The Senior Book staff introduced a new fee initiative of $2.68 on this year’s election ballot to help alleviate the Senior Book production costs and allow senior students to take free on-campus portraits to be included in the book.

The book will consist of pictures of the graduating class, senior year events and a list of the names of the graduating class. According to a statement by the Senior Book staff, the book is a compilation of the memories of the graduating class of the time spent at UCSB. In addition to showcasing the graduating class, the book will also capture Isla Vista culture and events such as Halloween and Deltopia.

The Senior Book staff said although many may not appreciate the senior book while enrolled, the fee is necessary to supporting a publication many rely on after graduation.

“After graduation, the Senior Book is the only item that allows graduating Gauchos to reminisce on these memorable experiences down the line and carry on the legacy of the senior class. … Funding of the Senior Book committee is crucial to continuing the tradition of producing commemoration for graduating students in years to come,” the Senior Book staff said in an email.

According to the Senior Book Publications Director Linda Meyer, sales for the book will be consistent with last year’s sales and will not increase along with the rising cost of production.

“This year the Senior Book has pre-sold over 700 copies,” Meyer said in an email. “Last year at 2013 Commencement we sold over 500 books, so we are hoping that over 1,200 graduating seniors will take home a 2014 Senior Book this year.”

According to the ballot, the fee will be imposed on undergraduate students for the 2014-2015 school year until it requires a reaffirmation vote in two years as mandated by the Associated Students constitution. Of the fee’s $2.86 total, $1.86 will go toward supporting the Senior Book, while $0.67 will be designated for Return to Aid, $0.13 for an administrative service fee and $0.02 toward the 1 percent A.S. administration fee.

First-year biology major Jessica Bullington said the Senior Book will have sentimental value to students when they grow older.

“When you get old and you, like, can’t remember anything, if you still have the yearbook, you can flip through and see what the culture was,” Bullington said. “Even if you don’t know everyone, it’s a good memento kind of thing.”

However, first-year psychology major Shanthi Guruswamy, said although the Senior Book is a good idea, the fee unnecessarily charges students for something many will ignore due to the large number of students in each graduating class.

“I mean, I’m sure it would be nice, but also I don’t think it’s necessary ’cause there are just so many people in the same class that you’re going to have a lot of pages, like, a lot of papers, of people you’ve never seen before,” Guruswamy said.

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