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.