Although Madison High School’s yearbook is filled with 304 pages of engaging articles and colorful pictures, there is one section that everyone is
most likely to read first. Within the first thirty seconds of receiving the yearbook, almost every student flips to the senior superlatives section to see who has won each category.“[Superlatives] make you think about your peers. It’s interesting to see who the winner is, especially when it’s someone you don’t expect,” explained Zoe Buzinkai, a member of the yearbook staff. Another senior, Dan Ahn, explained why superlatives are his favorite part of the yearbook. “Twenty years from now, it’ll be nice to remember who was the class clown, or who was the funniest. Those kinds of things are priceless,” he commented.
But not everyone is thrilled about this section of the yearbook, particularly Adviser Ms. Bratton and Editor-in-chief Liz Klein. While Klein noted that superlatives are fun to read in the finished book, it takes a lot of work to put them together. “There is often a hassle associated with [superlatives]. Many schools don’t use them anymore,” she stated. According to Ms. Bratton, the superlatives section negatively affects the way Madison High School’s yearbook is judged at the annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) competition.
Ms. Bratton also dislikes superlatives because she feels the awards are a popularity contest. She advocated against the publication of superlatives because some categories have caused controversy in the past, even among parents. In order to avoid conflict, Ms. Bratton now has the winners’ parents sign off on the superlatives before they are published.
Many negative superlatives from previous years, such as “most likely to clone yourself” and “worst driver,” have been removed from the yearbook altogether. Despite numerous students’ requests, Ms. Bratton confirmed that these superlatives are not coming back anytime soon. “Superlatives are not an opportunity to bully people. They used to be, but not on my watch.”
What do you think about superlatives? Are they an essential part of the yearbook? Are they worth the controversy, or just another popularity contest? Be sure to comment and let us know what you think!
