The year is closing, but yearbooks will soon be opening. A student favorite, North Atlanta’s Invictus yearbook is produced every year by a talented group of sophomores, juniors and seniors as they work tirelessly to meet their deadlines and present us with a memory book of the greatest quality. Let’s take a peek inside their process! 

The Invictus staff is composed of 25 students interested in photography, writing, and graphic design and this year was led by Invictus 2022 editor-in-chief Betsy Eliseo. Leading the yearbook class is not just a job of leadership and delegation. In the course of her broad duties, Betsy was also the head of all design decisions. In every sense of the word, this year’s book reflects Eliseo’s ambitious design and artistic vision. Because of the awesome responsibility, Eliseo said the job was something she took quite seriously. “The yearbook is so important to students, especially seniors,” said Eliseo. “So there is a lot of pressure involved, but the fun I’ve had in the position definitely outweighs the stress.”

Such an extensive task requires all hands on deck for all staff members and constant supervision by both the editor-in-chief and the yearbook faculty adviser. Eliseo led matters where the staff was concerned and she worked hand-in-hand with her staff and with yearbook adviser Jack Stenger to ensure that the book stayed on track and on deadline. Other leadership roles were filled by seniors and included titles like associate editors and marketing director. Spreads – or specific pages in the book – were assigned to individual staffers.  Once each staffer finished a spread – be it a Warrior sports team, the winter concert by the Fine Arts Department or, possibly, some cultural page featuring a popular teen trend – pages were sent off for copy editing. Aside from solo assignments, many group tasks are also delegated such as photography, quoting, and the many tasks and details associated with producing a selling  a yearbook. “We do a lot of independent work in the class and focus is important,” said junior staffer Riley Martin. “But it really is a job that requires a team.”

The life of a yearbook staffer is certainly a stressful one, with many high intensity classroom days when deadlines are approaching. Throughout the year, the staff works to meet five rigorous deadlines, with the more grueling ones coming around March when the book is due to the publishing company, Jostens. Deadlines are critical to meet, as once they are approved by the editors, all yearbook pages are approved by Stenger and by Assistant Principal Lincoln Woods, the administrator who oversees school publications. “The class is both extremely fun and extremely stressful,” said Martin. “It really just depends on how soon the deadline is.”

The theme for Invictus 2022 is “Day by Day” and the book will be a living and dynamic reality on May 16, the day that distribution of the book starts for both seniors and non-seniors. 

The tradition of yearbooks for high schools goes back many years, and even in the digital age, yearbooks retain their hold on teenagers’ lives. What better way to store all your memories than in a colorful and dynamic well-produced book? The year winds up and students join together to laugh over pictures of themselves throughout the past year and leave messages in the covers. The initial excitement is evident, but the book  will remain an important keepsake years down the road. “The pictures in the yearbook show some of the best times and events of the school year,” said sophomore Chase Hankin. “It’s an opportunity to look back at friendships and experiences.”