EMERGING CONTENDING VIEWS ON YEARBOOK

While most of the senior students claim the importance of yearbook as a significant symbol of unity among the class, there is an emerging rejection to the yearbook.

“Yearbook” is originated from Western culture and has recently brought to Vietnam under a comparably different concept. In the West, “Yearbook” refers to a type of book which is published annually, giving photos, current information and listing events of students in the previous year such as academics, student life, sport, music, etc. However in Vietnam, “Yearbook” is generally known as a photo shoot or an album of senior students. When graduation is approaching, the forth-year students at universities and even the twelfth- grade students will have a photo shoot in which they wear traditional “aodai”, bachelor shirt and other eye-catching costumes to take excellent photos together.

Students take photos at Temple of Literature

According to our recent online survey among nearly 100 senior students, a great number (above 60%) of them believe that yearbook is an indispensable part of student life which records the most precious moment of the youth. Roughly 70% of the participants are willing to spend time and a considerable amount of money on that photo shoot.

On the other hand, there are an emerging number of students who do not support the idea of taking photos as a means of memory record. In fact, roughly two-fifths of the participants deny the necessity of a yearbook.

Pham Ngan from the University of Languages and International Studies shared that “I think taking photos for a yearbook is quite important. It is a marker of 4 years being a student. However, in the setting of students nowadays, it is quite expensive for us. Basically, it has a sense of formality rather than meaning”

“Recently we have been offered with many yearbook services. […] And it’s something like other classes do it, so do we” Pham Dan, a Uliser, said.

A senior student from ULIS, Chu Giang shared “My friend also complained of her yearbook first […] She told me that not every member of her class was eager to join in the yearbook. […] And with a few members instead of the whole class attending, we are losing the meaning of a yearbook. So I’m afraid that I can’t agree (with the idea of making yearbook).”

“Taking photos to make a yearbook is not really necessary. It’s simply a temporary trend. […] I think it sounds more reasonable if we spend that money on a trip.” Pham Hong, another girl from ULIS concluded.

Students enjoy trip together

These students do not deny the meaning of the yearbook; however, instead of taking photos, they believe that there are many other ways to enjoy the left precious moment together, for instance, traveling.

The necessity of a yearbook depends on the way each of us views its meaning.