The Conestogan, Elizabethtown College’s yearbook, continues to move forward in preserving memories. As technology continues to advance, many print publications are looking for ways to stay up-to-date with these changes.
The Conestogan is no exception — this year’s issue will not only have pictures, but also QR codes on specific pages that link to a website featuring interactive digital content. This online platform allows the Conestogan to incorporate audio, video and various forms of content into the printed version, which can make the yearbook experience more engaging and desirable.
With this new technology, an Elizabethtown College graduate can pull a printed version of the Conestogan off the shelf in 2020 and view photos from his or her sports days. Then the graduate can use a smartphone, tablet or computer to link directly to a video of the team’s state championship win. For those who do not own a smartphone, a direct URL is listed under each QR code to provide easy access.
Additionally, the Conestogan has a Facebook page. Students are now able to share their questions, comments and ideas directly with the staff to help the Conestogan create a personalized book that represents everyone at the College. This Facebook is one of the many social media supplements that the Conestogan offers. These supplements do not seek to replace, but instead seek to enhance the idea of a yearbook.
A yearbook is not an idea of the past. It can truly be a historical, archival document. Yearbooks tell the story of the days at Etown. There is a value that a tangible book contains that technology might not be able to achieve. Social media outlets can preserve memories electronically now, but one cannot fully guarantee they will be able to retrieve these memories in 50 years. Most social media contains a mishmash of photos, specific to each user and their involvement. A yearbook can provide a complete storyline of a year, rather than only photos of one student’s experience. It focuses on the collective community rather than the individual.
The College’s yearbook used to be aimed strictly at the graduating seniors. However, that direction is now an idea of the past. Now, first-years, sophomores and juniors are also invited to experience the Conestogan. Students of all years are featured in the new and improved yearbook. There are now specific sections that cover different areas of interest at the College, which include faculty/staff, clubs, events on campus and residence halls in addition to an athletics section. These sections increase the chances of finding pictures of yourself as well as your friends in the yearbook. Thereby, making it more appealing to a wider audience.
I, Melissa Dominguez, am the leader of this new direction of the Conestogan. I am a sophomore communications major, in my second year as the editor. The Conestogan staff of five is eager to revive the antiquated idea of a yearbook in its new office, located just outside of Ober Residence Hall.
Most college students do not understand the purpose behind buying a yearbook. Instead, they might choose to spend their money on other things, which can provide them with instant gratification.
“The value of a yearbook is not when you graduate. It’s 20 or 30 years from now, when you want to show your children what life was like. This value lasts a lifetime,” Edward Patrick, Balfour yearbook representative, said. Yearbooks are not a publication of the past, but a memory. There will always be gadgets to keep up with our fast-paced world, but no device can tell the story of Elizabethtown College better than the Conestogan.