Home

By Percy Mercer — Writing Center Coordinator

October 30, 2023

Artificial Intelligence has wiggled its way into higher education, and it’s here to stay — so we’re giving it a seat at our table. 

Earlier this semester, three of our full-time staff presented at the University of Central Florida’s first annual Teaching and Learning with AI conference, which hosted hundreds of higher education faculty and staff from across the nation coming together to discuss how to best use artificial intelligence to support students on their academic journeys. Lisa Jordan, Hosanna Folmsbee, and I found fantastic company amongst similarly minded individuals who hope to harness the strengths of generative artificial intelligence to not only keep up with technology, but to prompt the students at our institution to raise the bar on what they consider exceptional work. 

What is our solution to skyrocket success while fostering critical thinking and the art of communication? It’s simple: we want to use generative AI as a peer, rather than a professor. 

The presentation we gave, while offering a simple idea, prompted a discussion with our listeners that allowed us to workshop exciting ideas on how to go about curating a well-formed, in-class peer review with AI that allows students to learn from the combination of professor, peer, and AI. Whether it comes in the form of using ChatGPT to correct grammar and take part in brainstorming or harnessing it to create an AI avatar students can have a discussion with, using the AI as assistive technology for students has been — at least in our experience and that of our peers — wildly successful. Opportunities like gamification of classwork through AI have only boosted these positive outcomes, which further supports the idea that embracing generative AI as addition rather than supplementation is the direction we ought to be moving in. 

Realistically, what does this look like? The answer can vary widely depending on teaching style and subject. Writing Specialist Lisa Jordan implements ChatGPT in her workshops by teaching students its weaknesses with critical thinking so that while completing their coursework, they use a mixture of their own critical thinking and AI analysis. Online Writing Specialist Hosanna Folmsbee literally uses ChatGPT as a peer during in-class peer review, where students sit together and discuss each other’s work to see where it can better be improved. I use AI to teach students how to create outlines and show examples of strong argumentative or research essay structure. We use the freely accessible version of ChatGPT so that students are aware of what is available to them, and actively research opportunities to further integrate AI into our work.  

As a Writing Center, our goal is not to create better papers — it’s to create better writers. By implementing ChatGPT and other generative AI into our work, we provide students with visual examples of work they’re expected to conduct, more time to focus on the aspect of critical thinking and development of research, and a peer they can examine and ask questions to better understand the pedagogy they’re taking part in.  

Have thoughts? Want to talk AI? Reach out to me at percy_mercer@daytonastate.edu.  

By Andrew Goldberg — Peer Tutor

July 19, 2023

As a student and a tutor, the Writing Center Blog has been crucial in not only getting help, but also helping other students. This blog allows us to show you guys what we do here at the Writing Center, in hopes of making you feel comfortable in seeking our help. As tutors, our job has, and always will be to help as many students as possible. Through embedded tutors, workshops, our one on one sessions, and our facilities like the Attic, we have managed to help an inconceivable amount of you guys, and we could not be more proud.

Having said that, one of our lesser known methods is our Blog. With 26,000 students at Daytona State College, it is nearly impossible to help all of you guys. This blog has allowed us to expand our outreach to as many of you as possible and to let you guys know we are here to help. But along with that, it has also shown you guys what we do here at the Writing Center, and gives you guys an example of the kind of writing we enjoy. We understand that asking for help is one of the hardest things anyone can do, and showing your personal writing to someone you may have never met before can be one of the most vulnerable things you can do.

When I was a student here, it took me an embarrassingly long time to reach out for help from the Writing Center. I entered college lacking the writing skills necessary, leading me to not do as well as I wanted my first semester. It was not until I reached out to help from the Writing Center my second semester that my writing drastically improved. I not only got good at it, but I found a way to enjoy it, and now I am a tutor wanting to help other students do the same. I understand how difficult it is to show a stranger your writing because I was in that same situation. I benefited from having an embedded tutor, someone who I was able to get to know and be comfortable showing my work to. Sadly, that is not possible for everyone, and this blog allows us to show every student who wishes to read it who we are. 

We want you guys to understand that we are human too, and we are all in this together. So whether it's through reading a post about why trains are great, or a spooky short story, we want you guys to know who we are. We all have different personalities; we aren't just some robots. Even though gaining a personal connection through an embedded tutor may be a better way for you guys to get comfortable asking us for help, we sadly cannot have an embedded tutor in every class.

So, grab some popcorn, read through some of our blogs and get to know us. And when you are writing your next paper and you are feeling stuck, or need help writing a thesis, or even just a second set of eyes, we will be here ready to help. 

By Moss Geren — Writing Specialist

July 18, 2023

I have been wondering about why a Writing Center would even need a blog. Would someone ask a math tutor why they’re practicing new equations while they weren’t with a student? Why would an athlete go to the gym during the off-season? Why is it that artists need to practice when they’re already skilled at drawing? It’s important to continually immerse ourselves in the craft. If we are using our writing skills in our professional practice, it helps us keep our minds fresh and furthers our knowledge.

Even though I am very well-written with my bachelors in English, I can still learn from my colleagues. When I was writing one of my blog posts, Writing Specialist Lynn Blanton looked over it for me. She taught me a comma rule I didn’t know! Percy Mercer gave me insights into journalism when I interviewed Fernanda about our embedded classes. Jamie Montgomery told me that my scene felt rushed when I was revising Hailstone: The Honest Butcher— and the story became so much better because of that. Through making blogs and working together, we teach each other more about writing. This helps us help students with their work.

I should repeat that we look over each other’s blogs. This is especially helpful for new tutors and writing specialists, since we can practice giving suggestions for drafts in a controlled environment. It helps us rehearse what we would do in sessions.

Along with my degree, I like to have something physical to show my credibility as a writer to students. I can also share my expertise on topics the students may be interested in, like the Aspiring Author’s Guide I have been working on; the first section includes my experience querying literary agents. This sense of credibility helps students feel secure that they are getting the help that they need from a capable source. They can also get to know me a little better and not be as nervous to approach me. Sometimes asking for help can make students anxious.

That being said, writing is also super fun for the Writing Center folks since it’s our passion. I was so excited to learn I could share my writing at work– it quickly became one of my favorite aspects of the job. I could help students with their writing while working on my own. Energy stays high at the Writing Center by giving them this opportunity; we update the blog together, share stories with each other, and encourage one another. I'm delighted to be able to work on our little blog more and continue doing what I love.

The blog gives us something to work on together with all the members of the Writing Center. I collaborate with the other writing specialists to create educational graphics and the like, but the tutors can get in on the blog in their spare time as well. It gives us something to do as a group and bond over. 

These aren’t the only reasons a Writing Center should have a blog, but I did think they are some of the more important points. In the end, many Writing Centers have a blog, and there’s a reason for that; it keeps us in practice, teaches us new skills, helps us rehearse what a session will be like, gives us more credibility, excites workers who love to write, and encourages collaboration with the whole Writing Center.

By Chat GPT

April 04, 2023

Preface

Hi friends! It's Hosanna and Percy. Before we get into this blog post, we wanted to let you in on a little secret: everything about this post, aside from this little excerpt you're reading now, has been written and created by AI (even down to the title!) Over the past few weeks, the Writing Center team has been discussing the usage of AI in education and how the upcoming technology will play an integral role in our futures. So, we thought, why not let it write a post for us this week! Please enjoy the following blog discussing the pros and cons of AI in education and we look forward to hear your feedback! Enjoy!

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly popular in various fields, including education. AI can enhance the learning experience by providing personalized learning, automating tasks, and improving efficiency. However, there are also potential drawbacks to using AI in an academic setting. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in education.

Pros

1. Personalized learning: AI can personalize learning by creating individualized learning paths for each student based on their strengths and weaknesses. AI algorithms can analyze the data collected from student interactions with educational materials, such as quizzes, tests, and assignments, to create a unique learning plan for each student. This approach can improve student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.
2. Automation of administrative tasks: AI can automate administrative tasks such as grading, scheduling, and attendance tracking. This automation can save time for teachers, allowing them to focus on teaching and student support. It can also reduce the risk of errors, as AI algorithms are more accurate and consistent than humans.
3. Improved efficiency: AI can improve the efficiency of education delivery by optimizing resources, reducing waste, and enhancing communication between teachers and students. For instance, AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of data to identify areas of inefficiency and suggest ways to optimize the use of resources, such as textbooks, classrooms, and teachers.
4. Enhanced accessibility: AI can enhance accessibility by providing alternative methods of learning for students with disabilities. For instance, AI-powered tools such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and image recognition can help students with visual, auditory, and physical impairments to access educational materials and participate in classroom activities.

Cons

1. Cost: Implementing AI in education requires significant investment in technology infrastructure, software development, and training. Not all educational institutions can afford the cost of acquiring and maintaining AI systems. This may lead to unequal access to AI-powered education and exacerbate the digital divide between rich and poor students.
2. Bias: AI algorithms can be biased if they are trained on data that reflects societal prejudices and stereotypes. For instance, an AI algorithm that is trained on historical data that contains gender or racial bias may perpetuate these biases in the education system. This can lead to unfair treatment of certain students and reinforce existing inequalities.
3. Privacy concerns: AI-powered education systems collect large amounts of data on students, such as their learning preferences, behavior patterns, and personal information. This data can be used for purposes other than education, such as marketing or surveillance. This raises concerns about privacy and data security, as well as ethical questions about the ownership and use of student data.
4. Over-reliance on technology: Over-reliance on AI in education can lead to a loss of human interaction and creativity. Students may become overly dependent on technology and lose the ability to think critically and creatively. Teachers may also become overly reliant on AI algorithms and lose their ability to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, AI can offer significant benefits to the education system, such as personalized learning, automation of administrative tasks, improved efficiency, and enhanced accessibility. However, there are also potential drawbacks, such as cost, bias, privacy concerns, and over-reliance on technology. It is essential to weigh the pros and cons of using AI in education carefully and implement AI-powered systems in a way that maximizes the benefits and minimizes the risks. Educational institutions should also ensure that AI systems are transparent, fair, and accountable and that students' privacy and rights are protected. By doing so, we can harness the power of AI to create a more effective and equitable education system.

By Braedyn Wasden - Peer Tutor

July 18, 2023

It is July 2023; I am in my final semester here at Daytona State College, enrolled in one final class before I move on, like many other of my fellow Quanta Honors students, to Stetson University to finish my bachelor’s degree in English Literature. When I first started at this college, I felt overwhelmingly unsure both about my place here and my place in academics. Like many, my life was thrown in disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic at its ensuing ramifications. At that time I was just graduating high school. As you can imagine, an already big life change was made all the more difficult by the many new hurdles erected by those quickly changing times. So much so, in fact, that I required a gap year between graduating and starting college. This made the process even slower for me. However, I was fortunate enough to learn about the Quanta College through Professor Ben Graydon, and this helped.

Of course I am very grateful for Professor Graydon and his assistance during that time, but I still struggled. I did not have access to many of the financial resources I am granted now, I didn’t have ready access to a computer at home, and since I was paying out-of-pocket for my college experience, I couldn’t exactly afford one either. I had heard about the Writing Center through my then-classmate and embedded tutor Hosanna Folmsbee but I had only really gone there as a place to work on my assignments, utilizing the same computers I still see students using while I work on my own laptop.

That first semester of Quanta was met with a variety of challenges. The first assignments revolved around many skills that I hadn’t practiced in over a year and worked a creative muscle that I had felt atrophy in the seemingly short gap. I had never really felt the need for a tutor before, especially in writing. I had perhaps unearned confidence in my skills, but maybe in desperation, or maybe just because I enjoyed talking about English and writing, I scheduled an appointment anyway.

I won’t name my tutor here because for one they don’t need the advertising and for another, I don’t want to lay all the credit on one individual. It is my opinion that these highly successful tutoring sessions were not simply the culmination of one individual’s many accomplishments, but more the culmination of a particular atmosphere and overall conversation accruing in the Writing Center. Like I’ve said, many of the early assignments in Quanta were creative, and as much as one can read about the different aspects of creativity and how it can be fostered, it is an entirely different beast to cultivate in the real, breathing world.

That was what the Writing Center did for me in those early months and still does now: it cultivated creativity. Not just in the traditional sense, either; I’ve written more essays than short stories, but rather, it was a way of thinking that opened me up to new possibilities of thought that not only improved my own directly creative endeavors but also my thoroughly academic one as well.

This only helped me more when I moved from just a student to a peer tutor.

When I started tutoring I felt pretty comfortable with all the technicalities of the writing process. I knew how to cite, I knew how to format a paper, I knew all the techniques for how to write a thesis, and I knew enough at least to help out the new students. But there was something else that I wanted to grow in my sessions with my fellow students: how to think outside the box. It is an easy thing to ask for. I’ve heard requests like it all my life, but it is another thing to do. It requires practice. Now I've read enough books and articles about creative writing and the creative process that I know “how to be creative.” I know that I should read a lot and write a lot. But that doesn’t do you a lot of good when you’re stuck in a vacuum in your head.

As nice as it would be, we each individually are not the center of the universe, and our experiences are not the perfect culmination of every thought and life lived. We need others to be creative, and even when we read and absorb the experience and insights of another in a story, we are still trapped in our own heads, our own interpretation, and our own avenues of thinking. We can’t get out of it on our own. We need others to really be creative. That’s what drew me to the Writing Center.

Sure, the help I received on citation and essay techniques was enormous, but it was having a space and a chance to explore and grow these creative muscles that I felt that this space was truly unique. It didn’t only help me either — it helped those I tutored as well. It allowed me the resources and the chance to grow in my skills, and to offer new ways of thinking to the students I worked with. It allowed me to really think outside of the box, to find a way to help a student perceive an essay or idea in a new way, and not simply be trapped in the textbook or what has been written a thousand times before. It is my opinion that it is through creative acts and through the creative dialog that one can grow. This must not only be as a student, but as a person. We should cultivate the creative energy of our students in any way we can, allowing something totally unique and beautiful to bloom.

By Moss Geren, Writing Specialist

June 06, 2023

Now I know in my last cat post I said that we only had room for one more kitten, but you see, that was an inside kitten. There was a secret clause I didn’t know about where we had room for one more inside-outside cat named Sirius. Mom said he got a pass because of “that hook in his tail and the fact that that cat who doesn’t like anybody likes ‘im.” Snowy can’t get along with most cats, but she raised Sirius since he’s very polite.

I had found myself longing for the silver cat, Loki’s sister, that had slipped away in our adventure to catch ourselves a kitten. You can read up on that back in part two of this segment. It was silly, really. We already had three cats, one of which was an elderly, three-legged boy named Stripe who needed a lot of care. Plus, every time I mentioned how cute the neighborhood kitties were, Mom would say, “No more cats.” I agreed with her wholeheartedly. We didn’t have enough room for a pretty silver cat.

“There’s a kitten by the pool,” my older sister, Katie, said when she saw “Baby Kitty” for the first time. He had almost certainly wandered over from the same cat colony we snatched Loki from.

“Mom and I don’t think we should get any more animals,” I warned her. “Don’t get attached.”

One of our cousins, Milo, was staying for the summer and the three of us were constantly in the pool. Baby Kitty would come to visit Snowy who was sitting with us out there. He was feral, afraid of us humans, but he adored Snowy.

More surprisingly, Snowy didn’t hiss or bat at him like she normally would with the other critters. She hadn’t really liked cats other than her mother and her siblings, and they got left behind with other farmers in Kentucky when we moved to Florida. She hated the mischievous Loki with a burning passion and had stopped coming into the house as much. Sierra, our collie mix, was afraid to even pass by her because Snowy was quick to hit any non-human that dared walk too close.

“Oh my god,” I said when I saw Snowy sniffing Baby Kitty without promptly batting him. “Snowy likes him.”

So began Operation Socialize Baby Kitty. I felt responsible for Baby since he was around my house, all filled with worms and fleas and not having a place to call home. So, I was going to get him used to humans and rehome him.

Phase One was feeding him. It’s one of the most basic things in life and for getting an animal to trust me. Few kittens can resist wet food.

Over time, Katie and I started inching closer and closer. “Don’t push it,” Katie said when he ran away from his bowl again.

“I’ll just stay here,” I said, sitting down on the painted concrete and scooting closer. Sirius eyed me suspiciously, torn between his fear of me and love for the delicious, stinky wet food. “It’ll be fine.”

Eventually Baby Kitty let us pet him, but only while he was eating. Katie and I would take turns petting him while he ate as fast as kittenly possible before fleeing from us giants.

He started staying a tiny bit longer before he ran, but I still wasn’t impressed with the progress. So, I went into Phase Two: play games with the boy.

Loki had opened up to us in the first week or so we had him, and a big part of that was Katie playing with him. Kittens will forget they’re supposed to be wary of humans if they get into the hunt. It let Sirius get used to me being there, and he started associating me with fun instead of fear.

I brought out Loki’s laser to play with Sirius. He sprinted after it! I tried to lure him closer and closer to me, so he’d get used to me faster. He didn’t fall for it when I put the laser point right by my feet, but he kept coming back to play with me. I also continued to pet him while he ate. He later discovered Worm on a String, and promptly hid the toy in the depths of the garage.

Mom wasn’t involved with the cat wrangling, but she would see Sirius sitting outside with Snowy. When he walked, his long tail would bend into a little curve, and she’d say, “Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!?”

One day Mom told me we were going to keep him. I was so surprised. Up until that point I was fully planning on rehoming him. I didn’t even think about Mom changing her mind. “I thought you said no more cats!?” I said.

“Ooooh!” She cooed, “But that hook in his tail!”

Katie said, “He was already staying. I was just waiting for you guys to realize that.”

After maybe three seconds, I had adjusted. Baby Kitty was our kitty. After all, if we gave him away, we wouldn’t be able to make sure he was getting as spoiled as he should be.

Well, he had to have a name since we were keeping him. We started throwing some around while we floated in the pool and watched him scale the fence. “How about Cirrus,” Milo suggested after we’d gone down a long list ranging from Quicksilver to Nimbus.

“Or Sirius!” I said. “Like Sirius Black.”

“Or Ciri,” Katie said, “like in the Witcher.

“Sirius could be a nickname for Ciri,” Milo offered. Jokes on all of us, because he still thinks his real name is Baby Kitty. In my heart, though, I decided his name was Sirius even if Katie wanted to nickname him Ciri, and he was going to be my cat.

I’ll fully admit I was trying to be Sirius’ favorite, which was often Katie’s accusation. I would go out there extra and play with him every morning or evening when he wandered in. I was absolutely delighted the day he bounded towards me and let me pet him. No food, no toys, no nothing, and he ran right up to me to say hello.

I put a collar on him that very day, after a quick trip to the store. I also ordered his tags and made sure to put “Sirius” on them.

About a month after we started socializing him, I finally felt like he was comfortable enough with us to take him to the vet. He ran under the house afterwards, totally aghast; he’s a very sweet, sensitive boy. I was afraid we were going to go backwards with our progress, but he forgave me a few hours later after I offered him some snacks.

Now he had a home, he wasn’t going to have any worms in his belly, and he was going to be absolutely adored by the three resident humans.

“Look, they’re sitting underneath the car together,” I said, in awe, pointing at Snowy and Sirius.

“So, we just chill here?” Katie asked, pretending to be Ciri.

“Yeah,” she said as Snowy.

After we took him to the vet, the last step was getting him used to being inside the house. This had a dual purpose. I wanted to introduce him to Loki while he was still a kitten; at the same time, I was going to have to keep him inside for a few days whenever we took him to get fixed in another month.

He’s totally domesticated now and sleeps on our couch just like his brother, Loki. However, he has a little more sense than Loki, who tries to eat plastic on the regular.

The kittens love playing together, and I am so happy they get along. They aren’t too far apart in age, a little over a year apart I think. Both Snowy and Loki got a friend when Sirius adopted us.

Sirius wandered into our home and our lives. I’d wanted a little silver cat, and a gray tabby showed up in our yard to hang with Snowy. She loved him and taught him her ways. I didn’t know that we’d be keeping that boy, but as soon as two out of three of us at the house said yes, my affirmative vote followed.

I only ever got two cats on purpose, but I couldn’t imagine my life without the cat herd I’ve had over my lifetime.

By Moss Geren, Part-Time Writing Specialist

May 23, 2023

Revised in 2023 for the DSC Writing Center Blog,

This story was originally published in 2019 by the Working Title Podcast.

Artwork by Sadwittlebean

There was nothing in that forest but hungry spirits.

Theo’s log cabin was gaudily decorated for winter with cinnamon and evergreen tainting the air. The fir tree in the living room corner glowed with rainbow fairy lights and glittering ornaments; this used to bewitch him as a child, but the tradition no longer held any magic for him. There wasn’t much that made him want to rise from his couch or do anything at all anymore.

He did not struggle for food, shelter, or even the finer things in life, but he was somehow still lacking.

He wanted the glittering plastic and gingerbread to make him feel again, so he forced himself to decorate every year. Sometimes he thought if he celebrated the holidays just one more time, a childish sense of wonder would come back to him. That he would feel at least something. But Theo was empty, and he felt as ancient and unbreathing as the land beneath him.

The room was warm, but outside the wind screamed. Snow and bare trees surrounded his home for many miles, but the lights of a town could be seen in the distance on clear nights. At least no one would bother him here. He was never great at talking to people, and the quiet suited him.

Suddenly, a chill filled the air. The light in the fireplace sputtered out. Facing the dying embers, a petite humanoid creature sat cross-legged before the hearth.

Theo was still, his body tense. It felt like the air was charged with power; he could feel it wriggling under his skin. He waited for movement from his unexpected visitor, but none came.

Theo had never seen a being like this before.

She had spiked pale-blue hair, skin that glittered like fresh snow, and her pointed ears were transparent icicles. A cape of silver fur obscured most of her form, but she wore a sapphire circlet that glittered as she peaked over her shoulder at him. She looked wealthy, well-fed, but there was a feral hunger in her winter sky eyes. She was so inhuman and unreal; it felt like she would melt into nothingness if he dared turn away.

Theo wasn’t sure if this was the most amazing or terrifying moment in his life.

“It’s wonderful out there,” The creature remarked. She held her hands out to the fireplace as if to warm her clawed fingers. A layer of frost spread across the ashen logs, and a chill set into Theo’s bones.

“It’s too cold for me,” he said, his voice so calm it startled him. His eyes darted to the window. A gust shook the branches violently and whipped snow through the unforgiving night.

“I’m Hailstone, and I’ve come to make a deal.” She smiled with cat-like fangs. Drool trickled down her chin before she wiped it with her cloak.

“I’m Theo.” He replied, licking his lips. “Not that I believe you… but what kind of deal?”

Hailstone stood and turned with a flourish of her silver furs. She couldn’t have been more than four feet tall. As she moved, there was a light tinkling like glass chimes. The sound came from a sling that wrapped diagonally across her torso, then twisted into a belt. Ornaments of frozen flesh and teeth hung from it in intervals. Among them, Theo spotted a talon covered in fur, a serpentine tongue, and an entirely red sphere that might have been an eye.

“You like them?” Hailstone asked, brushing the ornaments lovingly. The frozen shapes clinked again as they hit one another.

Theo frowned. “I don’t collect oddities,” he said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “I’m afraid I don’t want to buy.”

“You misunderstand. I’m not here to sell.”

Theo looked around the room, wondering what this mysterious creature could possibly want. He had food, drink, a place to rest, and quite a few baubles to offer. Maybe she’d like his grandfather’s old taxidermy– it was currently gathering dust in the attic.

Hailstone continued. “You see. I don’t have human in my collection.”

Theo snatched up the steak knife that was laid across a greasy plate on his coffee table, almost dropping the slippery blade. “Don’t touch me,” he warned.

Hailstone grinned more broadly, not bothered in the slightest. “I’d only take a small piece, and you’d receive a spell in return,” the creature explained in a reasonable tone, like they were still discussing the weather. “It can be anything you want within my abilities. I’ll leave right now if you aren’t interested.”

“A- a spell,” Theo repeated. His heart was beating frantically, but a kind of hunger gnawed within him. Theo desperately wanted the raw feeling of this moment. He needed something to make Hailstone real.

“Everyone wants something,” Hailstone said. She reached out, unfolding his fingers with a featherlight touch and plucking the knife from his hand. Theo’s skin became numb with cold where it touched hers. He couldn’t move. A primal fear in his gut told him that he probably couldn’t have hurt her if he’d tried.

“I could make it so you never hunger or thirst. I can offer immunity to the weapons of mortals. It all depends on what you want.”

“How long would the spell last?”

“It would be as permanent as losing a limb.”

Theo shuddered, but he was filled with morbid wonder. “How do I know you won’t skimp on your end of the bargain?”

Hailstone laughed. It was a heartless, wild thing. “I guess you don’t know what they call me where I come from.” The humor fell from her face abruptly. “As much as I hate the name, I’m the Honest Butcher. Do I need to come back with proof?”

“I want to be like you,” Theo blurted. He couldn’t wait another second, but he struggled to find the right words. Seeing her made him feel like there was a sense of wonder in the world. “You’re magic,” he said with awe, like a child discovering gifts in the dark hours before dawn.

“Well, I can’t make you a goddess,” Hailstone teased. “I can give you power, but it will be a pale shadow in comparison to mine.”

Under her gaze, Theo felt small and fragile for the first time in a long time. A goddess? He wasn’t sure what he believed, but he hadn’t been expecting this.

“What do I get in return for my gift?” Hailstone asked in a soft, lovely voice, craning her neck so she could peer up at his face.

“A tooth?” Theo suggested.

“I want something substantial for that kind of magic. Anyone can spare a tooth.” Hailstone examined her claws and picked at them pensively. “I’ll take your left hand for it. After all, when you feel this, you won’t need it.”

“A finger,” Theo replied firmly.

Hailstone’s eyes flicked to Theo’s with ferocious intensity. “Is that a yes?”

“Do it,” Theo whispered.

Dropping the knife, Hailstone darted forward nimbly. Her teeth pierced Theo’s skin, and it crunched like breaking ice. The air smelled of wet metal red. Theo howled. He yanked his hand towards his chest and blood oozed onto his shirt. When he looked down at the raw stump, Theo saw a scab had already formed. The wound was throbbing, but frost spread along the damaged skin.

As Theo cradled his hand, Hailstone froze his severed index finger onto her belt with practiced ease.

“I will find you if you ever want to make another deal,” she said. The next moment, Hailstone disintegrated into an icy flurry that rushed up the chimney like a gust of wind. The biting cold of it lingered. Only the smell of blood and a frozen hearth remained of her visit.

Theo could sense the magic now. It was like feeling without touching anything. He had another set of hands that stretched invisibly beyond his reach, but they weren’t hands. They weren’t flesh at all.

There was so much he didn’t know, so much in this world he couldn’t have imagined.

Theo examined his hurt hand. He stretched it gently. As easily as he could light a match, he reached out with nothing but his will. The frost in the fireplace faded away and a flame flickered across the logs.

For the first time in a long time, Theo felt truly alive.

By Zane Jenkins – Peer Tutor

Photo Credit: The Guggenheim Museum

Artwork has been used to express emotion since the beginning of mankind. By constantly finding ways to show experiences and spread them to other people, it has evolved from cave paintings into how we view it today. Sun Yuan and Peng Yu continue to push the limits of art with their piece: Can’t Help Myself. It consists of a robotic arm with a squeegee connected to its end, surrounded by red oil. Held within a large glass room, its one job is to collect the loose oil, but it is ultimately unable to. Though it is no longer on display, the elements of voyeurism, isolation and movement created by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu convey the feeling of complete helplessness through their piece Can’t Help Myself.

The exhibit itself is enclosed with clear windows, allowing people to look in and participate in voyeurism. They have the choice to react in a way they see fit, whether it be with sympathy, empathy, or judgment, their active emotions are part of the art piece. Being under constant scrutiny brings feelings of embarrassment and the artists chose to make the exhibit with clear walls to show how their own reactions have an impact on the people around them. When someone is struggling, they are unable to control how others interpret their reaction and ability to process said struggle. This often manifests in constant judgment from those only witnessing a situation in front of them. By leaving the robot to be stared at without any control on how it may be perceived, it shows the helplessness that is present within the artwork.

Isolation was also used in the exhibit to help convey this emotion. The windows not only allowed guests to peer in, but also allowed the robot to look out and see the people surrounding it. They were always out of reach and blocked away, but forever in its view.

Almost like a taunt toward the piece, it showed that there were people able to help, but they chose not to, cementing an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. As the robot continued to recollect the oil spilling out of it, no one was there to support it, leaving it overwhelmed with its work. This element of isolation helps convey the message of helplessness through the piece.

One of the more noticeable elements within the artwork would be the rusting around the robot's joints, affecting its mobility. This rust was formed because the machine was left unclean since its creation. As expected, it started to wear down on the robot's mechanisms and limited how it was able to move in the surrounding environment. The degradation of its movement offered the audience a visual comparison of how it feels to bear an impossible responsibility for too long. This evicts a sense of helplessness because its only job is to collect oil without an option to stop. Programmed to keep going, the robot continues to fling the oil onto itself in poor attempts to carry out this assignment, subsequently killing itself in order to complete it.

By using these elements of voyeurism, isolation and movement, Sun Yuan and Peng Yu were able to convey pure helplessness through their piece. Though it is no longer on display, Can’t Help Myself continues to spark discussion throughout the artist community with its unique take on what can be used to create art. With brilliant techniques and programming, they were able to give a robot the illusion of emotion that still affects audiences worldwide.

By Percy Mercer and Hosanna Folmsbee – Writing Specialists

Workshops, often led by Writing Specialists, are a hands-on experience designed to closely assist a large group of students in a way that can be uniquely tailored to the topic they’re focusing on. Whether it’s informing students about different citation methods for research papers, assisting in group project peer-reviews, or facilitating a study-hall for students across multiple areas of study, Writing Center Specialists can do it all – except for math. We’re not great at math.

In the spring 2023 semester alone, the Writing Center has conducted more than 90 workshops while working with more than 600 students in English, Literature, Speech, Nursing, and Dentistry classes. Additionally, Writing Specialists cultivate connections with programs like Fresh Start, Quanta, and athletic groups to support students of all backgrounds and experience.

In total, those workshops have reached more than 600 individual students.

Ashley Davis, Educational Service Coordinator for the Fresh Start program at Daytona State College, said the Writing Center’s partnership has been an essential part of paving the way for students to go to college. Fresh Start, a transition-to-college program that is directed toward people looking to create new opportunities for themselves, has worked with the Writing Center to help its students prepare for the academic road ahead of them.

"The Writing Center helps the students feel more confident in their writing abilities,” she said. “The Writing Specialists make the students feel empowered, and that gives them hope and ensures them that they can write anything, from a scholarship essay to a graduation speech.”

Students and Faculty alike benefit from the community-style learning that workshops can bring to the classroom. By creating space for them to experience the nitty-gritty process of writing and rewriting, workshopping with a Writing Specialist cultivates a safe and supportive environment to make mistakes, as well as see growth and improvement in an accelerated amount of time. The different types of workshops are almost endless, and they are both a fun and productive way for students to engage with their content and learning material.

One of the exciting aspects of workshopping is the unexpected and unique dynamics that each classroom brings.

While the content we may be bringing with us stays the same, the different personalities of each student community foster a one-of-a-kind experience each time we walk into the room. The Writing Specialist’s ability to go into the classroom and adapt to the student’s needs creates ample opportunities to gain trust and build meaningful relationships with them.

“[The students] know that they have a resource and a person that they can count on to help them become and stay successful,” Davis said. “Whatever [the students] have to offer, Percy works with the Fresh Start class. They do an amazing job in leading our students to become successful writers.”

By Moss Geren – Writing Specialist

I was sweating when Billie Jo Dunaway, our Writing Center Associate Director, told me I was going to be embedded in a few classes in Spring 2023. Tutoring students and working with social media came naturally to me, but something about embedding seemed far too fancy and technical. I was shadowing my coworkers during meetings and having them double-check my emails to professors– they were very patient with me. In short, I was a Writing Specialist with a bachelor's degree, but I was still adjusting to my new job under the guidance of people who have been here longer.

It was a relief when the students actually started visiting. Working with students is what I do, so it was super helpful to know their assignments beforehand. Yes, it was slightly different, but it was something I was accustomed to.

Still, there were the dreaded weekly check-ins where I would have to send out an email to students or post an announcement. We do this to connect with the students and share resources with them. I wasn’t sure what to send at first! I was spending way too much time in the course shells trying to figure out what would help the students with their assignments.

Strangely, as my list of classes grew, I became less overwhelmed by them. I didn’t have enough time to be super personal with every embedded course. Instead, I started sending links about writing in general– and discovered that’s what my coworkers were doing anyway. I sent them emails about Purdue Owl’s sample papers, DSC’s resume toolkit, and more. After that, my embedded classes started to become just another part of the job. It’s basically tutoring with a few extra gadgets.

I am far from an expert at this whole embedding business, but it’s much more transparent to me now; I’m at ease in the office with windows for walls that is the Writing Center.

By Nikki Membiela – Peer Tutor

Since its opening in 2010, the Daytona State College Writing Center’s mission has been “to help students, staff, and faculty achieve their communication-related goals by providing the educational support and resources they need to continually build upon their abilities in all genres and stages of communication.” In short, we’re here to help you feel more empowered as a writer. Empowerment in writing can look different on every person. Whether you’ve come to us for a quick glance for errors in your paper or because you want to feel more confident in your writing as a whole, we are committed to helping YOU be the best writer you can be. We aim to do this in a number of ways; primarily by providing resources, workshops, and one on one tutoring sessions.

A growing number of students and staff have taken advantage of our offerings, and the results speak for themselves. Just in the fall ’22 to spring ’23 semesters we’ve seen nearly a 70% increase in the use of our services! Not only does it bring us joy to know that you’re trusting us to help you on your educational journey, but we’re ecstatic that your hard work is paying off.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Barnes, Chair of Academic Support here at Daytona State College, students who use the Writing Center receive better grades in their introductory English courses than those who do not. Data from 2019 shows that 85% of students in Introduction to Composition (ENC1101) or Writing with Research (ENC1102) courses that used the Writing Center saw success in those classes as opposed to 76% in students who chose not to use our services. Additionally, students who come to the Writing Center even just once are 14% more likely to receive a passing grade on the assignment they work with us on. The success that you’ve continued to show in turn helps us to be more successful, too.

Although you may have individually overwhelmed our system with your love for us, we are able to tell you that as a collective you have made 1,080 sessions and counting. We’re excited to see these numbers grow because to us, they’re more than just numbers. The numbers are you! Our students, who we see becoming more confident in writing every day. It’s the hope of everyone at the Writing Center that we see these numbers grow, not just in quantity but in quality. The more we see you, the more confident we feel that you are receiving a quality education. After all, that’s what we’re here for; not to help you write better papers, but to help you become better writers!

Thank you for letting us grow with you. Seeing your success doesn’t just help us statistically – it helps us (your tutors) be the best versions of ourselves we could be. Every time that you come to see us, we become better teachers and better mentors. We hope that we can continue this relationship and help each other grow for years to come.

Now that we’ve given you your props for improving both us and yourselves, let’s get into some more numbers. During the spring ’23 semester we have seen more than 600 unique faces in our workshops, and more than 380 uses of our resources for a while. That’s not all, either; from last semester to this one, our numbers have drastically increased. Our Writing Specialists have conducted more than quadruple the amount of workshops they facilitated last semester – up to 94 from 21 in the fall. Even more drastic are the number of students that have rotated through the Attic. Last fall, the Attic hosted 37 students, and this spring, we opened the door for 1,115 of you. That’s right: the Attic’s usage has increased thirty-fold.

By Moss Geren, Writing Specialist

April 12, 2023

In my last cat post, I said I’ve had more than twenty cats and I only got two on purpose. The second cat we brought home was a feral kitten named Loki, who we found in a flowerpot.

That may not sound like an on-purpose kind of cat, but my older sister, Katie, had been considering adopting a gerbil or something for over a year. Then, we heard that a cat from the feral colony a street or two down from the house had kittens. She decided that one of them was hers.

Mom shook her head as Katie and I ran off to the neighbor’s house to collect her boy. We crept along a driveway lined with flowerpots under an archway of leaves. The garage door was partially opened– a silver kitten darted inside! We met eyes, unsure if we should open that door or come back later.

After that, the neighbor came out and gave us the greenlight for classic cat herding, saying, “Take them all if you want.” They needed homes. We didn’t have room for a whole bunch of kittens, though. Just one. All we had to do was catch him.

I struggled to lift up the garage door, but it barely moved. “I can’t get it,” I said, “use your strong arms.” So, Katie stepped in. The door trembled for a few seconds in her grasp before it jumped up and clanged on the garage ceiling.

Kittens scampered out of there en masse, and by the time I was ready to pounce, they were already scattered in the four winds.

Thankfully, there was movement in the garage. I told Katie, “I think a few are hiding in the back. I’ll chase them out and you catch ‘em.” I was rummaging and making a racket in someone else’s crowded garage. A brown tabby kitten ran out and slipped past Katie. I rummaged some more. The second and last one in there sprinted towards the garage door.

Katie grabbed the kitten, but she let go as it scratched her. “Oh, she was so cute,” she said with a sigh while the little thing disappeared down the driveway. “I wanted to get that silver one.”

We thought we were out of luck and would have to try again later. That’s when we saw Loki hiding in a flowerpot. He was a tan tabby with black stripes and spots on his flank. He was sitting really still, like he thought if he didn’t move, we wouldn’t see him.

I inched toward him, then jumped to snatch him up. Loki leapt out of the pot and disappeared into the next-door neighbor’s yard. I wove through the flowerpots and hopped over some bricks in pursuit. He was the last one, and I wasn’t giving up that easy.

“What if they come out,” Katie asked as I trespassed on someone's lawn.

“I’ll be quick”, I said, playing peek-a-boo with the kitten in some bushes. Loki ran back toward Katie and disappeared in the garage once more.

We looked at each other, holding our breath. “I got it this time,” Katie said, holding her hands out at the ready. I nodded and picked my way back through the tools and machines in the garage. I grabbed at Loki from where he hid in the back corner, but I couldn’t reach him through shovels and shelves. The kid knew all kinds of acrobatic moves. He dodged me and flew for the opening.

Katie swooped down and nabbed him. Loki bit into her hand, but she didn’t let go; she still has the scar. I rushed out of the garage and brought him to my chest. He struggled for a moment, but then he gave in.

We had caught ourselves a feral kitten. I hid his face in my arm as we walked, and he nuzzled closer despite his fear of me, trembling and breathing heavily.

After, we put Loki in the bathroom with some towels, food, water, and a container to hide under. I didn’t want him to be overwhelmed by the big space or the other animals. I felt so bad as he cowered behind the sink.

We’d never had a feral kitten before, only strays who were used to human contact. I had to google how to socialize him. He had to be a few months old given how big he was, and after a certain age it’s very difficult to domesticate a cat. I found myself telling Katie “We might have caught him too late. We might have to fix him and release him back into the colony.”

Of course, the next day he was playing with Katie and batting at some string. Very soon after, he discovered the couch and has never gone back.

When the vet checked him out, we found out we’d taken him at about 4 weeks old! He was just a very large cat. We had taken him too early because we thought he’d been with his mother longer.

Now he’s full grown and very affectionate; he’s the biggest cat we’ve ever had and he has lots of energy. He’s also the most mischievous cat we’ve had, so it fits that Katie named him Loki. He enjoys eating our plants and sitting on the floor of the shower when it’s wet.

Nowadays Loki is an indoor cat, but he has been sneaking outside with our other kitten, Sirius, to play under the house. He loves playing too rough with his brother and sitting on him while he’s trying to sleep. We’ve found out he won’t eat my orchid that’s older than him by several years, thankfully. Thin crunchy leaves are much more satisfying to him. I would like to note that he’s had some character growth because last Christmas he was scaling the pine tree in our living room, but this December he contented himself with knocking ornaments off the lower branches.

By Moss Geren, Writing Specialist

March 23, 2023

I’ve owned more than twenty cats over my lifetime – but I only ever got two on purpose. That’s life, I guess: you beg your parents to get one cat named Blackberry from the pound when you’re a six year old on a small farm, and soon you’re hyped you have as many cats as chickens running around.

Some were kittens born on the farm, but we also had a lot of strays. People would abandon cats on the side of the road out in the country. We met half our cats that way, and I’m sure I insisted we had plenty of room to keep them. Really, what’s one more cat if you have enough land?

That’s how we got MilkyWay. She was scared and lost, suddenly in a place she didn’t recognize, and I was determined she was going to be our cat.

I had spotted a small black and white cat, really a large kitten since she wasn’t full grown, on our property. I remember sunshine and cold air. She was nervous when she saw me and darted under the barn to hide.

I’m sure I hopped inside the kitchen immediately to share the good news. “Mama, there’s a cat outside! It ran under the barn!”

She was probably watching Buffy or something on our small block of a TV that lived on the counter. The screen couldn’t have been more than two feet long. “I’m sure you could lure it out with some food,” she suggested.

I sprinted to the shed nestled at the edge of the forest. It was originally supposed to be a playhouse for us kids, but it never caught on in popularity. Instead it held our cat, chicken, goat, and dog food along with some tools. I grabbed one of the grubby bowls under the edge of the shed, made sure there was plenty of kibble, and trotted back to the barn.

It was time for the hunt.

I sat that bowl down beside the gap underneath the barn, just at the corner of the building. There wasn’t a gap under one side because the earth tilted up, so animals couldn’t get in or out that way. That was the corner I crouched by so she wouldn’t see me.

I waited, tensed, quiet, my eyes locked on that bowl. After a small eternity, she dared to creep out, inching towards the food. Who knows when she’d last eaten.

I jumped forward, scrambling to reach her, but MilkyWay was faster. She disappeared under the barn once more.

I’d blown it! She knew I was there now, waiting for her. She wasn’t going to come back out. But if I waited, if I was still enough, maybe she’d think I’d left. I crouched down again.

I got bored after a while and sat down in the grass, daydreaming. I was worried about the stray, though. I missed her a time or two while I was playing with strands of grass or lost in thought.

She was hungry, though, so she kept coming back – even when this big-child-thing wanted to catch her. I crouched at the corner of the barn once more, frustrated and cold as the sun started getting lower in the sky. I was going to get her this time. I think I put the bowl slightly further away from the barn so I’d have a better chance.

This time, when she padded into the late sunlight, I snatched her up and pulled her into my chest. I held her so she wouldn’t be scared I’d drop her, with one hand under her butt and one around her torso. She squirmed, digging her claws into my collarbone, and I scruffed her.

Delighted with my new captive, I carried her into the house and finally let her eat.

MilkyWay stayed in the country along with many of our cats when we moved to the suburbs. I missed them terribly and worried about them, but I think many of them were happy to stay on a farm. We did bring one of her kittens with us, though. Snowy is now a healthy 15-year-old who enjoys wet food and naps. She even got to stick around for the second cat we got on purpose.

To be continued…

By Nikki Membiela, Peer Tutor

March 21, 2023

When I was a child, I lived about a block away from a train station. Every night I would be lulled to sleep by the horns that alerted drivers of their arrival. An out-of-town visitor once asked if I was irritated by the constant noise. “I couldn’t sleep with all that!” they proclaimed. For me, though, these sounds were just a part of my life, a part of me.

The impact of train transportation was never something I really thought about until it was no longer a part of my life. After revisiting my home state of Illinois, I’ve realized that there is a void in Volusia County that can be filled with better public transportation.

I grew up in a small town called Franklin Park, an old freight hub with several different rails running throughout the town. We even had a yearly festival called “Railroad Daze” to commemorate our history of train transportation. Being that Franklin Park is less than fifteen miles from the Chicago city limits, my family would regularly drive into the city to see family, go shopping, or visit a favorite restaurant. I was no stranger to the outskirts of the city. But Downtown Chicago was a special treat for me. The big, looming skyscrapers, the constant movement and noise, and the river that flowed through its heart were all elements that made it feel so magical. Strangely enough, what made these days extra special to me was my access to public transportation. The Metra train, in my mind, was the initiator of these memorable days.

My parents, my sister, and I would walk to the train station together. In the pre-smartphone days, Dad would buy our tickets at the counter while Mom tried to keep us unruly girls in sight. With tickets in hand, we would make our way to the platform and wait for the glorious wail of our oncoming conveyance. The train would make its stop and together we would board. My sister and I would always opt for the top row of seats because we enjoyed the view. The next thirty or so minutes would be filled with local sightseeing. Through our neighboring suburban towns, we would point out where friends lived, stores we like to visit, the old Mars chocolate factory, and every other familiar building we could think of. It was like a shift in the air when we would finally enter the city, though. Our excitement rose, and we knew that our next stop, our final stop, would begin the excursion we had planned. We would end our journey at Chicago Union Station, the transportation mecca.

After disembarking, I would take a look at the giant vessels that surrounded us. In my more existential days, I would begin to ponder the lives of all the other people in the station with me. I knew what my day had in store, but what for them? The trains linked all of us to this one, united stop before we went our separate ways. We would then leave Union Station to begin our real adventure: musicals, museums, boat tours, and enough culture to fill a lifetime. These independent expeditions all hold their own unique memories that I could write about for days, but they were always unified with a trip on the train.

Truth be told, until I was a teenager, I didn’t even know it was possible to drive into the city. The trains, busses, and subways seemed like the most logical and obvious transportation choices. When I was older, we drove downtown a few times, but I still preferred public transportation. I’m still unsure if it’s the nostalgia attached to the train rides or if it was just more practical, but my preference was and is clear. Because of this, moving to Deland, Florida was a huge culture shock for me. Moving from a town that was centered around train transportation to one that has only one track rolling through the back of the town was strange.

At first, there was a bit of excitement; no more getting held up by stopped commuter trains or freight trains that run miles long (a problem that afforded me many tardy slips in middle school)! But this one convenience came at a surprisingly large cost. My reliance on public transportation delayed my desire to learn how to drive. In Deland, I could no longer lean on a regular bus schedule or flow of Ubers and taxis. I was cornered into an activity that still causes major anxiety for me and forced me to spend money I really didn’t have on a car. As much as a disadvantage this is to me, it is also a great privilege that I am able to have. According to 2020 Census data, around 6% of Floridians do not own a vehicle. That leaves over 1.2 million citizens without primary means of transportation. While some may be able to rely on others to give them rides or have access to ride-sharing applications, many of these citizens would benefit from a better public transportation system in Florida - one that includes trains.

Nostalgia aside, I really do love trains. A few years ago I even opted to take an Amtrak for three and a half days from Orlando to Seattle, Washington. I asked my mother to recall her days spent on the train to her downtown job and she recalled how nice it was to get to work without worrying so much about traffic or accidents. She said, “I loved having half an hour of calm to myself to prepare for my day.”

It is my sincere hope that one day Florida, and other states across the U.S., will opt for better rail systems for their citizens. Until then, we should all do what we can to take advantage of the trains that are available to us now. If you haven’t, try taking the SunRail from Winter Park to Orlando! Or even try an Amtrak to Miami for a weekend. Trains are a special part of our history in America that we can’t let ride away.

By Ray Jacobs, Writing Tutor

March 09, 2023

Dear Ray,

It’s March 2019. You’re in a rough spot right now. You don’t feel like you’re worth much. You don’t have much confidence in yourself. You always feel like you’re doing something wrong. Life has beaten you down in more ways than you can count. You have no close friends to your name. You feel like you’ve lost your place in the world. And you’ve been stewing in it so long that it’s comfortable. You’ve been going to the Deland campus for classes and studying your butt off in the library during the hours between. Under those fluorescent lights, you feel yourself shrinking. Spiraling. You couldn’t tell at the time, but I’m here now, telling you that denying that that’s what’s going on doesn’t make it any better. I used to be you, so I know.

On the plus side, however, I can tell you that you’re about to get to one of your Needlepoints. Needlepoints are those decisions that feel so small, so miniscule, that you can’t possibly wrap your head around how big of a ripple it’ll make in the surface of your life… But it’ll be so great a torsion that it pops - in better ways than you can ever imagine.

You’re about to apply for a job at the Writing Center.

You’ll go to the Daytona campus, walk into that huge library building (which, spoiler, doesn’t exist anymore… you’ll never even get to work in it before the new building opens), and sit down with the director and one of the Writing Specialists. During the discussion, you’ll be asked about your favorite books. You’ll bring up Banana Yoshimoto, and the specialist’s eyes will light up. You’ll be so nervous you forget both their names, but that’s okay. Even though you feel like an idiot when it takes you about 5 seconds to realize the interview’s over and you stumble over yourself as you go to leave… You still get the job. Even though your bank gives you the runaround with your direct deposit information… You still get the job. Even though you don’t know what the director could possibly see in you… You still get the job.

On April 1st, you’ll walk in and find that people are welcoming and happy to see you. You’ll get set up with your training and feel like a hippo in a grizzly bear enclosure. A guy with a beard walks right up and sits down next to you, asks you about yourself. He wants to listen to what you have to say. You end up talking about creative writing and The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. You make some offhanded comment about books aging out of contextual relevance, making them postmodern literature. He tells you to keep that for an honors thesis.

After you finish your training, you’ll get set up on the Deland campus again. You’ll get to look out from inside that cozy little nook where you always heard good-hearted laughter from behind the glass. You’ll make Vine references and a tutor with a brilliant laugh and even more brilliant smile will call you funny. It’ll be the first direct compliment you’ve gotten in more time than you’ll care to admit.

You’ll bomb your first few sessions, sure. You’ll have habits you have to work to shake. But you’ll listen and learn. You’ll grow. You’ll blink, and it’ll be summer. You’ll have made friends of your coworkers - people who value you, like the tutor with the curly black hair who doesn’t even notice you’re learning from her until you say something. She’s brilliant, and she’ll remind you of yourself. You won’t realize you’re brilliant too -- not yet, at least.

You’ll look around and realize you have a job you know you’re good at, because the people around you knew you’d be good at it, too. They believed in you not because they had to, but just because. They had no reason to, they just did. And that changes your life.

A pandemic will come (and you’ll freak out about it). You’ll get depressed, you’ll bomb your classes, get really into a band or three… But then, once you come back from quarantine, it’ll be like riding a bike. You’ll be home away from home again. Things will grow and change. They’ll be difficult at times. But at the Writing Center, you’ll know what you can do. You’ll believe in yourself. Others do too, but their opinions will just be icing on the cake. The names and faces will constantly change, among tutors and students alike. But you’ll have finally, finally, found your passion. Because of the Writing Center, you and I have made some of the best friends we’ve ever had. We’ve been given the stability to put in the work, so we can heal in ways we didn’t think would be possible for us.

We’ve done incredible things over the past 4 years. We worked with the Social Media team, presented at a conference, trained people to do what we love, and helped students over 550 times. We get a cat right before Christmas -- at the Writing Center, no less. She’ll be in the engine block of one of the librarians’ cars.

But even though we love the Writing Center, even though it has let us do so many wonderful things, we have to leave.

It’s March 2023. Specifically, March 9th, 2023. It’s my last day.

I’m tearful. Of course I am. In 3 days, I’m packing my stuff in a U-haul and going back to Pennsylvania. Soon, I’ll walk out these doors for the last time. I’ll miss it. Of course I will.

Remember West Chester? That city back home? With the university a bunch of your friends from junior year went to? I got accepted. You got accepted. We got accepted. It’s our dream school, turns out. And it’s been great so far. We chose to make that dream come true.

Even change made for good reasons is hard… But you got this. I got this.

We’re not scared of needles anymore.

Love,

Ray.

By Percy Mercer, Writing Specialist

February 28, 2023

So far this year, three journalists around the world have been murdered.

One of them was my friend.

Dylan Lyons was, in a word or two, an enthusiastic journalist. After spending years in J-School together at the University of Central Florida, it’s the one thing I can easily say sums him up. He worked hard to earn his place in front of the camera, always wore a suit and tie, and though he couldn’t write scripts for anything, he made up for it with the quality of his video and voice-overs. He was dedicated to telling stories, and during our time together in school, his reporting was often done in between snarky jokes and endearing laughter. We competed against one another on how many stories we could publish. He badgered me about my photography, and I quipped at him over grammatical mistakes. We weren’t anything close to best pals, but we enjoyed one another’s company.

He died last week on assignment while reporting on the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Pine Hills. The same man who killed her took Dylan’s life and severely injured his coworker: photographer Jesse Walden. The two journalists work for Orlando’s Spectrum News 13, a television broadcast station that covers nine counties in Central Florida.

In the blink of an eye, Dylan was gone. His vigil took place this past weekend outside UCF’s communication building – right outside the student newsroom we worked in for years, learning to tell stories with impact. Our professors, our colleagues, and our fellow Knights – student journalists who are in the process of learning the same things we did – spoke of Dylan and the legacy he’s left us.

His vigil was quiet aside from the occasional sniffle, and the dark square we stood in was illuminated only by the flickering flames of candlesticks. Hugs were given with glassy eyes and sad smiles, and appreciative nods were offered to the media who came to tell the story. Those who spoke didn’t take long; what can you say about something so terrible, when it shouldn’t have happened at all?

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit dedicated to collecting data on protection, violence, and freedom of the press around the globe, 43 journalists have been killed in the last two years. Many of them were killed in crossfire. Others were intentionally murdered for daring to give a voice to the voiceless. More – like Dylan – died on assignment.

It’s not uncommon to hear reporters say that we know the risk when doing our job. We’ve studied those who have gone before us and given their lives to tell the truth; it’s terrifying, but someone must do it. We take precautions – wearing press credentials to identify ourselves, carrying go-bags in our cars, always tag-teaming assignments when there’s a higher risk involved, and only going to crime scenes after it’s deemed inactive by police or government officials.

Sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes, the systems in place by individual reporters don’t make up for the lack of them coming from the industry itself.

The problem, at least partially, is sourced from a deeply toxic “hustle culture.” The harder you work, the more likely you are to be recognized for the things you do, which might provide you with a living wage and the ability to focus on longer-form stories that can prompt change, shine a light on a subject that isn’t heavily reported on, or expose injustices. Reporters are taught to say “yes” to everything that comes their way to garner favor with editors, no matter the subject or the amount of toiling away the story takes. Hours of work might go unpaid, and effort is likely to go unappreciated. Competition between other news networks and the urge to be the first on the scene is drastically emphasized, despite how the internet and social media have reduced the need to make print deadlines.

Because of that, the pressure is on. If one reporter declines an assignment because of a safety concern – something encouraged by law – another will take it. Journalists might feel obligated to hustle for stories that get them into scary situations or cut corners in terms of their own safety to get better access, better quotes, or better pictures. Editors might look the other way.

I’m scared for my friends who go out and report on the news in their hometowns, especially in increasingly polarized communities where “the media” is seen as an enemy rather than a neutral party. I fear for their safety when they leave for assignment; it’s no longer a concern only when reporting on dangerous events, but an everyday worry when it’s time to get to work. If Dylan died while taking what precautions he could, who else might?

Changes need to be made in order to protect reporters. Safety needs to become more of a priority. Journalists need to be in an environment that actively promotes the ability to decline assignments when danger is involved.

If not, how many more deaths will these factors play a part in?

How many more people will have stories like Dylan’s?

How many more friends will I lose?

By Ray Jacobs, Part-Time Tutor

February 23, 2023

Ahhh, dinosaurs. The coolest animals we never got to meet. You love them, I love them, an incredibly lucrative film franchise was made about why we shouldn’t be so cool with them…

When it comes to dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, theropods are probably what most people think of. One of the most diverse and longest-living classifications of dinos, it includes the Allosaurus, Deinonychus, Velociraptor, and the most famous of all: Tyrannosaurus Rex. The subject of our discussion today, however, is a less-known member of this family, one of my favorites… the Spinosaurus.

It was first discovered in 1915 by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in the deserts of Northern Africa. He named it for the large spines extending from its back, which in most depictions are interpreted as a sail fin. I truly love the trope of scientists naming a new thing in as obvious a manner as they can. It brings me so much joy.

What the name fails to convey, though, is that this Cretacious cretin was even bigger than the T. Rex! It had “a skull 1.75 metres (roughly 6 feet) long, a body length of 14–18 metres (46–59 feet), and an estimated mass of 12,000–20,000 kg (13–22 tons).” Super cool, right?! This peculiar dino gained most of its notoriety after the release of Jurassic Park 3, where it served as the T. Rex’s adversary. However, the truth of the matter is that we really don’t know much about it!

The partial skeleton Stromer discovered was accidentally destroyed when the Munich museum that housed them was bombed by the British in 1944. For about half a century, all we had to go by were Stromer’s 2D renderings of the bones he recovered. To this day only 7 skeletons - all incomplete - have been found.

So what’s the point of contention here? Why has this weird lizard been throwing the paleontological community into a tizzy for so long? Well the short, dramatically oversimplified version is that people really like to be right. The long version is that we haven’t gotten enough of a representative demographic to be able to get a good read on this lad. There have been a lot of competing pieces of evidence about whether it was aquatic or land-dwelling, which could also give us clues about its mating habits, diet, lifestyle, and why the dang thing needed to be so dang big. We don’t even know what its back sail is for!

Let’s take this point by point, shall we?

First, let’s take a closer look at the Spino’s head. At a whopping 6 feet long, its skull has a distinctly crocodilian appearance - a common adaptation for animals that had a fish-heavy diet, alongside its cone-shaped teeth. These features’ presence in other dinos created a subgroup called spinosauridae. Speaking of its diet, partially-digested fish scales were discovered in the abdominal region of one of the discovered fossils, but scientists have also unearthed spinosaurid teeth in the fossilized wing of a pterosaur. Another aquatic adaptation that’s been discovered is the way its tail is structured, similar to that of an axolotl. The thing about this is that this tail structure is that is moves side-to-side as a crocodilian tail would, but it’s unclear whether this would be the most efficient in terms of underwater propulsion.

Theropod dinosaurs all share the characteristic of having shorter, prehensile forelimbs. The Spinosaurus’s back legs, on the other hand, are a huge point of debate. If Spino had an aquatic or semi-aquatic lifestyle, having big ol’ honkin’ drumsticks like in JP3 would make swimming really difficult. It’s unlikely to have walked with the same posture as other theropods like the T. Rex or Velociraptor, but theories have been proposed that while walking amongst its terrestrial counterparts, Spino’s tail could have helped it balance against its short rear legs like a pangolin instead!

Next, we pivot back up to the midsection to talk about this whole sail fin business…

Again, we don’t know what this thing was for. We don’t even know what shape it was; It’s been depicted as either arched or M-shaped, but no sail bones have ever been found intact, so we can’t say for sure. It could have been for sexual display/dominance, thermal regulation, or to help it corral fish in the water so they couldn’t escape. It could’ve also been the base structure of a hump on its back used for fat and water storage like a camel. (I don’t need to put a picture of a camel, right? We all know how weird-looking camels are? Okay, cool. Camels freak me out.)

Unfortunately, looking to other theropods doesn’t give us a ton of information on this. As previously mentioned, they were an extremely diverse group, unified only by the traits of being flesh-eating and having those little grabby hands. Theropods could have bumpy scaled skin, feathers, or large and protrusive bony scales called osteoderms; They were carnivores, omnivores, piscivores, and insectivores. Lots goin’ on with these guys.

Luckily, there’s one thing we still haven’t touched on - bone density. Similarly to how birds have hollow bones to make themselves lighter, different environments mean their respective species have to be built different. (Fun fact: all birds are descended from small, flight-specialized coelurosaurian theropods!) In order to deal with water pressure at lower depths, both for swimming and diving, you need denser bones. And that’s exactly what scientists have found! They compared the bones of Spinosaurus to almost 300 land- and water-dwelling species, living and extinct, including other spinosaurids, and found that spinosaurids’ bone density was directly related to an aquatic lifestyle. Others in the taxon like the Suchomimus had less bone density, indicating they were wading predators rather than deep swimmers.

Most aquatic prehistoric creatures of Spino’s caliber, like the massive archelon and dunkleosteus, aren’t technically dinosaurs. All of this in conjunction with spinosaurids’ crocodilian features means that this group were likely the only dinosaurs making a habit of splashin’ around.

There’s a lot that’s still up in the air about these guys, even with everything we’ve found. Some people, for example, still hold that Spino’s aquatic adaptations are only representative of its feeding habits, not its entire livelihood. The discoveries about their bone density were only made last year, and the scientists that conducted the study are still thrown by that stupid sail fin, which would’ve made it really hard to swim underwater. Unfortunately, until we find more Spinos, a lot more speculation about these theories will be thrown around - likely for years to come.

“But in the meantime,” you ask, “what should we consider the most accurate representation of these boyos?” Worry not, dear reader, I have the answer! The Hong Kong Science Museum unveiled a scientifically accurate model of our dear Spino in July of 2022… Wait, you can’t get to Hong Kong? Okay, no worries! Here’s a picture!

Before that, however, the title of best portrayal that was held for 2 years came from an unlikely source… A cute little video game called Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Blathers really knows his stuff.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/animal/Spinosaurus

https://www.dailysabah.com/life/science/jurassic-lifestyles-scientists-confirm-how-spinosaurus-lived

https://twitter.com/nizaribrahimphd/status/1538250304516390913

https://hk.science.museum/en_US/web/scm/exhibition/bigeight2022.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aes5Xdxlnzs&t=327s&ab_channel=Animalogic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theropoda

By Moss Geren, Writing Specialist

February 21, 2023

I saw Jordan Peele’s “Nope” in theaters last year, and it was so weird that it immediately became one of my favorite horror movies. I rewatched the film recently, and my sister, Katie, told me Peele had made another several years ago called “Get out.” Obviously, I needed to watch all of Jordan Peele’s films as soon as humanly possible.

A few days later, Katie and I were all set with Blu-Rays of “Get out” and “Us.” I’m so glad she’d mentioned that Peele had other movies, because we had such a good time! To give context without giving anything away, there was always at least one element in the plot that intrigued or surprised me by the end of his films. I’ve seen so much television and read so many books that it’s refreshing to see a new element. I later learned Peele received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Get Out.”

Somewhere towards the second half of “Us,” I called the twist, and I was so excited to see if I had guessed right or not. I looked back on all the details in my head and talked about theories with Katie when we paused to get snacks. The twist was super satisfying and well woven into the movie. Part of what makes stories so fun for me is discussing them.

Plus, Peele’s characters were delightfully complex and hilarious, albeit often murderous or misguided. I find many American horror movies are lacking in this area. It seems less common for a horror writer to be as interested in character development as they are in the gory plotline. When I see both, I know I’m going to enjoy the story.

I liked “Us” almost as much as I loved “Nope” when I watched it for the first time. I thought the beginning of “Get out” wasn’t as strong as the other two, but the first film Peele directed picked up over the course of the movie. Often it goes that way with artists as they grow and hone their craft.

I started looking deeper, and Peele co-wrote “Wendell & Wild” with Henry Selick; it’s a cute yet creepy stop animation I’d watched last year. He also voiced one of the leading characters in it, the demon named Wild! Peele was the host of a new version of “The Twilight Zone,” too. I haven’t watched it yet, but it’s on the list.

All and all, I love Jordan Peele’s work, and I can’t wait to see what he makes next. In one of his behind-the-scenes I was watching, he said he didn’t see himself moving away from horror anytime soon. This works perfectly for me and many of his fans. I wait impatiently for Peele’s as of yet unannounced fourth horror film.

By Sarah Abraham, Full-Time Writing Specialist

January 30, 2023

Over the last few years, LEGO has been marketing to a new demographic: adults (Bhattarai, 2020). LEGO are a great challenge for kids and encourage curiosity and using fine motor skills. However, LEGO discovered that adults were taking to their products for stress relief. Following a set of someone else’s instructions to piece together a final product can be an excellent way for adults to ease their minds and escape the daily stressors of work, family, and other demands.

When I think about the relief that building LEGO has given to many adults, my mind drifts to college students. Most college students have stressors coming from every angle: school, work, family, finances, athletics, volunteering, and more. College students often have little time to decompress and escape the demanding nature of higher education. Further, most students today spend excessive amounts of time looking at a screen. LEGO take the eyes away from the screen and the mind away from stress. They place the mind on manipulating physical objects and creating a tangible final product — something that isn’t very common anymore.

LEGO has taken initiative to involve adults in building. Multiple sets have been created, specifically targeted at adults, including architecture, wall art, and intricate builds from beloved fandoms, like Harry Potter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and a variety of TV shows (like The Office).

Even further, LEGO has taken steps to have discussions about mindfulness and how their products have been increasingly used by adults to practice it. Building LEGO is a great way to take one’s focus away from everything around them, follow a set of instructions (usually without requiring too much in-depth thought), and immerse themselves in a peaceful reality. LEGO has written a book, Build Yourself Happy, that takes a look into the way that building LEGO has benefited people of all ages.

As for me, I didn’t do much with LEGO as a kid. My brother had two huge bins of them, and sometimes I built with them, but not often. Since becoming a college student, graduating, and experiencing stressful life occurrences (as many of us have in the last few years), I have found significant peace in sitting at my desk, listening to music, and piecing together a LEGO structure. When I build, I am able to drown out everything around me, focus on placing each piece, and watch a creation become alive right before my eyes. The intricate sets created by LEGO with adults in mind can even make impressive display pieces once they are completed. Some people choose to tear the build down and do it all over again.

Overall, LEGO sets have started to become a staple in many people's lives, including students, for stress and anxiety relief. LEGO can be expensive, but the variety of builds available make them affordable for almost anyone. It might seem peculiar to some, but LEGO have provided relief for so many people of all ages, including myself. If you haven’t tried building LEGO as a way of stress relief, I highly recommend you give it a shot!

By Meredith Weller, Part-Time Tutor

January 24, 2023

About me:

I’ve never had a green thumb. Not until I moved to Florida at least. Every bouquet of flowers and succulent gifted to me was dead within a week. I know what you’re thinking: Succulents. Really? They’re the hardest plant to kill. They even thrive off of neglect. Well, in your twenties, you’re an expert at neglect. However, after entering my thirties and keeping various tropical plants and succulents alive for a year, I decided it was time to move on to something a little more challenging. I’ve spent the first two years of my thirties watching entirely too much HGTV, and since I don’t own a home to renovate, I decided to start a vegetable garden, and I wanted to create one for under $1,000 that was also relocatable.

If you have big dreams like me, are renting, and don’t have an endless stream of disposable income, then follow along. I’ve encountered a few comical mistakes throughout my adventure, and I’m looking forward to sharing the humor with you. I’ll be the first to admit that I still have a lot to learn, but I hope to use this blog to share the lessons that I’ve learned to save you from repeating my mistakes.

A Renter and Budget Friendly Vegetable Garden: Let’s Get Started

Items Needed:

• Garden Beds (if your area’s soil is not nutritious)
• Soil
• Border to section off the garden (if you choose to do so)
• Cardboard (save those Amazon boxes!)
• Weed barriers (if you have enough cardboard saved, you don’t need this)
• Mulch (rubber or organic) or decorative rock

My first mistake was wanting to build a vegetable garden on a Florida peninsula that has sandy soil. Thankfully, my knowledge from growing up in a farm town, which I never thought I would actually use, came in handy. I knew I needed raised garden beds that I could fill with nutritious soil.

I found a local guy that made garden beds and only charged $50 per bed. I wanted to start off with four, so this price fit in well with the $1,000 budget I set. The most expensive part was going to be the soil, and I had to find a way to fill four, 3-foot deep garden beds for only around $20 each. My neighbor even laughed after I told him how much I paid for the beds. He said I would spend double the price filling them up.

Well, he’s not laughing anymore because I was able to find bags of organic soil at a local nursery for only $10 per bag, and I didn’t even need to fill the beds entirely with soil – more on that later. I had my garden beds and soil secured, which meant I needed to work on making it a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Establishing the Border

The aesthetic of my vegetable garden ended up being more important to me than the actual food itself. I wanted to make sure this was not only a source of food, but also somewhere I could escape to and relax.

First, I needed to create some type of border that sectioned it off from the rest of my yard - so off to Home Depot I went, completely unprepared. I ended up going with a wooden border that came in sections and was priced at roughly $14 per 3-foot section. Of course, I didn’t take any prior measurements, so it took me about three trips to get enough for the outline that I wanted. I highly recommend measuring beforehand to avoid multiple trips.

Lessons Learned

- Take measurements.

- Outline the garden before purchasing the border.

- Shop around beforehand to know your option

Fill it In

While I was at Home Depot I also grabbed 10 bags of rubber mulch (I ended up needing 30). I read somewhere online that rubber mulch would last much longer than the organic kind, and so far it has. The bags came to about $7 each, fitting in with the budget perfectly.

Before laying down the mulch, I put down cardboard and a weed barrier to prevent unwanted growth on the floor of the garden. Laying down cardboard first is a cheap alternative to multiple weed barriers, and it eventually breakdowns down over time. My boyfriend was very happy to see the stack of boxes I had been hoarding in the garage for months finally gone. Once that was done, it was time to put the icing on the cake and lay down the mulch. Once again, I didn’t take any measurements and 10 bags of mulch barely made a dent. I ended up needing 30 bags, and the cashier at Home Depot, Nancy, couldn’t help but laugh each time she saw me walk through the doors for more.

Lessons learned:

- Forget the weed barriers, lay down multiple layers of cardboard instead.

- Take measurements!

Just Keep Filling

Instead of filling the beds entirely with soil, I decided to try to make a natural compost out of cardboard and yard material and only do two layers of soil on the top.

The first step in this process was to line the bottom of the beds with cardboard to prevent any weeds from growing through, just as I did with the floor of the garden. The next step was to lay down logs and twigs and then multiple layers of leaves until there was enough space for about two bags of soil on top.

I was extremely excited about the leaf part because I hadn’t raked my yard in months in preparation for this. My landlord was also happy to see our yard cleaned up. I probably looked like a crazy person gathering leaves into a bucket in my front yard while still in my pajamas; I was a true representation of a "Florida Man" when gathering leaves that morning. After that I had my garden put together, it was time to plant.

Recap:

- Save that yard debris!

- Order more from Amazon so you have more cardboard.

Planting the Seeds

Finally! I was ready to plant my carrot seeds as well as the tomato and cucumber plant whose lives my neighbor, Henry, so graciously decided to leave me in charge of. Each plant needs planted differently.

As I said earlier, I had just recently gained the ability to keep a succulent alive, and I think Henry had a little too much confidence in me. I had to learn how to properly transfer plants while not letting neighbor down in the process. One peek over the fence and he would easily be able to see if I killed his precious gifts.

Tomatoes

Things to know:

- Plant it deep.

- Trim the lower leaves.

I was advised by Henry to plant the tomato pretty deep and to trim the lower leaves. I did just as I was told, and things were going great. The little guy was growing tall, and I fully thought I was well on my way to having fresh tomatoes. All was well until there was one of Florida’s infamous storms. With hurricane season in full swing, this storm brought wind strong enough to blow over one of my banana trees. The banana tree conveniently fell right over the garden bed that homed my tomato plant and decided it was a good idea to drop a seed right next to my thriving friend. I didn’t realize what had happened until my tomato plant slowly shriveled to the point it resembled one of the “Unfortunate Souls” from the Little Mermaid, and a banana tree sprouted in its place. I wasn’t looking forward to sharing the news of the death of the tomato plant with Henry, but at least my cucumber plant was going strong.

Cucumbers

Things to know:

- They like water

- They can get out of control if left untamed

- Trellis or not to trellis? It's up to you

- Pick your cucumbers as they ripen. If you don't, your cucumbers will stop producing

My cucumber plant has been through harder times than the tomato plant. It started off thriving and bore multiple cucumbers (none of which I had the courage to eat), but quickly succumbed to pests too strong for natural pesticides. I didn’t want to use any harsh chemicals, but I had to stop whatever it was from devouring the leaves.

I tried a mixture of dish soap, olive oil, and water, and it was useless. Whatever was destroying the cucumbers was also leaving behind a yellow jelly-like substance that I have yet to be able to identify – Google image search couldn’t even tell me what it was. After the temperature cooled down a bit, the plant started to take off and grow even larger cucumbers than before! I was so excited to see fresh green leaves that had yet to be chewed through. I thought I finally had gotten the hang of this gardening thing, but once again, the yellow jelly-like substance was on my cucumbers, and something chewed a hole through them. I’m still on the search for a natural pesticide.

Carrots

Things to know:

- Plant them shallow

- Plant them 6 inches apart

- Do not drop multiple seeds together

- Have patience. Carrots take 75 days to fully grow

I think my attempt at carrots has to be the most comical part of this whole experience. I initially planted them entirely too deep. They’re not like tomatoes and need to be planted pretty shallow.

My first attempt only produced what I initially thought were three sprouts but ended up only being one. I noticed two of three sprouts looked different than the other, but I chalked this up to being at different stages in the growing process. I babied all three sprouts and made sure they were watered daily, and I made sure to keep the garden bed clear of debris. When the two different sprouts started to grow something in the middle, I quickly realized they weren’t carrots. I looked down at my yard and lo and behold, these suckers looked just like the weeds that were in my yard. I had been watering and babying weeds! Out of the 20 carrot seeds I planted, only one actually sprouted. My second attempt was much more successful. I made sure to plant them right under the surface and now have 13 carrot sprouts. I’m using the sprout from my first attempt as my test-dummy. I have no idea how to tell if a carrot is ready, and I’m hoping I’ll learn as I go on that one!

Carrot (Left), Weed (Right)

Success and Failures

Lessons learned:

- Know your environment

- Take the proper precautions

- Be willing to fail and learn from it

- Be patient

- Know how deep to plant your seeds (every plant is different)

I may not be a vegetable garden connoisseur, but I definitely have a better grasp on the do’s and don’ts of gardening. I can identify a carrot from a weed now, and I finally mustered up the courage to eat one of my cucumbers. I don’t know why I was so scared; it tasted fine, and I just cut off the part that had the hole from whatever chewed through it. I’ve also learned that I need to find some sort of shelter for my garden from the Florida storms.

Hurricane Ian recently tore through my area and took out the majority of my garden. My cucumber plant was ripped off the trellis, and I don’t know if it will continue to thrive; though the root is still intact and planted firmly in the soil. My carrots will probably end up having a bunch of new friends grow alongside of them. The amount of debris I scooped out of the garden bed was absurd, and between the palm and banana trees, there’s no way I found every single seed that dropped in there. I have a feeling it will be round two of the Banana Tree Fiasco, but only time will tell. Luckily, the banana tress got pummeled in the storm and were snapped in half. I cut every single one of those suckers down to the stump, and I really hope they don’t grow back. The flowers I planted at the entrance were completely flattened, but like a crazy person I went outside and weathered the storm intermittently to pick up the branches that snapped off. I’m hoping that with a little propagation I’ll be back in business come Spring. This garden has been the most stressful yet most satisfying hobby I’ve tried.

By Sarah Abraham, Full-Time Writing Specialist

December 06, 2023

Emotional Influence of Therapy Dogs in Academia

Alliance of Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs have been used for many years to provide comfort to people in a variety of situations. From natural disaster survivors and military veterans to college students and teachers, therapy dogs help these populations alleviate stress.

Over the past few years, the implementation of therapy dogs in educational settings has been increasing. If you’re a dog lover and/or owner, you would likely know and agree with the fact that your dog helps you reduce your stress levels (except for when he tries to dart across the street to chase a squirrel). Many studies have shown that pet dogs can help their owners reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and can improve heart health (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2022).

Some schools have facility dogs, which are dogs that provide comfort to people at one specific school. However, therapy dog organizations, such as the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, have therapy dog and handler teams that visit different places to provide services. Many schools, especially colleges and universities, are utilizing these services during times of high stress levels in the semester, such as mid-terms and finals week(s). Using therapy dogs during these times can reduce stress for students, improve their confidence, and give students a break from the pressure they feel as they give a soft Golden Retriever a pat on the head.

Besides implementing the use of therapy dogs across college and university campuses, they can be used in specific areas of colleges and universities. Counseling centers on campuses and academic advising offices often cater to students that are experiencing challenges, both personal and academic. Therapy dogs can be used to ease the emotional and physical toll that students may feel. Staff in these areas can also feel immense pressure while assisting these students, and therapy dogs can be mutually beneficial to relieving stress of both.

Now, you might be wondering where a therapy dog fits into a writing center. Although the role of a writing center seems straightforward, it is not entirely what it seems. Tutors in writing centers usually play more roles than simply a tutor, but are often reliable listeners, comforters, and peers. Many students seeking writing assistance look to the writing center, but they also rely on the writing center to be a safe space where they can share their writing without judgement, and particularly, if their writing involves a personal and/or sensitive experience.

Therapy dogs can not only support students in writing centers, but they can support staff, as well. Playing a variety of roles as a writing tutor can be taxing, and providing services to a student that writes about a difficult scenario in their lives can be emotionally challenging. A therapy dog helps ease the emotional burden that many writing tutors carry with them while simultaneously reducing student stress. According to Patel with the University of Pennsylvania (2021), studies show that students feel less stressed after interacting with a therapy dog. The University of Pennsylvania has a partnership with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs to have handlers and their therapy dogs come visit with students during final exams.

Questions? Here are some common ones:

I want to be a therapy dog handler… What can I do?

The first question to ask yourself: “Do I have a dog that might have the temperament to perform therapy work?”

Take a quiz here, created by Pet Partners.

Many dogs do not have the appropriate temperament or work ethic to be a therapy dog. Therapy dogs must pass specific certifications and tests with a therapy dog organization in order to go out and work with the public. Check with a therapy dog group near you (see below) and they can help you temperament test your dog and train for the certification.

How can I get a therapy dog to come to my school?

First, check with you school’s resources, they might already have a partnership with an organization! If they don’t, present the idea to them and refer them to a therapy dog organization near you (see below). If you are able, help with reaching out to the organization(s).

I want to know more about facility dogs.

Facility dogs are like therapy dogs, but only work at one specific location. Someone at that location, generally an employee, is the designated handler. The handler cares for the dog and brings the dog to the workplace each day to provide therapy dog services at that specific location. Facility dogs are commonly found in hospitals, counseling centers, doctor’s offices, and occasionally colleges.

Therapy dog resources and organizations:

• Alliance of Therapy Dogs
• Canine Assisted Therapy
• Love on a Leash
• Pet Partners

By Percy Mercer, Full-Time Writing Specialist

November 29, 2022

While Florida’s cold season looks different than anything else in the state, we still celebrate how we can. Pumpkins sit on our front porches, and cinnamon brooms and nutmeg-scented candles decorate the inside of our homes. Some of us celebrate days cooler than 80 degrees with simmer pots, while others sweat it out in their coziest sweaters. Pecan pies are baked, pumpkin spice lattes and chai teas are sipped, and comforting movies play in an endless loop. In all of this, Floridians put in their best effort to manifest a cool, comfortable fall that might parody the rest of the country’s autumnal bliss – so how do we best set the mood for it?

Hozier’s music, of course.

Just as Mariah Carey is the musical patron saint of Christmas, Hozier is the overseer of proper vibes in the Fall. The funky little bog man is the embodiment of earnest, soulful music that lights a flame in your chest to keep you warm through the colder months. Sure, his lyrics might be beautifully morbid in the same way a raven croaks out learned words or crows bring their friends shiny objects, but once the meaning graces your ears, you’ll never be able to stop listening to him. Full of reverence, pining, and passion for the women he loves, Hozier’s discography doesn’t have a single skip.

For now, he’s only got a couple albums out despite going multi-platinum in several countries (six times in his native country of Ireland) for his debut studio album, but the anticipation for new music is half the fun. Here are five of my favorite underrated Hozier songs to listen to when it dips under 80 degrees, and why the lyrics make me lose my mind:

It Will Come Back:

Don’t let me in with no intention to keep me

Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to me

Honey don’t feed me

I will come back

It can’t be unlearned

I’ve known the warmth of your doorways

Through the cold, I’ll find my way back to you

Oh, please, give me mercy no more

That’s a kindness you can’t afford

I warn you baby, each night, as sure as you’re born

You’ll hear me howling outside your door

Oh, to love someone so much your loyalty is compared to a wild animal who’s caught a familiar scent. This tale of mournful warning comes from a place of hurt and heartbreak, meant for those who have been told they’re too much or too intense in relationships. While a potential partner might show interest or offer something that feels like love, Hozier views it as a hammer to a glass window; one act of kindness can spread like spiderweb cracks in his heart and leave him throwing himself headlong into attachment for them. This song is a plea for isolation in the name of avoiding hurt that is sure to come, no matter how desperate he might be to experience kindness; he’s not strong enough to deny love himself. He begs the woman he’s interested in to show restraint.

This piece of soulful music drives me insane. The lyrics are painfully raw, like Hozier is shoving his vulnerable heart in the hands of his listeners and allowing us the choice to be honored or horrified in the act. The music itself is just as aching – wailing guitars and thumping drums mimic a predatory animal on the hunt for prey. It’s also one of the darker songs on his debut studio album, alongside Run and In the Woods Somewhere, each of which he compares himself to a monster yearning for any kind of love willing to be shown to him.

It Will Come Back is beautiful, undeniably meant for grittier days when you’re content to brood and sit in your feelings. It’s cathartic, too. I highly recommend it.

In a Week (feat. Karen Crowley):

We lay here for years or for hours

Your hand in my hand

So still and discreet

So long we become the flowers

We’d feed well the land and worry the sheep

And they’d find us in a week, when the cattle show fear

After the insects have made their claim, after the foxes have known our taste

I’d be home with you, I’d be home with you

In this soft proclamation of devotion, a pair of lovestruck partners find domestic peace in simply sprawling out together in the grass. They’re content to let time pass without concern for the world around them. In this song, death and decay is no match for romantic bliss; both daunting topics bring growth and new life, something these lovers are more than happy to take part in as long as they can be together. Together, they embrace death under the pretense that they’re going home to one another, marvel at the softness of passing with someone they love, and observe the event with tender amusement as through watching it happen through an open window.

What is love if not wishing to spend the rest of your time on earth with someone? Slow and melodic, In a Week feels like the equivalent of a wandering stroll at dawn, when mist still hangs heavy in the air and the rest of the world is still struggling to wake. It’s one of the lesser-streamed songs on his debut studio album, according to Spotify, and it’s the third-longest song. Perhaps that’s because everything about this song takes its time – from its gentle harmonies to its emotional buildup. In the hustle-and-bustle of day-to-day life, slowing down for just a few moments is a nice way to manifest some autumnal comfort.

If it’s hard for you to get your day started, In a Week is great to listen to while brushing your teeth or sipping your coffee, and all the more so if there’s someone you think about when love songs play on the radio.

Jackie and Wilson:

Lord, it’d be great to find a place we could escape sometime

Me and my Isis growing black irises in the sunshine

Every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside

We’d sit back and watch the world go by, happy to lie back and watch it burn and rust

We tried the world, good God it wasn’t for us

She’s gonna save me, call me “baby”

Run her hands through my hair

She’ll know me crazy, soothe me daily, better yet she wouldn’t care

We’ll steal her Lexus, be detectives, ride ‘round picking up clues

We’ll name our children Jackie and Wilson, raise ‘em on rhythm and blues

Ah, the passionate optimism that the right person can bring into your life. Jackie and Wilson tells a tale of self-forgiveness and mutual healing through earnest love. It’s about accepting who you used to be – good, bad, and everything in between – and coming to terms with the realization that growth, while not always linear, is meant to push you forward. Hozier writes of not only accepting this belief, but throwing himself headlong into it right beside his lover. What better way to grow and learn than to do so with someone you love? It’s a bright joy, full of excitement while still being unwilling to bend to those who might see him held back.

I love this song not only for its bluesy rock and happy melody, but also for its ability to play anywhere, anytime. While this whole album radiates “Fall” energy, I’ve been known to play Jackie and Wilson during Christmas and the Fourth of July and everywhere in between. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to dance in the kitchen and drive with the windows down. It sits in your chest the way bubbling laughter might – high and flighty. Sure, it’s got the same tint of sadness to it the same way all of Hozier’s songs do, but the point is that you can choose to focus on the good parts if you want to. It’s a song meant for people who don’t have the easiest time, but still manage to find the good in things as they move through life.

If you want a good pick-me-up song full of gravelly rock and soothing vocals to bob your head to while running errands or studying for class, Jackie and Wilson is meant just for you. Give it a listen!

Talk:

I’d be the voice that urged Orpheus when her body was found

I’d be the choiceless hope in grief that drove him underground

I’d be the dreadful need in the devotee that made him turn around

And I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice

Imagine being loved by me

If Talk could be summarized in a single term, it would be “reverent yearning.” The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is perhaps one of the most romantic tragedies in Greek mythology: A husband and wife madly in love with one another, torn apart by a venomous snake bite that sent Eurydice to the underworld. Orpheus, stricken with grief, traveled to the underworld to beseech the gods to give his wife to him through song. It was the first time the gods were swayed by a mortal and allowed him to have his wife back under one condition: while leading her back to the world of the living, Orpheus was not allowed to turn around. It was a test of faith for them both – Orpheus had to trust Eurydice, and Eurydice had to follow him without question. The pair made it all the way to the entrance of the mortal world before Orpheus turned around with his wife’s name on his lips. The question of ‘why’ he did is accepted, by many, as a poetic question to contemplate.

Hozier takes his chance to contemplate it in Talk, describing the love the pair had as something so beautiful and intense that Orpheus and Eurydice could take whatever they could get – something he shares with them. This song is beautiful in the way that Eurydice is often depicted, ghostly and cold despite the love she so clearly holds. The strumming guitar and bass that introduce the song carry you steadily through it, just as Orpheus leads his wife home. It’s poetry cleverly disguised as one of the best songs you’ll ever listen to. Out of all Hozier’s discography, this one is in my top three.

If you want a song to set the mood as a thunderstorm rolls through or wish to feel yourself like the main character in a dramatic period piece, this song is the one to do it to.

As it Was:

Before the otherness came and I knew its name

The drug, the dark, the light, the shame

Eyes at the heights of my baby

And this hope at the fight of my baby

And the lights were as bright as my baby

But your love was unmoved

And the sights were as stark as my baby

And the cold cut as sharp as my baby

And the nights were as dark as my baby

Half as beautiful, too

Stern, loyal, brilliant: The woman Hozier describes in As it Was is steadfast in her fealty, through trouble and ease alike. Aside from Talk, it’s the shortest song on the album titled Wasteland, Baby!, yet fully packed with adoration for the woman who’s been his anchor. It doesn’t seem to be the coddling type of affection, either; Hozier describes her as “unmoving” and “sharp,” refusing to budge in her love – even when that love might be difficult for him to accept. In return, he praises her as though she is the one who offers him salvation, who brings him hope amidst the “otherness” he’s so steeped in, and who continually guides him home.

In line with the religious descriptions Hozier is known so well for, As it Was almost carries the same dark melody as an old hymn might. Its lyricism, while deeply poetic, is easy to understand. The complexity of the instrumentation for the song is similar, with a simple acoustic guitar and violin accompaniment. This particular song’s lyrics consistently have my mind stuck in a haze – who doesn’t want to be described as twice as beautiful as a dark, starry night?

As it Was is a fantastic song to study or work to, especially for people who get easily distracted by loud or elaborate music. Even if you don’t, you ought to listen to it. You won’t regret it.

By Sarah Abraham, Full-Time Writing Specialist

November 15, 2022

I was at my brother’s high school graduation ceremony in 2016, and the speaker asked all graduates who also hold an Associate of Arts Degree to stand. About three students stood; I watched and thought “I want to be one of those students one day.” That moment changed the trajectory of my educational career.

In 2018, I found myself standing, with about three other students, among my high school class, just like the few of the class of 2016. I did not think I would be there, but I was, and I was flooded with pride and a feeling of accomplishment as I stood. I was 18 years old, and about two weeks prior, I graduated with my A.A. Degree.

Dual enrollment, without a doubt, changed my life. It might seem like yet another educational program, but for me, it opened up so many new opportunities and has done the same for many other students. Dual enrollment provided me with the chance to earn an A.A. for free, experience college classes while in high school, and earn dual credit toward both a college degree and high school. Not only did I get a degree in high school, but the classes also counted toward my high school diploma.

After graduating, I continued my educational pursuits at the University of Central Florida (UCF), earning a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (May ’20) and a Master of Emergency and Crisis Management (May ‘22). During this time, I connected with professionals in both fields and conducted graduate-level research, leading to a publication.

My time as a dual enrolled student at DSC inspired me to seek educational opportunities outside of standard classes. Dual enrollment encourages students to be confident, independent, and develop real-world skills that they will be able to apply far beyond the realm of high school. It also allows students with vast educational goals to get a jump-start on those goals, and even decrease their time in college (outside of high school) by two years. Dual enrollment is one of the few programs to do this for students.

In addition to internal, personal growth for students, it gives young students the chance to “test the waters” of college and experience college on a smaller scale than being immediately thrown into a large university directly out of high school. As many of you already know, college is very different than high school, and not really in the ways that your high school teachers say. It is full of challenges that require independence, resilience, and dedication. Right out of high school, it can be difficult to face those challenges, and dual enrollment gives students the ability to build these skills on a smaller scale. These skills transfer to not only a larger university, but life.

Personal growth is one of the biggest impacts of dual enrollment. However, there are financial benefits, too. Students that dual enroll do not pay for their classes, books, and (most) on-campus services. Dual enrolled students are able to begin their college experience with financial freedom and prepare for further costs that come with education without the stress of paying for their first two years.

If you are a high school student or know a high school student that is interested in dual enrollment, check out this link. It provides further information on how to become dual enrolled at DSC and what is required. Along with that, make sure to speak with your high school counselor about dual enrollment opportunities that are available to you. Many state colleges have dual enrollment programs — not just DSC!

Additional helpful information:

• DSC Dual Enrollment Guide
• DSC Dual Enrollment Form

By Hosanna Folmsbee, Online Writing Specialist

November 1, 2022

Help me, help you, which also helps me.

I think most people would agree that navigating the higher education system can be one of the most confusing, daunting, and overwhelming transitions one faces, often with little to no preparation beforehand. Not only are students asked to complete time-consuming applications and paperwork before they even attend, but once they do step foot on campus, they come face to face with numerous decisions that can be life-altering.

Looking back on my first semester, I remember arriving on campus fifteen minutes before my classes would start, waiting in my car until about seven minutes before, and going straight to the classroom so that I could get a front-row seat. Then, once the 75 minutes went by and our professor dismissed us, I would walk right back out and go to my car to leave.

It wasn’t until one Tuesday evening, when I was sitting in my classroom alone, waiting for the professor and the other students to arrive (I was always scared of being late), that I heard the door open. I looked behind me, expecting to see my professor when instead I saw a girl, who I guessed to be around my age. She walked in and passed her usual seat in the far-left corner to take the one beside me. I smiled, and we exchanged pleasantries before silence again fell upon us.

“What year are you?” she asked me, cutting through the quiet once again. At the time, I didn’t even know how to answer because I wasn’t used to that question. So, I thought for a moment and blurted, “first semester.”

Something in her eyes sparkled when she heard me say those two words. She got excited and more energetic, and immediately more questions followed. She began to explain how this was her last semester before transferring, and she was thrilled to meet me at such an early stage of my educational journey. She then began to offer me advice on what clubs to join and where I could find rewarding jobs on campus that work around class schedules. Most remarkably, she also told me that she was a part of the Quanta Honors program and how it offered its graduates a chance at free tuition for their last two years at Stetson University!

My life changed drastically after that short yet incredibly impactful encounter. I began making connections. I got a job at the Writing Center, received my acceptance into the Quanta Honors, and am now enrolled in the Honors Program at Stetson University without a dime coming out of my pocket.

I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without her kindness, contagious ambition, and the time she took to share her knowledge and insights. I was instantly inspired to share any resources or perspective I gained throughout the remainder of my DSC journey. Hence, my passion for making the power behind “Peer Mentorship” more apparent.

What does “Peer Mentorship” mean?

Peer mentoring is when two individuals are in similar life stages, ages, or programs; yet, one has more experience in the field and can offer guidance and encouragement to the less-experienced individual. At its core, peer mentoring offers one-of-a-kind support that provides both the mentor and mentee an array of life skills and long-term benefits.

Why “Peer Mentorship?”

While hierarchical mentoring, for example, advisor-to-student, faculty-to-student, or professor-to-student relationships, are also incredibly beneficial and positively improves a student’s academic success, peer mentoring is an opportunity to create more impact on a broader range of students. For example, the “peer mentor” gets more exposure to the world of teaching and advising, and the “peer mentee” receives the direct benefits of their understanding and experience.

There are also practical and financial benefits to peer mentoring over hierarchical mentoring. Although there are currently no studies that signify a difference between peer or hierarchical mentoring success rates, there are pragmatic reasons why a peer mentorship program is a more resourceful option.

For example, within a peer mentoring program, students help students. With the way the program would run, it offers the peer mentor beneficial volunteer hours to assist in qualifying for future internships and jobs or simply have a line added on their resume. On a more personal level, it can also increase responsibility and positive character traits within the peer mentor, which they can then apply to their future education or work environments.

The program could also benefit faculty members at the schools which offer peer mentoring. The responsibilities of professors and other higher-ed faculty are strenuous as it is, so I imagine any relief is welcome. With some of the burden being lifted off them and given to the willing peer mentors, faculty are left with more energy to focus on their necessary student interactions.

“Am I cut out to be a peer mentor?”

Well, let me ask you a few questions first.

Do you enjoy helping? Do you feel you have beneficial resources that few students know about? Are you confident in your ability to seek out helpful resources? Are you looking for a rewarding and accessible way to improve yourself and/or your resume?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, then the answer to your question is also yes!

Whether your school has a peer mentorship program or not, I encourage you to be open and lend a helping hand to your fellow classmates. Everyone struggles with individual battles, many that are not obvious to us, so if providing empathy and guidance helps even one person — take that opportunity.

By Ray Jacobs, Part-Time Tutor

October 25, 2022

Aaaaahhhh, Godzilla. The monstrous reptile that has been a cinematic sensation for decades, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest-running film franchise. He’s influenced and been referenced in countless pieces of media, from Lilo & Stitch to Jurassic Park to Sesame Street. But did you know this iconic fire-breathing lizard first graced the silver screen in 1954?

The Original Theatrical Release Poster of the 1954 Godzilla

The groundbreaking film was produced and distributed by Toho, with an edited Americanized version titled Godzilla, King of the Monsters! hitting the States two years later. It’s noted for originating the “suitmation” form of special effects, in which a stunt actor wearing a highly-detailed costume interacts with a miniature set, as well as the tokusatsu genre. It’s an incredibly important piece of film and cultural history, and since watching it I’ve decided to take on the humongous task (pun intended) of watching all 36 Godzilla movies in order. What follows is my reasoning as to why.

If you want to avoid spoilers for a 65+ year old movie, now’s your chance! You can watch it on PLEX, HBO Max, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Crackle.

Godzilla from a Snickers Commerical

…You’re still here? Awesome! Thanks for stickin’ around. Here’s why I think you should watch Godzilla and like it as much as I do:

1. As previously stated, it’s a piece of cinematic history. If you care about that kind of thing, I’d count it as required material – especially if you watch a lot of sci-fi. If you don’t, it’s still an accessible piece of media and I think it’s cool to be able to go forward from that experience and see just how many things it’s influenced.

2. It’s actually a pretty entertaining movie! If you dig movies that have a laughable quality to them (i.e. SBIG films), definitely give this one a shot. I’m not saying that Godzilla is bad, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that… A lot of the stuff that was considered groundbreaking about this film is funny to look at now. Some of the science they use in the film is wildly inaccurate, which also makes it funny to watch. I can’t count the number of times during the film where I snorted and said “that is not at all how that works

The Very Goofy Original Godzilla Suit

3. There are very dramatic subplots. The first involves a would-be engagement between two characters, one of which is presumably already betrothed. The second has a depressed and misguided zoologist wanting to protect Godzilla from the Japanese military’s attempts to kill it, purely because it has the ability to resist the radiation of an H-bomb. (Seriously, at one point the guy who wants to marry his daughter is like, “Hey just because this thing is really resistant to radiation doesn’t mean we should let it keep killing people?” and the zoologist legitimately yells at him and tells him to get out of his house.) There’s also a very edgy and brooding scientist with an eye patch who “Accidentally Discovers Bad Science” and then continues to develop it for some reason.

How do those sound? Pretty good, right?

I can’t explain how, but the charm of this movie surpasses the sum of its parts. It tries very hard to be depressing. It really does. Even so, much like global audiences at the time, I find myself desperately wanting more. The promise of more Godzillas at the end of the first movie is absolutely tantalizing. I want to watch this big, messed-up gecko break stuff and set things on fire. Plus, there are more kaiju, like Mothra, King Ghidorah, Shin Godzilla, and MechaGodzilla. You’re telling me there’s a robot version of this thing?! Where do I sign up?!?!

Kaiju Size Chat | Illustrated by Jaroslav Kosmina

Again, there are THIRTY-SIX of these movies. If you’ve never seen Godzilla, your reaction to that is likely “What the heck?? Why so many?! Do people really watch these???” And the answer is yes! And that doesn’t even get into the 50+ Godzilla video games! There’s so much to experience!

Another thing I found interesting while researching this absolute behemoth of an intellectual property is this line from the Wikipedia page:

“The tone and themes vary per film. Several of the films have political themes, others have dark tones, complex internal mythology, or are simple action movies featuring aliens or other monsters, while others have simpler themes accessible to children. Godzilla’s role varies from purely a destructive force to an ally of humans, or a protector of Japanese values, or a hero to children.”

I cannot get my brain to let go of this. Straight from the horse’s mouth, there it is – this franchise has a little something for everybody. Even if you just wanna see a big monster walk around and crush things, or watch big monster fight OTHER big monster, here you go! It feels like the next logical evolution of so many of the things I obsessed over as a kid. It feels good to have a new simple thing to enjoy.

My plan is to try and watch 2 of these a week. That will end up taking me about… 4 months, but I think it’ll be worth it. Would anyone like to join me?

Percy Mercer, Full-Time Writing Specialist

October 18, 2022

Imposter syndrome sucks.

Whether it’s a matter of constantly fighting that internal nagging in your ear that says “you’re not good enough” or believing you’re somehow a fraud that’s eventually bound to be found out, the phenomenon can be nearly debilitating. It’s neither grounded in truth nor an issue the truly fraudulent workers tend to deal with, which only seems to make it worse.

The silver lining is that we’re not alone in suffering from it: the American Psychological Association clarifies that while there’s no official diagnosis of imposter syndrome – also called the imposter phenomenon or imposterism – it’s a real form of intellectual self-doubt that ought to be studied and acknowledged.

Described as “a condition that describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or imposter” by a commentary in the Journal of Mental Health and Psychology, it’s seen in those who tend to attribute their successes to external help or luck and see their setbacks as proof of their inadequacy.

For college students, all of whom face different struggles and life experiences, it’s a pretty common phenomenon. Mixtures of school, jobs, health issues, personal lives, and the crazy world we live in are bound to create some unholy combinations of anxiety and feelings of not-quite belonging.

Take me, for example: Logically, one might think that a person who has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, five years of experience in the field, and the willpower to stubborn their way through at least a thousand words on a daily basis would feel some level of comfort in their ability to string together sentences that – at least for the most part – sound vaguely correct. Practically, it’s about as far from the truth as one can get.

A 2020 article from the American Society for Microbiology shares the story of Dr. Carolyn Teschke, who buffs her resume with experiences such as “molecular and cell biology professor, Associate Department Head of Undergraduate Research and Education at the University of Connecticut, principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded viral assembly research program, author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, member of numerous professional societies (including ASM), 2018 recipient of the ASM Alice C. Evans Award, and women-in-STEM advocate” and still suffers greatly from the imposter phenomenon.

Even Einstein struggled with feelings of inadequacy. When speaking about his own work, he called himself an “involuntary swindler.”

So, if imposterism affected one of the smartest minds in modern history, along with yours, mine, and so many others, what’s the deal with it?

Who’s most likely to suffer from imposter syndrome?

Originally, the imposter phenomenon was thought to strictly plague women. The first study on imposter syndrome was conducted in 1978 by Georgia State University Psychologists Drs. Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes, who hypothesized it was the result of internalized societal expectations forced on women generally viewed as less capable, no matter how high-performing they were.

Since then, it’s been shown that men experience the phenomenon, too. More than that, Clance said it seems to be common throughout minorities in the workforce. Be it age, sexuality, gender, race, level of ability, or level of interest in the work, differing in a fundamental way from your peers can cause a rift between your self-confidence and the quality of your work.

In the Journal of Mental Health and Psychology’s commentary, it’s noted that minority students are predisposed to “increased psychological stress during their educational experiences, including lack of adequate financial aid resulting in the need to work to support themselves financially, racial discrimination, and being the first in their families to pursue advanced education.”

Some studies call for the clinical definition of imposter syndrome to be adjusted for minority groups – specifically ethnic and racial groups – in order to further assess the specifics of the phenomenon, as well as to help them “navigate feelings of otherness and racial isolation and the ‘need to prove themselves’ on the basis of their race.”

Imes chimes in that people who also grew up in large families tend to feel as though they’re fraudulent, especially when the parents or guardians who raise such people send confusing signals with their criticism or high praise.

“In our society there’s a huge pressure to achieve,” Imes says. “There can be a lot of confusion between approval and love and worthiness. Self-worth becomes contingent on achieving.”

What are the symptoms of imposter syndrome?

Does the work you do make you feel overly stressed, anxious, depressed, or exhausted? Are you experiencing burnout? Do you feel isolated when it comes to schoolwork or employment?

If so, you’re likely working through some level of imposter syndrome. The American Psychological Association links the detrimental effects of perfectionism as a commonality between people who experience the phenomenon. Because the supposed “impostors” think everything they do needs to be perfect, Clance says they tend to create one of two habits: procrastination out of fear of failure, or preparedness to the point of overcomplication. For example, if there are two students experiencing the imposter phenomenon who work on the same project, one might push it off to the last moment and force themself to rush so the grade they received can be chalked up to bad timing or luck; the other might overprepare for weeks on end in order to ensure the project is completely perfect in every way.

This can create what psychiatrists and clinicians call the “imposter cycle,” which is the false reinforcement that perfectionism or bad timing, rather than one’s ability, is what brings the supposed “imposter’s” success or failure.

“Unconsciously, they think their successes must be due to that self-torture,” Imes says.

To make things even more complicated, the Journal of Mental Healthy and Psychology’s commentary says the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened these feelings of anxiety. Students or employees are working from home more often, which means they have more responsibility and less supervision. An employer or professor that would normally hands-off in a situation like this can be seen as the anxiety-flavored cherry on top.

Taking all that into consideration, what’s a person to do about it? How can it get better?

What’s the cure for imposter syndrome?

Even though the phenomenon isn’t officially listed as a disorder and there’s not a cure-all for the ailment, experts agree there are several different ways to lessen its severity. It can be worked through by yourself and those you trust in your field – whether it’s your favorite professor, a manager you like, or even a few peers who know you well. The key is to work with someone who you can rely on to tell you the truth and remind you not to overthink things.

Clance and Ines suggest working through this with a method called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – also called CBT. This method is centered around dismantling negative belief systems or habits by offering context, clarity, and repetitive reminders. Rather than allowing yourself to believe things, such as “I’m secretly stupid,” or “I succeeded because my professor likes me,” give yourself solid, factual reminders to rely on, like “I am always learning,” or “My professor’s opinion of me does not negate the grade I earned.”

The Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center that specializes in research and education, also has a simple solution for those who suffer from the phenomenon: “Remember that smart, high-achieving people most often deal with imposter syndrome. So, the very fact that you recognize it in yourself says a lot about you.”

Whatever it is that’s causing these feelings of anxiety or fraudulence, be it work or school, it is a place that’s accepted you for the work you put in. You were hired at your place of employment and admitted into school, and perfection is neither attainable nor expected anywhere you go.

In the end, the only way to get better at what you’re doing is to keep doing it – until you reach your goals, your best is enough.

By Ray Jacobs, Part-Time Tutor

October 11, 2022

Over the course of the lockdown, I found myself in search of new ways to occupy my time. There was the usual stuff of course, like crocheting, listening to music, watching Twitch streams and YouTube videos; When I had cycled through them all, there were still gaps that I needed to fill.

One such Twitch streamer I spent a lot of time watching was Doctor Sung, the frontman of my favorite band. (If you decide to look him up, yes he is the guy who wears the traffic-cone shaped helmet. There’s a lot of quirks there. But that’s a story for another day.) He would often express his fondness for different movies, most of which I had never heard of. But being a massive fan of him and the music he made, I trusted his taste.

Little did I know that I’d soon be locked into a cage from which I could never escape.

It started when a group of friends and I decided to watch Cats (2019). I’m sure some of you already know where this is going. To put it lightly, the movie was a train-wreck. The animation was horribly uncanny, the direction was terrible, and since I’d never seen the original musical at that point I also had absolutely no idea what was going on. But Sung loves this movie. To the extent that he and his friends saw it in theaters multiple times and played music from it in their pre-show playlists. And though the images of Judi Dench’s weird flesh coat and cat Rebel Wilson dancing with animated cockroaches will haunt my memories forever, I can’t say I genuinely hated the experience when I look back. Although it’s by far the closest to a genuinely awful movie I’ve seen since I fell into this never-ending abyss. What is this chasmic hobby to which I refer, you ask. A natural question…

I have fallen in love with watching movies that are so bad that they’re good.

Slate.com

I didn’t expect this pastime to stick around after the world started to come back together, but it’s been a little over 2.5 years now and I can safely say that nothing gets me laughing like these films. They’re a great topic of conversation. Most of them are cult classics in some form or another, too, so you know you’ve got an in with someone if they know those titles.

I think part of the reason I enjoy these so much is because there’s so little pressure to absorb them. Sure, I understand the plot of Buckaroo Banzai after my 12th time watching it, but those times are just as much fun as the very first watch where I nearly gave myself a hernia laughing when Jeff Goldblum showed up onscreen dressed as a cowboy for no apparent reason. It’s a completely different vibe than sitting down to watch something like a superhero movie. I love that the concepts are ridiculous. I adore that I can point and laugh at things without feeling bad about it. Yet when people ask what someone’s favorite movie is, there’s often pressure to immediately reach for the thing that’s as close to perfection as we can imagine. But in my mind, that doesn’t feel like as good a way to get a view of the inside of somebody’s head. “This is good” just doesn’t hold as much weight as “there are things that suck about this, but I like it anyway.” Plus, who doesn’t love an indicator of critical thinking skills?

Another great rationale in favor of these movies is that, simply put, we live in a golden era of absurdist, positively nihilistic, neo-Dadaist humor. Things people find funny nowadays don’t have to mean anything. The SBIG (so bad it’s good) genre perfectly fits this sense of humor, especially given the context that you don’t need to understand what’s going on to enjoy it. From Vines to TikToks to standard image memes, there’s nothing more perplexing to our parents than the weird stuff we laugh at. For example, here’s one that made me wheeze like a tea kettle:

So next time you see an absolutely ridiculous-looking movie title like Sharknado, Birdemic, or Big Trouble in Little China, give it a chance! Of course, there aren’t as many of them being made these days, but a quick Google search will get you plenty of results.

TL;DR – Life’s too short and tough to live it filled with hate. Watching dumb movies can be a lot of fun. No need for pride.

By Savannah Johnson, Part-Time Tutor

October 4, 2023

There is a magic in words. A transformative power that leaves you breathless and aching for more. There are stories, composed of magical words, that leave you feeling as though something in you has irrevocably changed. And in stories we find a connection to distant lands, to people and places we never knew. One such tale that captures the all-encompassing magic of literature is Addie’s story. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, is a tale like no other. Magical in a way that I have never known in my decades of being a reader.

Centered around the titular character, the story weaves a line through time and history as Addie makes a deal with a god who answers her prayers after dark. Never pray to the gods that answer after dark. Freedom in exchange for immortality. And so begins a three-hundred year journey. The caveat? She perils through this journey alone, as she is forgotten by everyone she encounters. Cursed to never be remembered. Acquaintances, friends, and even lovers, all forget her by daybreak. Though often, it takes less time than that. An exit to another room, a turned head where she is out of eyesight, and all traces of Addie evaporate from memory. Yet Addie remains. Through art, literature, and romance, Addie attempts to leave her mark on the world where she is very much forgotten and alone– save for the torment she endures from the god who answered her after dark. And he is not quite a god. Yet he is the only one who knows Addie. Who does not forget.

That is, until Addie meets Henry. Or rather, Addie thinks Henry forgets her and knocks Addie’s world off its axis. “I remember you.” An encounter on a spring day in New York City, and suddenly the path that Addie has wandered through countless cities, during times of war and heartbreak, is one she no longer treads alone. We learn about Henry, and the choices he has made in his life that has put him in the same time, same place as Addie. Most importantly though, now Addie is forced to confront what life would look like when someone remembers. After years of being forgotten, can life be lived as she often dreams it to be?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a novel that will stay with you long after the last word is read, the cover is closed, and the tale is told. It is a magical story that rightfully deserves its place in the heart and soul of all those who are willing to read about our enigmatic, effervescent Addie. A girl who despite the love, the loss, the fear, and pain of existing, defies the world around her and continues to keep living. To keep dreaming despite thinking hers is a life no one will ever remember. Addie LaRue may have been forgotten by so many people, but the magic of this story never will be. Thank you, Addie.

I remember you.

By Hosanna Folmsbee, Online Writing Specialist

September 27, 2022

Johnathan McBride - International Rescue Committee

An Overview of Refugees Enrolled in Higher-Ed

As of April 2022, only five percent of refugees, globally, have access to post-secondary education opportunities. With the lack of resources, funding, and accessibility, resettled individuals struggle to find sustainable employment. Moreover, the scarcity of university enrollment within the displaced person community incentivizes homelessness and even further migration outside of host communities. Although the amount has risen from 3% in 2019, there is still a stark contrast in enrollment rates for non-refugee students of 39%.

In 2019, the UN Refugee Agency proposed an education strategy for refugee inclusion in secondary schooling. Stating that “education is a human right.” Within the strategy lies the “15by30” higher education target. Which states the goal for enrollment rates to rise 15% by 2030 for “college-eligible refugees in tertiary or connected higher education programmes.” While in 2019, the goal for raising the then 3% global rate of refugees in higher-ed seemed feasible, however, the direction and rate at which the number is currently rising, this number seems less tangible.

Aligning with the original intentions of the strategy, there would have to be approximately “half a million young refugee women and men” attending post-secondary schools, which is a drastic reach from the current data of 90,000 students in higher-ed worldwide, today. Considering the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, statement to “make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means,” it is difficult to believe that “every appropriate means” is being considered to help increase this statistic.

REVEST Program | Miami Dade College

Thankfully, there are some programs available that are acting as stepping stones for assisting the displaced-persons population. For example, with a more local connection, Miami Dade College offers a program entirely focused on providing their international students (including refugees and political asylees) with higher employability. REVEST is dedicated to prviding a wide range of assistance to refugees, including more one-on-one help with mastering written and spoken English, preparing them for tests, interviews, and other “real-world” norms that vary from culture to culture.

Charlotte Pexels - Higher Ed Immigration Portal | Revest Program

Not only does REVEST provide transportation, job references, and child-care, they also provide a supportive community, which makes an incredible difference in the success of integrating displaced individuals.

Bwema Matata - Higher Ed Immigration Portal

Higher Education Immigration Portal

The Higher Ed Immigration Portal is a digital platform that provides insights to the education of international, refugee, immigrant, and other minority groups students. It is an excellent resource that, in addition to providing helpful policies and updates, also highlights success stories of refugee students who were able to make it through the grueling process of attending a post-secondary school.

Bwema Matata, a Columbia University student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, shared “seven lessons” that he learned and wished to share with other “displaced students as they adjust to their studies in the U.S.”

Some of those lessons include “self-reliance,” “budgeting,” “time management,” and “written English.” All of which are incredibly vital skills to have as a higher-education student. However, many U.S. citizen students have the opportunity to learn these lessons through the k-12 system; they are also integrated into a culture where they know most of the expectations the system has for them and roughly how to access resources to assist in the areas they struggle.

For displaced students, like Bwema and many others, these lessons are thrown at them amidst culture shock and major relocation. Therefore, programs like REVEST are one step that we as the higher education community can take to help alleviate some of those difficulties and burdens of our international friends.

Other Resources and Programs like REVEST to look into:

• Syrian Youth Empowerment Initiative
• Every Campus a Refuge
• Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium
• Here is an article discussing successful ways to integrate refugees in higher education.

By Sarah Abraham, Part-Time Writing Specialist

September 20, 2022

Southeast Museum of Photography Website

The Southeast Museum of Photography (SMP) not only holds some history of Daytona Beach, but the artwork of Daytona State College (DSC) students and faculty. According to the SMP, the museum has appeared in the Daytona Beach News Journal and has been recognized by the National Endowment for Humanities, the Florida Humanities Council, the Florida Department of State, the NEA and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (read more about the SMP’s history here).

The artwork displayed in the SMP primarily comes from DSC’s very own School of Photography & Media Studies. The School of Photography & Media Studies is 58 years old, and the SMP was created because instructors knew there was a need for a place for students’ work to be showcased. The School of Photography not only has photography classes, but has instructors teaching broadcast television production, digital & interactive media production, photographic technology, and television studio production. Since the School of Photography’s existence, it has maintained its reputation as one of the top photography schools in the United States; naturally, this reputation called for a top-quality museum where photographs of the college can be displayed.

The SMP has been a home to thousands of photographs, hundreds of events, and countless photography students. It is regularly hosting exhibitions, and currently on display are “Gathering Light: One Collector’s Journey” and “Days of Punk”. “Gathering Light: One Collector’s Journey” ends on December 2nd, 2022, and “Days of Punk” ends on December 17, 2022.

Martin Stranka, “Dreamers and Warriors”,  2018.

Daytona State College has been inspiring photography students for decades, and with the SMP, students have the opportunity to showcase their creative work. The SMP has drawn visitors from across Florida and beyond as one of the most prominent photography museums in the state. If you have a chance to stop by, as a student, faculty member, staff member, or member of the general public, it is absolutely worth visiting. The students of the DSC School of Photography & Media Studies work hard to demonstrate their skills and talent, and their abilities shine through the SMP.

Daytona State College Website

• To learn more about the Southeast Museum of Photography, click here.
• To see a list of events coming up at the SMP, click here.
• To learn more about DSC’s School of Photography & Media Studies, click here.

By Ray Jacobs, Part-Time Tutor

September 13, 2022

James Webb Telescope

I love space. Like, I really love space. I wasn’t one of those kids whose parents sent them to space camp, but doing a weekly comb-through of new articles about space and/or dinosaurs has been a habit of mine for a few years now. But it’s not just me. Space has been fascinating people since we somehow emerged from it. We’ve been staring at it wondering what it’s like for our whole lives.

A whole new litany of cosmic wonders have been eliciting the Happy Brain Chemicals lately. People of yesteryear sat entranced in front of their television sets as the Apollo 13 crew set down on the dusty gray surface of the moon. But I don’t sense nearly the same amount of excitement about space from the general public today – it’s almost as if people think it’s a once-and-done thing, like we’re just going to end up on Mars eventually and it’s not worth thinking about. But the novelty of space is nowhere close to everything that makes it special.

Apollo 13 Spacecraft

If you really think about it, we haven’t set foot on the moon since December 1972. That’s almost 50 years ago. Imagine all the crazy new stuff we can learn with all the technological advancements we’ve made!

That’s where we come to today’s first subject: Artemis I, the first in a multi-mission flight plan with the eventual goal of creating an established presence on the moon. The first mission will be an uncrewed orbital trial run of the Orion spacecraft and its rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). Artemis II next year will be a crewed orbital mission, before Artemis III launches in 2024 and actually lands on the lunar surface.

Unfortunately, Artemis I has had a few issues so far. The first launch attempt, scheduled for August 29th, was called off 40 minutes prior to launch time for a hydrogen fuel leak. The second attempt on September 3rd was scrubbed for the same reason. There was also an engine issue flagged during pre-flight checks. This means that Artemis can’t go back to the launch pad for a while, but with any luck the SLS will be better than ever before once technicians have had a go at it.

The day before posting this, it was announced that the super rocket’s next launch attempt would be pushed back another 3 days to September 27th. In the meantime, NASA plans on testing the system that fuels the rocket to see if they can identify the cause of the leaks before the whole kit and caboodle gets wheeled out to the platform – especially because the launch window on the 27th will only be 70 minutes long, as opposed to the 2-hour window they would have had on the 23rd.

Artemis 1, comprised of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft

I was shocked when I found out about the Artemis program: not because it was happening, but because I didn’t know about it sooner! We’re working on establishing a consistent presence on the moon – how has the media not been clamoring over this?! Can you imagine how crazy it’ll be to have people living and working on the moon, possibly even within some of our lifetimes? Sure, there’ll be a lot of challenges to overcome scientifically before we can get there, but at the current rate our capabilities are expanding, there’s no telling how easily we might be able to conquer them.

Now we pivot to the James Webb Space Telescope.

The JWST has been giving us incredibly high-quality images of space since it was launched on Christmas Day of 2021. We’re able to do things like see a dying binary star system inside a planetary nebula, get the first ever direct image of a planet outside our solar system, and witness the glowing hot mass of a star being ejected in concentric rings. How frickin’ cool?!?!

The Carina Nebula, as seen by JWST

Sitting here in the Writing Center working on this, I’m absolutely losing my mind at all of these pictures. The thought that we’re able to take in all the different waves of radiation out in space and convert them into something we can actually see is wild to me, and that’s not even mentioning the fact that we can learn a BUNCH of stuff with this information, including learning the chemical composition of different nebulae & planets and witnessing the life cycles of different kinds of stars. (You can view all of the JWST images here.)

“So what?” I hear you ask yourself. “It’s just another rocket and just another telescope.” But you’d be incorrect to say that, in addition to hurting my feelings! Even though I’m a nerd who got an A+ in their college astronomy class, you don’t have to know anything about space to be excited about it! There are plenty of articles that do a really good job breaking down what people need to know about all these different projects. Plus, the mystery of space on its own is fascinating. It ignites the imagination and gives us the scope to realize how trivial our problems can seem in the grand scheme of things.

The Apollo missions gave the world hope when it was hard to find. The Vietnam War raged on and the US instituted its draft lottery. The Stonewall Riots took place in New York City. Charles Manson and his followers were running amok. Hurricane Camille killed almost 250 people. A coup deposed the king of Libya. A bank was blown up in Milan. Student protests all over the US were getting cracked down on by police. The trial of the Chicago Seven began. British troops were deployed in Northern Ireland. Today, we’re collectively bogged down as a society with the weight of a global pandemic, another war, and a political zeitgeist more rocky and treacherous than the mountain range. Doesn’t it seem fated that right when the world needs something good more than ever, we’re finally turning our attentions back to the stars?

To make a long, very nerdy ramble short, now is the perfect time to go nuts over how cool space is. So why haven’t you done that yet?!