The student publications at Appalachian State University are rich in tradition. Throughout the decades the University has served North Carolina, students at Appalachian have served their fellow students, the faculty and staff by producing high quality, informative, and entertaining publications. Student publications and the University have grown together in complexity with a broader missions.

A yearbook is special. It tells the unique story of a particular group of students at a specific campus during a given year. This very simply means that the year’s story which is told in any yearbook ought to be like no other story in any other yearbook. The staff of a yearbook has the awesome task of being historians. It is not their function, like the editorial page of the student newspaper, to impose their views on anyone else. Rather, a yearbook staff should be recording the story of the year…the way it really happened.

Yearbooks function as history books, memory books, public relations tools and as business ventures. It is easy to understand why they must be accurate, interesting, colorful, and, above all else, operate in the black.

The Rhododendron is proud of the fine tradition of quality books produced by students at Appalachian State University between 1923 and 1992. Over the span of 69 years Appalachian’s yearbook grew into one of the premier annual student publications in the nation, but after 1992 the University did not have a book. Why? Simply, it happened because the university changed and so did the students. Sales of the yearbook dropped. Students did not seek the chance to produce a book. And costs were increasing. Frankly, it was felt there were better ways to spend the money than on a book no one seemed to want.

What has changed a decade later? The university was presented with an opportunity to revive the yearbook without having to spend the money to do so. Taylor Publishing Co. approached the university offering to pay for the yearbook, if we allowed them to market the book for us. That means we must have a successful book, one that can be marketed effectively to our target audience. And what is that book we must produce? Why, the very book mentioned above. We must produce a book that records the story of the year…the way it really happens. No more. No less.

Editorial policy is the set of guidelines by which the yearbook operates. It includes the yearbook’s attitudes toward its community and aids editors in making editorial decisions. The Rhododendron Advisory Board of the Student Media Board exists to review the decision process and to provide advice to the student yearbook staff.

The Editorial Board of The Rhododendron makes recommendations on all editorial policy decisions. The Editor-in-Chief serves as chairperson. Members of the Editorial Board are Editor-in-Chief and six members of the editorial staff selected from among copy editors, section editors, photographers, and writers. The Editorial Board serves during the appointment year of the Editor-in-Chief. The Editorial Board meets weekly to determine the theme and copy needs of the publication, assign the writing of stories, captions, headlines, etc., and to assign photography needs of the publication. To be approved proposed stories, captions and headlines, photography and art work must garner four (4) positive votes. The Editor-in-Chief has the authority to overrule the editorial board, but must explain the decision to the Advisory Board of the Student Media Board. The yearbook editor bears sole responsibility for all content of the publication, and is responsible for insuring that all deadlines are met.

The Editor-in-Chief must report to the Rhododendron Advisory Board regularly to present the book’s theme, its production schedule for the year, and staff development plans. The Editor-in-Chief can be asked to report, at the discretion of the Advisory Board, on progress toward achieving editorial goals. While the Editor-in-Chief and the yearbook’s Editorial Board determine content of the publication, that content must accurately reflect life at Appalachian State University and conform to community standards of taste and decorum. Should the Editor-in-Chief fail to gain the approval of the Advisory Board, he/she has the right to appeal that decision to the full Student Media Board, and then to the Vice Chancellor for Student Development.

When questions of policy cannot be resolved by the Editorial Board or affect the entire organization, the Student Publications Advisory Board may be asked to address the issue. Should the Advisory Board fail to resolve the question or otherwise choose, the matter may be taken to the Student Media Board, then to the Vice Chancellor for Student Development.

The Editor-in-Chief must make several decisions long before the rest of the staff even begins working. First, the Editor-in-Chief must decide the theme of the book and/or how the book is going to look. Sometimes, the whole staff can be involved in this process, but in the end, it is the decision of the Editor-in-Chief with approval by The Rhododendron Advisory Board.

The three section editors (Academics, Athletics, and Features) must choose basic layout designs for their sections, including column widths, number of columns, type styles, copy specifications (justified or unjustified), common design elements, etc.

The Editor-in-Chief should also have a ladder diagram set up before the staff starts working. This is a chart of what goes on each page of the book, including which pages are to be in color

The Associate Editor must take inventory of office supplies periodically throughout the year and decide what new supplies need to be ordered from vendors and from the yearbook company.

The Editor-in-Chief must work with the Copy Editor to decide upon stylistic details of the copy. Generally, the Associated Press Stylebook should be used.

The Editor-in-Chief and the AssociateManaging Editor should work together to decide if each layout presented by the section editors for inspection is acceptable.

The Editor-in-Chief decides if any of the copy or any of the photos used are libelous or in poor taste.

The Photography Editor should take inventory of photography supplies periodically and submit a list of needs to the Director of Student Publications.

Copy, photographs, and layouts should be creative. However, there are certain rules that should be considered when creating a yearbook.
When quoting someone in an article, make sure to quote them correctly. Do not even correct bad grammar. Make sure the person knows he/she is being quoted and that they give their permission to be quoted (and to have their name used with the quote.) If a person does not want his or her name in the article, you may write “one student said,” or something similar to preserve their anonymity. Slanderous or libelous comments should be avoided.