Editor’s note: A banner at the top of Monday’s DM should have stated that the yearbooks are being distributed at The Pavilion, not the Tad Pad.
The 2018-2019 editorial staff of “The Ole Miss” yearbook homed in on the small details of the city and the university that often get overlooked to portray their importance to the community, centering the yearbook around the theme “Between the Lines.”
“We wanted to inspire students to think about the small details of their time at the university and remember them in the years to come,” Mackenzie Ross, editor-in-chief of The Ole Miss yearbook said. “In 30 years, we’ll all remember the big details, but it’s the receptionists in your schools or the crossing guard that may make your day and we want to commemorate that. You’ll see a lot of features on those people, places and events in the book this year.”
Ross said it was an interesting year to produce a yearbook centered around the theme with the increased amount of news that happened on campus and drew national attention to the university.
“We have had a lot of change on campus this year, so we had to make sure we were up to date on it all and that it all made it in the book,” she said. “News about the Confederate statue began around the time of our final deadline, so I worked closely with my editorial team to make sure that was included in the book.”
Ross said the biggest challenge was picking what went in the book. She said the stories kept changing throughout the year, but she is incredibly proud of the finished product.
Yearbooks will be available in The Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Thursday.
Students must present a valid student ID to receive a yearbook, and they do not have to pay anything to receive their respective copies as long as they were enrolled in classes and have paid tuition for both the fall and spring semesters of the 2018-19 academic year.
Students who have only paid for one semester will have to pay $25 to receive a yearbook. Non-students, law students and faculty or staff members will have to pay $50.
This is the 122nd edition of “The Ole Miss.” In 1897, students held a contest to name the yearbook, and “The Ole Miss” was selected. It is the first known reference of Ole Miss in relation to the university.
Megan Suttles, the current photography editor and incoming editor-in-chief, said this book serves as a capsule to make sure nothing that happens on the Ole Miss campus is forgotten about over time— no matter how large or small it is.
“In 30 years, people will be able to look back on this yearbook and see the story about the crossing guard by Farley (Hall) and say, ‘Hey, I remember him! He was such a great guy,’” Suttles said. “Because of that, this book really means a lot to me, because being able to make small things into something memorable and meaningful is how you can really paint a beautiful picture of Ole Miss.”
Suttles said taking pictures of many newsworthy events this year made her felt even more honored than she already was to act as the 2018-19 photo editor.
“I captured the emotions of people in my community who were standing by each other and fighting for their beliefs, and the only emotion that I felt was contentment from being able document those moments through my eyes,” Suttles said. “Being able to take pictures of newsworthy events and important people, such as the interim chancellor, is what helped me learn and grow as a photographer by helping me find my confidence.”
Ross and Suttles both said they hope when people look back on this yearbook in the future, they will be reminded of the small experiences that happened throughout the year in addition to the major events.
“I hope they see familiar faces and think back to the small but best memories of their year at Ole Miss,” Ross said. “It’s such a unique and beautiful campus, and I know I’ve made my best memories here.”