June 11, 2009

There has been no student interest in starting up a new Viking Yearbook for 09-10.

Anyone looking for past copies of books should click the link on the left.

Kris Vatter, Director of Student Activities.

January 16, 2009

The Yearbook has, over the past few years, been delivered to campus 6 months past the commencement date of the previous year.   Not only confusing for current students, it has created an awkward situation for any new yearbook staffers. They begin the year excited about working on a book to represent “their time” at Olaf, only to be left with finishing a book that someone else started and left behind. 

Customers (Seniors in particular) are left to wonder – where is my book? When will I get it?  Should I order it?  Will it be mailed to me? This cycle has been impossible to break. 

The only way to break it is to step away from the Yearbook for one full year. Some hard analysis needs to be done on whether it is perceived to be a worthy endeavor anymore.

What role is technology playing in current students’ desire for hard-cover books? Do students feel that things like Facebook have taken the role of ‘electronic yearbook’?  Is it worth printing a book for today’s student who doesn’t realize they value it until many years later?

If any current St. Olaf students would like to organize themselves and start a new Viking Yearbook, these are the requirements:

• Comprehensive survey to show student interest in yearbooks
• Determine need/interest in Fresh Faces   
• Create a realistic, balanced budget including:
  stipends, marketing, ad sales, distribution costs, etc…
• Books need to be free to all students
• Size of book
• Timeline
• Budget reporting to SGA
• Staffing and Advisor
• Proposal for 2009-10 book presented to and decided by SGA during regular SGA meetings on March 31 and April 7, 2009.  (Since this is a decision requiring action on a financial matter, it will take place over two meetings. )

Kris Vatter, Director of Student Activities, is willing to meet with anyone interested in starting this process.

The Office of Student Activities is distributing previous issues.

September 21, 2008

SGA Press Release ~ Cancellation of the Yearbook

          College yearbooks are losing popularity nationwide.  Though yearbooks have been part of the college tradition for many years, recent advances in technology have made the yearbook format stagnant.  SGA is concerned with allocating resources in a way that benefits the most students and best contributes to a thriving campus community. SGA has traditionally spent approximately $14,000 a year on yearbooks and the Dean of Students Office has also contributed a large annual sum. The SGA Executive Committee unanimously decided that there is no longer sufficient student interest to validate this amount.  There will be no yearbook for either 2007-2008 or 2008-2009.  Previous yearbooks are available for purchase at www.stolaftickets.com and will also be available free of charge at Homecoming.
          Greg Kneser, the Dean of Students, has graciously agreed to work with SGA to reallocate the money previously spent on the yearbook in new and innovative ways.  We are developing a protocol to take proposals related to improving student media opportunities on campus. If future students are interested in re-establishing a yearbook at St. Olaf, they are encouraged deliver a proposal to be analyzed by the Student Senate and the Dean of Students.

          Any questions about this decision may be directed to the SGA President:  Wade Hauser, or to the Director of Student Activities:  Kris Vatter.

RELATED LINKS

St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota)
Manitou Messenger (St. Olaf Student Newspaper)
93.1FM KSTO (St. Olaf Student Radio)
St. Olaf Alumni Page