Yearbooks have existed for centuries, with origins tracing back to late 17th-century American colonial schools as student-made scrapbooks. The first formal, printed yearbook was published by Yale University in 1806, and by the late 19th century, roughly 1885, they became popular in high schools. While Potosi High School students haven’t been aiding in the production of the yearbook for nearly as long, the yearbook has come a long way from its starting place.
Jason Fry, high school English teacher, has been teaching for 18 years, having started in 2008. Fry moved to Wausau, excited to work with high schoolers. The first yearbook he helped produce was in Wausau in 2010. During his second year in Wittenburg-Birmanwood, 20 miles east of Wausau, he was able to take over the production of the yearbook again. Fry moved on to teach in the Potosi School District in 2017, claiming he “taught a little bit of everything, but English 10 was always my core, and it’s what I have built everything around.” During his second year at Potosi, he again took over advisorship of the yearbook. Fry added, “I’ve been doing this for about eight years now here, and I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
Jostens has been operating for over 125 years. In 1897, Otto Josten in Owatonna, Minnesota, founded a small jewelry repair shop. Jostens has now become a leading producer of yearbooks, class rings, and graduation products, as well as corporate award materials. Many schools in Wisconsin team up with Jostens, including Potosi. Fry also notes that all three schools he has taught at over the years have contracted with Jostens for their yearbooks.
The yearbook is a year-long process that takes dedication and hard work from not only Fry, but also his students. Fry admits that his favorite part about working on the yearbook is, “The creativity involved, but not just that; it’s the design, the photography, everything all coming together. And it’s the fact that people will look through these yearbooks for the rest of their lives.” Fry claims that this year's standard was raised because of the product from last year; he believes that this year his class did, in fact, live up to the high standard that has been set for the product. This yearbook’s design is based on Instagram, with the theme #ScrollingThroughTheYear, and yearbooks will be available to this year’s seniors in July; the underclassmen will receive theirs at the beginning of next school year.
For students taking journalism next year, or in the years to come, Fry notes that, “It’s not just about getting a good grade and passing the class; it’s for your peers. This is a very different type of class because this is a product class; it’s something you can put into the world and be proud of. You aren’t doing this for me, you’re doing it for your community, your friends. That’s what makes it more significant.”
The yearbook is an investment that students should partake in. Some students choose not to buy them, and that is completely up to every individual to make that choice, although Fry heavily encourages students to make that investment. “I understand why some students choose not to buy them. But at some point in your life, I think that you will be glad to have them. Having those memories and being able to look back on them is valuable. I’m very proud to be a yearbook advisor, and to be able to create a product that lasts as long as these do is pretty cool, especially since I get to be the guide.”