Goodrich High School teacher Kay Goodall is helping her students write the story of the year.
If the 25 awards her students received Tuesday for their publication of the 2005 yearbook is any indication, she’s doing a good job.
Students in Goodall’s yearbook class are responsible for creating the annual compendium of high school highlights. And while the majority of the approximately 700 students at GHS purchase a year book, Goodall said there are typically only about 24 who put it together.
Yearbook students from GHS received much of the attention at the 2006 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Individual Yearbook Contest. All together, Goodall’s students walked away with ten first place awards, seven second place awards, six third place awards and two honorable mentions. Additionally, several students participated in an on-site competition in Lansing not yet judged at press time.
‘It was amazing,? said GHS senior Jessica Kilgore, who participated in the on-site competition for Student Life Spread Design. Kilgore worked with classmate Ashley Smith, also a senior, designing a mock-up of a yearbook section with no prior knowledge of the requirements and a 90 minute time limit. ‘We did really well,? said Kilgore.
‘This is the best we have ever done,? said Goodall, who’s been teaching the class for 21 years. Students are judged on a variety elements, including: side-bar features; photo quality and the amount of research reflected in the articles.
‘We literally cut apart a yearbook and send in sections for this competition,? Goodall explained.
The GHS yearbook is typically a little more than 200 pages, all of which are printed in full color. And while students may purchase the book for about $49, the cost of production is thousands of dollars. Goodall said approximately 50 percent of that cost is recouped by advertising sales.
Students learn about most everything involved with the process of publishing a yearbook. Goodall said she focuses on teaching the skills such as: event coverage; digging for a story; unbiased reporting; designing articles that are easy and fast to read; eye-catching photography and catering to a diverse group of readers.
Kilgore said she has learned things not found on the syllabus. ‘I learned how to work with stress,? said Kilgore. Among the challenges she faced in class Kilgore said she learned to cope with ‘people not getting their deadlines and staying focused.?
Smith agreed. ‘Everything in (the classroom) is such a real life situation.?
‘It was totally different than what we expected,? before taking the class, said Kilgore.
Both girls are in their second year of the class. They agreed their experience with this year’s book has been better because they had some experience with the process.
‘We were just testing the waters last year with the color pages and the use of color,? said Smith. ‘This year we’re taking it to a whole new level.?
Both Smith and classmate Megan Allis said their favorite section of the book is the one entitled ‘Student Life.? ‘It’s a big highlight reel,? said Smith.
Allis said her experience in the class as the Student Life editor taught her about meeting deadlines and making friends.? I’ve become friends with a lot of people I probably never would have talked to,? said Allis. Writing articles for such a diverse group of readers can be difficult, Allis said. ‘You really have to work hard to make sure it’s a book the whole student body will enjoy’it’s not just for you.?
Ultimately, both Goodall and her students are striving to preserve memories.
‘It’s a book not only for now,? said Goodall, ‘but for ten years from now, 20 years from now, 40 years from now.?