Virgenya Zhu (virgenya-zhu)

vzhu50 [ at ] stuy [ dot ] edu

Virgenya Zhu (‘25) is an Opinions and Humor writer. She likes going to vintage thrift stores, writing about current events, and just about anything in hot pink. She’s also a poet and can be found staring at pretty rocks on the floor.

Tact, Trickery, and Textiquette

The newfound expectation for constant digital availability from our peers is not as productive as it seems.

Issue 14, Volume 114

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Arts and Entertainment

Girl, Ravenous: Female Cannibalism in Media

An investigation into the grotesque film craze sweeping the zeitgeist: women who are hungry for something they shouldn’t be.

Issue 12, Volume 114

Thrift Culture: Threading The Needle

A look into the thrifting trend, and what it means to partake in it ethically.

Issue 10, Volume 114

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Humor Editor Exposé

Gabriella Hoefner, Virgenya Zhu

An investigation into the new editors of the Spectator Humor department— and their deep, dark secrets.

Issue 9, Volume 114

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I Have Something To Confess

The culture of school gossip pages leads to the crossing of boundaries and establishes potentially dangerous patterns of social pressure. So why does it never seem to be fully left behind?

Issue 7, Volume 114

The All-Encompassing Guide to Writing Your First Spectator Article

How to ace the school newspaper—all 13 departments!

Issue 5, Volume 114

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The Movies of Hot Girl Summer

Gabriella Hoefner, Virgenya Zhu

Our brutally honest opinions on summer 2023 movies.

Issue 1, Volume 114

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#Barbenheimer: Friends or Foes

Annie Li, Virgenya Zhu

As Barbie and Oppenheimer hit theaters and became mainstream sensations, the precedent they set, both individually and collectively as widely successful social commentary, acts as a call for future media to dive further into the flaws within our cultural values and standards.

Issue 1, Volume 114

Trials, Tribulations, and Tattoos

An analysis on tattoos, language, and cultural nuance.

Issue 13, Volume 113

The Shows That Shaped Us

Gabriella Hoefner, Virgenya Zhu

What your favorite childhood TV show says about you.

Issue 12, Volume 113

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living in lowercase

the ups and downs of lowercase writing.

Issue 7, Volume 113

The Stuy Confessions Pages Are Beefing

As more and more confession pages for the school pop up, only one can be on top…

Issue 6, Volume 113

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Censorship, Classrooms, and Content Warnings

Content warnings are becoming more and more of a standard in society. We must integrate them into books as well.

Issue 5, Volume 113

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Halloween Costumes, Ranked

Gabriella Hoefner, Virgenya Zhu

The definitive list of Spectator-endorsed and discouraged Halloween costumes. Let the games begin.

Issue 4, Volume 113

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How to Fall in Love in October

Stuyvesant students scramble to be able to fall in love in October. If they don’t, they will become the subjects of ridicule, or even be sentenced to death.

Issue 3, Volume 113

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The Lost and Found Family

The objects left in the Stuyvesant Lost and Found box over the summer gain sentience and decide to roam the school looking for a way to escape.

Issue 1, Volume 113

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The APs Stand For Academic Purgatory

The APs this year are being graded on completely irrelevant factors, and the students aren’t happy.

Issue 16, Volume 112

Ways to Break the Escalators

Here’s a list of ways you can break the escalators. You will certainly not anger the entire student body.

Issue 12, Volume 112

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Girlboss, Grievance, and Gender Bias

The vocabulary of gender bias subtly dominates professional fields and diminishes a person’s view on a woman’s ability to perform her job.

Issue 10, Volume 112

Pupilpath Outage, Day 45

In light of the PupilPath shutdown, students have to self-report their old grades.

Issue 10, Volume 112

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American Sign Language and the Fight to be Heard

Learning sign language is easy to integrate into our education system, beneficial to all parties involved, and valuable to the hearing-impaired community.

Issue 8, Volume 112

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Pool Colored Green and Red to Increase Holiday Spirit

The SU makes the decision to dye the pool green and red in honor of the holiday season, and students revolt.

Issue 8, Volume 112

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Virgenya Zhu's art, photos, and other media:

Virgenya Zhu's work