A Look Through the NSA Yearbooks of 2005-2024

NSA’s year books are all special and unique because they represent their time period one way or another. One element that is seen in all these yearbooks is its aesthetics. From 2005 all the way until now (2024-2025), we see the aesthetics going from perms and poofs to Doja Cat’s albums and everything being online. Our times have changed and will continue to change, but we never really look at what it was like in the past. So hopefully by explaining what these time periods were like, you can get an idea of what it could have been like to be a teenager at NSA during that time and how we could incorporate some of this stuff in our current yearbook!  

The first yearbooks we are going to look at are 2005-2009; the early 2000’s are described by many as teenagers “prime time,” and juicy couture was huge. People were becoming more comfortable with being alternative, and being hot and hip was all the rage. We see this in students’ poses in the yearbooks, big perms by adults, lots and lots of gold jewelry, old school prom dresses that have lots of glitz and glam, and more. In 2008-2009, the Olympics and the presidential election were going on. The heat was in the US, and NSA had the spirit for it; there was even a page dedicated to Olympics and election. The US had 112 medals total, and Obama was now president. Spirit week was heavily showcased, with everyone dressing up in full spirit. NSA looked like a community because there were always group pictures with students, teachers, and administrators.

Next is 2010-2014! 2010 appeared to be a very relaxed time, so there was much more focus on school spirit. Pep rallies were huge and incredibly fun. There were games like high heel race, three-legged race, and tug of war. There were both students and teachers practicing. There was a lot of teacher appreciation, such as pages of teachers of the year, showing interesting facts about them, etc. As appreciation grew in NSA, there was more appreciation for teachers, student clubs/rallies, and for diversity that was reflected in the yearbooks. There was Hispanic/Latino appreciation; there was a page where students got to go outside and draw in chalk facts about Dia De Los Muerte. Culture was explained and appreciated. During 2011, for some reasons that are unclear, NSA’s aesthetics took a 180 and became very plain and simplistic. All the fonts were white, beige, and light blue—all very monotone. However, something that brought some life was the visual arts conservatory. The art was remarkably diverse.

Next, we have 2016-2022. These last couple of years have been a roller coaster, with the internet growing, a huge pandemic, and a stressful time in politics. At first everything was ok, but the yearbooks seemed plainer in contrast to previous years, as if enthusiasm was being drained. Pep rallies were reduced, clubs got smaller, and some activities were becoming very repetitive. On the bright side, we were getting some more insight into each conservatory because the yearbook showed each conservatory with facts and info. There was even a page dedicated to some of our scholastic winners! Then during 2020 we were hit by a pandemic, Covid-19. Everything got shut down, including school. So, everything became virtual, classes were on zoom, assignments were all on the computer, and everything was online. So, NSA’s spirit was declining, but there were some attempts to save it! Theres a page where students tried to participate in spirit week, but at home.

Lastly, we have 2023, when we were getting back into the swing of things after Covid, and since times have changed, technology is everything. So, the yearbook’s theme is like a web browser of a website. In our eyes, NSA seemed to have lost its spirit. There were no pep rallies and a very basic spirit week. However, people still tried to have their fun by taking several silly fun pictures. Everything seemed to be captured in pictures, from kissy faces, peace signs, and point 5 perspective—everything was on camera. We’re hoping that with this article, students, administrators, and student council will evaluate these yearbooks and see what we can include and/or take away from it. Let’s make 2024-2025 year the best!