The sight of yearbooks being distributed by the SMU flagpoleduring the months of fall may never be seen again.
This year, the Rotunda yearbook will be distributed inthe spring in an attempt to increase both sales and staffretention, according to senior editor-in-chief HannahSeddlemeyer.
“We wanted to address the slipping sales that have beenassociated with college yearbooks across the nation,” shesaid.
“The books were not getting distributed too well inOctober, and we ended up with a huge room full of them.”
Dick Lytle, executive director for Student Media Company, Inc.,said he believes that, “yearbook sales and distribution willimprove over time if the yearbook is delivered in the same academicyear it covers because of the immediacy of the content.”
Lytle pointed to the declining number of yearbooks sold over thepast few years.
“In 2001-2002, the year before the University implementedweb-based registration, about 43 percent [of students] purchasedthe book.”
He continued, “Approximately 32 percent of undergraduatesordered a book in 2002-2003, the last year for which we havecomplete data.”
Another reason for the change is to ensure seniors of notleaving the Hilltop empty-handed.
“Lots of people forget to pick up their yearbook when theygraduate,” senior Robert Quach said, “so we end up witha huge stockpile of unused yearbooks.”
Quach, who is in charge of the Greek section of the yearbook,continued, “The Rotunda will be delivered in lateApril,” he said, “and it went to print on March5.”
The early print date, as both Quach and Seddlemeyer explained,means that certain events will not be covered in the book,including Sing-Song, commencement ceremonies, baccalaureate and thefinal leg of some sports seasons.
“Events occurring at the end of the school year will becovered in next year’s issue of the yearbook,”Seddlemeyer said.
Though a spring delivery also leaves the staff much less timefor production, she maintained that the positives still outweighthe negatives.
“We have five months rather than a year to produce theRotunda,” Seddlemeyer said, “but this is betterfor the staff, as it no longer conflicts with finals and summer[vacation].”
Lytle feels that the amount of production time will prove bestfor a staff under pressure.
“Spring delivery deadlines will create a sense of urgencyamong yearbook staffers, motivating them to focus on the task athand.”
“[Hopefully],” he continued, “[this] shouldresult in improved productivity, a better book creatively, and nolast-minute, end-of-semester and summer work.”
The year’s Rotunda, the theme for which is”About Face,” will mark the first time in over a decadethat a spring distribution will be implemented.
“The Rotunda was delivered in the spring of’93, and the staff had plans for a spring release in’94, too,” Lytle explained.
Plans fell through, however, as the staff did not meet thedeadlines put in place in order to get the yearbook out ontime.
As the distribution date is tentatively set for the last week inApril (“dead week” in terms of academics), students canexpect to find advertisements in the coming weeks newspaper andbulk e-mail announcements.
And, as always, payments can be made with cash, check, Visa orMaster Card or Pony dollars.
