Annual tradition Ð in full color

Copies of the blue-covered, 304-page Carneta yearbook will hit the halls of Carson High School this Friday like a hot commodity.

"I'm excited," said freshman yearbook student Katie Proctor, nearly jumping from her seat during a sneak preview several days ago. "I think everything turned out great. It's really, really exciting after a whole year of work to have the book here."

The $60 Carneta is, for the first time, a full-color yearbook. Even the photos of the underclassmen, traditionally black and white, are in color. Managing editor and senior Brianna Valley is looking forward to having her own copy this Friday.

"Part of the thing of getting the yearbook is to have people sign it, to have people document their memories that might not otherwise be in there," she said.

The book has a dark blue cover, several pages in the front and back for students to sign, a scrapbook page for students' own photos, 50 pages of buddy ads, including a half-page ad in remembrance of Charles Keller, a former administrator and teacher at the school, pictures of school clubs and the class photos.

"I am so proud of you," yearbook teacher Patt Quinn-Davis told her students. "I am really, really proud of you."

Some 1,500 copies were ordered and she believes those not set aside for pre-orders will sell quickly. The name Carneta come from the first syllable in the words "Carson," "Nevada" and "Tahoe."

Three student editors delivered an advance copy of the book to the principal last week, but even the yearbook students will not receive their own copies until the end of the week.

"Some of you have heard me talk about this," Quinn-Davis said. "Nobody gets to see this book until Friday. This is your special moment."

This year's book received Walsworth Publishing Company's "Gallery of Excellence Award," the fifth time in five years. Of about 4,000 yearbooks published by Walsworth, the top 1 percent, about 40, are used by the company's representatives as an example of what makes a good yearbook.

"It obviously says that we have a great teacher and that we put a lot of time and effort into creating the best yearbook we can," said senior Kelsey Joyce, an editor.

"It shows that we've strived for excellence and that Ms. Quinn-Davis, who has been doing (yearbook) for five years, is the reason we've been receiving it and accomplishing so much," Valley said.

Some of the two-page spreads in the yearbook feature the cross-country team, the Winter Ball, Mr. Carson High, culinary classes, and the concert chorus, "Rejoice, Rejoice."

Over the past year, students have put in extra hours devoted to producing the best writing, photography and layout. Each of Quinn-Davis' students attends a yearbook camp each summer, sponsored by Walsworth, and nearly all of them, like freshman Proctor, come back for more.

"I am going to be here all four years," she said. "It's like I'm helping out the school by doing this. The class is fun. It's so entertaining."

And she's looking forward to receiving the Walsworth Gallery of Excellence Award again.

"We're going to receive the high achievement award next year and the year after that," she said. "We'll have it for eight years."

- Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.

Carneta

What: The Carneta Yearbook, 304 color pages

Cost: $60

Available: Seniors can purchase a yearbook at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the library; sales open for underclassmen at 12:30 p.m. June 6 in the library.