The Spectrum (USLS)
"Since 1956" | |
| Type | Student publication |
|---|---|
| Format | Newspaper, Magazine, Newsletter, Folio, Book (depending on publication) |
| Owner(s) | The Spectrum Student Media Corps |
| Editor | Manuel Jeffrey Ordaniel Sistoso |
| Staff writers | from 20-30 (excluding contributors) |
| Founded | June 1956 |
| Language | English and Filipino |
| Headquarters | Coliseum Ground Floor, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City, Philippines |
| Circulation | University-wide |
| ISSN | pending |
| Website | [1] (up by June 30, 2007) |
The Spectrum is one of the oldest existing student publications in the Philippines; its history dates back to the year 1956. Its monthly newspaper, bimonthly magazine and annual literary folio (Scribe) are published by the students of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
History
Early years
It was in the school year 1956-1957 when The Spectrum was born in an exclusive school for boys. That time, the then La Salle College was only populated by less than a thousand students from prep to college. The Spectrum came out once every quarter in tabloid form, printed on white paper which was the standard during that time. Although the high school and college shared the same flag for their publications, they had separate issues prepared by their 30-member staff. Oscar L. Hilado (College) and Mario Guariňo (High School) were the first editors-in-chief of The Spectrum. When La Salle opened its doors to female students in 1966, Lourdes Carisma Barredo became the first female editor-in-chief of the publication three years later.
The Spectrum joined the annual Western Visayas College Press Conference and Awards (COPRE) in 1976. COPRE was and is still being sponsored by the Philippine Information Agency under the Office of the President of Philippines.
The first issue of The Spectrum Magazine came out when the Fundamentals of Journalism Class of the year 1978 was able to produce it as part of their semestral requirements. The Editor-in-Chief then was Isabel C. Urra. Two years later, The Spectrum won its first COPRE awards – Western Visayas’ 2nd Best Magazine and 2nd Best Filipino and Literary pages.
Post-Marcos years
Right after the ousting of then President Ferdinand Marcos, The Spectrum was able to produce issues filled with post Marcos-related articles and pictures of the scenario in the province. In the middle of the ‘90s, Scope, The Spectrum’s investigative arm was created, where it was first published as a separate newsletter. Scope aimed to instigate change through investigative journalism so as to improve the University’s academic system.
From 1991-1993, the publication won the COPRE Region 6’s Best Newspaper for three consecutive years paving the way for The Spectrum to grab the most coveted Graciano Lopez-Jaena Award. To accommodate literary pieces in the form of prose and poetry, The Spectrum released its first ever literary folio – Scribe1995.
After the 1990s
In the 90’s, The Spectrum won 1st Place awards in COPRE's various categories for newspaper and magazine besting other publications from different colleges and universities all over the region.
In the year 2004, The Spectrum became the Grand Prize winner of the National Campus Investigative Journalism Award sponsored by The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas. It was when the SCOPE section of the July 2004 Magazine featured the “Probing into the STM Program” investigative piece. The article created an impact on the University’s policy regarding the Student Team Managers Program that resulted to its abolition.
In 2004-2005 The Spectrum and its writers amassed a total of 31 major and minor COPRE (College Press Awards for Western Visayas) awards and recognitions. In February 2005, the Spectrum Negroswide Campus Journalism Fellowship had its debut. It was participated by various college and high school campus journalists all throughout Negros Occidental. A year later, The Spectrum fellowship was held again and this time, student journalists from Negros Oriental’s prominent schools like Silliman University and Negros Oriental State University came to participate.
The Spectrum at 50
The publication celebrated its 50th anniversary in the school year 2006-2007 with Ms. Krysl Marie E. Santiago as Editor-in-Chief. The holding of the 3rd Annual Spectrum Campus Journalism Fellowship was the main event. The fellowship that gathered campus journalists from all over Visayas had Inquirer columnist and ANC host Manuel Quezon III, Palanca awardee and performance poet Angelo Suarez and Peace Journalism Network National Coordinator Jean Lee Patindol, who was also a 1988-89 Editor-in-chief of The Spectrum, as resource speakers.