What is The Spectrum?
BY SYDNEY PASCAL '22
It may be difficult to find the perfect club to join, but look no further! ABRHS’ student-run newspaper The Spectrum welcomes all students to contribute their thoughts. From writing opinion pieces to working on the website layout, this school newspaper has it all.
Historically, members of The Spectrum meet on Thursdays at 3 PM in Room 233S. We brainstorm ideas, offer feedback, and draft the latest issue. The staff, led by Mrs. Hammond and Ms. Kennedy, work hard to ensure the paper’s success. Every year, The Spectrum publishes five issues: Back-to-School, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Graduation.
On the surface, The Spectrum may seem simple, but much happens behind the scenes: writers research and voice their opinions, and copy editors revise articles. Layout staff format the paper’s design, and Publicity and Finance members contact local businesses to support the publication.
The Spectrum offers four sections for articles: News, Forum, Off-Topic, and Mainspread.
When writing for News, students report on the AB community, offering an impartial voice that readers can trust. As they write about relevant community issues, stories, and events, News writers gain skills in journalism by researching and conducting interviews.
Forum focuses on writers’ opinions. It offers writers the chance to share their perspectives while informing the student body about a national event or a global issue. Topics can range from movie reviews to social justice matters. Forum’s flexibility makes this section a perfect place to start for newcomers.
Off-topic is a great platform for creative students interested in humor, satire, or pop culture. This section is filled with love advice, comics, jokes, and song recommendations. It’s a great way to connect with your peers in an informal way.
For every issue, the staff chooses a theme for Mainspread; previously, Mainspread articles centered around ethics, health, power and pride. Each topic is broad, allowing writers to approach it in nuanced perspectives. This issue’s theme is Back-to-School, so articles focus on school updates regarding the pandemic and top tips for freshmen.
You don’t have to write to join The Spectrum though. Co-Editor-in-Chief Anushka Wani originally joined the Publicity and Finance team in hopes of “building [her] people skills and interacting with the more business portion of The Spectrum.” At first, she found it “nerve-wracking to call seven to ten businesses in a week...but [she] enjoyed the visible progress [she] made” on her interpersonal and organizational abilities. Students can also develop art and graphic design skills by joining the Layout team. Similarly, Co-Editor-in-Chief Michelle Gong, who started out as a copy editor, notes that “copy editing helped [her] find flaws in [her] own writing.”
Further, Michelle likes The Spectrum’s “inclusivity and flexibility.” Writers can freely move between the paper’s different sections and explore different writing styles. Anushka loves “how multifaceted The Spectrum is” and notes that everyone “can definitely find something at The Spectrum that fits [their] interests!” Despite the different sections, The Spectrum is a “tight-knit community where everyone is welcome.” The club and its members have fostered an environment where it’s easy to bond with people from different grades and backgrounds.
With this in mind, we encourage any remotely curious students to join our staff! Everyone is welcome, no matter their experience or skill level. There are also low-commitment ways to participate, so you don’t need to attend every meeting. Anushka emphasizes that “literally anyone can join and… do a fantastic job,” and walking in is a perfect place to start. After all, Michelle is “confident in saying that [her] high school experience wouldn't have been complete [without] The Spectrum.”
Historically, members of The Spectrum meet on Thursdays at 3 PM in Room 233S. We brainstorm ideas, offer feedback, and draft the latest issue. The staff, led by Mrs. Hammond and Ms. Kennedy, work hard to ensure the paper’s success. Every year, The Spectrum publishes five issues: Back-to-School, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Graduation.
On the surface, The Spectrum may seem simple, but much happens behind the scenes: writers research and voice their opinions, and copy editors revise articles. Layout staff format the paper’s design, and Publicity and Finance members contact local businesses to support the publication.
The Spectrum offers four sections for articles: News, Forum, Off-Topic, and Mainspread.
When writing for News, students report on the AB community, offering an impartial voice that readers can trust. As they write about relevant community issues, stories, and events, News writers gain skills in journalism by researching and conducting interviews.
Forum focuses on writers’ opinions. It offers writers the chance to share their perspectives while informing the student body about a national event or a global issue. Topics can range from movie reviews to social justice matters. Forum’s flexibility makes this section a perfect place to start for newcomers.
Off-topic is a great platform for creative students interested in humor, satire, or pop culture. This section is filled with love advice, comics, jokes, and song recommendations. It’s a great way to connect with your peers in an informal way.
For every issue, the staff chooses a theme for Mainspread; previously, Mainspread articles centered around ethics, health, power and pride. Each topic is broad, allowing writers to approach it in nuanced perspectives. This issue’s theme is Back-to-School, so articles focus on school updates regarding the pandemic and top tips for freshmen.
You don’t have to write to join The Spectrum though. Co-Editor-in-Chief Anushka Wani originally joined the Publicity and Finance team in hopes of “building [her] people skills and interacting with the more business portion of The Spectrum.” At first, she found it “nerve-wracking to call seven to ten businesses in a week...but [she] enjoyed the visible progress [she] made” on her interpersonal and organizational abilities. Students can also develop art and graphic design skills by joining the Layout team. Similarly, Co-Editor-in-Chief Michelle Gong, who started out as a copy editor, notes that “copy editing helped [her] find flaws in [her] own writing.”
Further, Michelle likes The Spectrum’s “inclusivity and flexibility.” Writers can freely move between the paper’s different sections and explore different writing styles. Anushka loves “how multifaceted The Spectrum is” and notes that everyone “can definitely find something at The Spectrum that fits [their] interests!” Despite the different sections, The Spectrum is a “tight-knit community where everyone is welcome.” The club and its members have fostered an environment where it’s easy to bond with people from different grades and backgrounds.
With this in mind, we encourage any remotely curious students to join our staff! Everyone is welcome, no matter their experience or skill level. There are also low-commitment ways to participate, so you don’t need to attend every meeting. Anushka emphasizes that “literally anyone can join and… do a fantastic job,” and walking in is a perfect place to start. After all, Michelle is “confident in saying that [her] high school experience wouldn't have been complete [without] The Spectrum.”
