by Yearbook Goes VR, Seniors Photographed As Avatars
In a bold technological leap, this year’s yearbook offered seniors the option to submit VR-scanned avatars instead of traditional headshots. By midday, the Yearbook Lab was packed with students donning motion-capture suits, huddled around green-screen booths, eager to render themselves as pixelated personas.
Senior Mia J. emerged as a neon samurai with glowing katanas; football captain Tyreke L. chose a mechwarrior exoskeleton; and class president Zoe R. appeared as a holographic phoenix. The results–displayed in the digital edition–sparked debates about authenticity: “Is that really me?” versus “I’ve never felt more me.”
Technical hiccups abounded: one avatar’s arms detached mid-scan, and another’s model morphed into a floating banana due to a calibration error. The CS Club worked through a pizza-fueled hackathon to correct glitches before print deadlines.
Administrators approved the digital avatars for the online yearbook, while print copies include QR codes linking to each student’s VR profile. As the yearbook team declared, “Reality is optional–your avatar is forever.”
