The Return of Cardinal Yearbook

Image courtesy of MaryJo Kelly

By Regina Vahey

After nearly a decade, the Cardinal Yearbook is making its return this semester and the class of 2020 will have the opportunity to have their portraits featured in this edition of the yearbook. The Cardinal Yearbook is now available to order, and the physical copies will be ready this May.

The Cardinal Yearbook was established in 1916 and was printed annually until 2011. There were a few years that the yearbook was not printed due to the world wars. From the 1960’s to 2005, there was a scholarship incentive to join the yearbook staff. After funding for this scholarship was cut, there was an immediate reaction from those who worked on the yearbook. As years passed, the staff of editors dwindled, as well as interest in maintaining the tradition of the Cardinal Yearbook. Past hard-copy editions of the Cardinal Yearbook can be found in The Catholic University of America Archives, and digital versions can be found on the University Libraries website.

Freshman exploratory major, MaryJo Kelly and freshman drama major Jaylynn Williams are the co-editors in chief of the Cardinal Yearbook who took the initiative to bring the yearbook back this year. 

“I really enjoyed yearbook in highschool and I wanted to get involved at Catholic,” Kelly said. 

The 2019-2020 Cardinal Yearbook will feature a traditional-style aesthetic and focus on creating a solid foundation for future editions to build upon. The yearbook will highlight the senior class in its own section. The rest of the classes and broader campus community will have the chance to be featured in a variety of other sections. These include: sports, clubs, campus events, and academics. 

Senior social work major, Alex Ramirez, noted that, despite being a research university, The Cardinal Yearbook is unique because it highlights the tight-knit community of Catholic University.

 “I am excited, and I think it’s really neat that the yearbook is coming back because I don’t know how many of my college friends who go to different schools can say that they have a yearbook,” said Ramirez.

The Cardinal Yearbook will continue to work with Jostens, a publishing company that published previous editions of the yearbook.

Senior nursing major, Jean Sumner, has admired her grandparents’ yearbooks and she is excited to have the same opportunity to reminisce on her college experience. 

“I’m actually really excited that the yearbook is coming back,” said Sumner. “I think it’s going to be one of those things that’s super exciting for people to be able to buy.” 

There are still positions available on the yearbook staff. Some of the jobs include: story writing, taking pictures, designing layouts, and interviewing people. If interested, join Cardinal Yearbook on The Nest or reach out to MaryJo Kelly via email.

The return of the Cardinal Yearbook is a momentous occasion. A yearbook is a compact way of memorializing one’s time at Catholic and provides another platform of looking back at special moments during times of nostalgia.