The yearbook: a way of preserving an entire school year in pictures and words. It’s something you can look back on with fond memories; it’s a physical copy of your days in high school. As the 2019 school year comes to an end, it appears that the AMHS yearbook will as well.

The introduction of AP Capstone has limited the number of electives open for rising seniors next year, and the number of students who choose to take more AP’s than other classes is increasing. The yearbook class is an elective, and based on information heard from the junior class this year, it doesn’t seem like many students are planning on taking the class next year. The creation of the yearbook relies on senior input, and cannot be completed without them. No matter how many underclassmen are in the class, there will not be a yearbook if rising seniors do not sign up for it.

Some of the junior class has mentioned that they would be fine without a yearbook next year, but they did not take into consideration the other classes who would want a yearbook. As a yearbook student, I can say that the yearbook class itself is pretty rigorous and requires a lot more work than you would think, but there are some underlying benefits of the class. It’s a good class to put on college applications and there are plenty of opportunities to practice leadership skills (which are essential to getting good scholarships). It’s also a good way to meet new people and to reach out to students of all grade levels. You will also be able to learn more about photography, design, interviewing, and writing, and will get to practice all of these skills at some point during the class.

There’s a special sort of nostalgia that comes from looking at an old yearbook. For those of you who have a Magnet yearbook from previous years, or even a middle school yearbook, you know how fun (or embarrassing) it is to look back on how you and your friends looked in the past. A yearbook is also a gateway to your memories of school, unlocking the moments you may have forgotten and want to remember. If there is no yearbook class next year, the Class of 2020 will not be able to look back on their senior year, one of the most memorable years of high school. There will be no senior quotes, senior superlatives, or senior ads for the juniors next year if it can’t be created.

Among all the electives at Magnet, yearbook is overlooked. It may be hard for the rising seniors to find a way to squeeze this class into their already tight schedules, but the outcome of the class would be worth the time and energy. Even if only one current junior were to take the class, the entire school would be able to benefit from their participation. This article is definitely not a call-out, but it is a call to arms. Despite the hard work, I would love to take the class again because it feels good to know that I’m taking part in creating a time capsule for the school. I hope that this article has the potential to inspire people to take the class next year. It would be disappointing if the 2019-2020 school year were to break the streak of having a yearbook.