This article was first published in the summer of 1999. It is from the sixth issue of the fifteenth volume of The Classic. This article was chosen to show what seniors in the past did to keep their high school memories alive.
New video yearbook stores senior memories
The Class of 1999 will be the first to be graduated with living memories of their senior year captured in a video yearbook. This film, which is currently available and is approximately one hour long, chronicles this year’s social activities and features every member of the senior class.
Pioneering what is hoped to be a new tradition, a committee of seniors headed by Michael Inwald and supervised by Jeff Spurgeon, broadcast journalism teacher, has been working on the project since late February. The objective of this film is “to store a big piece of [a senior’s] memory,” according to Michael, who initiated the idea of a video yearbook and has been instrumental in bringing the project into action.
With the broadcasting studio as their headquarters, this group of students has been filming in and around the school, catching the seniors “signing in and sleeping in the hallways,” said staff member Caryn Kerman. The video yearbook seeks to record the everyday life of seniors as they go to classes and hang out, and to compile footage of major events of the year, such as Founder’s Day and the election simulation.
The ability to watch live-action footage of senior year is what differentiates the video yearbook from the traditional version. For those who feel having still photographs on paper is not enough, this film provides them with the opportunity to see and hear classmates long after graduation. Senior David Abraham, a staff member, said, “You get a different feeling when you watch it all happen, and it’s an enjoyable way to remember the past four years.” Unlike the yearbook, which features all four grades, this video only spotlights the seniors.
Michael said he got the idea of the video after hearing of other students’ middle schools creating similar video yearbook projects.
Response to the video yearbook by fellow seniors has been less enthusiastic than was originally expected.
“People have not taken the project seriously, partially because it is so much work,” Michael said. He affirms that the constant filming and editing is time-consuming, and also points out that the committee did not begin work on the yearbook until late February,
Those on the video yearbook staff have already decided their favorite segments. David and fellow committee member Nicole Zuchelli cite the “senior montage,” which features candid shots and clips of each graduate, as their favorite part. The committee members are proud of their work and hope to inspire future graduating classes to create their own video yearbooks.
“I hope other grades will view ours and see how important it is as a tradition,” said Michael.
