The 2015 school year is coming to a close and the entire yearbook staff is hard at work to add a creative edge to the time-honored tradition.

“We look at creativity in Writing and Photography,” said Hoynacke, who is in his fourth year as Assistant Advisor.  “We’re trying to free ourselves from the whole ‘Traditional yearbook’ idea and try to raise the bar and set up new ideas to try.”  Assistant Adviser Corey Hoynacke explains how the staff is working to give the book its essential flare.

As the year concludes, the staff is balancing time covering all the upcoming events while also working to make every page count.

“It’s primarily about getting our staff AT the events,” said Hoynacke. “This time of year is huge with plenty of stories to cover…spring sports, prom, the Talent Show…but when it comes to adding those in most work will be done in class.”

The young staff has molded into their roles as well—as a group that had little experience coming in has worked together to adapt to the new challenge.

“It’s really a team atmosphere,” said Hoynacke. “Everyone really pushes the envelope…the writers help the photographers…it just so happens that different people have different strengths.”

The young, unorthodox bunch has freed them from the idea of being “inexperienced,” as they continue to make strides not only as a cohesive staff, but also in the realm of giving the yearbook its creative edge.

“I really do enjoy how everyone has come together,” said Copy Editor Lou DeNardo. “We’ve really come a long way from the beginning of the year and we’re ready to bring everything together.”

DeNardo, a sophomore, is in his first go around as a staff member for the Yearbook and is already stepping up as a leader as the staff works tentatively to finish its writing pieces and get all the information to give the book its final glossy veneer.

“There’s always SOMETHING happening at the school,” DeNardo said, “and I think we do a great job working to collect [the information] while sometimes even improvising on the fly with our ideas to capture that spark that makes the book become genuine.”

Using programs like Adobe InDesign CS3 and Adobe Fireworks CS4, the staff is taking advantage of the modern technology bestowed upon them and digitally creating a book that will capture the essence of student life and evoke memories of the wonderful times students had at Mayfield during the 2014-15 school year.

“Working in Adobe is hard,” Page Editor Naundi Carter said. “but I myself and the entire staff have evolved in my creativity.”

Carter, who like many others is in her first year as a member of the staff, is adjusting to the changes of her words being put on a pedestal the entire school will see.

“I try my best to make it relatable,” says Carter. “with so many people seeing that I have to make sure I express myself while also remaining objective towards [my peers].

The key in creating something relatable is balancing that creativity with the theme. As a whole, the staff entertains the process of making works that coincide with the theme, which is a secret until the books release.

“We think about the theme and consider our general color scheme,” Hoynacke said. “We create cohesiveness while also alluding to that theme to piece everything together.”