The Spectator, Stuyvesant’s bi-weekly student newspaper, has acted as the primary voice of the student body for over
96 years. As a publication for the students, by the students, The Spectator depends on the participation of an active
staff, who are admitted to each department based on a written application.
Listed below are the applications for each of the Spectator’s 12 departments. You may apply to as many departments
as you like, but you must submit a separate application for each one. As several questions are common to each
department’s application, we advise that you save your responses in a word document so that you not only have a copy
for your records, but so that you may reuse answers where appropriate. No late applications will be accepted. In order to apply to a department click on its name.
Applications due dates vary by department. Email the respective department to ask when applications are due!
Art influences almost all aspects of The Spectator by giving articles a creative “face.” We’re also looking for the
Stuyvesant artists who like to express themselves though comics or get their opinions across in op-art. Draw your own
take on the articles printed in The Spectator and get the opportunity to have the entire Stuyvesant community see your
great work.
If you’ve ever read a great book, listened to a breathtaking song, or stopped to take a better
look at a striking work of art, you’ve done what we do. As the Spectator’s department of Arts and Entertainment, a
lot falls under our jurisdiction. From reviewing the delectable cuisine at events such as the Taste of Tribeca, covering
red carpet premiers at the Tribeca Film Festival, and more, our scope is far from narrow. Though we give events in
Tribeca priority, our reach spans all over the city. Ultimately, it is our duty to bring the city’s culture to the Stuyvesant
community.
The Business Department is looking for talented and persuasive people to sell advertising space in The
Spectator! Join is if you are interested in sales, want to hone your people skills, or just like the adrenaline rush that
comes from pitching an idea to a client. No experience is necessary, but if you are a people-person, this job is for you.
Web is the future of newspapers. It allows for Spectator articles to be read whenever, wherever, and by
whomever, thus helping the newspaper reach a wider audience. As a member of the Web Department, you will help
update the site to reflect what you think is most important, and make videos to accompany articles.
Think you are a grammar whiz? The Copy Department may be the place for you! Members get an exclusive
first look at all Spectator articles, reading and correcting them just before printing time. Whether you are looking to
touch up on SAT vocabulary and grammar, develop your essay skills, or just have a knack for grammar, the Copy
Department is sure to improve your proofreading abilities.
The close cousin of News, which covers distinct events, Features covers trends and broader ideas. Profiles of
teachers, students, clubs and organizations fall under the umbrella of Features writing, as do investigative reports and
coverage of trends in student and faculty opinion. News provides the hard facts, but Features provides the back-story
and the analysis, and ultimately aims to give greater insight into the issues that affect Stuyvesant students every day.
Writers have great freedom to choose what they want to cover.
The Humor Department specializes in what some would call “fake news” and other, more informed people
might call “valuable and indispensable journalism.” We are also known as “Slander and Libel,” named after the
morally questionable means we go about obtaining our quotes. If you are funny, have an affinity for writing, and enjoy
publications such as The Onion, the Humor Section is for you.
The Layout Department is in charge of putting the paper together. We are the link between the cyber world
of text and the tangible publication you pick up every other week. Members of Layout will learn about the art of
organizing and laying out a mistake-free paper. They will also be taught to view the paper critically.
“ Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Why read all about it when you can write all about it (and potentially have
your name in bold on the front page for doing so)? As a staff writer of the News Department, you will be the first to
know about everything that goes on at Stuyvesant, and you will get to be the person who conveys that to the rest of
the student body. We cover everything from teams winning competitions to teachers being recognized for research to
administrators altering school policies to how budget cuts affect our students. You’ ll get to improve your reporting
skills as you talk to people inside and outside of the Stuyvesant community, and you’ ll have a chance to better your
writing as you learn to deliver the facts in a clear, direct, interesting fashion that News is recognized for. You know
what they say – you can’ t have a newspaper without the News…so join Spec News!
You have all found yourself in that moment where you stood patiently on the escalator, frozen in time,
contemplating the realities of your life, Stuyvesant, or the world at large. Perhaps you found yourself angered by
school policy or inspired by a novel, or had an urge to mutter a long-winded rant under your breath. The Spectator’s
Opinions Department can provide a venue for you to share your thoughts on absolutely any subject matter. Gives you
the freedom to write anything from a political argument to an account of a personal, intellectual journey. So, go on.
Join Opinions and don’t let all those points of view go unwritten.
When you read the paper do you focus on the photos? Like making people look sharp? Want to widen your
field of view and have the opportunity to be exposed to events and establishments around the city? Are you looking to
develop your skills in photojournalism? If so, join Spec Photo!
The Sports Department covers each of the 37 sports teams at Stuyvesant, including news about individual
teams and players, as well as new policies that affect Stuyvesant athletics. However, we also sometimes feature the
most important things around the professional sports world. The articles we write range from team previews at the
beginning of the season, team updates midway through the season, and finally, season recaps. We also write columns,
which are opinion pieces on anything to Stuyvesant sports, or even pressing issues in the professional sports world.
Finally, for those more interested in the personal level of the athletics scene, we write features on coaches, players or
alumni.
