Cal Poly Architecture Students Resurrect Yearbook Tradition

by Jay Thompson

Yearbook co-editors Christian Gibson and Hannah Scoggins share a laugh while examining the book on the June 3 distribution day.

A Cal Poly graduating architecture class has put a new spin on what used to be a mainstay of end-to-the-school-year activities: They published a yearbook.

The group is embracing a tradition of hardbound yearbooks that has fallen out of fashion with many colleges and universities across the nation. At Cal Poly, “El Rodeo” was published annually by the Associated Students from 1927-80. Publication was suspended during World War II (1943-45) and from 1972-76. The final El Rodeo was published in 1990.

Architecture student Hannah Scoggins grew nostalgic upon her return to the San Luis Obispo campus last September after spending a study abroad year in Italy.

“I find I’m a very sentimental person, and I love photos and being able to look back at moments in time and time periods that were important. In my own life, I make these little photo books of trips that I go on, and I thought this has been quite a trip — five years with all these peers of mine,” said Scoggins, one of the leaders of the project that involved a committee of nearly a score of students, all members of the Architecture Department’s Class of 2024.

“So, to document it and be able to share it with everyone is pretty special,” Scoggins said. “And I just thought that would be cool. And it’s amazing that I’m sitting here today with over a hundred books in front of me and everyone wanting one.”

Yearbook co -editors Christian Gibson and Hannah Scoggins examine the book on the June 3 distribution day. | From left, Henry Taylor and Josh Renton review the student-produced “Cal Poly SLO Architecture Class of 2024” yearbook. Renton designed and photographed the book cover. Both will graduate this month.

The artfully arranged book features a mosaic class photo on an opening page, made up of 145 thumb-sized portraits of every student. Among its 120 pages are individual portraits, as well as a favorite architecture project image from each student. There are photographs of study abroad destinations — including Barcelona, Denmark, Germany, South Korea and Switzerland — and themed shots of the department’s eight distinct studios as well as other activities that occurred throughout the five-year, nationally renowned program.

Unlike institution-sponsored productions, Scoggins asked her peers for help, and meetings were held to divvy up the work. The committee’s first email showed keen interest in the idea. About 90 students responded positively just to the concept, Scoggins said.

A major consideration was cost, but Adam Harris of Los Angeles, another fifth-year volunteer, found ways to make the project affordable: “With a couple of smart money decisions — making sure to order this on this day but that on the other, then, if you make a new account, you get 10 percent off, and making sure to look on Reddit for more coupons, stuff like that — we were able to produce and sell each book for $35,” he said.

“I think the benefit that we had as opposed to most other people is that we are all, like Hannah said, a bunch of artsy designers,” Harris said. “And we ended up doing something that was personal to us. That was a huge reason why the cost was brought down, because we did all the design on our end.”

The deadline was another major hurdle. Competing with class projects and other assignments, work didn’t progress beyond planning until January — coinciding with architecture students’ busiest period.

“There was a realization that if this is gonna happen, it’s gotta happen now, because people really needed time to organize these class shoots,” said Scoggins, 23. “That was probably the hardest part, making sure everyone in your studio is present and on theme.”

Then the creativity kicked in.

“There’s great photos and funny themes for each studio,” she said. “My studio is Professor Dale Clifford, and it was themed Clifford the Big Red Dog, so we all wore red. And one student took their photos in the Frost Center, which has this amazing kitchen. So, their whole photo shoot was culinary themed, but instead of cooking utensils they used architecture equipment — scales, T-squares and rulers.”

Another studio’s group photo features individual portraits taken wearing solid black shirts posed in the same cardboard box, then all the images were arranged in Photoshop vertically and horizontally, like the set of the gameshow “Hollywood Squares.”

As an added embellishment, student names were not presented in standard typeface font. Students instead penned their names by hand, showcasing cursive honed from five years of architectural renderings.

By late April, the layout began to take shape as a book. But before it could be sent to the bookmaker, a final proofing was needed. The committee assembled at a campus conference room and reviewed each page projected on a big screen in an occasionally comic and chaotic session.

The order was placed May 14, and boxes of books arrived May 26. On a sunny June 3 afternoon, the class keepsakes were handed out on the Architecture Building’s fourth floor terrace.

As Scoggins spoke, classmates — now good friends — walked up in advance of commencement to claim a different five-year graduation prize: “Cal Poly SLO Architecture Class of 2024.”

From right, architecture seniors Adam Harris, Anjali Beekam, Ryan Oshimoto and Josh Renton review the student-produced “Cal Poly SLO Architecture Class of 2024” yearbook. All will graduate this month. | From left, graduating architecture seniors Abby Ridgeway, Sara Moore and Thomas Ryckman review the “Cal Poly SLO Architecture Class of 2024."

“I am not part of the yearbook committee, but I am in awe of all the work that they’ve done,” said Rachel Leong, one of the first to pick up her book. “I’m overflowing with memories right now.”

The book stirs vivid memories among those who have spent years working and studying together and bonded through the program’s unique studio environment.

“There’s so much magic in each of the studios” said Long, of Laguna Niguel, California. “It’s partially due to the late nights that we all spend together. Then there’s a lot of collaboration that happens: ‘Oh, Adam, how did you make this amazing drawing?’ or ‘Hannah, how did you make this chair? Can you teach me how to bend some steel?’ And once you learn things from other people, you start some more conversations and you become friends.”

Meanwhile, Scoggins was busy handing out snacks and distributing more yearbooks as additional students appeared.

“I may have been the face of the yearbook effort — and the one nonstop emailing everyone about sharing their photos — but certainly cannot take credit for how well the book turned out,” said the Piedmont, California resident.

The book is the embodiment of the hard work of all 18 yearbook committee members, she said, including co-editor Christian Gibson and cover photographer-designer Josh Renton, and her freshman-year roommate, Lola Wagoner.

“It was partially my dream,” Scoggins said, “but it became a reality because of everyone else.”