Many students piled out of their flex classes today, pen in hand, to take part in Oxford High School’s very first yearbook-signing party. There was a sense of excitement in the air as everyone entered the cafeteria to see last year’s long-awaited yearbook, receive one of their own, and sign everyone else’s.

“It’s something different, something new,” said Hayden Brines, a senior at OHS.

The idea is to set aside a specific time and place for students to get their yearbooks signed by friends. There, they can look back on the memories of last year and get excited about all that is to come this year.

“It’s a good way for everybody to sit down and talk about last year and look through and see all the good times we had,” Randi Rankin, a sophomore and current member of the OHS yearbook staff, said.

Many students said they liked this year’s yearbook, design, and “Define Yourself” theme. The staff wanted to show that “every club and every place has a different way of defining itself,” according to junior Aubrey Kate Merrell, one of three senior editors on the yearbook staff this year.

The front of the yearbook states that the goal of the book is to challenge stereotypes and to “display the evolving identity of our school as new administration takes over.”

This is very fitting, as not only did many new administrators come into the district last year, but the yearbook instructor, Ebony Johnson, did as well, changing the identity of the yearbook itself.

The design of the yearbook is one factor that has been given a new image.  Last year, the yearbook staff used water-dipped and colorful bleeding tissue paper to make many of the pages’ backgrounds art in themselves.  

Pizza also made an appearance at the signing event, making this year’s signing party a total success.

The only thing missing? Last year’s seniors. Many of the party-goers voiced their wish that last year’s graduating seniors could have been there to relive the old memories and sign books in one final salute to high school.  Luckily, their lack of appearance did not bring down the party too much, and the yearbook staff looks forward to more signing parties in the future.

“It’s a great environment to get your yearbook signed,” said sophomore Philip Simpson.

For those unable to attend the party and receive their yearbook, there is no need to worry.  Johnson and her staff are working together to figure out a time, either before school or during lunch, for students to pick up their yearbooks.