The official yearbook of Mississippi State University, “The Reveille,” now allows students to personalize their yearbook experience with the submission of candid photos.
Since 1898, “The Reveille” has been MSU’s official yearbook. It was published from 1906 to 2008 and was temporarily renamed “Private 1913” in 1913. “The Reveille” was digitally revived in August 2012, providing MSU with an online archive of the yearbook from 1898 to 2008.
Phillip Poe, faculty adviser for “The Reveille,” said allowing students to submit photos assists in getting students involved in the yearbook and helps to boost the shorthand of yearbook photos.
“We were looking for ways to get the average student who may not be on the football team, involved in any clubs or student activities to have a chance to express themselves in the yearbook,” Poe said. “This works around the excuse of ‘well, I won’t buy a book because I won’t be in it.’ Well, now you have a chance, and it’s the perfect way feature those smaller groups on campus who go uncovered.”
Poe said the staff seeks photos that portray the day-to-day lunch in the Colvard Student Union, residence hall life and anything that will provide a snapshot into the daily lives of students.
“This gives students an outlet and provides them with a way to connect with their school experience and preserve it in memory,” Poe said. “This definitely fits in with the ease of digital life as students today are mostly uploading photos to Facebook or Twitter. Everyone likes photos of themselves, and this is a great way feature to more students.”
Poe said the mission of MSU’s Reveille is to be the documented record for student life over a specific year. He said it helps instill pride in parents for what their money is going into, purchase of the yearbook for students.
“Anything that we can do to be effective, we definitely want to do,” Poe said. “It’s our first time doing this, but this gives opportunity to help students be a part of the overall experience of helping preserve every memory at MSU.”
Elizabeth McCullen, layout editor for “The Reveille,” said she hopes students will take full advantage of the new photo sentiment.
“We are really trying to focus on the traditions of MSU by featuring what’s important to MSU life,” McCullen said. “Having photos in the yearbook is something that is permanent, and will last forever. Our main focus is that it will appeal to students, and we are trying to create pages that are a source of pride for the students to look back on.”
Elizabeth Lucas, editor-in-chief of “The Reveille,” said all photos that are submitted have to be appropriate and feature only the individual who took the photo.
“We will not accept ‘selfies,’ nudity, anything featuring alcohol content or bar locations, offensive gestures or drugs,” Lucas said. “The photos must be taken with a digital camera, which means iPhones or any cell phone photos are prohibited.”
Lucas said all photo submissions must include captions that explain who the photo includes, and contact information for the individual submitting the photos.
“If a student wants to submit a photo of friends, or an individual other than themselves, they must provide us with consent from the individuals in the photos, to avoid any conflict,” Lucas said. “Stolen photographs are prohibited as well.”
Lucas said this is an easy way to ensure that students are featured in the yearbook, and allows them to have some control over the content of the book.
To submit photos, visit images.balfour.com, and proceed with school project number 404716.