staff throughout the year? L et’s be honest: training a yearbook staff is a lot of work. But who’s responsibility is it, really? Yes, as the adviser, you need to guide your staff,

Let’s start at the beginning of the year: we went to camp, and my new editors-in-chief had a mentee they would mentor constantly. They were who I was looking at for future years – two or three years out. Seniors did the fall part of the book and juniors did the spring portion, so I was constantly training someone. I wanted my seniors working all the time, whether creating content in the fall or training in the spring. They trained the upcoming staff and told them all the ins and outs of the book, which also helped with senioritis in the spring by keeping them busy. So I buddied up my seniors with younger students for year-round training.

but one of the great byproducts of student publications is the leadership skills it develops in students. We sat down with Walsworth

system work? Q A

How does the buddy

Yearbooks National Accounts Manager and Journalism Specialist Mike Taylor, CJE, an award-winning former adviser, to talk about how

This may backfire, but I just picked people. There are personality profile tests and color profile tests you can use, like if you pair an orange person with a green person and a green person with a blue person. I do believe in them, but I also believe in saying, “You and you work together.” I am not asking you to get married or go on a date; I just need you to get the job done. If you can’t work together, we’ve got a problem. In real life, we have to work with people we don’t like sometimes. Humor and fun go a long way, so I did bonding games a lot. It might be something as simple as a Florida snowball fight, which is wadded up paper being thrown at each other with questions. I know it sounds really silly, but one of the games I would play was Duck, Duck, Goose with my seniors. They loved it, I loved it and we bonded.

your seniors can provide year-round training to your staff.

Ask Mike | 15

Q A

Q

How does receiving input from a summer workshop differ from receiving input from your adviser? The adviser is almost their parent. When they say something, it’s in one ear and out the other. But when they hear the same thing from a different person, they understand it. That’s why workshops and training events are so important, and also why it helps to have your seniors training your underclassmen.

What should your staff focus on at different times of the year?

FALL: My seniors trained everybody on things like how to set up a grid and the ins and outs of InDesign ® or Yearbook 360 – Online Design. They also trained younger students on how to look at a design in a magazine. I still taught one or two days a week, especially at the beginning of the year. I showed them type and headline design and let them observe, and then they would collect inspiration pieces, put it on a wall and recreate spread designs. We also talked about the theme and asked questions like, “Is this the story we want to tell?” and “Is this the story we’re going to tell?” while they were out gathering that story. You don’t start in November. You start BEFORE day one by gathering football practice pictures, cheerleading practice pictures, pre-season football games and more. WINTER: Constant work, constant work, constant work. The seniors check on each section’s editors; they guide their section, and I stand back, watching, answering questions and guiding them as needed. SPRING: The second the book was finished, I let everybody play for about a week. We had a party, watched a movie and then started training again. I started back at square one and got my seniors to do most of that training. They trained all the newbies and showed them how to collect designs and get theme ideas. The seniors sat beside their mentees while they did their fake layout and mock-up of a theme project I assigned each spring. My seniors worked on everything until a week before they left school. They planned distribution – the party, the celebration, everything. They listened to the theme presentations, but I didn’t let them vote, and I’ll tell you why: It’s not their book. They already did a book. Let the juniors pick the theme for the following year. That’s my philosophy. People might say, “Well, my seniors pick the theme for next year’s book.” Why? They’re not going to be there. SUMMER: We went to camp and started training, bonding and leadership activities. It cracks me up every time I hear people say, “Oh, I had great seniors last year; I’m probably not going to have as great of ones this year.” Everybody says that in the fall ... everybody. By spring, you’re going, “Wow, these kids are amazing!” It’s pretty cool to watch a kid mature, and we miss out on that sometimes. We need to focus on not just the printed page but the development of the student because what we’re doing is developing a very functional adult. That’s why we have so many great employees here at Walsworth. They were developed in a publications room to be functioning adults.

A

Q A

How should advisers continue to train themselves?

Adviser Academy! Adviser Academy is number one, but also watch our webinars and podcasts. We supply a ton of things for people to train themselves with. I believe in training; I believe in constant, constant training. Nobody is perfect at their job. A lot of people think, “I don’t need that; I already know that.” I just don’t believe that at all. That’s just my philosophy. We’re always learning, even the most-awarded yearbooks that are really good.

Q A

How can students training other students be beneficial?

I wanted the seniors to get it wrong while teaching underclassmen because when I correct the mistake with the senior, guess who’s listening and paying attention and says, “Oh, I’m just not going to ever do that?” The underclassman. I stood over my seniors’ shoulders and listened to them get it wrong. I did not embarrass them, but I would say, “You might try to do it this way.” That way, I can get the mistake out in the open and fixed. So that’s one benefit. Another benefit is when you’ve got your seniors and upperclassmen working with you, you’ve got a team of trainers in the room with you. It’s not all falling on your shoulders. Then, you add the Walsworth webinars, the podcasts, and everything we do. You can have a great team helping you get this book out.

By Mike Taylor, CJE

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GREAT YEARBOOK PROGRAMS INCORPORATE Simple Ideas

F amily is at the heart of everything we do. With Tripp Walsworth joining his father, Don Walsworth, and grandfather, Don O. Walsworth, at the company in August of 2023, our family-owned business is now four generations strong. Tripp spent the last year getting to know the inner workings of our organization and visited over 95 schools. We sat down with Tripp to hear more about his time spent at those schools, what commonalities he observed in successful yearbook programs across the country and what he learned from his own time as a yearbook photo editor on his high school’s yearbook staff.

First Impressions. Aledo High School yearbook editor-in-chief Bridget Battenfield shows Tripp Walsworth their cover design and theme pages when he visited in early March. This stop was one of 15 he made with Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative Jill Chittum, MJE. The Ledoian yearbook consistently placed among the top yearbooks in national awards due to their exceptional design and theme implementation, winning NSPA Pacemakers and CSPA Gold Crowns. Photo courtesy of Jill Chittum, MJE

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| TRAINING | MATTERS

“Having a plan for marketing and sales is extremely important because you need to get that book out to as many people as possible, and you want them to see all these really cool, creative spreads your staff created,” Tripp said. “That starts with the adviser expressing the importance of marketing.” But understanding why you should market is different from actual marketing. So, what works? You can find plenty of marketing resources and tips at walsworthyearbooks.com/marketing , and Tripp has also seen many in-school efforts pay off. “There have been a lot of unique ways I have seen students market the yearbook, like PEP [Parent Email Program] , coupons or discounts early in the year and putting up the index on lockers. That’s one of my favorites because everyone flocks to the index to see their names. A few schools have a whole marketing team AND a creative team to separate those tasks from the get-go. That can depend on the staff, but having students devoted solely to marketing while others focus on design and photos so it’s split evenly can help. That way, everyone has a responsibility.” Students don’t know what they don’t know. From staff management to utilizing available resources, it all starts with the adviser showing students their potential. Tripp noticed immediately that advisers who prioritized training early on had a smoother experience the rest of the year. And what tops the list for training? The importance of deadlines. “The biggest commonality between successful yearbook programs is that they turn their pages in on time. To have any successful yearbook, you have to have a book,” Tripp said. “I once heard someone say, ‘There really isn’t too much of a difference between a really, really good book compared to a great book. The biggest difference is one’s turned in on time, and one’s not,’” Tripp said. 2 | YOU NEED A | MARKETING STRATEGY

Training your staff to respect deadlines and turn their projects in on time will be a beneficial life skill that will remain with them long after the book is submitted. But deadlines alone won’t make a great book. Sometimes, you have to anticipate potential problems. Recalling his own yearbook staff in high school, Tripp emphasized that the yearbook belongs to the school, not an individual, and that interpersonal skills can make or break your year. “Struggles come when one person wants it to be their book when it should be the whole school’s book. Coming together, hashing out differences, really being on the same page and collaborating is extremely important. It may mean having hard conversations,” Tripp said. “But it teaches you real-life skills like

communication, collaboration, teamwork and dealing with conflict,” Tripp said. So, what specific training items should you focus on, and how can Walsworth help? “Give your students the right amount of training to do the job. Utilizing Walsworth for our resources and having students cross-training so they can take photos and write spreads and wear multiple hats, especially when students go on field trips, get sick, are out on vacation, etc., is extremely important to be successful,” Tripp said. “Some of our best resources are Adviser Academy, Elite Weekend, and That Yearbook Podcast with Jim Jordan, Sabrina Schmitz and Mike Taylor, which has been a huge hit, and the marketing tools as well. Schools love these,” Tripp said.

Marketing is about more than just sales and dollar signs though. Tripp explains how the yearbook also markets the school and its culture. “If I was new to an area, had kids and was visiting schools, I would look at

the yearbook because the yearbook should solidify the school’s culture. How many clubs are there? Is there a balance of academics, athletics and other types of organizations? The yearbook is a great marketing tool for schools.”

Lifelong Lerner. Tripp Walsworth poses with Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School yearbook adviser Sarah Lerner, CJE, during a visit to Florida in February with Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative Veronika Levine, CJE. They discussed Walsworth President Don Walsworth’s 2018 visit after tragedy struck the school. “It was nice to meet Tripp and see the direction the company is heading. He was very interested in learning about our program, meeting the editors and hearing about what I do as the adviser,” Lerner said. Photo by Veronika Levine, CJE

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| CULTIVATE YOUR | CLASSROOM CULTURE

Tripp noticed that the classroom environment and energy around the yearbook play a huge role in attracting and engaging the right students for your program. In fact, it’s what attracted him to yearbook. “I was on the yearbook staff all four years. People would say, ‘You must have been pressured to be on the yearbook staff,’ but it was actually a choice I made. I went to a school where the yearbook reveal party was a really big deal. Some of the guys I looked up to were on the basketball team, the golf team and also on the yearbook staff.

They were cool kids, but they also had a really strong presence in our community, which I thought was extremely important. So, I joined yearbook as a balance between academics and athletics. I developed a passion for photography, so I worked hard and became photo editor my senior year.” Part of that classroom culture includes letting your students take ownership of the book, even when it can feel like it might be easier to do it yourself as the adviser sometimes. Tripp stressed that teaching these journalism skills sets

students up for success in the real world, whatever their chosen profession. “What makes a successful yearbook is the kids doing it. Students being cross-trained, remaining open to feedback and having strong communication, collaboration, teamwork, everyone being on the same page and striving to achieve the goal of creating a yearbook are the main things that help build a good culture in the classroom. That’s contagious. It’s like having a manifesto of the whole school spirit captured in that yearbook.”

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| ALWAYS REMAIN OPEN TO FEEDBACK | AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Yearbook becomes very personal with how much of yourself you pour into the publication, which can sometimes make feedback feel intimidating, but Tripp explained how the most successful programs are always learning and building upon what they’ve done in the past. “Having a mindset of continual growth and learning – being open to change and wanting to learn new things – it’s huge. In our current culture, if you’re stagnant and stuck in your ways, you’re going to get passed. If you’re open to

strategic change and are a continuous learner, you and your program will benefit,” Tripp said. That’s not just an observation for Tripp – it’s a life and business philosophy. As a company, Walsworth also continually works to incorporate new and better ways to help our customers have the best yearbook experience. “There are so many new ideas, new ways to design spreads and new ways to incorporate things into your yearbook. With Walsworth’s resources,

you can see what the new trends are. If you’re focused on the same trends as 15 years ago, your book could potentially be passed up for journalistic recognitions. I always think it’s important for you to set that culture of continuous learning, and that’s because your students need to be continuously learning for them to be successful – in the yearbook room but also outside the yearbook room. You might not be taking advantage of everything Walsworth is doing to make your job easier.”

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| BUILD MEANINGFUL | YEARBOOK CONNECTIONS

Tripp recognizes that being a yearbook adviser is a unique role not everyone can understand. That’s why it’s so important to build your community of support with other yearbook advisers and your Walsworth family. “Having people around you makes a huge difference so you feel like you’re part of a network. You can bounce ideas off each other. You can talk about what you’re struggling with and what your challenges and success stories are. I think the whole Walsworth network is extremely valuable because we’re going

to hold your hand and be there with you throughout the yearbook process. The last thing you want is to feel like you’re stranded on an island because, as a yearbook adviser, not many people in your school know how hard it is to make a yearbook. Only other yearbook advisers and your students know,” Tripp said. Tripp has seen the value of yearbook connections in his visits to schools, and their significance cannot be overstated. “The number one resource is your sales representative. I was talking to an adviser

in California and asked them, ‘Why have you stayed with us for 35 years?’ And she replied, ‘It’s the people and the resources.’ It’s all about that networking community. As a school or yearbook adviser, you are not a number; you are a person. We understand that the school year will present a lot of challenges. There will be some highs and lows, and we will be right by your side. We’re in this together. That’s why the sales reps wear so many hats. They have to be there for you. The school year is challenging, and there are many curveballs. So let’s figure out how we can manage this together.”

Facing Feedback. During a visit to Aledo High School, Tripp Walsworth takes notes as he meets with Maxwell Howe and Mason Linderbaum, who both have a strong interest in programming. They discussed the students’ thoughts on future ideas for the Adobe ® InDesign ® enhancements. Tripp traveled across the country to meet with advisers, students and Walsworth sales reps to better understand their thoughts about yearbooks and working with Walsworth. Photo courtesy of Jill Chittum, MJE Proud Moment. After unveiling the cover of the University of Notre Dame yearbook at an end-of-year banquet, Dome yearbook editor-in-chief Natalie Modugno poses with Tripp Walsworth in front of their cover. The staff worked with a Walsworth cover artist to bring their idea to life, and the student body gave overwhelmingly positive feedback. The University of Notre Dame has published their yearbook with Walsworth Yearbooks for 50 consecutive years. Photo courtesy of Valerie T. Tanke, CJE

+ | BONUS: | STAY ORGANIZED The difference between success and failure can come down to one simple thing: organization – or the lack thereof. “You’ve got to be organized. As an adviser, you deal with so many kids, potentially across multiple classes. If you’re struggling with organization,

your sales representative can help you with organizational strategies, but if you’re not organized, your students might not be organized, and you might miss deadlines. You don’t want deadlines missed, and you don’t want to miss capturing the big moments your school has throughout the year.

If your school has a really nice Veterans Day ceremony that is part of the school’s culture, and there are former students who are now veterans coming back for this, but you completely miss it even though it’s been in the yearbook for 20 years – the yearbook could be impacted. It really all starts with organization.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

During his extensive travels, Tripp had an up-close view of the joys and struggles that go hand in hand with yearbook advising. What stood out to him was how rare the opportunity to do something as meaningful as yearbook is. “Being on the yearbook staff is a great honor. You get to make a strong impact at your school. The yearbook is a history book. As a yearbook adviser, you are leading that charge, and we want to be there to support you however we can.” While there are various metrics each person will use to qualify success, you

are the ultimate decider of how successful your program will be and how it will be remembered. “People define and look at success differently. Looking back on my yearbook experience, we didn’t have a big journalistic background and did not win any Pacemakers or national, prestigious awards,” Tripp said. “But a yearbook is all about collecting the best memories of the year. If you’ve captured that, you’ve created a successful yearbook.” By Jenica Hallman, CJE