Over the past two years, the Linganore High School (LHS) Publications class, also known as the yearbook class, has had multiple challenges to overcome. Two years ago, Angela Smithhisler took over the class and worked through difficulties in her first year as the teacher taking over for long-time yearbook advisor Tracy Bozzonetti.
The 2022 school year involved a bittersweet moment as Smithhisler went into labor in February and began her maternity leave. Until the fall of 2023 when she eventually returned. Everyone was very excited for her but sad that she could not be with them for the final two terms of 2022 year.
Linganore’s resident substitute, Joseph April, then took over the Publications class as long-term substitute, once Smithhisler left. This would allow the class enough time to make the deadline and get the yearbook out in time for the end of the school year.
In the fall of 2023, senior Mia Mendoza took over the role of editor-in-chief as a junior. This position is stressful and requires a lot of work during one’s freetime.
“I come up with and design both a cover and a theme for the yearbook, within the design aspect I select fonts, colors, styles, and graphics that will recur throughout the book.” said Mendoza. “I am also responsible for proofreading each and every spread before submission,”
However, this year, Mendoza’s role may be even more taxing.
A new teacher has come to Linganore to take Smithheisler’s place, James Warren, who has come all the way from Florida to take over the drama department, yearbook and one history class.
“Mr. Warren is a great teacher who has made a strong impression, but this is a new environment to him, and he needs to learn how to use the software and proofreading process,” said Mendoza.
Fortunately for LHS, Warren has adapted very well to this new environment and has learned so much in such a short time.
Co-Editor-in-Chief David Romero has also taken on a much bigger role this year.
Romero was promoted just this year when Mendoza needed more support in her role. Romero is now her right hand man; he does anything and everything he can to help the staff out. While Mendoza teaches Warren the software and how to use it, Romero has really had to step up into a bigger position and role.
Romero and the second-year students have been working as hard as they possibly can to help the newer students make the deadlines to publish the yearbook. Since there was so much learning involved for everyone, for about two weeks, it was only the experienced students working on pages to make the first deadline.
“This year we have struggled a lot more to get pages into the submitted folder, but like always, we will continue to persevere and push through to get it done” said Romero.
As the class gears up and gets ready for the swarm of deadlines fast approaching, the second years and editors are excited to get some more help.
