High school is a place that is full of memories which stay with you throughout your lives, whether they are the ones you cherish or the ones you want to repress. A singular group of individuals at West High help capture these pivotal moments in order to share them with future children and grandchildren for years to come.

These individuals are the Shaheen yearbook committee, a tight-knit group of people who manage to fit their collection of ideas into a single theme for the West High community. Yearbooks are $80 and will be sold until Jan. 30. Purchases can take place in the office or activities office. 

“It is recommended that every four years you do a school spirit book so that everyone in their collection of four has a school spirit book, so this year’s theme is centered around West and our school spirit. Out theme is ‘We are West,’ so we are keeping a positive outlook on everything and we are taking a twist on all of the good happening in this building and covering everyone that we possibly can cover,”  English teacher and yearbook adviser Katie Choate said.

As with every theme in any subject matter, the design and patterns need to meet the theme chosen.

“We are doing a lot of school colors, so red and white. They’re everywhere and we also have a font that is like a letterman’s jacket so it is kind of almost school themed. We also have a ‘We are Festive’ page, so a holiday since our theme is ‘We are West,’ and the ‘We are’ theme is strung throughout the book, but not on every page so it isn’t overbearing,” senior and editor in chief Jordyn Driscoll said.

Now once the theme and design are settled on, then the yearbook staff needs to create the page which has a lengthy, but very careful process.

“So it [the process] starts with a spreadsheet which is basically just a big piece of paper, which is what looks like our program, and it is where we put our ideas of what we want the page to look like and what we want on it.  You can go from one to five spreadsheets before you actually start work on the computer. We always make sure to have an even amount of words and pictures so we can even things out,” senior and photo editor Izzy Fenner said.

Now the past yearbook adviser left in order to pursue her own personal career in photography, and Choate took over causing the committee to adjust to the sudden change.

“Mrs. Choate has been great so far and she’s really organized, which is something we really haven’t had before so it’s great. I think she’s been very key in meeting our first deadline, and honestly just making a great book. She doesn’t accept slacking off and makes sure that all of the staff stays on task, so I am just very excited for the future,” Fenner said.

Yet behind all of the work which goes into the creation of the yearbook, there are a group of people who are close enough to consider each other a family.

“The work environment in our room is so relaxed yet so hectic so I would say it is good and evil in a way, but we are really close like a family. We even had a Christmas dinner where we just ate, and talked, and had a photoshoot. There isn’t any real drama in our class, or if there is then it is resolved quickly. It’s just a really fun and friendly environment,” Driscoll said.

As each year passes the staff gains new members but must say farewell to staff members as well.

“I am so sad to be leaving this year since yearbook has changed my whole high school experience. If I hadn’t taken intro my freshman year with Mrs. McDermott and signed up for actual yearbook lab the next year and for the rest of my high school career, then I think if I hadn’t had taken it then I wouldn’t have any friends. They’ve just really helped me put myself out there more and I love them. I’m just so sad that this chapter of life is coming to a close,” Fenner said.

The first big deadline for staff is Tuesday, Dec. 19.

“I actually am impressed with how well everything has gone. I was a little worried because most our staff is really young, a lot of the people in our class who have made most of our spreads are brand new this year and with a new adviser, I was worried we would deliver a bad book, but it has come together a lot better than last year’s and it is looking really good. I am so proud of us all and the work we’ve done,” Driscoll said.