According to Director of Communications David Thiel, after the previous representative of the Pocumtuck Yearbook’s printing company allowed unauthorized expenses last year, this year’s budget had to be cut. Editors Victoria Buckman ’13 and Laura Quazzo ’13 face a lower budget for the 2013 yearbook and must change its layout.
“When we got the bill with the books this fall, something wasn’t right,” Mr. Thiel said. “It wasn’t this year’s or last year’s editors’ fault. The company ended up paying for a lot of things because there was a budget abnormality.”
Mr. Thiel added, “Generally speaking, last year’s book was over budget by about $20k. Because this year’s group had done their planning based on last year, they had to suddenly tighten the budget. They will still be above budget a little bit, probably coming in at around $55k. I’d like to get the yearbook down to less than $50k for the future.”
Now Quazzo and Buckman have a set budget, when in the past, “it hasn’t always been clear,” Quazzo said.
Quazzo and Buckman developed an amended plan for the 2013 yearbook in meeting with Mr. Thiel. “Mr. Thiel is trying to work with us and is really encouraging,” Buckman said.
Quazzo added, “Mr. Thiel helped us determine what was most important. We could have pretty much all of the things from two years ago. Compared to last year’s yearbook, it was an issue of what we wanted and what was extravagance. We need to prioritize. We have become more money-conscious.”
Mr. Thiel said, “I think if you compare our book to other schools, you’ll find that it’s unusually large; a reduction in page count, which could be accomplished without eliminating content, is probably the best way to reduce the cost of the book in the future and save the planet a little too.”
Buckman said, “All the changes are taken care of, but it did set us back a little.”
The budget of the yearbook, though more clearly defined, has not greatly affected the editors’ vision, Quazzo said. Contrary to rumors circulating around campus, the yearbook will not be paperback. It will, however, be without senior collages.
Of Quazzo and Buckman, Mr. Thiel said, “I can’t praise them enough for how thoughtfully and professionally they handled this budget information.”
“The 2013 yearbook will reflect what we want, which is a more traditional book,” Quazzo said. “Students’ photos and our hard-working staff are far more valuable than a larger budget.”