Spring 2004 Comps

Diversity & Distinction is a magazine run entirely by Harvard students. Whether you're interested in writing, business, design, photography, illustration, or events, D&D is for you.

One of the benefits of working at a quarterly magazine like D&D is the extra time you get to perfect your pieces, whether they be articles, essays, illustrations, or designs. For writers, that means extra time to focus on ideas, get that perfect interview, or polish your prose. For designers, illustrators, and photographers, that means more time to work together to present essays, stories, and artwork in the most attractive and accessible way possible. For business staff, that means more time to talk to businesses, gain their trust, and develop creative systems for sustaining D&D.

We also nurture a laidback, fun-loving, and non-hierarchical atmosphere to build community amongst our board and staff.

D&D is comprised of several staffs that each work on a different aspect of the publication:

Writing Comp
D&D attracts some of the most sensitive and vibrant writers on campus. But don't worry if you've never done journalism before: you will enjoy an intimate one-on-one relationship with an editor who will guide you through the process. At the heart of the writing comp is the production of a brief news story with the help of three fun, fabulous, and mandatory writing seminars. We exchange ideas for articles at the engaging brainstorming meetings.

Business Comp
D&D is unique among Harvard publications because it genuinely seeks to inform its readership in meaningful and potentially transformative ways. As a result, its Business team provides the unique opportunity for students to combine an interest in the strategic, financial and management tools of commercial enterprise with the advancement of a social agenda. Business team members will gain experience in a wide range of activities from sales and marketing to grant writing and corporate and foundation relations. D&D business also offers students the opportunity to meet and learn from one another in a small, non-competitive and fun context.

Design Comp
The winner of the "Best Design" prize from the Alternative Journalism Project, Diversity and Distinction stands out from other student publications in the emphasis we put on the magazine's appearance. An appealing visual presentation can make a big difference in how any article is received. Graphic Design is the final stage D&D goes through before we send it off to the printers. We scan in all of the images ourselves, edit them in Adobe Photoshop and then design in Adobe PageMaker. Familiarity with the programs and equipment is a plus, but don't be discouraged if you don't know anything about scanning or computer graphics; there will be info sessions.

Photo Comp
Learn to wield a camera like the pros. Or, maybe you're already a pro. Either way, your photos will grace the pages of D&D and you'll come away knowing more than you did about techniques in photojournalism. Fun group exercises on composition, how the camera works, choosing the correct settings, optimizing the lighting you have on a shoot. And on-the-job training in portraiture (the technical points, and the equally important challenge of getting that shy subject to open up 'n smile) and events photography. A great comp to do by itself, and the perfect compliment to another comp (writing, art & design, business).

Web Comp
The web comp will consist of an introduction to the basic workings of HTML, work with Dreamweaver, Flash, and Photoshop. Hopefully there will also be an introduction and possibly significant work in PHP/Perl/CGI. This is a developing part of the Diversity and Distinction family, so there will be a lot of opportunities for input!