Yearbooks almost ruined after drainage pipe overflowed

Yearbooks hold the memories of friends, teachers and high school. A flood in the yearbook room could have water logged the class of 2013’s senior memories when the morning of May 21 a drainage pipe backed up and poured water into yearbook adviser, Casi Thedford’s room.

“I was the only one in the room when the water started to pour in from under the wall,” senior Sara Grosvenor said. “I was organizing the books when I noticed the water. I ran to Mrs. [Stephanie] Shepard’s room so that she could help me.”

In total, the cost of the yearbooks is about $40,000. Most of the boxes were set on tables but many boxes, with 16 books in each were, lying on the ground when the water started to seep in.

“By all means students would never have to pay again,” Jostens yearbook representative Rod Evans said. “Reprinting books does cost money and time, but for a situation like this, Jostens would have done everything possible to minimize both.

The drainage pipe outside of the career tech wing backed up after Tuesday when a large storm that passed through the area where Wylie received two inches of rain.

“The drainage pipe that overflowed is supposed to lead outside behind the art room,” yearbook student DJ Brenan said.

If the yearbooks had not been saved in time, the books would have not been distributed until the last week of school.

“I would say it would have taken 2-3 weeks [to reprint],”Evans said. “I’m just really glad that everything turned out okay.”