The Pillar yearbook has long been a staple of Trinity Western. Though having a yearbook for a university is rare, Trinity’s modest size and close community made the Pillar a nice way to put the whole year together.
In the fall of the 2009-10 year, Pillar was in a crisis. TWUSA, which oversees Pillar, could not find a candidate qualified enough to take on the large project. A meeting was held to decide what should be done with the funds that were supposed to be allotted to Pillar, since it was looking like there would not be one this year. Just when things looked their bleakest, in stepped Samantha Lowe.
“I didn’t even know they didn’t have an editor,” explains Lowe as we sit munching on dry cheerios in her Walnut Grove townhouse which she shares with four roommates. “It was my fifth year and I wasn’t planning on being involved with the school, and then people approached me to apply for the position.” This was all happening after classes had began, much later than the Pillar editor is normally hired, which is usually in April. “When I found out there was no one else I didn’t want the yearbook to die – it’s a good medium for showing the school, and it captivates the essence of campus,” says Lowe.
After a quick application process, Lowe was thrown into the fire, given the task of completing work that should have been done over the four months of summer into a few weeks.
“It was overwhelming and terrifying,” says Lowe of her attempt at catching up. “I was bogged down instantly with so much work. I hadn’t had the usual four months to prepare, and there were already looming deadlines.”
After a week of brainstorming a theme, Lowe had to contact printers, photographers, hire her assistants, and work out a budget. Fortunately, Lowe, an Honours student in International Studies, was able to lay the groundwork by October. After the bumpy start, Lowe had to start putting the Pillar together.
“Essentially I made a book…it took about four months with an extra month to put the finishing touches on. It was terrifying and exhilarating.”
With the finished product set to come out this week, Lowe believes some systemic changes need to occur for next year. “The project needs more accountability and continuity – the companies that are used to put it together need to be examined,” says Lowe. While this year’s version of the yearbook is safe, many students were questioning its use to students at the beginning of the year – something that is likely to continue given its large cost. For many, the student fees charged for the project, which amount to over $50,000 a year, could be better spent in other areas. Lowe, however, holds to the sentiment that Pillar captures the year that was, and is great for showcasing the school to potential students.
“The yearbook can’t continue to be complacent, because people are questioning its integrity and use. Future efforts need to be made to have it be structurally sound, not only artistically sound.”
For now, Samantha Lowe saved Pillar. Time and future students will tell if its use is outdated, or if it’s a throwback worth keeping. – J.H.
