Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Don’t Doom the Yearbooke

Georgetown’s yearbook, Ye Domesday Booke, is a weighty tome that commemorates each year on the Hilltop with a special emphasis on the activities of the outgoing senior class.

But for such a large publication, the staff consists of just three editors in chief who are still in the process of recruiting an additional five editors to run different sections of this year’s book. With the massive undertaking required in producing a yearbook, the staff is quite small and has a large amount of work to do – work made even more difficult because of slow recruitment and student apathy.

Georgetown prides itself on having self-sufficient student clubs and organizations that attract motivated Hoyas. Some students join as many groups as they can, and those who can’t find something that fits their personality are often inclined to start up their own. From foreign relations to knitting, the ways for Hoyas to get involved at Georgetown has virtually no limit.

Georgetown students should be more proactive and remain aware of the yearbook’s influence on their own Georgetown experiences.

The staff makes a dedicated effort to solicit pictures from the senior class and encourages students to sign up for their senior portraits. But many students don’t accept these invitations to have the memory of their time on the Hilltop collected, bound and kept for future generations to peruse.

If students want to own a publication that will bring them memories of their years on the Hilltop, they should become involved, send in pictures and encourage others to do the same.

With all of the student interest in such a wide variety of organizations, including student publications, it is unfortunate that such an influential publication as the student yearbook trudges along with a lack of student interest or involvement.

It is not the objective of this board to discount work of the staff of Ye Domesday Booke. A newspaper staff has at least some understanding of their endeavor. The staff must continue their recruitment efforts – which range from tabling to directly contacting prospective editors from all classes – but three people can’t do everything. The university can and should help the small staff to develop a larger advertising effort to make students of all classes aware of the opportunity and encourage them to get involved.

Ye Domesday Booke is a publication that encompasses nearly 100 years of history and tradition at Georgetown. Students should realize that if they don’t act, then it will be a lost opportunity to make the yearbook representative of their time here, and will rob Hoyas in another 100 years of the knowledge of what life was like way back when in 2007.

Together, students can combine their efforts to continue producing yearbooks that Hoyas will cherish forever once they leave the Hilltop.

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