Clay Milford, Staff Writer
As the first semester begins to near the last lap, we will soon be approaching the most anticipated time of the year–the end of classes. Along with that comes yearbook time, and this semester, the SNU Arrow staff is already hard at work coordinating page layouts, gathering awkward freshman mug shots and writing articles on the newest campus club.
Jeff Carden, Editor-in-Chief of The Arrow, says he is excited about the 2013-14 yearbook staff. “We have the largest staff since the past 2-3 years. We are pulling from so many different creative people, beyond just the editor, which is how it has been in the past.”
Carden also says the new features of the upcoming Arrow are worth looking out for. “This year we have an app! We are partnering with our yearbook production company, Jostens, and are using an app called Replayit. This app allows students to submit their own pictures for the staff to use. It doesn’t matter if you own a DSLR camera or are just really good with an iPhone. It creates an Instagram-like feed of all the submitted pictures for everyone to see. As a staff we are excited to show not only our aspect of the year but also the view of the students. There is a page in the book that is dedicated to these photos, and they will also show up on actual event pages.” Along with the new Replayit app, students can look forward to the theme of the newest Arrow. “This year’s theme focuses in on an aspect of a Christian’s life concerning trying to align ourselves with the Kingdom.”
For those interested in joining the Arrow staff, Carden offers a plethora of advice and encouragement. “Being on staff gets you involved in almost everything at school, from SGA Events to Recitals. You really get to see how awesome this campus is and all the exciting things that are happening. Being on the Arrow staff is a great experience for anyone going into a creative field. The ability to tell a story in whatever medium (photography, writing, or design) is a wanted skill in today’s world. Yearbook has taught me how to work with people and the importance of communicating. Not everyone understands the creative process and being able to explain it to the staff has helped me prepare to explain the ‘big idea’ to anyone, especially those who do not consider themselves ‘creatives.’” Lastly, Carden points out that experience is not a key factor in joining The Arrow. “We involve anyone that wants to connect and learn a new skill. It is a great place to explore your creative side.”
With new features, a new theme and a large staff, The Arrow should prove to be an exciting and informational yearbook for the 2013-14 school year. Whether you are a member of the tennis team or are hearing that SNU has a yearbook for the first time, be sure to flip through the pages of The Arrow at the end of the year; you just may see yourself in there.