 "Photo: Cass Green")
Three major universities, including Mississippi State, have decided to stop producing an annual yearbook.
Virginia Wesleyan, Purdue, and MSU have all opted to cease publication of their yearbooks after this year due to various reasons.
Kay Jones, yearbook adviser at MSU, said the university was forced to stop publishing its yearbook because of budget cuts and lack of interest.
Several years ago the school legislature did away with activities fees, and it had to start charging students for yearbooks, Jones said.
Soon afterward, MSU experienced a significant drop in yearbook sales, and sales steadily decreased year after year.
There are approximately 17,000 students enrolled at MSU. As of a few weeks ago, there were only 300 orders for this year's yearbook.
"We have lowered the price of the yearbook and even tried different marketing techniques. The interest among students is just not there," Jones said.
Jones also said the lack of interest may be due to the increased popularity of Facebook and other social utilities.
Jones said the university will print its last yearbook this fall. It will be at least a year before MSU considers further publication.
"As far as we are concerned, this is the last one unless something major happens," Jones said.
Despite the decision some universities are making to end publication of their annual yearbooks, the University of Mississippi's yearbook, "The Ole Miss," will not be affected.
Dean of Student Affairs Larry Ridgeway said the removal of some college yearbooks nationwide will not affect Ole Miss.
"We expect to continue to print our yearbook, and I am not aware that we are looking to make any changes," Ridgeway said.
Director of Student Media Traci Mitchell had only positive things to say about "The Ole Miss" and its importance to the university.
"It is my belief that 'The Ole Miss' is strong. Students and Alumni have told us that," Mitchell said.
Mitchell also said Student Media tries to market the yearbook aggressively within the university, and that they usually have a good pickup rate.
Ashley Dees, editor of this year's "The Ole Miss," said 6,500 yearbooks were ordered this year and the yerabook staff is still giving them out. Definite distribution numbers are not yet available, but Dees predicts that over half of the yearbooks will be distributed.
"As a result of student and administrative support and because of the lengths our yearbook staff goes to, we have one of the fortunate yearbooks that continues to remain strong. We have never wavered as far as whether this publication is of value," Mitchell said.
Mitchell also emphasized the historical aspect that Ole Miss' yearbook possesses.
The university got its nick-name from a contest held in 1896 to come up with the name of the yearbook.
The winning entry, "The Ole Miss", was submitted by a student and was later adopted as the most common nickname for the university itself.
