Leadership in the Books: The Hauberk editors curate a close-knit environment while maintaining high standards

Then-junior Clara Breneman was equipped with a change of pajamas, fluffy socks and a blanket to get her through the next 11 hours of the final deadline for Hauberk, SM East’s yearbook. 

The only thing keeping her awake after a 6 a.m. swim practice and full school day were three cans of Alani Nu energy drink and determination.

“I don't even think [becoming an editor] was a decision,” Brenaman said. “It's just like an ‘I can't quit’ kind of thing, you know what I mean? If I didn't do it, who else would do it?”

Despite the tedious hours spent on InDesign, work nights in the library and journalism back-room discussions about font size and Photoshop settings, head-editor of the yearbook was nonnegotiable for Breneman.

Even before being named editors, Breneman and seniors Charlotte Wissel and Mary Green collaborated to plan new staffer welcomes at the end of last year and Distribution Day for the yearbook. Their trio group chat dates back to editor interviews last spring, texting one another nervously: “Oh my God, I’m so scared. Literally sh*tting my pants right now.”

And after a week in Dallas developing the yearbook theme at a journalism workshop, a California trip further developing the theme and ever-changing design concepts, the three have become a close-knit team.

“It’s like a sports team almost, but I don't really like sports,” Wissel said. “I like working with a lot of people and just seeing how everyone can be creatively different and just seeing how many ideas can go into one book and make one thing work.”

With a constant stream of questions from staff members, seeking feedback from adviser Dow Tate and many, many page drafts, everyone on this year’s Hauberk staff is eager to put in the work, according to all three head editors.

Head design editor and junior Halle Klocke makes multiple drafts of her pages, and seeks critiques from Breneman and Tate.

“I feel like everyone's just been really good at stepping up and [has] just been [saying], ‘I can do more, I can do more.’” Klocke said. “And I feel like, definitely, that aspect has been better.”

Hauberk writers will spend one to two months working on a story. They become friends with profile subjects after interviewing them at least once a week, drafting their story, redrafting and polishing it.

Designers use InDesign and Photoshop to create spreads, modules to go on portrait pages or the hundreds of senior ads.

Breneman will find new staffers seeking design help from her during both the third and fifth hour Hauberk classes. She’ll sit on the jouch (journalism couch) in the backroom helping designers, pointing out things to change or ways to improve the spread.

Breneman, Wissel and Green will meet at someone’s house to work or go to “elite weekends” to continue theme development and seek feedback from advisers from other Kansas schools.

“We feel like if the staff has a good relationship with their leaders, if the three of us are really close, then the rest of the staff is gonna like, perform well and be friends and be fun together,” Breneman said. “If we like each other then the rest of the staff will like each other.”

When at least three people are working on a yearbook page at once — a designer, photographer and writer — closer relationships lead to better communication, according to Brenaman.

“The closer you are and the better,” Breneman said, “You don't even necessarily have to be close. You have to be nice to each other and you have to have a good relationship, but also being okay with having hard conversations or ‘come to Jesus’ moments. But as long as you really have a positive attitude and are literally just nice to each other things [go] better.”

As a sophomore, Wissel remembers opening her chemistry homework in the journalism room after completing all her yearbook work. Tate walked over and demanded What are you doing?

Now, as an editor, Wissel sees all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a book and understands that there’s a never-ending list of things to do. The editors see staffers proactively looking for more to do. Green will often find people asking, "What can we help with?” and “Where do you need help?”

“We all are one team, so it's not just like if you're on photo you don't just have to be doing photo, you can help with senior ads,” Green said. “And that's what we strive to say is it doesn't matter what section you're in, you can help somewhere. So, if you're not doing anything at late night, it's always, you find something to do.”

With hundreds of spreads left to design, photos to take, pictures to caption and hours of late nights to come, the Hauberk editors are determined to produce the best yearbook possible.

“I did this to myself,” Wissel said, “I wanted to do this, so I'm gonna do it right. I don't do things unless I'm willing to give them 100%. So going into it no matter how stressful it gets, the book will get finished and it's gonna be good, just because I'm willing to put in that effort to make it good, even if it's stressful.”