Everyone has a story to tell. It’s an old axiom that benefits the yearbook world. Unheard stories all around us—in the next seat and the classroom down the hall, at club meetings and late-night rehearsals, in the locker room and out on the field. Let’s go find them.
In a world of texting, Instagram and Tik Tok, we’re losing our communication skills. Too often interviews are done via text or IM, leaving us with a few quotes but minus a true conversation. And that’s the rub. Because we’re not having a real life, face-to-face conversation, we’re missing out on the real story potential.
Everyone has a story to tell. You could talk to anyone for a few minutes and eventually learn something interesting about the person. Sometimes it will be sad, sometimes silly, sometimes poignant, sometimes mundane, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking.
But you actually have to go out and find those stories. So, let’s do it.
The story challenge
The idea is simple. Forget working on yearbook spreads or photos for a day. Instead venture out of the classroom and into your school community. Implore staffers with one and only one goal: Go out and find a story. Don’t come back without one.
It’s a challenge worth taking on. Students will get out of their comfort zone and get into the real stories of their classmates. They’ll meet students they might never have known, if not for this project. The sophomore with a million Tik Tok followers. The junior who works 30 hours a week to support her family. The senior graduating early. The freshman with cerebral palsy who refuses to let it define him.
The benefits are exponential. New voices in the yearbook. Newfound confidence in interviewing and communication skills. New stories to tell. Go out and find them.
