The Tattler is IHS’s student newspaper. You, reading these words in a copy you probably picked up on the floor of some hallway around IHS, already knew that. But did you also know that you and every other student can write for it (and would enjoy doing so)?
Getting published in The Tattler is simple. If you decide you have something to say to the world, something too long to fit in your Instagram story, write it up as an article and send it to editor@ihstattler.com. There, Vaynu Kadiyali ‘19 will see your article and send it to a section editor, who will edit it and do you the favor of removing errors. Your article will then be printed in the next month’s issue of The Tattler.
You may be wondering where I’m going with this. There are, after all, a lot of clubs at IHS, and most of them are worthwhile uses of your time. The reason I encourage you to consider The Tattler is that you can tailor your involvement to whatever particular niches interest you and whatever level of commitment works best for you. If all you want is to do is write about the latest Marvel movie or review a local restaurant, go for it. At the same time, if you want to perform a public service and report on relevant news for IHS students, you can go deeper and research what is going on around the school. You can even just submit your own photography or poetry, and The Tattler would be excited to feature it.
Regardless of how involved you choose to be with The Tattler, it can be educational. I have learned a lot from writing for and reading The Tattler, ranging from which local restaurants are the best to what the Board of Education has been up to lately. The Tattler has also given me opportunities to become a better writer, outside of just the generic essays whose structures have been drilled into our minds since middle school. If you learn how to write without being given a rubric by a teacher, writing for The Tattler will give you valuable practice (practice that’ll come in handy when you’re writing college application essays).
As a senior almost done with high school, my advice to underclassmen is to get involved with The Tattler, whether that is as an occasional writer or committed editor. You may not think of yourself as a writer, but The Tattler is an amazing venue to communicate what you care about, whether that is IHS sports, local politics, or which school bathroom is the worst. If you want to get on the email list, just send an email to editor@ihstattler.com or come to the monthly writers’ meeting in H-Courtyard. And if most of what I have described really excites you, consider applying to be on the editorial board; applications will be available later this month, and we want all voices to be represented.