Students document a year unlike any other in yearbooks

SEMINOLE, Fla. - For many students, life has been very strange for the last two months, but some at Seminole High School still feel it needs to be documented.

"When you look back on the year, I think what you are going to remember most is the virus," says yearbook editor-in-chief Lena Conway.

She teamed up with the school newspaper and literary magazine to create a 28-page yearbook insert about life during COVID-19.

"We really wanted the supplement to embody our school and our community coming together as one, and this was our idea for how to do that," says Seminole High School newspaper editor-in-chief Tori Foltz.

The supplement covers topics like cabin fever and testing, but also includes creative writing, photos and poetry.

"A lot of kids, including myself, have a better way of expressing things through poetry or artwork, rather than just being asked questions. It’s easier to evoke emotion that way," says Kasidy Goller, the school's literary magazine editor-in-chief.

The team found fellow students, who are missing out on precious high school memories, were looking for an emotional outlet.

"Usually, it’s kind of like pulling teeth to get them to talk at school. But when we talked to them about this, they were just kind of like, oh yeah, I'd love to talk about that'," says Foltz.

Lena Conway wants the insert to give students perspective when they look at it years from now.

"I hope they remember all the good times they had in high school and how the virus really impacted them and helped them grow as a person," Conway said.