OH. EM. GEE.

Please excuse the ridiculous headline of this post. But it's appropriate, I swear.

MIMI BROUGHT US TWO YEARBOOKS. TWO LOVELY, PRINTED, SHINY YEARBOOKS. DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW INSANE THIS IS? IT'S MORE INSANE THAN ANYTHING EVER.

Well, at least for me. It was such a huge part of my life for so long, and it's suddenly done. Over. Bye forever. FOREVER. It's totally surreal. I mean, how did that even happen? Well, goodbye yearbook. 

Excuse me while I go cry in the corner.

Blog 25: Mentorship

Literal
This is my mentorship log! 
Contact: Mimi Orth
              626.798.1680
Interpretive
The most important thing that I gained from my senior project is a greater work ethic, and leadership skills that I didn't have before. Now, some of my leadership skills clearly were not effective, so I learned from those mistakes. I was in a position in which everybody looked at me for guidance, and it was scary at first, but it is something that I wouldn't have learned from had I not participated in yearbook like I did. 
Applied
Through the creation of the book, I was really able to examine everything that I did, and how I could do it to the best of my abilities. Now, the whole point of a yearbook is to capture memories of the school year so that the student body can look back at them as much as they'd like. I couldn't create a book that they wouldn't like! So, we had to all sit down as a staff and discuss it. Making the book really just reinforced all of my ideas about the answers to my EQ. I have truly learned so much this year.

2013-2014 Editors, what what!

Tomorrow, we're having editor interviews for next year. I'm excited! It'll be interesting to sit on the opposite side of that table. I know that these potential editors have the capacity to create an incredible book next year. I'm legitimately squirming with anticipation. I can't even wait to see what this next yearbook is going to be.

Huzzah for the iPoly Globe!

Blog 24: Exit Interview Questions

(1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

My EQ is "What is the best way to create a yearbook that reflects your student population?" My best answer is theme, because that is the backbone to the whole book. If you've got a great theme, it opens up the option of a highly successful yearbook.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

Hours and hours at Yearbook Camp spent working on our theme really just showed me that it really is all about the quality of the theme. In addition, I have spent so much time looking at yearbooks, and the ones that don't succeed are often the ones without a good concept.(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

We have a lot of technical difficulties, and Mimi helped us solved those. Also, a lot of my staff and some of my editors were not motivated. I tried to get them to work a little harder, but sometimes they didn't want to have it. It was frustrating, to say the least. It generally just ended up being Mr. Strand and I working on stuff after school, and we got it done.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

Mimi Orth (my mentor), and the YBK: You Better Know Editor's Handbook. Mimi obviously just knows anything and everything about yearbook. And if she doesn't, she'll either find out for you, or figure it out right then and there. She's super patient, and very talented. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her. The handbook was kind of like Mimi when she wasn't there. It helped answer a lot of questions, provided inspiration, and fun, creative ideas for yearbook.

(5) What is your product and why?

Well, obviously, I have a yearbook. However, I learned a lot from this experience. And not just from my successes, but from my mistakes as well. I learned how to be a better leader, and definitely acquired new skills in many aspects.

Yerd Herd

We like to think we're clever.

Because we are.
Obviously.

2014 Interview

1.  Who did you interview and what house are they in?
Bryan Posada, South

2.  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?I was thinking about doing something on jujitsu  or something about music, specifically playing bass. Jujitsu because I've done martial arts ever since middle school, and so I really like jujitsu even more. And during the summer before my freshman and sophomore year I took lessons and then I stopped because of school, so I want to do it again. Music because I started in middle school. I taught myself how to play bass in middle school. And I stopped playing it in sophomore year, but I could then do that all over again.

3.  What do you plan to do for your summer 10 hour mentorship experience?
For bass, I could get lessons. Or if not, I could try and teach someone how to play. And for jujitsu I could find some students younger than me or below my rank so that way I could teach them.

4.  What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?I want to know how to get started. And how it's supposed to look; how good quality presentations look. Also, what are mistakes that people usually make?

5.  What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project (or what additional information did you tell them about senior year or senior project)?
"Is it harder than everyone says, or is it just the same?"
It's not that hard. If you pick a topic that you're really passionate about and that you really love it, and it sounds like you have two really good ideas, it's not hard; it's really fun. And it gets exhausting, because it is sixty hours of service learning and you have to do your interviews and do your presentations, but if it's something that you really really like, it's fun! It's fun to learn about it.

Blog 22: Three Column Chart

And here it is!

Check it out!

I got a copy of the yearbook cover today! I squealed a lot.

Yerds.

noun: a bunch of sleep deprived, caffeine addicted font snobs, who are borderline crazy, and much more witty and attractive than you.

Or so says our sweatshirt.

So, what now?

What am I supposed to do for a month and half while I wait for the books to come? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

I mean, it's not like I can work on the book. Because it's done. I literally don't know what to do in elective while everyone else works on their "Fakeline" project, and what is this nonsense about having lunch with...people? I'm used to a lunch date everyday with my beloved Mothership computer. Being social is so strange to me; I didn't really have time for it before.

I'm kind of conflicted. On one hand, I'm absolutely stoked that the book is done and the craziness is over for me forever. But on the other hand, how do you say goodbye to something that's been such a big part of your life for the last four years? It's totally bizarre. I love having down time to actually eat lunch, but I also miss editing copy and laughing at some of the horrible pictures in our Photo Library. It's definitely bittersweet. Very much bittersweet.

Most importantly, I need to see the book. I NEED TO SEE THE BOOK.