Yearbook Class Releases 2023 Edition of 'Epilog'

The yearbook staff gathers on the annex bridge on Pajama Day. Photo: Deborah Zeleny

By DAISY DENG and WILLIAM ZHANG

Congratulations to Midwood’s class of 2023! Graduation is right around the corner, and with that comes Epilog, Midwood’s yearbook, a student-published collection of the many memories made throughout the past four years.

The long process to design the yearbook begins at the end of junior year, when rising seniors submit applications to be chosen as Epilog staff members. The first task of the new staff is pitching and choosing a theme over the summer. This year’s theme is “retro revival,” with each section being a different decade.

“The yearbook requires a lot of effort and time,” said Deborah Zeleny ‘23, one of the editors-in-chief. “While it is a lot of work, it’s not strenuous, but rather enjoyable.”

The Epilog staff were constantly working around deadlines. First, it was the fonts and colors, then it was gathering information. It was a long process to complete each page.

“Yearbook is an amazing project to work on,” said advisor Ms. Melissa Pentangelo. “It comes with a lot of dedication, attention to detail, communication, and patience.”  

There were four big deadlines. The cover and end sheets came first. Then, 76 pages were due, 24 pages, and then the final 100. All were due before April to ensure the yearbook would be produced in time. 

Aside from working on the content and layout, the staff also took hundreds of photos. Some attended sports games at Midwood Field and others attended the school’s cultural festivals. More photos were collected at club meetings or in teachers’ classrooms. 

Menahil Malik ‘23, the second editor-in-chief, loved being one of the main photographers. “I not only taught my whole class the basics of cameras but I also taught myself the techniques of photography,” she said.

Sharon Nguyen ‘23, the third editor-in-chief, said that the pictures she took with Zeleny every day in class were “[a] staple to start off the day.”

For Spirit Days, the yearbook photographers coordinated with the student government to get group photos in the auditorium during period seven. Seniors were welcome to come by, take pictures, and then share them with the staff. 

For a school of over 4,000 students, creating a yearbook is a big undertaking.

“One of the biggest challenges was gathering information,” said Zeleny. The staff sent out numerous emails and Google forms and contacted dozens of teachers, coaches, and students.

Deadlines were always looming. “There were so many days when my co-editors-in-chief and I stayed at school late to submit spreads or used our free period to work on organizing, creating, and editing spreads,” said Zeleny.

Plus, the many students in the class each had their own ideas. “We are all many creative minds stuck together in one room with artistic differences,” said Malik. It could at times be frustrating to make sure all the information met the requirements and correctly correlated with the rest of the edition. 

But the class wasn’t always serious business. “Adding laughter, friendship, and comfort amongst your peers and classmates is the best solution to a lot of issues,” said Zeleny.

Staff members had a chance to get to know each other well as they participated in many team bonding activities, said Malik. They often became friends outside of school as well.

Submitting the final draft lifted a weight off the staff’s shoulders. “It took up a lot of my time during the day,” said Malik. “Knowing that I was done with it was relieving.” 

“Balancing the time commitment of the yearbook and all my APs was something I didn’t consider when planning my schedule junior year,” said Nguyen. “After submitting the yearbook, I was able to better focus on my APs and catch up on anything I had missed.”

This was Ms. Pentangelo’s first year overseeing Epilog. She’s also the advisor of the school's literary publication, Patterns. She wrote a whole new yearbook curriculum and figured the rest out with her “amazing staff” as the year went on, she said. 

Zeleny described the class as “an experience I will always cherish.”

Malik said, “It’s like I had the role of managing a little bit of everything. I was never set on one  job, which made it so fun.”

“My students constantly impressed me with their design skills and ability to work together to make our vision come to fruition,” said Ms. Pentangelo. “I can’t wait to see the finished product!”