Since the yearbooks won’t be coming in until August, many students have wondered when the book will arrive. This has led to wonders of autograph sheets, and other events being held. However, this is because Atherton is the only school that covers a full year.
Abbygail Milburn (12), editor-in-chief of yearbook, explains what sets Atherton apart.
“Our school is the only one that covers the full year, covering prom and graduation,” Milburn explained. “Our last deadline is around the beginning of June, so during the summer, the books are being made. We usually give them out during orientation or have a drive-by for seniors or parents.”
The yearbook staff, aware of students waiting for signed keepsakes from their friends and teachers, have had a contingency plan in place for this. Signing sheets, which are paper inserts to place in the front or back of student yearbooks upon their delivery, are being sold at tables throughout the school this upcoming week. The cost is free of charge, depending if a student has bought a yearbook.
“During lunches, someone from the staff will be upfront in the cafeteria with the autograph sheets and a checklist. If a student has bought a yearbook, or if their parents have, they will receive a sheet. If they aren’t sure of a purchase, they can always double check with whoever is up there,” Milburn said.
However, those opting not to buy a yearbook won’t be able to get one of these signing sheets. Yet, there are still options for students still who wish to leave high school with a souvenir of their experience, one they won’t accept by walking across the stage at Freedom Hall.
Here are a few alternatives to traditional yearbooks for the sentimental students
Notebook– Arguably the most classic yearbook alternative for prospective nostalgics, this option is relatively low-cost and low-effort, while allowing students to collect signatures and personal notes from their friends before graduation.
Polaroids– Especially since the installation of the phone ban, many students are bringing physical cameras to school to document their school experience, and how much more so for seniors capturing these precious moments with their friends. To add to the yearbook experience, try asking your friends to sign their own pictures with notes like they would in a traditional yearbook.
Scrapbook– For the craftier souls, this alternative provides a particularly attractive idea for students. Students can not only collect signatures and notes from their friends, but could also pair them up with physical pictures of them, such as with the option above, with the additional benefit of organizing and storing the photos and signatures together. Additionally, this form could actually expand upon what is expected of “yearbook alternatives” by providing more than just a set of signatures, notes, and their corresponding portraits. As with the nature of scrapbooking, this format provides students the freedom to add a variety of memorabilia- photos of groups, events, locations in the school itself, or even small tactile objects such as a wristband from their last student carnival, the ticket to their last play.
No matter how our seniors choose to store away their high school keepsakes, the one thing everyone gets cost-free is the memories from their time here at Atherton, a priceless souvenir.
