by Danny Craig
Features Editor
University of La Verne Associate Dean of Students Ruby Montaño-Cordova and sophomore yearbook editor Heather Baxter are attributing this year’s cancellation of the yearbook publication to a lack of interest and communication.
“I feel really bad for the seniors who aren’t going to have a yearbook,” said Baxter.
Baxter, who served on the Lambda yearbook staff last year, said that problems arose when she resumed her duties last fall.
Baxter said the yearbook staff began with a roster of eight members and dwindled down to three by the conclusion of the fall semester.
With a lack of man power, Baxter said meeting the necessary deadlines for production became increasingly difficult.
“It seemed like I wasn’t getting help from anybody,” said Baxter. She said the this year’s production efforts began to mirror that of last year, where she credits production of the Lambda to the efforts of three freshmen staff members.
The editor also noted that the late fall resignation of Leadership Development and Transition Program director Lura Poggi, the acting faculty adviser for the Lambda, was also an obstacle. Baxter said that Poggi, who left the University of La Verne for a position at Cal State San Marcos, was the authority figure for the staff and a necessary liaison to Montaño-Cordova.
With numerous setbacks and a fleeting time, Montaño-Cordova said that the staff lost too many opportunities for completion.
“If you miss deadlines there’s a price tag,” she said,” the students lost interest as the lack of communication took place.”
Montaño-Cordova and Baxter said the yearbook has been a struggling entity at ULV in past years.
With the cancellation being official, a variety of responses arose from seniors.
“That bothers me severely,” international business and language major Andy Davis said of Lambda’s absence. “I’d like to be remembered. There’s so little tradition at this school.”
He said that for many students who are involved at ULV, they will find the turn of events disappointing.
Sharing a similar sentiment was graduating senior Debbie Carrera.
“I know I don’t care that much about it now now, but it probably would have meant something to me years from now,” said Carrera.
Montaño-Cordova said that statistics show a decreasing popularity for yearbooks on college campuses.
With all aspects of the Lambda in consideration, the associate dean arranged for Lordsburg Productions video producer Bill Neill to create a video yearbook with the remaining year.
The video version of Lambda will be free of charge to ULV students.
Montaño-Cordova said there is consideration for other alternatives for future yearbooks, including a CD-rom program.
Senior Amy Attiyah feels that although she anticipated a traditional yearbook, she is optimistic about the new ideas for the Lambda.
“I think this year more than ever we faced the fact that traditions are not being kept up. I think they owe it to themselves to give it a shot,” said Attiyah. “It’s nice to have something to look back on.”
While a future change in format for the Lambda is under consideration, Montaño-Cordova said the traditional yearbook has not been ruled out for future classes.
