Make them want to read your yearbook!

Yearbook staffs can capture reader interest with stories that reflect students’ lives today. Feature stories should reflect student interests, concerns and lifestyles.

Food
favorite restaurants for after the game or before a dance * buying cafeteria food vs. bringing your own lunch * profiles of students who always eat healthy * students’ ideas for the ideal cafeteria lunch * leaving campus for lunch * most and least popular cafeteria lunches * students who cook * profiles of cafeteria ladies * favorite junk food, power food, health food

Weekends
what did students do to conquer a boring weekend? * weekend rituals that developed over the course of the year * compare the weekend of a freshman with that of a senior * how did getting a driver’s license change weekends? * teams that scheduled weekend practices * jobs, homework and other responsibilities that cut into weekend fun * kids who still watch Saturday morning cartoons

Academics
how did classes change with substitute teachers? * guest speakers * group projects vs. individual projects * use of Cliff’s Notes * talk to students from other schools to find out if your school is easier or more difficult * projects using the Internet * what happens when teachers are evaluated? * talk to graduates and retired teachers to find out how the curriculum and requirements have changed over the years * what do students daydream about during class * “evaluate” notebook doodles * sights and sounds from a science lab, P.E. class, music class or art class * what do students do when they skip a class? * what teachers do students think they’ll remember years from now? * group study sessions * outdoor classroom activities * Internet in the classroom * cheating * lab classes * matching test-match photos of teachers from their younger days with a current photo * attending the same school where your parents work * comparison of easy and tough schedules, teacher disciplinary methods * quote collection of teacher expressions * kids’ reactions to various assignments * administrative functions performed by computers * how are textbooks selected and would students make the same choices? * advice from teachers and alumni * tips on taking/passing notes * having your parent for a teacher * teachers who attended your school * teacher quirks * teachers who team teach or share a classroom * obsessed by grades * student excuses

Athletics
preparations for the big game * pressures of playing the big game * avoiding injury * which comes first-athletics or academics? * getting recruited by colleges * team and individual superstitions * dealing with injuries * trainers * pressure to win * off-season training * early morning or preseason practices * playing multiple sports vs. specializing * player’s sports heroes * coaches and their high school playing days * Booster Club activities * dietary habits of players * total costs of participating on various teams * alternative sports like paintball or ultimate frisbee * pregame and postgame activities * methods teams use to psych out their opponents * off-campus vs. on-campus coaches * what happened on bus rides to away contests?

Student Life
solitude-where do kids find it with their busy schedules? * personal space at home * collections * giving or getting rides to school with siblings * how do kids keep track of their lives-notes, calendars, etc. * incoming calls on school phones * spirituality * firsts-kiss, date, traffic ticket, breakup, “F” on a test, cafeteria meal * how do kids spend their money and do any try to save money? * legal rights of teens * elementary school children’s perceptions of high school life * teens in trouble with the law * student parking lot * where will you be in 10 years? * buying class rings * tallest and shortest students * students with common and uncommon names * pros and cons of having a name at either the beginning or end of the alphabet * senior privileges * getting to school * favorite TV programs * volunteerism * first person to arrive at school and at what time and last person to leave and the time * summer workshops like band, sports journalism * spring banquets * unusual jobs held by students * students with home pages on the internet * would students rather read the book or watch the movie? * embarrassing moments * the fine art of mooching * the things that keep kids up at night * split personality-how hard it is to be a teen-one way at school and another way at home * procrastination * what’s in the lost and found in the Principal’s Office? * inhibitions * personal style * screen names * compare teacher parking lot to the student parking lot * favorite toys of childhood * ask elementary students how they’ll decorate their lockers when they get to high school * which cars are the cool cars to drive to school and which aren’t * community news as it relates to students * students who are over-involved * balancing school and a job * defining Generation X * popular lingo * fashion trends * pranks * dealing with pressures from parents, peers, teachers, social life * how do students personalize their lockers? * costs of things students buy-CD’s, clothing, gas, food * teens who live on their own * personalized car plates * how do seniors feel about soon being freshmen again in college? * local fairs and festivals * religious preferences of students-what faiths exist within the student body? * what kinds of gifts do students receive for graduation?

Fine Arts
how do actors relieve stage fright? * getting psyched for a performance * choosing the music for band and choral concerts * students in bands * behind the scenes at the school musical * student artists and the subjects of their projects * student favorites-bands, movies, music, etc.

Relationships
blind dates * meeting the parents for the first time * surviving the breakup * dating today vs. earlier decades * dating lingo * planning a special date * best friends since grade school * making friends as a new student * passing periods as a social time * common date places * best friends to worst enemies-what comes between them * dating someone from another school * seniors dealing with leaving friends behind * kids being raised by grandparents * complaints by guys and girls about each other * best and worst pick up lines * lost love/breaking up