2012 Scare Off Short Story Contest Winner!

This Is The Way The World Ends

Sheri’ Flyte

I hated going down into the Pool Science basement. It had nothing to do with the blood spatter left behind by the Forensics students or the occasional sighting of a three inch long centipede before it skittered into a dark corner. It was the claustrophobic feeling it had. The constant ducking to avoid smacking your head into a steel pipe. Practically crawling on the floor to get underneath a vent. The complete lack of windows. Only one way to leave. Radio transmissions were sketchy at best, if you were lucky. But the fire extinguishers had to be checked, and it was my turn to go into the basement. When I walked up the stairs, finished with my task, something felt...off.

The strobe lights of the newly installed fire alarm system were flashing, but there was no sound to accompany it. Looking out the doors facing Rodale, the hazy, fog-like air lit up intermittently with the brilliant blue of the emergency phone light. I left the building hurriedly as I attempted to contact dispatch or the other officer. Nothing but radio silence and a strange haze in the night air greeted me. I caught a familiar scent on the breeze that poked at the recesses of memory, but I couldn't place it.

Getting into the patrol vehicle, I sped to the office, seeing alarm and emergency strobes emanating from every building. Once I arrived, I flew into the office to change my radio and find out what was going on. But the office was empty. It was never empty. And even with the fresh radio, I received no response from the other officer.

Running to Butz, I found that none of the students had evacuated because there was no audible alarm. I began knocking on all of the doors, yelling "Campus Police! You need to leave the building!" No one came out. Keying into each room, I found them all devoid of occupants. The same occurred in Curtis, Moore, and Steinbright. Everyone was just...gone.

I took the patrol vehicle through the streets of Allentown and Bethlehem, finding nothing but emptiness and silence. Even cricket chirps were nonexistent. I called every number in my cell phone with no results and the mist left an ash-like residue as it settled on every available surface.

As the days went by, the darkness remained and I continued to catch that scent. Like the remains of a barbeque pit, it smelled like overcooked animal flesh. A hollow sound escaped my lips echoing in the silence as I realized I was utterly alone, and a T.S. Eliot verse stormed through my head. "This is the way the world ends; Not with a bang but a whimper."

I wish he had been wrong.

Writing Consultant Highlight - Gabrielle Johnson

WRITING CONSULTANT HIGHLIGHT

Gabrielle Johnson

Gabrielle is a sophomore English major (not to mention a writing consultant candidate by default). As you will see, Gabrielle can be classified in several "-phile" categories and recognizes that her major constantly challenges her writing skills. In offering advice to other writers, Gabi may seem to be a packrat, but it is all in good planning.

  See below for Gabi's insights:

As a writing consultant, you know how to put a paper together, but what is your writing process like?

Both creatively and academically, it is the writing equivalent of a small child with their first finger-paints. It seems messy and inconsistent

Let’s face it: No one is perfect. What is your biggest writing challenge?

My time management skills are underdeveloped and often lead to me procrastinating when I probably shouldn’t. That, combined with my inability to hand in a paper I feel is inadequate, often leads to late nights adding new paragraphs and editing old ones.

How does your major help you become a better writer? How has Cedar Crest helped you become a better writer?

I am an English major, so if I can’t write I fail by default. I am constantly challenged in my classes, and the faculty is always willing to spend a bit of extra time discussing my thoughts while helping me develop them into coherent ideas.

What is something interesting not many people know about you? 
I am a bibliophile, cinephile, and music-lover. I spend far too much time listening to music, reading, or watching something. I have over six hundred books on my shelves, hundreds more on my computer, and don’t even ask me about how many albums and movies I own. 

What is your favorite book? Why?

Right now, it is Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The humour is dry, witty, and very reminiscent of Douglas Adams which is always a plus. And it’s always nice to see two of my favourite authors working together. 

What is your general advice to writers?

Save everything you write, even if you think it’s horrible. Whether it is academic or creative, you’d be surprised how often you can go back and find something salvageable within a bit of writing you thought was nonsense. 

COMMENT BELOW TO OFFER GABI YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK!

Free Writing or: How I Learned to Stop Grammar and Love the Rambling

If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

There’s something about a nice clean word document that makes you just want to keep it that way forever. The pristine whiteness. The vast expanse representing endless possibilities. Infinite chances to ensnare and captivate the reader all living in a single, empty page.

Well, that’s not completely true. 

There’s not actually some mystical epiphany inside that empty white rectangle that’s just biding time until it reveals itself to you. The word document, surprisingly, doesn’t hold the answers to your prompt question or the beginnings of your epic novel, or even next week’s winning lottery numbers, but you sure want to believe it after you’ve stared at one for a few hours and gotten nowhere. The truth is, that’s all in your own head somewhere. Except maybe the lottery numbers.

The key is unlocking it (see what I did there?). If your biggest problem when it comes to writing is getting started, your solution may lie in free writing. 

Free writing is when you give yourself a time limit, whether it be 5 or 30 minutes, and just start to write. Ignore spelling, ignore grammar, and, no matter what you do, keep typing or writing by hand or whatever method of transcribing you prefer. Keep your hands moving until the very end, even if you’re just ajandjfjfjgjgkjggnssbhshg;hhkwswjwkjktjkyjhjkk.

 It’s going to be brutal, probably the worst thing you’ve ever written and possibly the worst thing you’ve ever read, but that’s the point. When you free write you’re not trying to get any work done, you’re just trying to get into the writing mood. You know, that strange state of being where the words just pour out onto the page? That seemingly nonexistent quality you’ve only heard about in myth and whispered stories of that one girl in Curtis who wrote a 17 page research paper in one night and got an A? 

Yeah, it’s like that. And it feels fantastic.

- Gabi

Writing: It's a Virus

It's no Ebola or Lassa Fever, but writing is just as infectious.

Alrightly, you caught me.

Bacteriophages, a type of virus, taking over a cell.
Source: microbiologyonline.org.uk

I am in the midst of an immunology-crazed phase of my life. This is partly due to the fact that I recently watched the move Outbreak, which depicts/dramatizes the journey of Ebola, a very deadly virus, as it travels to America. After watching the movie and spending some time in my research lab, I began thinking about how writing is much like a virus.

I know. It’s an odd comparison, but just stay with me here.

 Viruses are simple and very small. They are only comprised of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and a protein coat for protection. Even better, they are one-hundredth of the size of an average bacterium. That’s really tiny! Yet these simpletons mesmerize us with their ability to wipe out their hosts quickly and efficiently. They are able to fully commandeer a healthy cell and destroy them singlehandedly in a very short amount of time.

I’m not saying writing is going to destroy you (event though it sometimes feels like it), but the act of writing is simple as well; you can string some letters together and get a word. Then put some words in the correct order and you have a sentence. It’s very humble. Yet we are so intrigued by what this process has given us: the ability to entertain, perplex, frighten and explain every possible topic and audience in existence. We even use writing to creatively sculpt new worlds from our imaginations. An act as simple as touching a pen to paper has gotten us so far during in life.

The point I’m trying to make here is that writing infects us. It takes over our minds. When we are “in the zone” while writing, it is all we can think about. The need to get our ideas on paper overwhelms us. Even while reading a good book, our minds are inundated with images, feeling and thoughts. All of these reactions can come from a single sentence or a mere word. Writing does this to you. It is infectious. It is a virus.

I, for one, am very happy there is no antiserum to this pandemic.

-Lindsay

Writing Consultant Highlight - Lindsay Faust

Writing Consultant Highlight

Lindsay Faust

 

Lindsay is a sophomore Biology and Pre-Med major. Lindsay sees writing as important in her science-based studies, since writing helps her convey her ideas that could one day benefit the community. Lindsay also has a desire to travel the world and a preference for a "thriller," (and not of Michael Jackson fame) as you'll see. 

See below for Lindsay's insights:

As a writing consultant, you know how to put a paper together, but what is your writing process like?        I try to keep things very organized. I make outlines and revise them over and over until I have a working skeleton for my paper at hand. However, as I start to write the paper, I always stay open to new ideas and concepts to incorporate into my paper. I feel that nothing is concrete until I press "Print."

Let's face it: No one is perfect. What is your biggest writing challenge?     
        I have the hardest time writing introductions and conclusions. In some of my introductions, I have a tendency to come off too strong. Yet in my conclusions, I sometimes don’t end with a strong lasting impression. It’s a mess. I know.
 
How does your major help you become a better writer? How has Cedar Crest helped you become a better writer?
      At first glance, science doesn’t seem to have many opportunities in writing. However, scientific papers on breakthrough research are written every day. Being a science major essentially pushes me to become a better writer because if I cannot express my thinking in a paper, I won’t be able to potentially make a difference in the scientific society. 
       Coming to Cedar Crest made me become a better writer by challenging me. In high school, I had always gotten praise for my writing, but when I came to Cedar Crest, I was challenged: the standards were higher, the prompts were more complex, and I constantly had to get opinions on my paper. Because of this, I am now more flexible with my writing.   
   
 What is something interesting not many people know about you?    
         I have a secret aspiration to be on the TV show The Amazing Race. I love to travel and am highly competitive. I want to travel the world!                       

 What is your favorite book? Why?
        I know it’s not a classic by any means, but I love Under the Dome by Stephen King. It’s a thriller that keeps you hanging until the last sentence. The book tells tales of corruption and greed and explores the true motives behind human life.

 What is your general advice to writers?
       When writing, always be yourself. Make your ideas come to life and write with purpose. Don’t let anyone hold you back.

COMMENT BELOW TO OFFER LINDSAY YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK!

Writing Consultant Highlight - Lindsey Burke

Writing Consultant Highlight

Lindsey Burke

Lindsey is a sophomore Math major and transferred to Cedar Crest from Temple University. As you will see from Lindsey's answers, she is a "real" student; she deals with the same writing stresses as many students and manages to get through them with an eloquent paper. As for a hobby, she is anything but typical.

See below for Lindsey's insights:

As a writing consultant, you know how to put a paper together, but what is your writing process like?

Outlines truly save each and every one of my writing assignments. I used to be too lazy to use them, but I was also terrible with organization. So my first approach to a functional outline included the categories I intended to talk about, and I gave each of these sections a title. I filled in these areas with complete paragraphs, and then took the “titles” from my outline and combined them to make a thesis statement.  

For me, it was easier to make my paper appear more organized by composing the thesis statement last and basing it on what I had already written. Lastly, I would round it out with a full introduction and conclusion, and piece everything together while checking the flow and transitions. And of course, revise, revise, revise.

Let’s face it: No one is perfect. What is your biggest writing challenge?

My biggest challenge as a writer is to filter out the stress of the assignment, and keep a clear head in order to be sure that the argument is strong. When deadlines feel too close, it becomes more difficult to focus on my argument and supporting evidence. “Accidental procrastination” is my biggest hurdle because the stress it brings can keep me from concentrating.
 

How does your major help you become a better writer? How has Cedar Crest helped you become a better writer?

If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not convinced that math helps writers. Unless you’re calculating the acceptable adverb to word count ratio, there really is no correlation (although ironically the first time I heard the word “correlation,” it was in a math text book, so who knows! Maybe it helps more than I think?). Yet, Cedar Crest has been a wonderful environment to practice writing in. Almost every class requires writing samples from its students, which allows for more practice with helpful feedback.
 

What is something interesting not many people know about you?

For a hobby, I would really love to be a certified scuba diver one day.
 

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is my favorite novel because it is so beautifully crafted. I admire the setting, the intricate characters, the direction the plot takes, and how perfectly these components work with one another. The book is about an experiment with morals, and it presents the most fascinating ideas using such graceful language.  

What is your general advice to writers?

Never stop reading, because it really is the best exposure to the quality work we all aspire to produce. Published work offers readers lessons in grammar, vocabulary, sentence variation, and methods of keeping things interesting.


COMMENT BELOW TO OFFER LINDSEY YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK!

Setting Yourself Free: Avoiding First Draft Perfectionism

By: Helen Ryan

I know I am all-too frequently guilty of the following writing transgression: trying to craft a perfect paper in my first draft.  Whether it's because I've gotten overconfident in my abilities and think “I’m awesome, I don’t need more than one swipe through this assignment for it to be great,” or because I don’t want to have to do more than cursory editing, I end up stuck in the following position: trying to write a perfect polished piece in my first draft.

A word to the wise: DON’T do this.

Obviously it’s absolutely imperative to go through written pieces to check for wordiness, run-on sentences, or any of the other writing woes that can befall even the best of writers, but for all you writers who already diligently go through the draft-edit-revise process, I have another suggestion: let yourself run free with your first draft.

The fact of the matter is, if you try to write a mostly-finished paper as your first draft, you’ll miss tons of wonderful ideas, turns of phrase, and other gems of language while you’re being overly concerned with page limits, not letting your paragraphs go too long, or other restrictions.  Trying to write too perfectly too soon means you’re prematurely editing and cutting yourself off.

From personal experience, I have a story applicable to this idea from as recently as this weekend.  I was working on two application essays for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant, and the page limit is insanely short: a single page each.  These essays are meant to prove my competency and interest in teaching English abroad, and I am faced with the staggering task of trying to smash all my ideas, interests, and enthusiasm into such confines.  The task is, in short, quite nearly impossible.

I spoke to one of my professors about the difficulties I was facing with the restrictions, and his advice was  wonderfully simple: just let yourself write, worry about fitting the length requirement later.  Try to stay within the limits from step one, and you’re going to miss tons of great ideas and end up hemming yourself in as you go.  So I wrote freely on the essays, went way over the limit, and am now in the editing process, but you know what?  Editing now from my large pool of writing is far easier than trying to stay within a single page as I was writing.

This basic advice can benefit all writers, whether their assignment is two frustratingly short single-paged essays, or a thesis project that spans tens (or even hundreds) of pages.  By really letting your thoughts and words flow in a first draft, even if you have to trim half of them out later, you’ll have a much better idea of what you really want to say, how to say it, and what you want the strong points of your writing to be.

So, a message to all the first-draft writers of the world: let yourself write free.

Writing in the "Real World"

...and no, I don't mean the Matchbox 20 song, for all you 90s folks out there...

By: Morgan Keschl

As a writing consultant, I spend numerous hours each semester helping others become better writers, while also balancing the task of writing my own papers. I’ve maintained this consultant-student balance for over two years now; however, as a wary upcoming senior, I was looking for a fresh experience and a taste of the real world; whether this taste would be sweet or sour kept me up at night.

Let me tell you –my full-time, summer internship with a Fortune 500 company has changed my view of the “real world” for the better…and yes, the “real world” actively seeks proficient writers.

Call me cynical, but college students often ask themselves if what they are learning in their undergrad career will be useful in this obscure “real world.” I have found that taking my writing seriously in college, whether writing about media images (my forte) or the toxicity of hexavalent chromium, has certainly led me to be more confident about my future. This is how:

My first day on the job involved me drafting a letter that the company would send out within the week, and no sooner did I finish this letter, I was given a batch of new ones to review. Part of my summer position involved editing the company’s 100 most popular letters that it sends to its customers and making them friendlier and easier to understand. While a daunting task at first, it became an experience I enjoyed as I tried to relate to the customer and be as clear and thoughtful as possible –after all, the company’s letterhead was always at the top. Coming from a working class family myself, I could empathize with the recipients of the urgent collection letters.

But, my writing spree did not stop there. Not only did I edit letters that were actually being mailed to customers by the end of my internship, but I also wrote my own audit summaries as well as communicated important changes to the supervisors and customer service representatives. By default, I also wrote several emails as the weeks passed, since writing in these organizations not only requires email, but also professional communication. We all know that email is inescapable and inevitable, even as college students, making writing skills even more important.

My writing-intensive internship showed me that good writing is necessary beyond the courses we take in college. On my first day and in subsequent days, I was expected to write, and I imagine many business-oriented careers to be no different. Whether writing an email or an audit summary, these organizations seek employees who know how to communicate, and most effectively in writing. 

Whether you become a scientist or a screenwriter, reasons to write eloquently and professionally will be required at some point.  From this “real world” experience, I have become more confident in my writing abilities, while also appreciating the papers I had to write in college that got me to this point. 

I hope that you, as a reader, will also realize the importance of writing and communication in the “real world,” since it is on the horizon for each student in every discipline.

Back to school and writing again

By: Eileen Brumitt, Writing Center Coordinator

Eileen thinking about writing.

I have been teaching writing to college students for eight years now, but I rarely have an opportunity or a reason to write an academic paper myself. Since I am now back in graduate school, I have to write the kinds of papers I ask my students to write for the first time in a long time.

Last Friday night, I sat down to write my first graduate school paper. The prompt was to read two essays on the nature of slavery and to write an argument about which theorist is more compelling—so it is your basic compare/contrast on a higher level. I sat there with the documents and my laptop ready to go, and as I struggled to put into words these ideas I had about the topic, I realized something that I don’t always think about…

Writing is hard.

Even for English professors, writing academic papers is not something that is easily accomplished. When the task is to write an academic essay (which is much harder to write than this blog post), I have to create a thesis statement and then support that thesis with paragraphs that go in some sort of order that makes sense to someone other than me. I have to think about writing something that my graduate school professor will respect. I want to prove myself, to find out that I am worthy of being in this program and in this class. And all of this is riding on one little three page position paper!

The good news is that I made it through the evening and through the paper. I was able to, I hope, put together a solid argument and support it. This time it was hard, but I survived the task. Next time, it will probably be easier because I have gotten some confidence out of this experience. I can write a graduate level paper. I know this is true because I just did it.

Writing Consultant Highlight - Stephanie Astacio

WRITING CONSULTANT HIGHLIGHT

Stephanie Astacio

Stephanie is a sophomore Nutrition major. While this is her first semester as a writing consultant, she seeks to pass along useful writing tips and perspectives she's gained so far in her college career. Stephanie believes that her writing skills have helped her in a major that students may not immediately recognize as writing-intensive, nutrition, through its focus on reading comprehension. 

See below for Stephanie's insights.

As a writing consultant, you know how to put a paper together, but what is your writing process like?

I'm pretty organized because of all of the methods I learned in middle school. I typically like to brainstorm any ideas I have. Then I come up with a "game plan" or checklist organizing how I'm putting the rest of the paper together. When I check off a part of my list that I have finished, I feel good and get motivated to finish the next task. It helps me to stay focused, like I'm cheering myself on :) Cheesy but effective!

Let’s face it: No one is perfect. What is your biggest writing challenge?

Getting started and finishing! It takes a lot of effort starting up my ideas and figuring out how to tie everything together.

How does your major help you become a better writer?

Nutrition majors have plenty of research to do which involves plenty of reading. The best way to become a better writer is to become a better reader, so all that reading will pay off.

What is your general advice to writers?

Be patient with yourself and your writing and always look for motivation and inspiration. If you're not the least bit interested in what you're writing about, your paper will show it.

What is something interesting not many people know about you?

I've belly-danced for 6 years and I'm abnormally flexible.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I have a favorite series and favorite book. Series has to be the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. She has the ability to shock, frustrate, and provide an adrenaline rush in each book! If you're looking for a good sci-fi read , that's it. My favorite book would be North of Beautiful, a wonderful tear-jerker that's inspiring.

COMMENT BELOW TO OFFER STEPHANIE YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK!

Meet Our Fall 2012 Writing Consultants!

The following lovely ladies are our

Fall 2012 Writing Consultants:

 STEPHANIE ASTACIO

Sophomore Nutrition Major

Hometown: Newark, NJ

Interests within her major: Cooking, Science, and anything else involving food!
Other activities: Swimming, Drawing, Reading, Music, Video Games, Running, Rock Climbing, SLEEPING

 LINDSEY BURKE

*TBD

*I am a transfer student from Temple University, but after taking some time off and finding my way here, my credits would probably classify me as a sophomore.  I have a little catching up to do, but I’m thrilled to be here and on track at Cedar Crest as a math major.

Hometown: Quakertown, PA

Interests within her major: Teachers have always told me that math and writing are a dangerous combination because the interests conflict “too much,” and relate to totally different sides of the brain.  However, I really do love them both!  And despite their differences, writing skills can be tremendously useful in mathematics.  Being able to explain processes in proper detail allows more people to follow along and better understand.

Other Activities: I really enjoy creative writing, and the term “fiction” is probably my favorite word in sound and meaning.  I’m also passionate about art, reading, enjoying beautiful weather, and good company.
 

 LINDSAY FAUST

 Sophomore Biology & Pre-Med Major

Hometown: Coopersburg, PA

Interests within her major: Clinical research and mathematics
Other activities: Trekking, Hiking, Basketball, Camping, Traveling

 GABRIELLE JOHNSON

 Sophomore English Major

Hometown: Bear Creek, Pennsylvania

Interests within her major: Creative writing, the modernist and romantic periods, folklore and fantasy
Other activities: A member of Preterite, OutThere, and the Marauders. Other hobbies include reading, writing, and gallivanting.

MORGAN KESCHL

Senior Communications Major

Hometown: Bath, Pennsylvania

Interests within her major: Academic writing, business writing, gender studies, working class images in media, communication theories, research and analysis, journalism, sociology, interpersonal communication, intercultural/international communication.
Other activities: Alumnae Museum Show Curator/Coordinator (one of them, I also work with two other lovely ladies); member of the Delphi Honors Society and Lambda Pi Eta; listening to music while beasting out papers; spending time with friends; driving my car named Buster :D

 SARINA LaBOLD

Junior English Major | Writing Concentration

Hometown: Wrightstown, PA

Interests within her major: I am treasurer of both Preterite, the literary club, and Xi Kappa, the Cedar Crest chapter of Sigma Tau Delta. (And no, it’s not really that I just like money…though I do…people just think I’m responsible, I guess!!). I am also an Academic Tutor. Starting in the Fall 2012 semester I will be the junior (then senior) editor of Pitch: A Journal of Arts and Literature. I also love to work as an editor of the Cedar Crest student-run newspaper, The Crestiad.

Other activities: I have three Arabian horses that I show in the United States and at the Canadian Nationals. When I’m not at the barn, I like to play violin duets with my sister.

 HELEN RYAN

Senior Global Studies Major

Philosophy & Religious Studies Minor

Hometown: Orefield, PA

Interests within her major: Gender Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Communication
Other activities: READING (I've worked/volunteered at a library for the past 8 years, does that tell you something?), swimming, cooking, international travel, interior design

Stay tuned for consultant spotlights 

this semester! You may be surprised to see some of our answers...

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APA formatting

We know in the writing center that APA formatting can be very tricky in Microsoft Word.  We will help you, of course, but here is a great resource that walks you through the process of setting up the paper and the references in Word.  Enjoy!

If you click on the video, it will take you to YouTube to watch it in full screen.

Let us know if this is helpful!

Newsletter

Check out the writing center newsletter for Spring 2012 for info on the role of the writing center, statistics for the 2011/2012 academic year, and more!

Writing Center Newsletter Spring 2012

Making an Appointment Online

So far, the new appointment system is working great!  We are now tracking appointments and all sorts of information to make our services work better.
Here are the step by step instructions to making an appointment online:

WCOnline Intro on Prezi

Make sure you have your pop up blocker turned off and that you register by clicking the "Click Here to register" link once you are in WCOnline.


See you soon!