Dear young writers of Nyack High School,
With deep feelings of pride, nostalgia, and hope, I write to you.
It’s no secret that membership of the Nyack Spectrum Newspaper has dipped in the past year. While I take full responsibility for mistakes and conditions that led to this problem, I encourage you to revive this student-led platform.
The Nyack Spectrum Newspaper has taken many forms and titles: print 8-pagers, zines, exclusively online publications, and numerous names playing on the “Nyack Indian” that remain shockingly offensive.
This entity, almost a century-old, has experienced and reported on every aspect of Nyack’s history, powered by bold writers like you. No matter what name we’ve operated under, or our physical form, the Nyack Spectrum has consistently been a forum for Nyack’s most passionate, thoughtful and concerned citizens. From crosswords, to interviews, “Culinary Corners,” and exposés, I’ve had the immense honor of helping to develop, edit and share Nyack’s diverse voices.
I invite you to join our tradition of outspokenness.
I can’t begin to describe how much working on the Nyack Spectrum staff has changed the course of my life.
When attending meetings as a freshman, I was both intimidated and inspired by the confident and capable upperclassmen in charge of the paper. I took assignments dutifully from the Editor in Chief at the time, Talia Reiss, and I must have done something right. Between extremely involved pieces with extensive research and quotes, and rush jobs to beef up the paper, I worked hard to secure my byline.
By the time sophomore year came around, I was officially an editor, and had risen in the ranks exactly as planned. It was then I realized that this is what I’m good at; what I’m meant to do.
The day I was told I’d be taking over as Co-Editor in Chief as a junior was one of the most exciting days of my life. What I didn’t expect with this title, however, was the stress, frustration and defeat I experienced. While these feelings aren’t pleasant ones to associate with your dream position, they were vital in my development as not only a journalist, but a leader.
Young writers, failure is the most important part of growth. Challenges having to do with scheduling, assignments, membership and follow-through taught me invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, conflict resolution and motivation. The Nyack Spectrum Newspaper - safe, supportive and always demanding - was the ideal classroom.
To my advisors, Ms. Metrakos and Ms. Maslanek, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your constant advice and words of encouragement. Thank you for your wisdom and understanding. Thank you most of all for your advocacy and for fostering such an incredible community centered around inclusion and respect.
To the Spectrum staff, thank you for your trust in me and for your undying devotion to this newspaper. You are who this all is for. Your bold ideas and strong opinions deserve to be heard.
To any aspiring writers not yet involved in the paper, I urge you to attend a meeting. It doesn’t matter if you’d like to write an article off the bat or sit in the back and observe, we want you here, with us.
It is more necessary than ever to preserve spaces of truth and discourse. Keep ours alive by getting involved.
Signing off, Josie Rothman Editor In Chief