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This year has seen a lot of things happen. We tried to fit a few of them on the
opposite page, with everything from the capture of Osama Bin Laden to the death
of Steve Jobs, to the wedding and subsequent divorce of Kim Kardashian. Two
thousand eleven, a year of liberation, protest, and unity will be a year that no one
soon forgets, and the events that occurred during this time will not be soon forgot-
ten. Who would have known that Time magazine would name the protester the
Person of the Year? The empowerment of the common man, a return to heeding to
the will of the masses is a theme that will continue throughout 2012. A prime exam-
ple is the defeat of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), a bill vehemently opposed by the
public and major technological companies. For the first time in recent memory, the
people emerged victorious over lobbyists and corporations in Washington, D.C.
These major themes would have taken thousands upon thousands of words to
describe, and even then, the emotion, feeling, and energy of the moment wouldn't
be fully conveyed. So, this year's theme is dedicated to photography. Contained in
this book are snapshots of moments in time. Memories are eternally preserved on
these pages, printed in brilliant color so that one day you may look back at this book
and experience them again. This is a time in our lives during which we are bom-
barded with experiences, emotions, images, and information. The yearbook staff
has done its best to communicate all of these using a universal language- -sight. As
you look at this annual, remember and relive the moments that you treasure most. I
encourage you to flip through the book with a pen or Sharpie in hand, and write the
words that meaningful photos bring to mind. We've provided spaces throughout
where you are welcome to write what you felt at the time, or what the best moment
of homecoming or your junior year was. Even the cover is designed to be covered
in adjectives that you feel describe this year, but that's just one use. As is printed on
the cover, it's yours to do with what you will. If you want to let your friends to sign
it, go ahead. If you'd prefer to draw a less-than-endearing sketch of your fourth pe-
riod teacher, more power to you. Use this book as a history book, a journal of your
year. But remember, what you write will last forever.
Everything you see here took an untold amount of time to produce. This con-
cept has been floating around in my head for over a year, and I had the honor of
working with an incredible group of people, without whom this book wouldn't
exist. I am forever grateful for the 2011-2012 yearbook staff, and especially Zoe
Thomas. Zoe put up with my nonsense, my tendency to become distracted by on-
line advertisements, and my disorganization. I'm not exaggerating when I say that
without her, none of this would be possible. She's seriously amazing, and we should

all take a moment of silence in her honor. Right now ...
Thank you for your participation in that beautiful moment. We, as the Colum-
bian Yearbook Staff sincerely hope you enjoy the 2012 Columbian. It's the greatest,.

highest-quality yearbook to ever be produced by this school. It's our gift to these-
nior class of 2012, and a fantastic way to end my four years of service on the staff. I
can't thank ~nough Tabatha McMahon for the contributions she's made to me as an
individual, a designer, a student of journalism, and a coffee snob (though I prefer
the word connoisseur). Her wit, personality, and guidance have made a permanent
mark on me, and I'll treasure the memories we've shared forever. I hope that you all
enjoy this publication as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

Jon Darby
Editor in Chief three