Inside the dimly lit yearbook classroom, students are resizing photos, editing captions, or writing stories. Some students may not even be inside the classroom; instead, they are scattered around the school, photographing classes, clubs and pep rallies. But no matter what students are doing, they are all working towards one common goal: capturing memories. 

Students in yearbook advisor Brianna English’s third period class work for 8 months to produce a yearbook for Loy Norrix’s 1,600 students, so they can remember a school year that will soon pass. Despite this, many of these students won’t purchase a yearbook because they don’t see the value in one in today’s digital society. 

However, both students and staff agree that a printed yearbook is still valuable in the digital society we live in today. 

“You’re not going to go back and look at social media posts twenty years from now,” yearbook advisor Brianna English said, “but you are going to pick up your yearbook and you’re going to look at the things in the yearbook.” 

Students view school yearbooks purchased throughout their K-12 education as valuable. Yearbooks are often looked back upon them throughout life by both students and family members.

“I did look through them and sent some pictures to my friends,” social studies teacher Rebecca Layton said, “Although I have looked at my parents’ more than my own to be honest.”

Even after students decide that purchasing a yearbook is worth it, there is one thing that prevents Loy Norrix students from purchasing a yearbook. 

“The cost is the biggest obstacle for students,” senior and member of the yearbook staff Riley Sackett said. 

According to an article about Loy Norrix High School by U.S. News & World Report, 64% of the students at Loy Norrix are economically disadvantaged, meaning it would be difficult for the majority of students to purchase a yearbook. In order to make the yearbook more affordable for students, it is offered at a discounted price at the beginning of the school year. 

The yearbook can be purchased for $55 through the first week of school, then it goes for $60 until December 31st. After that, the price is raised to its final cost of $65. 

The Loy Norrix yearbook has a goal to maintain this price, even throughout the inflation that the country is experiencing right now. In order to do this, the yearbook is looking to raise the number of ads they sell next year, in addition to possibly raising the prices for senior ads in order to help offset the costs and keep the yearbook as affordable as possible. 

Despite the $65 cost, Loy Norrix’s yearbooks are more inexpensive than other area yearbooks. Yearbooks at Kalamazoo Central sell for $75, Portage Central costs $80 and the price at Portage Northern is $85. For all that a yearbook offers students, many students find this price worth it. 

“A yearbook makes you learn a lot about Norrix,” Sackett said, “and overall just captures memories from the year.”