Every year Mrs. Tania Mason and the yearbook staff dedicate their efforts to creating a collection of memories for every student to keep with them and share with others. As this school year ends, a lot of planning and ideas are already being thrown out to create next year’s yearbook. 

Getting ahead of the game, the yearbook staff has ensured the book will be filled with love and dedication. Though the theme may seem complicated at first, it will make for a year to remember once it all comes together. 

“Our themes are always verbal and visual, so our verbal theme is “Dear Mustangs,” which is like a love letter to the school. While the visual theme is based around the students having a letterman jacket patch on the front cover, so we are hoping that an actual patch will be on the cover. Furthermore, the interior designs will be very retro, with collages and different designs. The students told me they wanted a very 90s/2000s-themed yearbook.” 

Mason continues, “So we are taking the retro theme, the letterman patch, and the ‘Dear Mustang’ theme and bringing them all together. The yearbook sections will be titled with inspirational quotes like, ‘Dear Mustangs, Stay Strong,’ and ‘Dear Mustangs, Persevere,’ which will be words of encouragement.” 

For next year, the yearbook theme revolves around going back in time to the 90s and 2000s when the high school experiences seemed more fun than ever which will include many collages, details, and features surrounding this period’s experiences. 

Stemming the love, passion, and dedication to the school from its attendees, staff members, admin, and many clubs into the yearbook, it will perfectly portray the immense emotion everyone who enters Shadow Ridge feels. 

“I think that the theme for next year is inspired by the love that we have for school in the history of our school. I also think that the theme is inspired by what you wish you knew when you started high school and what you want others to know when they start,” states publications member and main inspiration Abigail Lopez. 

With around 80 students working to create an excellent yearbook each year, there is loads of dedication and many voices put into the planning process that helps the yearbook come to life. Whether they contribute something little or small, their contributions make a significant impact in the end.

With many opportunities for students and staff to get involved and get a word in, the yearbook is always a time to look forward to at the end of each school year. Especially with the yearbook being based on showing love and support for Shadow, the yearbook can make for a very personalized and well-structured piece of art. 

“My measure of success is based on how many students can get into the yearbook. The whole thing is about covering the students, so if I feel that at the end of the year, regardless of mistakes or errors, if we can get a ton of students in the yearbook more than once, then we have been successful,” says Mason.