by Maya Dorsam ‘27

Seniors will not be permitted this year to submit a senior quote to accompany their picture as they have in past years. Assistant Principal and senior grade-level administrator Tamara Jennings and Yearbook Advisor Christiane Lock each confirmed that multiple inappropriate quotes from last year ultimately led to the decision by administration. Lock expressed that she is unsure if the decision will carry on into future years.

“Due to the incident with the yearbook last school year, Sherwood HS administration determined that it would be in the best interest of all not to include senior quotes in the upcoming yearbook,” said Jennings “Upon further investigation, there were several inappropriate senior quotes. There will be other opportunities in the yearbook for seniors to express their uniqueness.”

Many may recall receiving a school-wide email regarding a specific senior yearbook quote incident during the time of their distribution last year. A student’s submission concerning the Israeli–Palestinian conflict received backlash after it made its way into the yearbook. Administration quickly responded by offering the option of stickers for students who wanted to cover the quote in their own yearbook. The senior who submitted it apologized to the entire senior class after fearing it would interfere with his chance to walk the stage at graduation. The aftermath further escalated as he and his family were harassed by members of the community.

Jennings or Lock did not specify what other quotes raised concerns. While many see senior quotes as tradition, Lock noted that aesthetically, the yearbook looks neater without them. Not every student submits a quote, and they vary in size. This can make pages look less cohesive and uniform.
Other schools in the county still permit the privilege of submitting a senior quote. Karen Zappone, the yearbook sponsor at Damascus, explained the guidelines for submitting a quote. Time stamps of shows and songs are not allowed; instead, the exact quote must be stated. This practice of tagging timestamps is typically used to express inappropriate or long quotes from other media forms and is popular among high schoolers. Additionally, Damascus requires that quotes in another language be translated and double-checked. Each submission is reviewed multiple times, and if deadlines permit, seniors are given the chance to resubmit a different quote if their original was found inappropriate.

“I don’t think it needs to be included in the yearbook if it’s being abused,” said Zappone. “There are so many ways students can express themselves. If there’s something students really want to say, they can include it when they sign each other’s yearbooks. They could also purchase a senior ad.”

Lock also suggested the purchasing of senior ads. “It’s a huge celebration for that particular person,” said Lock of the ads. “They can put any pictures they want on there, and it can be their own personalized message. That’s a fabulous way for people to personalize the book for themselves.”

Despite other options for self-expression, senior Olivia Booker believes that this year’s seniors should get to have a senior quote if they so choose..“Senior quotes were a small way for us to leave our mark, and losing them feels like losing a voice,” said Booker “It’s unfair to be silenced over something the Class of 2026 never said.”