NSPA Pioneer Leland Mallett, Mansfield Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas

When NSPA announced the three 2021 recipients of their prestigious Pioneer Award and Jim saw long-time friend Leland Mallett on the list, he knew he wanted Leland to come on the podcast again.

In this episode, Jim and Leland chat about what this award means to Leland, how the yearbook world has changed over his 22-year career, and what the last two years have been like while they produced a yearbook during COVID. 

If you'd like to see some of the covers and spreads discussed in the episode, this year's cover, last year's cover, the shoe spread, and the giant type spread can be viewed on our website. 

Transcript

00:00.31

Jim Jordan

Welcome, Leland, once again to “Yearbook Chat with Jim” and congratulations on being named an NSPA Pioneer. It is good to have you back.

02:09.25

Mallett

All thanks Jim it's good to be back. This is it's it's kind of weird hearing all this read about me ah of.

02:18.15

Jim Jordan

Yeah, hey so I know I know you well enough to know that you would be 10 times happier hearing about your students getting awards than hearing about what you're getting because you're so focused on your students. But. What what do some of these awards that you've gotten particularly this pioneer. What does it mean to you.

02:39.95

Mallett

Well first this one I think is really special because it's there's some that you have to fill out a portfolio and you write your own stuff and you get letters of recommendation and you you know you do that and it's it's it's really a lot of work. But um, this one is this one is a surprise it's it's done by.

02:48.41

Jim Jordan

Yeah. I.

02:59.70

Mallett

Former pioneers and course friends that nominated me I I didn't know some of them that did that they nominated I knew my friends obviously but I didn't know that they they did that so that was really special and to see what they wrote about me and how they think about me that was really that was Awesome. You know it was kind of like Wow. Um, because you know you just you just kind of get busy doing your thing and um for someone to say man this this guy was good at what he does that that means a lot because I feel like I do what a lot of my friends. Do. You know we all kind of do the same thing and to be for someone to say no this this guy does good stuff.

03:32.82

Jim Jordan

Right.

03:39.14

Mallett

It's humbling like wow thanks um, because you know sometimes I like like a lot of us. We're the only 1 doing what we're doing in our ability and I have a co-teacher thankfully so there's 2 of us here. But you know a lot of people just don't know what it takes to to put out publications and um. Kind of be kind of the driver of school spirit on our campus too of you know, making things kind of look better than they are and um, you know and people always look at our yearbook and go man legacy high school. That's an awesome school. You have so much school spirit like no nope. It's it's like every other school you know where kept we're just capturing great moments so it's it's a lot of work but it's great to be recognized for that.

04:19.79

Jim Jordan

That's right. Yeah, and a cool thing about the and NSPA pioneer is they have these giant plaques that they usually put on display at least some of them in the at the conventions and every pioneer that's ever gotten. The award is on that plaque Forever. So.

04:40.34

Mallett

Wow! yeah.

04:42.78

Jim Jordan

It's really cool when you find out all the great people who have come before you um with this award. All the people that really have made such a difference in classic journalism.

04:54.12

Mallett

Yeah I let's it's It's like I was talking to my wife. My wife did yourbooks growing up to um in high school and bonus. Um, but you know when we first started we she was she was helping We didn't have kids. It was.

04:59.28

Jim Jordan

The.

05:13.20

Mallett

This is our first child was doing my first yearbook together. But um, you know we we got you know we were looking at all these pacemaker and Crown winners and all this going man look at what in the world and all these big names of you know journals and teachers out there and we could never do that and all these names of awards and now here. And these are these people on these plaques now my name is on there and thinking oh my goodness I've been doing this 22 years now and um and so you know so for all those new advisors that are out there. It happens fast. First of all I can't believe I've been doing this for 22 years but man you could do it if I can I was sitting there I didn't even know what I was doing and.

05:37.21

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

05:52.61

Mallett

Um I went I was I grew up in New Mexico where there really wasn't ah a curriculum for yearbook and stuff and um I didn't even know what ja was because it wasn't really a presence in New Mexico at least a by high school. There wasn't so come to Texas and then Bam um, you know all these things and. Do this do that go to this convention and all this world in front of me and you can do it I mean oh my goodness there's there's so many I've met so many people and friends and so I just know there's some some advisor like me out there looking at at my publication going I can never do that I'm like yes yes, you can.

06:23.91

Jim Jordan

Um, yes, you can yes, you can hey well let's go back a little bit I love your story how you got into publications now was that the seventh grade when you got your start was that really when that happened or was it high school.

06:29.55

Mallett

Yeah, absolutely.

06:39.10

Mallett

Yes, so grade. Yeah I um I wanted to take woodworking and ah ah you laugh at this every time Jim I wanted I wanted to make a waterbed because you get to make your own project in woodwork yet I want to make a waterbed. It's the 80 s right? So um.

06:47.15

Jim Jordan

I do.

06:57.99

Mallett

And um, the the shop teacher was a friend of my dad's and I guess him and my dad decided I did not need to be around power tools. So I had I did not get in the class so they stuck me in newspapers. What is this class.

07:03.85

Jim Jordan

Ah, that that's the part I laugh about because I'm not allowed to be around power tools either.

07:16.25

Mallett

Was all girls in this little Macintosh computer and I fell in love with that computer. So like what and so I did the the middle school newspaper for 2 years and it was was like is my thing it was super cool inside. I stayed with it I was also in band that was probably my primary thing but um I stayed with it in high school and did it and then did one semester of year book my senior year I had to drop out of physics because I wasn't smart and um took your book and then did your book in college for scholarship.

07:48.24

Jim Jordan

Um, oh yeah.

07:51.31

Mallett

And yeah, they actually paid a lot of my money to do that my tuition. So.

07:53.63

Jim Jordan

Well so now tell us about where you went to college and you did the yearbook there but tell us about where you went to college and how what was your journalism experience there.

08:03.61

Mallett

So this is kind of where the you know finding people in your life where your book world is is unique. Um I went to love a Christian University and they I don't know what happened before me there was. The faculty advisor had left and I guess didn't finish the book and so they came to me and said hey we'll give you a nice scholarship you finished last year's book and like sure you know great. You give me money I'll do whatever you want and and so they found me because my um the yearbook rep for the book was my high school rep. He's like hey there's this kid from Artesia I know that's coming to love a Christian and who happened to get me my first job in big spring Texas so he was my high school rep from my college rep and got me my first job. Yeah Jerry Clark from balfource still still in the business and um.

08:46.97

Jim Jordan

Oh my goodness Cherry Clark wow

08:57.39

Mallett

Yeah, his daughter is we went to college at love a Christian together now she's selling. She's a rep now for balfour and yeah, um, he's at abling Christian yeah wrong, wrong wrong Christian yeah.

09:02.51

Jim Jordan

Oh that's amazing and isn't that isn't love a Christian where your son goes or does he go somewhere else. Oh that wrong Christian yeah, but Texas there somewhere. Yeah.

09:15.80

Mallett

yeah yeah somewhere yeah so yeah, kind of that unique world. Yeah, met my wife there she grew up in hooker Oklahoma if you if you know maryilyn scoggins. She's a yearbook legend. That's where that's her high school advisor so she knew yearbook probably better than I did when we first started Marilyn was.

09:18.19

Jim Jordan

And you met and you met Harmony in college you met your wife in college. Yeah of course of course. Yes.

09:35.36

Mallett

Huge and scholastic journalism for years and years and I'm quite sure she is so we were that was my my speed dial my first couple of years of help and then introduced me to all kinds of people from Judy Coolidge to

09:40.30

Jim Jordan

She's on that plaque I guarantee you.

09:54.43

Mallett

Laurie ogelsby to you my goodness Mike Taylor was on that list and um, you know, just that that's where the domino started to fall was getting those connections. So yeah.

09:57.22

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah.

10:04.52

Jim Jordan

So then so then you you wind up in big spring Texas so what is tell me a little bit about what big spring Texas was like that first job.

10:15.41

Mallett

The um, my joke there is that the um, we I'm super excited. My first job right? and real paycheck and so we go to move into this classroom and I'm pretty sure. It's an older building and I'm pretty sure that it hadn't been cleaned out in years and years. So we're just cleaning out and we're throwing away curriculum from stuff and all kinds of there's an old dark room in there. It was it was old school right? and so in the in the desk is this huge like Sam's pack of tums like an acid tumps and that's the only thing in there.

10:42.60

Jim Jordan

It. Ah.

10:47.94

Jim Jordan

Ah, ah.

10:49.83

Mallett

And I told my wife is like if it gets this bad. We got to stop doing this, you know and so that's always the joke with that tums you know like um, but I I was lucky to have a couple of students who knew what they were doing and kind of help. Guide me through big spring first of all and what was going on through there and just kind of show me the ropes and and help out and then course Maryland and I had a few students and we built the program up really really quick. Actually a lot of supportive teachers I had a good mentor there who's a theater teacher. A couple of english teachers there counselor was really everybody just a great great staff and small town. So it was it was it was awesome to just have that small town feel and started getting siblings in quick and and um.

11:43.25

Jim Jordan

Me.

11:47.77

Mallett

Remember we started you know, winning a couple of state awards and feeling like wow this is this is starting to happen and then had the opportunity to to move and moved to the big city of Dfw thought wow and I grew up in small town new mexico my wife was. Um, hooker oklahoma I think she graduated 23 people and so this was this was crazy for us to move to the the metroplex. It's about 4 hours from big spring over here. It's West Texas yeah

12:11.10

Jim Jordan

How far from big spring was it and his big spring West West texas all I think about is the last picture show in the tumbleweeds rolling across the yeah.

12:23.48

Mallett

So yeah, it's near Midland Odessa if you're familiar with that area over there. But yeah, so it's hard to leave I remember we we kind of cried thinking. What are we doing. We're about to have our third child. Um, and that's the joke because we had her through the in the u-haul and moved here.

12:27.87

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

12:42.72

Mallett

And opened a brand new high school and got to name a yearbook put volume one on it and this year has volume 15 on it. So yes, yeah, so Mansfield was out in the middle of nowhere. Um.

12:49.32

Jim Jordan

And you're the you're the arena and that's such a great story about why it's called the arena.

13:02.63

Mallett

Ah, city has obviously grown to us. We're just we're riding between Dallas Fort Worth right south of irelington and um on the way to the stockyards in Fort Worth you would drive up to 87 and you would stop at the cowbell rodeo arena and you would ride your bulls and everything and. Was the longest running indoor rodeo in Texas and there's really nothing here in Mansfield but that and then you would go on to the stockyards and do your thing there in fort worth right? And so um, so that land was ah eventually they shut it down and then that land was sold to the school district well the district was growing fast. It was one of the fastest growing school districts at the time in early two thousand s and so they bought all this land up. Well they named their high schools by location so we have summit. It's at the I guess on a hill timberview was by trees now. It's buildings all around them. We have. Lake Bridge right next to a lake. Well they did what they when they named ours it was right where that cowbell arena was so it's the legacy. That's what we were known for was that land was the legacy to Mansfield so our mascot is the are the Broncos and then you know it's silver spurs for our dance team and. We named the paper the writer our I d r which probably wasn't our best decision in live because the writer like a pin writer but and then the Rena was obvious for a yearbook of you gathering of people for the arena. So and that's although.

14:20.20

Jim Jordan

Ah, right.

14:34.16

Mallett

Ah, we learned the hard way not to put the in front of a yearbook title because of of Crown awards and things when they announce titles of books. Yeah, exactly.

14:39.16

Jim Jordan

Um, and yeah, oh yeah, you get lost in those those and you think you didn't get the award but then you remember that's but ah, ah we we were always a D so.

14:50.81

Mallett

So if you ever open a new school out there. Anybody take the the off. Yeah.

14:58.17

Jim Jordan

It was over fast. It was like if you didn't get it in the first 5 minutes you were done with csba and you were crying early in the the game. So oh that's great. So so how many years now at legacy.

14:58.48

Mallett

Um, yeah.

15:10.75

Mallett

15 this is here 15 get an announcement here at school teachers pardon of the interruption if you're busy to something you we get an announcement I will be sending out an email or getting an email about grades grades or due. That's it swear that there aren't.

15:13.99

Jim Jordan

There We oh I love it. No this is so this is perfect because it's real school.

15:27.84

Jim Jordan

Oh are you? ah you didn't end before winter break. You have to go in january.

15:30.64

Mallett

Grade changes that need to be corrected up no emails and amount. No we did we did I think grades are the like final grades are due like today or something try to get this in into me by the end of day I guess I don't know what she's going on. Ask the fail correction. Oh and in one second time we need to process.

15:38.57

Jim Jordan

Ah, there we go. Just for a little tip when you're retired. You don't have announcements coming in your house Anymore. You know you don't have to do meetings. You don't yeah or live by a Bell. That's great.

15:50.30

Mallett

Report card. So yeah, that's that's good. Yeah yeah, or live by a Bell I'm I'm glad when I like to live by a Val so issues that we never pray or or the beeping beep Beep Beep I don't know if everyone has it.

16:03.12

Jim Jordan

All right? Oh no. So so now it's been how many years again have you been at how have you been advising it and so how things changed in those 15 years

16:11.16

Mallett

This is 15 ah 22 total years fifteen at legacy.

16:20.00

Jim Jordan

Let's let's put aside the Covid period for now. But how we'll come back to that.

16:20.44

Mallett

Um, oh my goodness. Um at social media of course at marketing I think I spend a lot more time marketing the yearbook.

16:28.69

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah.

16:37.14

Mallett

Then Originally I think they just kind of sold themselves at the beginning I don't know maybe I was doing it wrong too that could be it but we spent a lot more time being creative in marketing and trying to get word Out. Um and coverage is another one of just trying to unique coverage of of things. I mean getting ideas on on design. It's a lot more of intricate designs that of a right way of um because we used to do I Remember we'd have templates and just kind of flip and mirror and run and go and now it's it's way more intense I guess.

17:00.18

Jim Jordan

Um, yeah, oh yeah.

17:09.48

Jim Jordan

Right? But on another level I I love where coverage has gone because it's more real to me and it is. It was always fun. The process of trying to find where the interesting stories are.

17:14.35

Mallett

No.

17:22.14

Mallett

Yeah, well and we had 1 today where we we? Yeah, we were just talkingcking today some kid had we our theme this year is black white red all over is kind of how we're kind of starting over and um.

17:26.69

Jim Jordan

And then the design part.

17:40.48

Mallett

Last year's book did not have any red in it and I know Jim you always make fun of our red but we we kind of left out the red and kind of just did black and white kind of that dreary you know, kind of covid feel and so the red is back this year with a vengeance and it's we've got some cool stuff that we're doing. But so that read all over.

17:42.53

Jim Jordan

I I love it I Loved it.

17:59.57

Mallett

On words. But so we have a whole page on traditions that we haven't done in 2 years and so the kid started designing and he write. He just has this huge filler text novel on the page I said holy smokes what are we writing a novel. What is this and. Um, so we sat down and we just talked for like an hour I think of what ah what have we done that we haven't done in 2 years and it turned into things that we haven't done ever and new things that we've done and all these new traditions and so this whole coverage thing changed drastically from what we thought it was going to be to.

18:21.76

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah. Yes.

18:35.43

Mallett

Oh my we do this now or we do this now and and I so but we still don't know what it looks like still don't know what the page looks like yeah.

18:36.60

Jim Jordan

Um, and that's so exciting because that's really the but that's but that's really the job of Yearbooks now is to find those things that really cry out to be covered that you didn't really think about.

18:51.72

Mallett

Um, yeah.

18:54.72

Jim Jordan

When you first sat down to do the book I mean you have these great sessions with great kids and you 1 thing leads to another and then you come up with this really cool coverage.

18:59.32

Mallett

Um, yeah, just I Constantly ask what's the story. What's the story. You know what? what? what are we doing there. What's what do we have to tell what's different. So.

19:09.51

Jim Jordan

Yeah, they really we really I think that's a big change. We have to look at ourselves we are storytellers now whether it's with photos or design or or of course with the individual coverage things. But we're really trying to capture this unique crazy world.

19:16.77

Mallett

Um, yeah.

19:27.33

Jim Jordan

Of an American high school. So okay, so go ahead? Um, we were talking about changes and I think you're right? The social media thing is huge and and.

19:27.62

Mallett

Yeah, so no I think you're gonna ask go ahead.

19:44.13

Jim Jordan

Having to sell the book. It doesn't sell itself in the same way that it used to so let let's take a ah look back on the covid era um, as I recall you at the first year in the Twenty Twenty year you kind of slip through. A little bit easier than most did tell us a little bit about your twenty twenty experience

20:00.28

Mallett

we we did we looked out on that we finished at spring break. So we finished our deadline and we just had proofs so if you actually look at our twenty Twenty book it looks like covid didn't happen. Um.

20:15.12

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

20:18.63

Mallett

So We got it In. We do our theme copy our opening and closing last is what we always do to get those final details in and so it does read there. Um, we'd had some soccer pages that that were on there that Proofs So a couple little things. It's mentioned there but throughout the book. It's really. Not there and so we we went back and did a supplement I think a 4 page tip in supplement that you added into your book. So it's it was kind of a win lose because you you know it's a big thing that happened and it's not in the yearbook because we finished it. But. It was nice too because I mean so many schools were up you know trying to connect from outside and trying to figure out find people and we didn't have to deal with that. But um, yeah, we.

21:06.30

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah, you had all your spring sports pictures taken for the most part and.

21:14.10

Mallett

We were and we lucked out really because we knew that during spring break was really the last chance to get some of our soccer pictures and some other things. So I I made I offered for my photographers like I will buy you chick-fil-a whatever. But we've got to get these. Pictures because the next week they were traveling they wouldn't be there and then that's when proofs would be due so we really didn't have the timef frame to get those pictures so you've got to go get them during spring break and um, there was a track meet that Monday of spring break here at legacy. So I remember we did that.

21:33.94

Jim Jordan

Oh yeah.

21:49.71

Mallett

My daughter and I went with a bunch of students and we shot the track meet. Um, so we you know, just timing was perfect for us. But again it doesn't look like covid happened in our twenty Twenty book

22:02.27

Jim Jordan

Um, and what a distribution looks like for you that first year

22:05.74

Mallett

Um I I quite enjoyed that we did drive up where we we I felt ah very official. We had walkie-talkies and we would call in the name and the the line you know, just call out the name and we'd have. We had parent help. They wouldn't let students help but parents could come help and they would write the name on the board in here and grab a book and run it out to the car and it was kind of it was really nice and it was. There's 5 high schools in Mansfield and we helped all helped each other with just distribution and kind of did the same. Same for all that.

22:44.46

Jim Jordan

So then. So then we go to 2021? How did that what did that ramp up look like and what was it like in your community. You know when were you in school when were you not in school. How did the book come together in 20 2021

23:01.82

Mallett

Well, if if we always say that workshops are important and if you don't believe that 202021 is is the yes because we did not be kind of did virtual ones I I don't know. I kind of wanted to wait until we knew we were gonna start back. Our district was pretty adamant and that we were gonna be in person. So I thought well I'll just wait so we kind of did virtual ones and it just really wasn't a good workshop experience and then we waited I think it was just three weeks virtual and then came back. In person and then we did like a yes we were in person the rest of the year and now we did the contact tracing and you know kids were gone a lot so we had laptops a lot of times kids were on quarantine. It was hit and miss a lot.

23:41.80

Jim Jordan

And how long were you were you in person the whole rest of the year then

23:59.76

Mallett

So um, so we were again lucky that we had kids here and most events we still had a homecoming dance which most people did not do that so we we saw a lot of events here again. We're in Texas too where you know covid I guess doesn't happen as much but um, so it's. It was good for us as far as putting out a yearbook but um it the struggle was is we didn't know when things would be get canceled or get moved or you know the other team would cancel because they didn't have this so it was. Constantly rescheduling and it was like everybody I mean that's that's not news to anybody so you know it would move deadlines or move coverage or and so we we wanted a theme that had well we first started the year going. Are we even going to do a yearbook I talked to my rep is like what if we don't can we just not. Is that an option is anybody else. Not really I mean surely this has been brought up and you know and and realizing that we had it probably better than but I know California was one of them that just some of those I know some of my friends there were just I don't know how they did it and didn't even.

25:08.31

Jim Jordan

Oh terrible. Nope some didn't come until april.

25:16.46

Mallett

See their kids period So I thought well yeah, that's I don't know how Wow so we're like okay we can do this. We can do this and so I My first thing is I don't want to cut pages because people paying the same price so we still got to do the same amount of page page count and Um. Finally had a decent get together workshop something and again let me tell you the power of of workshopping is so important and we wanted something that had we knew big. Big text that could cover spots that we may not have photo Coverage. So What did that look like or sound like it was what we kept playing with and we kept coming back to they had now forever Now. What I think is what we had Now. What.

25:57.28

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

26:08.36

Mallett

Now what and I felt like that's what a lot of people would have and it made sense because that was the whole you know? Okay now what? well now what are we gonna do this is that now what we kept asking that question but we did a question theme the year before had question mark. Okay, so we didn't want to do that and so we kept going back in back and we did um jamboard I enough you jam.

26:12.73

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah.

26:25.77

Jim Jordan

Sure Yeah, are you still using it as the question.

26:27.66

Mallett

Jamboard or on. It's like you know Postit notes virtual post to notes it was great using that. Um we did yeah probably not like we did virtually. But um I made cool thing I did this year's.

26:37.48

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

26:44.22

Mallett

Ah, classes are we've lost a lot of people. So my classes are a lot smaller. So but we changed our little have 2 person tables in my classroom and I made a I am like a boardroom table for half of my class so we sit around the boardroom table and talk and planned and that's been my my fun thing we've done this year but we just found found that threeword thing of well we we like the word kind of some kind of kind of kind of you know so um, kind of when this and this and this or had all these phrases I said well let's get past kind of and come up with other words. And then it just happened to be 3 that pattern of kind a sort at maybe and so that's what we ended up with and decided to get rid of the red just because it wasn't a colorful year and I think it really worked really we we had. We had a great time doing it.

27:33.91

Jim Jordan

Yeah, it really did work and you are in the award hunt for both awards. That's ah exciting anytime that happens when you're up for both of them that really shows that it.

27:43.40

Mallett

Um, yeah.

27:53.36

Jim Jordan

Appealed to a lot of people on a lot of different levels.

27:55.13

Mallett

Yeah I think it went over well here to um I think it's even without the red. Yeah um, you know that? Well the funny thing was that the comment that got me the most is that somebody thought it was a black lives matter thing.

27:58.88

Jim Jordan

Even without the red they did. There wasn't a insurracction. There wasn't an insurrection over and overhead.

28:14.92

Mallett

Had because of that I don't know if you if everyone out there seen the cover us like okay obviously you don't understand design but all right? Um, but that's the funny one that got me you know? Ah, but most people got it because it that you know it's just big Embolden in your face because that was the whole year of what what kind of sorta mean.

28:19.29

Jim Jordan

A.

28:32.47

Jim Jordan

Yeah, and tell us a little tell us a cup tell us of the couple of fun coverage things that you did that really stand out in your mind I know I have mine that I can think of but.

28:34.52

Mallett

I was is a it was a fun book. Really fun book to put together.

28:46.55

Mallett

Um I was just bragging on this one today is I typically have my journals and 1 classes put together a spread for each class and they they found something in Espn Magazine just about shoes and they did a big the shoe spread.

29:00.75

Jim Jordan

Oh yes.

29:05.45

Mallett

Ah types. It's in the sports section kind of a big show stopper spread on types of shoes that each each sport wears and the cost and all that kind of thing and it's it's real professional looking I was real impressed and they used they.

29:12.90

Jim Jordan

Yep.

29:21.38

Mallett

Got people's shoes and put it in our little studio and made it look good and done by mostly freshmen and I was was really impressed with that and um, see we Um, we had the the ice.

29:25.68

Jim Jordan

Seriously.

29:38.74

Mallett

Ice days where we were almost died in you know in the in the cold and um, we used. Um I had never that's something I learned from this too is the um, the snap. What oh my goodness forgot the name of it resubmit the photos the snap.

29:38.97

Jim Jordan

Oh right? Yes, yes.

29:54.58

Jim Jordan

Oh yeah, um yeah, we're parents send things in Yearbook Snap Pi. Well.

29:57.17

Mallett

What is it? What is the app called I feel horrible. Um, yeah, oh my goodness my your book snapped. Yeah um, anyway, so we use that because before I was kind of one of those snooty people like oh no, we're only gonna use our photos you know and we used a lot of those this year we we would send out. Um. Campaigns of send us your pet photos or send us like that first few weeks when we're at school send us your photos of you at your workstation or so when we get stuck at home send us your photos from in the snow or send us you whatever and we got a lot of submissions.

30:17.51

Jim Jordan

Yeah, for.

30:33.32

Mallett

Um, like that and we even requested we even made a little flow chart of you know how to chart we wanted action photos we wanted this. We wanted you know, showed them rule of thirds kind of how to take a good photo that photos that we would use and we got a lot of great submissions and and we're still doing that this year.

30:43.45

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah.

30:49.30

Jim Jordan

Oh that's what my next question has that has that hung around.

30:51.49

Mallett

For different things. Yeah, and yeah, in fact, parents parents are how do we submit photos I Want to still want to submit photos and so they're still doing that. Of course we still get bad ones. We just don't use them. But that's one of the things that we've kept around I've really.

31:02.27

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

31:08.80

Mallett

Changed my theory on that a lot.

31:08.11

Jim Jordan

Yeah, and me too I think I think it's ah you can think of it as it's a community book on one sense. Oh it's really just great to incorporate as many people as you can into the process of getting what they're taking and even having people write stuff.

31:15.14

Mallett

It's.

31:25.71

Mallett

I Like that we put out that um we did it in canvas of our canva of how to um how to take a good photo you know, using the rule. Third using's this and leading lines and we want good action shots. We don't want your pose shots. We weren't worth that blunt. But.

31:25.72

Jim Jordan

That aren't necessarily on your book. Staff.

31:33.20

Jim Jordan

Yes.

31:43.82

Mallett

And you know this is what we're looking for and we got those and you know it was some really good photos and um, we um, found a um, photographer professional photographer that took that big pile up on I 35 wrote over your bias. You know that? whatever 100 and some car pile up and yet he um.

31:57.76

Jim Jordan

Oh right? yes.

32:03.35

Mallett

Let us use 1 of his photos for that as well. So got got that covered in there so we had some really good coverage from submissions like that that we couldn't get to because of covid.

32:14.65

Jim Jordan

I Do want you to talk about one of my favorite spreads which I think might have the largest type I've ever seen on a yearbook spread in my career. Um.

32:23.91

Mallett

Oh no.

32:30.16

Jim Jordan

I Think it was a self care spread is that what the topic was or am I making that up but it had a giant the giant full spread me on it tell us a little bit about that spread. No photos all type were there any photos on it. Um.

32:38.92

Mallett

Um, that is.

32:46.30

Mallett

I think I had 2 photos that in between them in the gap of that me I think there's 2 I'm trying to think of how a book sitting right here by.

32:49.41

Jim Jordan

2 little photos. Yeah, but tell us a little bit about that.

32:55.34

Jim Jordan

And maybe we can put it in the in the show notes at the bottom of the podcast and people could take a look at it.

32:59.76

Mallett

There was that was almost a direct inspiration from a magazine. Um I think it was men something about men in a magazine in me in so we just changed it to me and is um, taking care of me. As a mental health type how you took care of yourself during the pandemic and had a couple of images in the in between the space of the E that was the idea we had from the beginning of just mental health how you take care yourself and we found that min that was really big and that kind of fell in line with our big text.

33:30.90

Jim Jordan

Um, yeah.

33:37.14

Jim Jordan

Yes.

33:37.95

Mallett

Because we really hadn't showcased it at that point we did another one with mask as well. The word mask in there so we did it more than once. But yeah, that's where it came from. It's just simple. We knew the idea was mental health and we liked the me in that.

33:51.29

Jim Jordan

Yeah, and what fought was your main font I Think your your your topography in the book was just stunningly gorgeous. Ah yeah, and.

33:58.87

Mallett

It was um oh my goodness couldn't tell you now I'm stuck on this shear spot.

34:08.44

Jim Jordan

Did it come from. Did it come from the Adobe font pack because I know you're an Indesign school or did you buy it somewhere else or get it on one of the free sides.

34:15.51

Mallett

I Think we got it off a free site. Yeah I can look it up and give it to you after this and yeah, yeah, that's what we usually do. We usually go to we start with a thousand one fonts and kind of you can search.

34:22.60

Jim Jordan

Yeah, we'll we'll put it in the notes later. But yeah.

34:34.88

Mallett

What kinds you want and we just put our theme type the theme in there so you can see what it looks like and and it also tells you how many fonts it has in that family. It'll tell you like plus plus ten plus twenty plus one. So but that's where we start.

34:43.21

Jim Jordan

Yes, the big font families are so important to give you more flexibility in your design. So okay, so now you the 21 rousing success.

34:52.63

Mallett

See.

35:01.25

Jim Jordan

Tried some different things. Some things were changed now we get to this year um what was 20 what has 21 22 been like and what have been some of the struggles of this year after everything we've been through in the in the two years previous

35:17.58

Mallett

So if you're in a public high school anywhere. You know it's weird. It's just it's just weird. It is just weird. Um, it's hard to describe. Um I feel like.

35:21.29

Jim Jordan

Yeah, you explain what does that mean, what does that mean.

35:37.35

Mallett

Like people don't know how to behave I feel like um people don't know how to just interact people don't know how to go to school. We haven't been in school and we have been so I don't know what the problem is here. So it's like like we have we have fight issues where we hadn't.

35:48.21

Jim Jordan

Yeah.

35:56.10

Mallett

Um, the Tiktok. Oh my goodness of you know these Tiktok challenges. So it's just all these things happening that are just weird. It is getting back to normal here. Finally I feel like it's not so crazy anymore. Um, but yeah, and then.

36:06.70

Jim Jordan

Oh that's good to know.

36:12.15

Mallett

And then to add to our craziness is one of our schools had the school shooting in is that october I guess so that added to us so we've added security and done some other things different here. So it's just been. It's just been weird and then redefining.

36:17.62

Jim Jordan

Oh right.

36:30.56

Mallett

Who your school is because um, like our sophomores are basically freshmen. They they probably at least a third of ours did not come on campus last year. So we have a ah a different group of you know, like 2 sets of freshmen. Some of our freshmen are still basically you know seventh graders who don't know how to high school yet. So this is just I think every high school this is not just a legacy so again, it's just weird so you're trying to put all this together. You're trying to rediscover who you are as a school this is everybody. And so we tried to find a theme that kind of fit to that and it was that um that starting over who are we you know what do we do? How do we do this and still navigate in a pandemic with at least in Texas with acting like we're not in a pandemic. So. So we that old joke. What's black white and read all over you know a newspaper but we we played off for that what black white and red all over that were read all over again. We're doing this starting over. We're we're finding ourselves and um.

37:42.74

Jim Jordan

It's one of those perfect themes I think for who you are and what this year is all about I mean when I first heard it back in October I was real excited to see what you were gonna do with it because you are. The red school and you are back. You know you're back to it. But there's all these crazy changes going on as well.

37:59.70

Mallett

Yeah, and the cover I don't know if you've seen it lately I'll share it with using che on on the on the images here. But um, it's it's it's ah, instead of a black and white photo. It's a red and white photo and it's like a it's a it's not a duo tone because it's red. But um. It's just a bunch of using the word collage but it's a bunch of people doing the things that they do. We have you know people playing football at a pet rally studying playing chess we have a lot of Ag students. We have a kid with a goat on the front cover. You know it's it's just legacy doing legacy things again.

38:31.99

Jim Jordan

Nice, Yeah yeah.

38:37.66

Mallett

And um, it's pretty pretty impactful So I'm pretty proud of what we're doing and the other thing that's weird I don't know if this is happening everywhere. This is at least at Legacy is that um, all of our elective numbers are down a lot and I don't know if that's people having to make up classes.

38:51.94

Jim Jordan

Oh.

38:53.92

Mallett

Or that they don't want to be involved. Ah my numbers are down by a lot. Our band is down by a lot theater everything and so um, my yearbook staff is mostly sophomores so we're we're learning to design from the basics again and um.

39:05.19

Jim Jordan

Really.

39:13.38

Mallett

So I've got a young staff. Luckily it's young and then all graduating on me. But um, it's smaller than normal and you know so it's it's it again, starting over that theme of starting over and where do we where do we go from here. So um, and that's that's pretty much everybody. I was talking to the choir teacher a couple of months ago and he said it's it's a lot of re reteaching you know a program. What's great about what I do is that kind of that standard that you have been here for so long you know, kind of kids kind of teach the next level and.

39:47.98

Jim Jordan

Right? yes.

39:50.82

Mallett

You know it's a well oiled machine I Just kind of pay the bills at this point and move On. Um, but I feel like I'm teaching a lot more now because we've missed so much instruction and so many students have left and there's not you know that that. Powerhouse leadership that I should have that is normally here and so I don't know if that's just here everywhere though might be a good study for someone to do. But so yeah, anyway that that's a lot to say I think that theme fits for what's going on here at legacy.

40:22.76

Jim Jordan

Yeah, so so so the whole weirdness thing I just read this article on Facebook by 1 of our colleagues who I'm sure you know he he said his his sort of coping strategy. He still loves his kids still loves teaching. But. He's really cutting back on all the outside time that he used to put in so I mean the title of his blog post was It's just a job now have how have you kept yourself. You know, interested and. Engaged and not let all the weirdness sort of pull you down. What are you doing to to keep interested because it clearly does sound like Leland is hanging in there and doing a great job and pulling his kids through all that. How? how are you taking care of yourself.

41:16.91

Mallett

I'd be lying if I would say if I'd say ah I didn't want to quit at times. Um, that's every it's every teacher in America of oh yeah, oh yeah, um exactly um I have a days.

41:19.13

Jim Jordan

Hey well everybody. That's every ever I wanted to quit every March for 35 years no

41:33.98

Mallett

And this is I think normal. It's not a covid thing where I just say I just I can't I'm out of ideas I'm not effective I don't know you know I feel like a fraud I don't know I don't have any anymore no tricks in my bag I don't know you know so I'm just I'm just not and then um.

41:46.15

Jim Jordan

Imposter Syndrome yeah.

41:53.59

Mallett

Ah, good nap or good night's sleep and wake up and go you know what? I think I got this? um my driving force right? now are both of my daughters are in class with me. So I know that's not the case for everybody. But if you get to that point in your career. That's oh my gosh. That's a huge bonus.

41:55.90

Jim Jordan

Yes. You right? right.

42:09.79

Mallett

So one of them is in journals of 1 and 1 of them is in your book with me and my son is ablyn Christian and is a multimedia major so it's all kind of in the family and my youngest who's in journals one is phenomenal photographer so she's.

42:25.56

Jim Jordan

Oh.

42:28.22

Mallett

Taking she's taken photo with Rachel daringer right now. So so you know it's that's kind of it's kind of what we do and it's it's all of our it's all of our past time so that helps us a lot I don't know that everybody has that that but um, that's what's helping me.

42:31.49

Jim Jordan

Um, yes, but.

42:44.35

Jim Jordan

Now.

42:47.39

Mallett

And having my girls here is is really good to be with them and drive them to school and know their friends but there are going to be days and I think that's every job you get a realizing and it's just every job but the other thing I have is I have I have my core group of friends.

43:06.85

Jim Jordan

Yeah, yeah, yeah, right? Yeah yeah.

43:07.39

Mallett

Jim you know you're one of those you get those texts those text said what? what do I do do I really want to do this and you know and you just you just cry on somebody's shoulder and you know, kind of cheerlead and say yes you got this, you know those Mike Taylors and cement the berries and all those you know friends that you got out there that you just. Hey I don't want to do this help me out and then you got this and then you go. So if you're listening if you made it this far. How long we've been talking to. Um, if you've made it this far find that network of find that network of of of your tribe you know and play off of each other because you need that and.

43:32.39

Jim Jordan

I Know we're doing great. Yeah I know? Yeah yeah.

43:43.57

Jim Jordan

Um, well I just want to reiterate that too. First of all the thing about having your kids all 3 of my kids were yearbook editors of 1 kind or another and I cherish those 8 years when they all were at my school. So if you do have your kids.

43:45.65

Mallett

Not many people understand what you do for sure. So.

44:03.52

Jim Jordan

Let them come on. It's gonna be a great experience if you're lucky you don't have too many experiences where they call you dad and they act like you're ah they're a kid not a journalist professional that they are but I really didn't have those problems but I cherish those times and one of my daughters I still would say she's. My my daughter that's a lawyer now she was one of the best editors leaders I ever had. She kept them in line. She kept me in line and the book was fantastic, but then the last thing you said I just can't say that enough. In fact, find your tribe find those people to support you. And I'm just saying Leland and I we'll we'll be part of your tribe send us a text um write us a note and we will help you get through whatever you need to get through because we have loved what we're doing and.

44:43.81

Mallett

Um, yeah.

44:58.50

Jim Jordan

Um, it's a great. It's a great profession and we don't want to see everybody bail on being the great influence. You all have been and continue to be for kids.

45:06.30

Mallett

My worry is that too many people are gonna jump ship when it's rough for a year or two here it you know it's it's gonna get better. This is ah this is a great gig and once once the world survives this weirdness. I think I think we're goingnna be fine. So stick it out. But and I think too. Um I remember when I first started thinking? Oh you know so and-s so they don't know me they don't want to you know that's not true because I remember I think it was Laurie ogsby.

45:25.40

Jim Jordan

Um, so.

45:42.55

Mallett

She she said I noticed your book before you noticed her book and she was asking. She was asking who is this who is this advisor who's this and um, you know people you know I do that too like Andrew Young I get I get I get to see his book and then we taught a workshop together and I was like.

45:45.34

Jim Jordan

Yeah, you can um.

45:55.18

Jim Jordan

Oh yeah, right.

46:01.53

Mallett

First of all, he's young and he's cool I just want to hang out with that kid. Yeah, and then you know now we're Facebook friends and he's like does all the cool things. Whatever he's doing I'm like I want to hang. So yes, you know don't don't think that people will definitely help you out and be be that mentor that friend and.

46:01.69

Jim Jordan

Yeah I want his hair I want his hair I want his hair.

46:21.20

Mallett

You know? and next thing I know Laurie Oglesby we dumpster diving for coupons 1 time because yeah, so ah, you know this community is great and it's powerful and you know so don't don't think that yeah and you know walsworth has a great.

46:27.25

Jim Jordan

Ah, yep, get dig in dive in.

46:38.83

Mallett

Network of mentors and friends and from reps to to advisors to you know everything? So don't be scared to to ask.

46:44.79

Jim Jordan

Yeah, we have no just ask and we'll be there for you. 1 last thing I want you to talk about? Um, you mentioned her so I'll bring her up your assistant editor Rachel Derringer tell me a little bit about. How she supports the program. What she does to make you and your students be even more successful.

47:07.75

Mallett

Um, you said you said assistant editor but assistant advisor. Yeah, um, she's um, she's she's the secret weapon around here Tell you the truth. Um, she co-advisor.

47:10.84

Jim Jordan

Or of so assistant advisor Oops Yeah no, she is yeah.

47:27.13

Mallett

Um, the program grew and we had to add somebody and she called and said what is this job and I said yours if you want it and the person before taught photo but didn't really have much to do with the publications and so I wanted someone to to. First of all female 2 to just when we travel that helped have have another person. Um she she taught at and another school for that before that she um, course went to case state Linda putname. Um, so there's that background and she.

47:46.81

Jim Jordan

Um e.

48:04.40

Mallett

Worked in newspapers. So She's like the book smarts and Ap smarts and I'm kind of like the street smarts learned it. The hard way. Um, so we really compliment each other in a lot of ways. She's overly organized I Hope she's not listening cause about to make fun of her. Um. Like organized of organized I had to take the label machine maker make her away from her because she was labeling everything and I am not. You know? and so we we make a really good team I'm sure I drive her crazy way more than that she drives me crazy. But um.

48:30.15

Jim Jordan

It sounds like.

48:42.33

Mallett

And the kids know our strengths of what she's good at and I'm good at when I'm having a bad day. She's having a good day and so that really helps and I know a lot of people don't have that but before I had that with an English teacher in big spring where we scheduled her her conference period where she could come and help.

48:59.77

Jim Jordan

Um, yeah.

49:01.82

Mallett

And so there's there's somebody even if you don't have a rachel darreringer. That's my joke is you know, get you a Rachel there's there's um, there's somebody there on campus or an a p or somebody that that is a good compliment to to helping you.

49:08.29

Jim Jordan

Ah, yeah.

49:20.70

Mallett

But um, yeah, she um and she does not get a stipend for what she does here and so she I tell her go home. Go be a mom. She has a son that's extremely talented in sports and does everything so and he will be here soon for I know it.

49:30.66

Jim Jordan

She does. Yeah.

49:39.34

Mallett

But um, so she is that's kind of good for her is now when he gets busy. She's here a lot. So um and she's lucky too because her husband is a professional photographer and helps out on that end as well. Yeah, so we may we make a good team.

49:49.10

Jim Jordan

Oh yes. Well I want to give you the final word I want to give you the final word here, give ah 1 more round of encouragement to everybody out there.

49:58.25

Mallett

But.

50:03.41

Mallett

Oh man I don't know I guess um I had a good mentor again from Jerry Clark get me in touch with bill cough his big name here in Texas and he I guess he still is. Sound like he's not around but he's still there. Um, but he he told me a couple things of set an alarm and go home. There will always be things to do and that is still true I wish I had a camera I could show you my alarm. It goes off at a certain time and you you go home. He also said clean your desk so you could start fresh. Some people I don't know how you could do that how you do that I've seen your desk out there people but I still do that. It's clean. So the next day I can start fresh. Um, but that alarm thing has really saved me. There was always there will always be something to do and 1 thing that I've learned is. You know what we think this is the best thing and this and and it is that at the end of the day. It's just a yearbook y'all ah of it is ah it is. It's a powerful thing and it is ah all might we could talk about how important it is.

51:05.71

Jim Jordan

That's right.

51:13.34

Mallett

Um, but you and your family are so much more important. So um, there's plenty of time plenty of resources out there to help you later. So but I just remember him telling me. There's always always things to do and you can do it. You can do it for sure.

51:17.59

Jim Jordan

Amen.

51:27.16

Jim Jordan

Well that well that that's a perfect. That's a perfect place to wrap up and I love that I wish I would have known that when I was an advisor set the alarm and go home I Love that I should have done that I was in that room too much.

51:31.69

Mallett

Whatever you think you can't do.

51:46.60

Jim Jordan

I love the idea of cleaning your desk mine was never clean and then I'd love that that you can do it keep doing it find your tribe call leland or myself and we'll be part of your tribe of 2 and ah, it's gonna be a great year finishing out 2022. So thank you Leland again now we know even more why you're a and nsba pioneer you really are and everybody out there hang in there and we're so glad you tuned in Thanks again Leland it's been a whole lot of fun. Take care.

52:07.20

Mallett

Yes.

52:20.81

Mallett

Thanks! so.