The stuywatch Web site can be found here.
Dated Sun 9/16/07
Are you currently students at Stuyvesant?
Yep.
What motivated you to create the Web site? When did you first have this idea?
We decided to create stuywatch because we felt there was serious lack of student interest in the things happening around them. We want stuywatch to be both a place of discussion and a center for action. The whole process was quick, maybe a week from brainstorm to today.
How did you decide on the name “stuywatch”?
We brainstormed for names, stuyvine.com was the other choice. Most people will enjoy the Harry Potter reference (”Potterwatch”) as well.
Is there any significance to your pseudonyms?
Not really.
Why did you decide to be anonymous?
We want the focus to be not on ourselves, but on the site and discussions it creates. It was also extremely effective in building up initial excitement.
How did you decide which students to send the e-mails to?
We just answered this on stuywatch actually, a combination of our personal address books plus groups like the Big Sibs.
You said that you are “accepting qualified writers.” What would these writers do?
Managing a discussion that’s intended to reach over 3,000 students is an insane amount of work. We’re looking for students who are both aware of the current events and politics at Stuy and have an interest in helping to disseminate that information to the rest of the student body. Information is a valuable commodity. As you might have seen, there has been a tremendous outpouring of questions on stuywatch. It’s a lot of work for a handful of students to manage. Simply put, we just need more manpower and minds working on this.
Jamila said that “the Student Union will support stuywatch.” What does this mean to you guys?
Our hope is to involve as many students as possible. The support of the Student Union is much appreciated, since they have resources that could potentially be useful.
What exactly are you proposing that the student body do when it is “united”? Will you be advocating walkouts, sit-ins, or other forms of protest?
We’re not going to resort to extreme measures unless it’s necessary. Hopefully, we will be able to communicate the views of the student body to the Student Union and The Spectator, who can formally enter into negotiations with Mr. Teitel about the policies, as we would like to remain anonymous if possible. If these negotiations fail, then we are prepared to organize a sit-in or another form of protest. What is important is that stuywatch is there as a voicebox to help organize a sit-in if the need arises. We can’t wait until a week before an intended sit-in to figure out how to unite the student body for it.
It’s been just two days since stuywatch’s inception, and it is already creating a buzz. Do you think the site will live up to your expectations?
We would hope so. More than anything else, this is contingent on the support and enthusiasm of the students. We’re not here to dictate; we’re here to help inform and to stimulate discussion. The students aren’t uniting under us, we’re uniting as the student body as a whole.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Some students are focusing too heavily on our anonymity, which is beside the point completely. There are various reasons we choose to remain anonymous for personal reasons, but it’s not something that should be the focus of stuywatch. Rather, the policies affecting student life should be the topic of discussion.