A guide for Freshmen: What is Spinnaker?

Courtney Green, News Editor

So you’re new to UNF and you just heard about us when you saw our glossy new magazine. Or maybe you’ve been reading us for a while now but are under the impression that we are an office of reporters only. 

Regardless of which group you belong to, we here at Spinnaker want to take this opportunity to formally introduce ourselves and explain a bit of what we do. Spoiler: we’re more than news.

Radio

By now, you’ve probably heard the music playing in the Student Union plaza and you might have wondered where it’s coming from. Well, that’s us! Founded in 1993, Spinnaker Radio is the student-run radio station of UNF, broadcasting on WSKR 95.5 FM over air, online, and on the campus TV channel 171. If you don’t like what you hear, you can always volunteer as a DJ to blast your own tunes for all of UNF to hear.

Creative Services

Did you notice the cute graphics in our recent and past magazines? Those are there thanks to our amazing Creative Services department. They design graphics and promote Spinnaker on social media, as well as organize our presence on Market Days.

News

Founded in 1977 (1974 if you count our start as the Halyard), Spinnaker News department has been providing students with news stories ranging from Student Government, to crime on campus, to events and changes going on within and around UNF. We are all student-journalists, but don’t let that fool you– we conduct interviews, track down sources, compile the facts, and write our stories as fairly as we can. 

TV

Founded around the same time as our Radio department, Spinnaker TV broadcasts shows like “Spinnaker Tries” and “On the Couch” all over campus on TV and online. The fine people of this department are the visible faces of Spinnaker Media.

Business

The money-making side of Spinnaker, the Business department features advertisers that want a space on our site or in our magazine. They are responsible for our sponsorship deals, promotions, and marketing. 

Aside from our departments and the various positions within them, there are a few other things you should know about Spinnaker.

Office Traditions

Awkward as it is to admit, we don’t always know our own history here. For instance, there is a member of the team who never leaves: The Intern. Though dedicated to they’re job, we’re not really sure what they’re real name is, who they are, or where they came from. They’re still an integral part of the team and lift the office in times of low energy.

If you’re interested in working for Spinnaker like The Intern, you can apply at UNFjobs here. There are many positions open and you can always see about volunteering until the position you really want opens up.

And if you don’t want to work with us, that’s okay. Remember, we are working for you.

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected]