Yearbook touts survival guide theme

This years yearbook was based on the show Neds Declassified School Survival Guide.

Photo Credit: Githmie Goonatilleke

This year’s yearbook was based on the show Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.

by Githmie Goonatilleke, Senior Staff Writer

In a high school full of bullies, insane teachers and gross school lunches, the Yearbook Club tries to do the impossible: create a guide to help students survive school.

With the help of Mr. Kupka, one of the art teachers, the Yearbook Club have created a yearbook based on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, a show that was popular from 2004 – 2007. The book is designed to look like a notebook covered in garbage just like in the show.

Throughout the book, we tried to keep it on that theme on surviving” Kupka said. Both Mr. Kupka and Ms. Cella are advisers of the Yearbook Club. Kupka has been a part of the yearbook production team since his first year here, in 2012. Alongside the advisors are the editors in chief: Mikaela Rosen, Mandy Rosengren and Izzy Feige.

The Yearbook Club meets every week. The first meeting is mainly an overview on how the yearbook is made, how the theme shots are done, and how to use programs like photoshop. Later on, the members will start coming up with what the theme should be. Because the Yearbook Club is made up of 20-30 students, there are usually 30-40 theme ideas.

“It usually ends up being pretty loud because people are really voicing their opinions on what the theme should be” Kupka said. During this part of the process, Kupka and Cella try to guide the students away from impossible ideas or themes that use too much photoshopping. One of Kupka’s big goals is to have a yearbook without any photoshop. A yearbook that doesn’t use photoshop is “more real and legit” according to Kupka.

After the theme is chosen, the members start coming up with ideas for theme shots. This year, the yearbook completely stayed on the theme so all the theme shots would also be about surviving school. The theme shots this year were done in October.

Overall the entire process to finish the yearbook takes 3-4 months. By springtime the book is almost complete. Although Mr. Kupka and Ms. Cella assist the students with photoshop or setting up for theme shots, the students come up with all the ideas.

“This year we did a good job with them doing the work.  I shouldn’t be doing the work it’s their book,” Kupka said.