Blog 26: Senior Project Reflection

Here's to the end of senior year!

1. I am just really proud of my two hour presentation in general. I loved the way that I set up the room, and I loved that people seemed to legitimately enjoy it. Everyone actively participated in my presentation, and I'm proud of how everything came together at the end. 
In addition, the thing that I am most proud of from my senior project is the yearbook. After all of our ups and downs, we made a really solid yearbook, and I could not be happier.

2. a.) For my two hour, I would give myself an AE. I truly believe that I went above and beyond with my presentation.
    b.) For my senior project, I would give myself a P+; I put a lot of time and effort into every aspect of what I did throughout these last nine months.

3. I think that my mentorship really worked. Mimi is so helpful to us, and she pushed us through a lot of obstacles that we encountered, and she helped us to overcome them. Having her to answer my questions and work with us was the most valuable resource that I could have asked for.

4. If I had a time machine, I would go back and do some more research, and really think about the answers that I gave for my exit interview more. Don't get me wrong; I definitely thought about how I would answer the exit interview questions, but I wish that I would've thought a little more.

5. The senior project was great. Not only did I get to research in depth a topic that I already love, but I got points for it! Through this project, and some of my downfalls as an Editor in Chief, I learned how to be a better leader. I thought I was a good leader until I had a ton of yerd pressure shoved onto me. I realized that my leadership abilities had cracks, and through some of my mistakes, I learned what NOT to do in the future. It helped me become a more well rounded individual. Now, I know what my strengths are as a leader, and what my weaknesses are. Therefore, I can plan accordingly for all of my future leadership positions, and adjust in order to be the best that I can be.

Emma, Out.

So, the yearbooks came. And then they were distributed. Which means it's the end for me. I'm all done. It's so strange to think about. Every year, the book would come out and we'd all giggle, and it was ok because we always had next year to make another book. But, I'm all done with that. No more yearbook for me. Ever. At all. I know they aren't perfect, but there was a lot of hard work and love put into those books. I hope that everyone enjoys them and understands that it is no small task to create a yearbook.

So, goodbye high school, and goodbye yearbook. You will be missed. Love, Emma.

OH. EM. GEE.

Please excuse the ridiculous headline of this post. But it's appropriate, I swear.

MIMI BROUGHT US TWO YEARBOOKS. TWO LOVELY, PRINTED, SHINY YEARBOOKS. DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW INSANE THIS IS? IT'S MORE INSANE THAN ANYTHING EVER.

Well, at least for me. It was such a huge part of my life for so long, and it's suddenly done. Over. Bye forever. FOREVER. It's totally surreal. I mean, how did that even happen? Well, goodbye yearbook. 

Excuse me while I go cry in the corner.

Blog 25: Mentorship

Literal
This is my mentorship log! 
Contact: Mimi Orth
              626.798.1680
Interpretive
The most important thing that I gained from my senior project is a greater work ethic, and leadership skills that I didn't have before. Now, some of my leadership skills clearly were not effective, so I learned from those mistakes. I was in a position in which everybody looked at me for guidance, and it was scary at first, but it is something that I wouldn't have learned from had I not participated in yearbook like I did. 
Applied
Through the creation of the book, I was really able to examine everything that I did, and how I could do it to the best of my abilities. Now, the whole point of a yearbook is to capture memories of the school year so that the student body can look back at them as much as they'd like. I couldn't create a book that they wouldn't like! So, we had to all sit down as a staff and discuss it. Making the book really just reinforced all of my ideas about the answers to my EQ. I have truly learned so much this year.

2013-2014 Editors, what what!

Tomorrow, we're having editor interviews for next year. I'm excited! It'll be interesting to sit on the opposite side of that table. I know that these potential editors have the capacity to create an incredible book next year. I'm legitimately squirming with anticipation. I can't even wait to see what this next yearbook is going to be.

Huzzah for the iPoly Globe!

Blog 24: Exit Interview Questions

(1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

My EQ is "What is the best way to create a yearbook that reflects your student population?" My best answer is theme, because that is the backbone to the whole book. If you've got a great theme, it opens up the option of a highly successful yearbook.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

Hours and hours at Yearbook Camp spent working on our theme really just showed me that it really is all about the quality of the theme. In addition, I have spent so much time looking at yearbooks, and the ones that don't succeed are often the ones without a good concept.(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

We have a lot of technical difficulties, and Mimi helped us solved those. Also, a lot of my staff and some of my editors were not motivated. I tried to get them to work a little harder, but sometimes they didn't want to have it. It was frustrating, to say the least. It generally just ended up being Mr. Strand and I working on stuff after school, and we got it done.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

Mimi Orth (my mentor), and the YBK: You Better Know Editor's Handbook. Mimi obviously just knows anything and everything about yearbook. And if she doesn't, she'll either find out for you, or figure it out right then and there. She's super patient, and very talented. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her. The handbook was kind of like Mimi when she wasn't there. It helped answer a lot of questions, provided inspiration, and fun, creative ideas for yearbook.

(5) What is your product and why?

Well, obviously, I have a yearbook. However, I learned a lot from this experience. And not just from my successes, but from my mistakes as well. I learned how to be a better leader, and definitely acquired new skills in many aspects.

Yerd Herd

We like to think we're clever.

Because we are.
Obviously.