Spring 2015
Volume 1, Issue 1
Immaculata University Writing Center
WRITING CENTER NEWSLETTER
DEAR STUDENTS :
All the Writing Assistants at the Writing Center want to wish you the best of luck in
the new semester! We know that sometimes luck doesn’t cover all of your bases, so
that’s what we’re here for. A piece of advice: plan out your papers! Don’t be
tempted by procrastination and wait until the night before to throw a paper
together. Allot time for planning, drafting, and revising; the Writing Center would
be more than happy to help with that! Come see us! Our hours are below.
Inside this issue
“Hoo” Works at the Center ........2
Words of the Week ......................2
Grammar Guru Sessions .............3
Best wishes,
Writing Center Data ....................3
Lauren McCann, Director
Sister Claudine Hagerty, Assistant Director
Sister Caritas Schafer
Mary Beth Gallagher, Colleague Coordinator
Samantha Sorensen, OWL Coordinator Jamie DiOrio, ELL Specialist
Around the Web ..........................4
Writing Tips ..................................4
Writers’ Resources ......................4
Comic & Crossword ...................5
GENERAL WRITING CENTER INFORMATION
The Writing Center can be found in the Gabriele Library on the first floor, tucked in
the corner by Technology Services. We are more than happy to help with any stage
of the writing process: planning, drafting, and/or revising. Anyone can sign up for
an appointment on the schedule outside of the Writing Center, or you can give us a
call at (610) 647-4400 x3494.
Writing Center Fall and Spring Semester Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Special points of interest
 Grammar Guru sessions
 Liana Venezia, WA
 The Writing Center’s data for
the fall semester
 Punctuation Mark of the
Month
 Composition Crossword
“HOO” WORKS IN THE CENTER? LIANA VENEZIA
Liana Venezia, an experienced writing
assistant and third-year biology major,
is currently involved in an exciting
new research effort. Immaculata
University’s biology department is
now home to research in virology, or
the study of viruses. The viruses in
question are known as host-specific
bacterial phages, meaning that they
only infect certain species of bacteria.
Fear not: they don’t pose a threat to
human health, so a university-wide
virus epidemic is not viable.
This scientific endeavor is a
continuation of research begun at
Cabrini College, which was then
brought back to IU thanks to the
dedication and perseverance of
sophomore Dylan Chudoff. Liana is
one of several biology students who
are helping Dylan to integrate this
program into IU’s biological research
department. This venture is exciting
because it has medical applications. It
is hoped that the methods which are
being utilized in this project will later
be used to isolate viruses to eliminate
bacterial infections in the human
body. For now, however, Liana is
focused on gaining laboratory
experience and discovering new
phages.
When she is not engaged in scientific
inquiry, Liana often sings, plays with
rabbits, or experiments with geeky
fashion accessories.
“[Liana] is currently involved in an exciting new research effort [at Immaculata].”
Grammar Guru Sessions
Jamie DiOrio, our graduate
assistant and ELL Specialist,
hosts grammar sessions
WORDS OF THE WEEK
Our Writing Assistant Liana Venezia selects advanced vocabulary words each
week to display in our Writing Center. As we are beginning a new semester, Liana
began at the beginning of the alphabet.
several times a week available
to every student! Some topics
covered include prepositions,
Amorphous (adj.)
articles, sentence structure,
Having no definite form; shapeless
punctuation, tenses, subject/
Yolanda warily eyed the amorphous substance on the bathroom floor.
verb agreement, formal/
informal writing, and active/
passive voice, among others.
Join us!
Spring semester sessions:
Mondays 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Tuesdays 10:00 am - 10:30 am
Fridays 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
2
Bellicose (adj.)
Having or showing a tendency to argue or fight
Tammy the RA was obliged to break up a dispute between two particularly
bellicose lacrosse players
Convival (adj.)
Of or relating to social events where people can eat, drink, and talk in a
friendly way with others
It is a fact generally acknowledged that Immaculata students desire convivial
gatherings during which chicken nuggets are served.
Data—Numbers
We have been busy this
semester! Here are the
Writing Session numbers
based on class year and
program:
Fall 2014 Total Visits: 1,141!
Traditional Students: 709
Traditional Freshman: 234
Continuing Ed: 86
PUNCTUATION MARK OF THE MONTH :
THE INTERROBANG
ACCEL: 101
Graduate: 88
OWL: 216
Colleague Program: 48
This fascinating yet obscure punctuation mark is a superimposition of a question
mark (or ‘interrogative point’) and an exclamation point (sometimes called a
‘bang’).
It was first introduced by Martin K. Speckter in 1962 for use in advertisements.
Ending a sentence with an interrobang can mean three things:
You are asking a question in an excited manner.
e.g., “Why is there a elephant in the backyard”
You are expressing disbelief or excitement in the form of a question.
e.g., “You’re dropping out of college to join the circus”
You are asking a rhetorical question.
e.g., “How about that”
ELL: 31
As evident, we are here for
your benefit. Take
advantage of this
resource today!
Now, instead of writing “He did what?!?!?!,” you can replace all of those question
marks and exclamation points with an interrobang and impress all of your
friends.
But how do I find the interrobang in Microsoft Word's Fonts
Go to Format, choose Font, then Wingdings 2.
Hit the ] } key . . . and voila!
3
Mighty Writing
Sometimes, a helpful
resource is all someone needs
to continue writing!
The Purdue OWL
AROUND THE WEB
Bringing Twitter to the Classroom
The Atlantic
Advice on Writing From The
Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Atlantic
19 Magical Bookshops Every Book
Lover Must Visit
BuzzFeed
MLA
APA Style
Chicago Manual of Style
What’s everyone reading in New
York?
BBC
WRITING TIPS
Writing is never done, only due.
Quote of the Month
Don’t overstress about an assignment because it will never adhere to
absolute perfection; nothing does. Instead, create a timeline and set
realistic goals that will allow you to achieve what the prompt asks. If you
get overwhelmed, ask a friend (or Writing Assistant!) to quickly read
through your draft to gain an idea of where you should elaborate.
— Sam S.
“The difference between the
right word and the almost
right word is the difference
between lightning and a
lightning bug.”
— Mark Twain
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SISTER’S WITTICISMS
Artist: Kristin Lynch
COMPOSITION CROSSWORD
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2
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V ERTICAL
1. The ______ Center.
2. A type of analysis involving
literature.
3. Professors sometimes edit papers
in red ___.
4. A type of essay structure: ____/
contrast.
8. To turn in a hard copy, you need
to print on this material.
H ORIZONTAL
5. It is important to edit, or ____.
6. The Modern Language Association
7. To write an effective paper, you
need plenty of this.
9. Introduction, body, and
conclusion are examples of this.
10. A professor usually distributes
guidelines for an essay, or a ____.
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