After the massive success of last year’s yearbook – Going North – our Warrior yearbook staff is already busy at work developing the highly anticipated latest edition. You may have seen them around campus these past few weeks – cameras slung over their necks, perusing the hallways in search of the perfect picture. But what happens behind the scenes? Who are these people taking pictures of us and what are their thoughts about the year ahead?

In the hallway of the 11th floor, Adenike Makinde, junior associate editor of 2016-17’s Invictus, tells me about her dream picture to add to Invictus: a snap of Pig Island in the Bahamas, an island populated by pigs, where Makinde almost went last summer. “It’s so cool,” she said.

The yearbook staff has an affinity for taking artistic pictures around or of NAHS. To exhibit this, Makinde shared photos she shot in Chatsworth. “This huge 60 foot tree, maybe 70 foot tree. It was a dead tree, but it was surrounded by all these animals and life in the middle of the field,” she said.

It might be thought that yearbook staffers can only add photos to Invictus that directly relate to the school and that photos can’t include trees or anything of the like. Makinde explained that all sorts of artistic photos are put in the yearbook, both by the staff and student contributors. “Overtime, the yearbook takes into account photography, writing and design. It’s like reading a book. It enforces grammar and vocabulary subconsciously and the yearbook does the same,” she said. “Be as creative as possible.”

Sara Beth Cimowsky, yearbook editor in chief, focused on what she likes about working on the Invictus crew. She’s been a part of the team since freshman year, and she notes how being a part of the crew builds confidence. “You’re forced to go out and talk to people you normally wouldn’t, who aren’t in your friend group, and you have to confidently,” said Cimowsky.

When asked about the success of last year’s yearbook, she showed her admiration for Quincy Staley, who did a phenomenal job as editor last year, adding pressure to make this year’s edition that much better. She doesn’t seem too concerned though. In the fourth floor Mac Lab, there are already giant, multi-colored posters lining the walls, covering everything from “Golden Rules” to “Record of Our Lives” to “‘One’ Phrases, ” all of which play on the theme of 2016-2017 Invictus.

Over the summer, Cimowsky and Makinde both attended a yearbook Workshop hosted by the yearbook’s sponsor, Jostens, where both editors were surrounded by other high school-aged yearbook editors just as passionate about “yearbook-ing” as they are. In addition to having an awesome experience and getting super inspired about the year ahead, Invictus won first place in story-telling, a category that touches on a book’s encompassing theme. The award came as a happy surprise to Cimowsky, given all the incredible yearbooks showcased at the workshop.

According to Cimowsky, this year’s goals are expanding the theme, adding more pictures and covering more of the student body “After all, nobody likes to buy a yearbook and never be in it,” she said.

It’s apparent the school has some talented people working on a yearbook that no doubt will be strong. Just like the meaning of “Invictus” itself, North Atlanta Warriors are a pretty unconquerable group. When asked if she’s excited for the latest edition, Sophomore yearbook-staffer Sarah Hetzel couldn’t have said it better: “Heck ya.”