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History of the 
Panther's Paw Yearbook
of East Duplin High School
(Beulaville, NC):
           
A First and Rare Local History

by James Calvin Jones (Spring 2018) 

           The Panther's Paw is the award-winning yearbook of East Duplin High School.  First published in 1963 when the school opened, the Panther's Paw is currently in its sixty-second volume as of the 2023-2024 school year.  Since its inception, the yearbook has been designed and created by the students of the Journalism program.  For several years, the program was housed in Room 8 before relocating to Room 2 in the main building.  Currently, the Journalism program is housed in what was originally the school’s faculty lounge, adjacent to the media center and the original student media resource room.  Today, the yearbook is overseen by Mrs. Kathryn Hunter and Mrs. Dena Jenkins, the current yearbook advisers and Journalism instructors.

          The first adviser of the Panther's Paw was Mr. Edgar Wells, who led the publication of the yearbook in its first fifteen years.  Originally, the Journalism program was divided into three distinct sections--journalism, typing and photography--and positions included the editor-in-chief, business manager, photographers, typists, historians, statisticians, artists, ad sellers and circulation managers.  The first editions of the Panther's Paw followed the standards of yearbook publication at the time: sections included seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, school and county administration, sports, student organizations, and beauty -- the section which featured events like Prom and Homecoming.  The senior section was the largest section and included senior superlatives, prophecies, last wills and testaments and directories.  The book typically ended with a final message from the editor, known as the editor's note.

          Every volume was published by the current senior class and dedicated to a teacher whose support was critical to either the production of the book or success of the graduating class. Although the use of a theme was mostly followed, not every volume had a theme.  Those books that did incorporate a theme used a theme that was based on a song or quote from a famous author at the time.  Due to the time and culture of the 1960s, not until 1969 with Volume 6 did the Panther's Paw have its first integrated staff. Appropriately, volume 13 in 1975—titled "We Did it Our Way"—was the last traditional yearbook which included Senior Superlatives and the Beauty Section; volume 14 in the next year (1976) was the first edition to include a new feature, the Outstanding Seniors. 

          Beginning with Volume 16 (1978), Mr. John Boyette took over the program for the next ten years.  During that time, volume 20—titled "Growth" (1982)—marked a significant moment for the Panther's Paw. The yearbook adopted key changes: feature stories in student life, academics and organizations, and sports were included for the first time as was an index along with what was known at that time as "special effects photography." Following "Growth," volume 21 (1983) was the last yearbook for nearly the next decade to be dedicated to a faculty member--that dedication was to none other than the Panther's Paw first adviser, Mr. Edgar Wells.

          In 1987, Mr. Jerry Hunter became the adviser and under his leadership, the Panther's Paw experienced a period of tremendous change, growth, and success.  Foremost, beginning with the 25th anniversary edition "Changing Blueprints," every volume of East Duplin's yearbook has had a theme.   Additionally, over the years, each volume had gradually moved away from "traditional yearbooking" of prophecies, last wills and testaments to only include the senior directory and more towards an emphasis on copy, caption, headline and theme writing.  Volume 27 "Now Look What You've Done" was the last edition to include senior directories and the editor's note; Volume 28 was the last dedicated to a teacher on behalf of the senior class.   

          Not only leading the Panther's Paw into the era of modern scholastic journalism and publication, Mr. Hunter introduced the Journalism program to Mac desktop computers which have aided in the production of the yearbook ever since. Mr. Hunter also led the restructuring of the program into three new divisions: journalism, computer journalism, and photography.  Perhaps most importantly, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Hunter, the Panther's Paw finally began to meet costs and no longer ran at a deficit.  

          Starting in 1993, Mr. Hunter shared the responsibilities of adviser with colleague Mrs. Gina Miller, who currently stands as the longest serving and most influential adviser the Panther's Paw has had to date.  Under her leadership, the Panther's Paw became a true scholastic publication and serious student media outlet.  Her first years as adviser saw sell out success. 

          Ever since, thanks to Mrs. Miller's initiative, the Panther's Paw has been consistently ranked as a yearbook of honor or higher by the NC Scholastic Media Association and an honorable mention or national selection by Jostens, the yearbook's publisher.   To date, Volume 35 "More Than A Face in the Crowd," is the highest awarded edition of the Panther's Paw, receiving First Place - All North Carolina for Small Schools in 1997.  Not only that, Mrs. Miller introduced the fall and spring promotion celebrations which are still hallmarks of the Journalism program.  Because of her, the advanced level of journalism received honors credit.  Finally, under her guidance, the Panther's Paw made history by naming its first African American editor-in-chief in 2000 and first Latin American editor-in-chief in 2014.  To say she elevated East Duplin's yearbook to new heights is truly an understatement of Mrs. Miller's years of thankless service.  

          Mr. Hunter and Mrs. Miller worked side-by-side until Mr. Hunter's retirement in 2002, after which the Journalism program experienced more significant changes: the program consolidated into a single course, journalism, and in 2004, the Panther's Paw published its first full color edition and transitioned to digital photography.  Also, in that same year, the program introduced film and broadcast into its curriculum. 

          Since then, the Panther's Paw has changed in page count (from 240 to 200 pages), price (currently $65; the average historical price $35), size (size 7 to 8 trim), design concept (columnar to modular) and coverage.  Depending on the year and editor's choice, the yearbook has employed either a traditional approach to coverage based on topic (student life, sports, etc) to a conceptual approach based on theme (first used in volume 39) or chronological approach which covers events and topics in the order which they occur (first used in 47). The Panther's Paw has always been a spring release, covering the student body and school from the spring of the preceding school year to the winter of the current year (ex: Spring 2017 - Winter 2018).

        From the early 2000s to the present, the Panther's Paw has increasingly enhanced its overall aesthetic as a yearbook by using special publication techniques such as fold outs, UV printing, and vellum sheets with an ever-increasing emphasis on photographic composition and illustration, thematic storytelling and unique coverage.  Also, various cover styles like padding, matte, grain, tip ins, and precision cut have been used and well received by students, community and scholastic academia.  Thanks to the leadership and patronage of advisers like Mr. Hunter and Mrs. Miller, the Panther's Paw has become a yearbook of state and national renown and a hallmark of student life at East Duplin High School.

         By 2010, however, low sales and even lower student interest, a result of the economic outlook at the time and the advent of social media, seemed to mark the end of the "golden age of yearbooks," a sense only amplified by Mrs. Miller's retirement from teaching in 2014.  Upon retiring, Mrs. Miller passed the role of adviser to Mr. Jones, himself the editor-in-chief of volume 43, "The Rainmaker."  Under his leadership, the Panther's Paw reaffirmed its membership with the NC Scholastic Media Association / Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association (which had lapsed for some time due to limited funds) and became chartered with Quill and Scroll, the honors society for high school journalism.  Not only that, the Panther's Paw restructured itself: now taught as a rigorous academic course of study, the yearbook is incorporated as the scholastic journalism program in what is hoped to become the school's department of Journalism.  Upon Mr. Jones’s departure from classroom teaching in 2019, Mrs. Hunter and Mrs. Jenkins assumed leadership of the program.

          Throughout its entire history, the Panther's Paw has benefited from the support of local businesses, seniors and their families, and the students and parents of the East Duplin community who have either sponsored an ad, purchased a yearbook, or donated in some other way to the yearbook or Journalism program.  Some businesses have supported the yearbook for fifteen or more consecutive years while some have supported the yearbook for half of its history--some have even supported the yearbook since its earliest volumes. Thanks to businesses like these, the Panther's Paw has lasted and been so successful.

         Likewise, the yearbook has enjoyed continuous support from the administration of East Duplin High School, the Central Office of Duplin County Schools and the Duplin County Board of Education as well as its publisher, Jostens, who has published every volume of the Panther's Paw with the exception of two (early copies were printed by Hunter, Inc., a division of Jostens Publishing; Volumes 39 and 40 were published by Taylor).  Because of these thankless systems of support and sponsorship, the Panther's Paw continues the tradition of excellence set by the advisers, editors and staffs of the past volumes, listed in their entirety below, to this very day and hopefully, will continue to do so in order to prove wrong the statement that the golden age of yearbooks is over.   

Advised by Mr. Edgar Wells 

Volume 1, 1963  

Moments To Remember, Vol. 2, 1964 

 Volume 3, 1965 

The Future Is But A Flame (and We Are the Fuel), Vol. 4,1966 

I am a Part ..., Vol. 5, 1967 

Climb Every Mountain, Vol. 6, 1968 

"There Is a Time and a Season..", Vol. 7, 1969 

To Each His Own, Vol. 8, 1970 

As a Man Thinketh, So He Is, Vol. 9, 1971 

Volume 10, 1972 

I Am A Part of All That I Have Met, Vol. 11, 1973 

Be What You Are, Vol. 12, 1974 

We Did It Our Way, Vol. 13, 1975 

Volume 14, 1976

Color My World, Vol. 15,1977

Advised by Mr. John Boyette 

Take Time, Vol. 16, 1978

Volume 17, 1979 

East Duplin Is, Vol. 18, 1980

The Panther Prowls Thru, Vol. 19, 1981 

Growth, Vol. 20, 1982 

Volume 21, 1983 

Time Stands for No Man, Vol. 22, 1984 

Memories Are Only Moments Away, Vol. 23, 1985 

Days of Our Lives, Vol. 24, 1986 

Advised by Mr. Jerry Hunter 

Changing Blueprints, Vol. 25 Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition, 1987 

We the Students, Vol. 26, 1988 

Now Look What You've Done, Vol. 27, 1989

The Times We've Shared, Vol. 28, 1990 

Paving Our Way,  Vol. 29, 1991 

Now Can You See It? Vol. 30, 1992 

Advised by Mr. Jerry Hunter and Mrs. Gina Miller 

Face the Facts, Vol. 31, 1993, Melanie Hatch and Kendra Kennedy  

Where Do We Go From Here?, Vol. 32, 1994, Kendra Kennedy 

UBU, Vol. 33, 1995, Amber Sloan 

Only Time Will Tell, Vol. 34, 1996, Mia Leggett  

More Than a Face in the Crowd, Vol. 35, 1997, Brittany Edwards 

Endless Possibilities, Vol. 36, 1998, Jerri Atkinson 

One in a Thousand, Vol. 37, 1999, Jason Waller 

From Alpha to Omega, Vol. 38, 2000, Laronda Farland 

Try Not to Stare, Vol. 39, 2001, Regina Hunter 

Search, Vol. 40, 2002, Drew Jordan  

Advised by Mrs. Gina Miller 

Out of Many, One Vol. 41, 2003, Melissa Batts  

 Volume 42, first full color edition, 2004, Jennifer Aldridge  

The Rainmaker, Vol. 43 2005, James C. Jones  

Vintage since 63, Vol. 44, 2006, Vanessa Pope  

The Beast Within, Vol. 45, 2007, Karly Rivenbark 

Uniformly Unfit, Vol. 46, 2008, Alexandra Miller 

True ED, Vol. 47, 2009, Chloe Clingerman 

Where Amazing Happens, Vol. 48, 2010, Hayden Cork  

Press Play, Vol. 49, 2011, Denver Hollingsworth 

Celebrating 50 Years of the Panther's Paw, Vol. 50 Gold Edition, 2012, Kendra Sholar 

Beyond Expectations, Vol. 51, 2013, Tanisha Johnson 

Advised by Mrs. Gina Miller and Mr. James Jones 

Evolve, Vol. 52, 2014, Soledad Rodriguez 

Advised by Mr. James Jones 

Retrospect, Vol. 53, 2015, Kacey Thigpen  

CommittED, Vol. 54, 2016, Kaylen Maier and Naja Pickett  

Indivisible, Vol. 55, 2017, Mason Cottle 

Unbound, Vol. 56, 2018, James Edward "Trey" Sharpe 

Advised by Mr. James Jones, Mrs. Kathryn Hunter and Mrs. Dena Jenkins

Now You See Us, Vol. 57, 2019, Kim Fountain and Saedi Layell 

Advised by Mrs. Kathryn Hunter and Mrs. Dena Jenkins

Vol. 58, 2020, Coby Thigpen

Vol. 59, 2021, Ava Hall

Vol. 60, 2022, Gabby Herrera

Vol. 61, 2023