Each year, the yearbook team honors a staff or community member as the Neshonoc dedicatee. The dedicatee is someone who has made a positive impact on the West Salem School District and community. While the ceremony will not take place until yearbook distribution day on May 15th, staff, seniors, and community members currently have the opportunity to make nominations.
Yearbook dedication has been a tradition at West Salem High School since 1947, and current yearbook staff members work to carry on that legacy. “We’re always thinking about the people in our community who have contributed so much to this place, and to honor that through the yearbook, it means a lot to me,” Yearbook Advisor Andrea Armstrong said.
For past dedicatees such as Quenten Brown (2013) and Tammy Bentzen (2024), the recognition was truly meaningful. “It’s quite an honor when you’ve got both your colleagues and students that think you’re worthy of that honor,” said Bentzen. “I was super humbled,” Brown added, “knowing the rich history of the past dedicatees and knowing that I’m a part of that.”
Nominating someone for the yearbook dedicatee is an opportunity to reflect on all of the people that make West Salem a better place. Brown said, “Nominating somebody means that you’re part of the broader picture, the bigger picture, you’re thinking beyond just yourself, what you’re doing, but you’re thinking about others as well.”
For students, nomination provides a chance to reflect on others who have impacted their lives over the years. Bentzen also thinks that staff members should consider nominating those who they believe are deserving of recognition. “As educators, we should help each other and raise each other up,” she pointed out.
Through nomination, students, staff, and community members can show appreciation for the many people who have shaped our school and community. Armstrong said, “What a great place to be in where we all have somebody we could point to and nominate as a yearbook dedicatee.”