As the new school year rolls around, the class of 2020 has many senior events and memories to look forward to in the coming months. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year however, will be the lack of senior quotes in the yearbook. Many seniors a part of the graduating class of 2019 were startled when they found their senior quotes to be included in the front and back covers of the yearbook, instead of the traditional quote beside their yearbook photo.

ERHS Yearbook Crew

In addition to this break of tradition, now, the class of 2020 can be expecting no quotes at all. However, the intent behind this derailment of tradition comes with no malice, but rather one of money, space and time. Jason Isaac, a student who contributes to the creation of the yearbook, explains the changes to be within good reason by saying, “I do sympathize with everyone being upset about the senior quote situation, it does suck but it is out of our control. To do so now, would be costly to not only is us, but to everyone who purchased a yearbook [already]. Also we can’t realistically ask for more money from the people whom already paid to suddenly include senior quotes. The price we posted was a a price that factored in the exclusion of senior quotes. Also with the dejection of the quotes, it offers more time for the [yearbook] crew to really work on what matters like pages that all of the school can enjoy in/relate to as opposed to quotes that only [class of] 2020, care[s] about.”

Student Petition to Yearbook

Also circulating among the class of 2020 is an online petition that aims to band the senior class together in hopes of getting senior quotes back. Delaney Dorsey, the creator of the petition mentions that, “For me senior quotes have always been a statement for each senior to represent themselves in a way a picture never could. The quotes are our personal statements and years from now when we’ve forgotten who we were in high school besides the clubs, extracurriculars, etc., we’ll be able to look back at our own words and see how much we’ve grown…Our senior quotes give us that one space to say whatever we want to say and be able to have a small portion of the yearbook dedicated to our own words.”

Dorsey also explains her reasoning in creating the petition, “I respect yearbook completely and I have no hard feelings towards the reasoning for their decision. The reason I feel passionately about the removal of the quotes is because this decision was simply made without consulting the student body and asking what the seniors want….That’s why I made the petition, to showcase how important the quotes are to the seniors. So that if there is a chance for another decision to be made yearbook can consult the seniors about it and give us the power to decide. And if at the end of the day our senior quotes are removed, at least we got to be a part of the decision.

In the end, the yearbook is a place in which students of all grades can reminisce on the memories of that school year; from the first day to the last, from the Homecoming to Prom, and from freshmen year to senior year. Whether senior quotes get included or not, the value of the memories in your senior year of high school is above all else.

Controversy Disclaimer

For more information or to contact representatives from yearbook or the student petition, email us at [email protected] with the subject line Senior Quotes C/O 2020. We appreciate your understanding, patience and moderation regarding this matter.