New Media Journalism @ Seton Hill University

While doing a routine web search for "Seton Hill University," I came across the online portfolio of Jen, an adult student in Seton Hill's business program.

As a non-traditional student, this program has allowed me to complete my undergraduate degree at my own pace and with a schedule my family can live with. While the accelerated class work load is not easy, I enjoy the friendly professors, the serene campus, and the learning experience in general is top notch. I am so impressed with SHU, that I plan to stay on to achieve my MBA.

Jen has posted a reflection paper that concludes:

Now as I prepare for my last year at Seton Hill as an undergrad student, I look back on my progress, my experiences, and my growth as a person. Because I had so many years of work experience, I never understood the necessity to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. Now that I am almost finished, I made the decision to seek my Master’s degree. The combination of liberal arts core classes (history, science, math, the arts, and religion) has made me a well-rounded person (and fun at parties). No amount of time spent on the job can make up for this fundamental learning experience. It becomes embedded into your person.

What have I gained from my time at Seton Hill? I am sure I cannot even begin to comprehend all that I have been given. I have matured. I have learned. I have thought. I have applied. I have created. I have commitment. I have confidence. I have a chance. Thank you, SHU.

.

Posted by Admin at 7:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mike Arnzen writes:

The Goreletter: ARNZEN NEWS Archives

The Horror Channel has just posted a video interview with me, shortly after I stepped off the stage at the 2006 Bram Stoker Awards in Newark last June.

Posted by jerz at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Workshop on Dramatic Writing
Monday, April 2nd, 2:00-4:00 PM
St. Mary Classroom

Continue reading "Workshop on Dramatic Writing" »

Posted by jerz at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This announcement just landed in my mailbox:

The National Writers Workshop in Hartford is back and better than ever! Co-Sponsored by The Hartford Courant & The Poynter Institute, the event is coming up soon: April 14 & 15, at the Hartford Hilton Hotel.

Learn about Reporting tips, Fiction, Freelancing, Poetry, Memoirs, Humor, Investigative reporting, Obits, Blogging, Self-publishing, Getting an agent, Language.

Check out the great program! You'll hear from dozens of prize-winning authors, educators, editors and commentators talking about writing from many different angles, including:

David Baldacci, International best-selling author
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Editor, Washington Post and author
Dan Barry, Columnist, New York Times
Eileen McNamara, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, The Boston Globe
Elinor Lipman, Popular novelist
Marisa Acocella Marchetto, the ‘Cancer Vixen’
Andy Borowitz, Humorist, author, blogger
Lucy Ferris and Michael Patrick MacDonald, Memoirists
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Critics Circle nominee
Geneva Overholser, Media commentator, editor
Lisa Chedekel & Matt Kauffman, Investigative reporters
Chip Scanlan, Poynter Institute faculty and author
and many, many more.

Fees: This weekend is the best bargain anywhere for career development, skills enhancement and a fascinating weekend with the experts. You’ll get two full days for only $105. (For fulltime students, the fee is only $70.) For more information and to register go to: www.courant.com/nww or call 800-524-4242 ext. 6502. Reserve your spot today - and tell a friend!

Posted by jerz at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you suffering from writing anxieties? Do you have the paper-writing blues?

Cure your writing anxieties with Write Aid!

This is to remind you that Seton Hill’s Writing Center will be bringing the Writing Center services to YOU on Wednesday, November 8th in A502 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

Come and ask questions about your paper from start to finish: getting started, organizing, revising, and incorporating sources. Cure those pesky writing problems and give your paper a “booster shot” by bringing your materials to the event! Remember: attendees who pre-register will be eligible for the grand prize drawing.

If you have any questions or wish to pre-register, please contact the Writing Center by phone, 724-830-1080; through email, writingcenter@setonhill.edu; or in person, Room A502.

Posted by Mike Rubino at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's that time again! Get your art, photos, short stories, and poetry ready--Eye Contact is ready for YOU.

The deadline for the Fall 2006 issue is October 20th.

Visit our blog or click the "read more" link for full submission guidelines.

Continue reading "Call for Submissions: Fall Deadline October 20" »

Posted by Karissa at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I Can Write 600 Words About Anything | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

In life, every single person belonging to the Homo sapien species—be that person man or woman, boy or girl, adolescent male or adolescent female—has a special (meaning unique and distinct) talent that sets him or her apart from the other persons belonging to that aforementioned group, the Homo sapiens. The particular gift that I have been endowed with? I can write 600 words about any topic assigned to me in school, no matter what that topic is, without any exception.

In other words: There is nothing I cannot write 600 words about.

Posted by jerz at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"...'whom' heads off to join 'thou' and 'ye' in pronoun heaven" writes
Jan Freeman in "Who You Callin' Ungrammatical?" for the Boston Globe.

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interested in politics and writing? This arrived in my e-mail...

We're looking for original, thoughtful, provocative student voices to tell us what issue is of most concern to their generation. Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates fresh, clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.

We'll select five finalists and one winner, who will be awarded a $500 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essay will be published in the magazine and featured on our website. The five finalists will be awarded $100 each and subscriptions, and their entries will be published online. The contest is open to students at American high schools and to undergraduates at American colleges and universities. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through March 31. A winner will be announced by May 31. Please send entries to studentprize@thenation.com.

Posted by jerz at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In his essay, "Why I Write," George Orwell says that whenever he lacked political purpose, his writing was lifeless and flashy, but without substance. Yet he also says, "All writers are vain, selfish and lazy," and describes writing a book as "a horrible exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness."

In this essay, Orwell offers quite a few statements that seem contradictory on the surface, yet he synthesizes them into a coherent vision.

What's your answer? Why do you write?

Posted by jerz at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Award-winning Author David Morell to Speak at Seton Hill January 10

Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction master's program welcomes award-winning author David Morrell to campus on January 10. Mr. Morrell, the writer of "First Blood" (the award-winning novel in which Rambo was created), and co-president of the International Thriller Writers organization, will speak at 7 p.m. in Cecilian Hall on "Platforms, Viral Marketing, and the Seismic Shifts in Today's Publishing World."

Posted by jerz at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Creative writing majors, or anyone who's ever wanted to write a popular novel, might be interested in checking out the new blog of Sharron Gunn, a student in Seton Hill's Writing Popular Fiction program.

Posted by jerz at 5:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are interested in getting a news internship next year, the application cycle has already begun.

Internship Guide

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation is proud to present the 2005 Internship Guide, which lists a variety of internship opportunities at PNA-member newspapers. We hope that this guide will help you secure a meaningful internship in the Pennsylvania newspaper industry.

The guide is alphabetized by city. Each listing details information about the internships available at that publication, including editorial, advertising, photography and other valuable learning opportunities.

Posted by jerz at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

What I Did 0n My Summer Vacation: Walked Away from This... (via Jerz's Literacy Weblog)

On Father's Day, while we were headed east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, on our way to a family vacation in Amish country, the steering on our 1992 Taurus gave out. The car spun out in the grassy median, flipped over, and came to rest partially in a westbound lane.--Dennis G. Jerz
[This wasn't a lot of fun to experience, but if you've got to be involved in a rollover accident, I strongly recommend that you become involved in one that doesn't kill anyone.

Posted by jerz at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Established upon the 75th anniversary of W. W. Norton & Company, the Norton Scholar's Prize is awarded annually for an outstanding undergraduate essay on a literary topic.

The Norton Scholar will receive a cash award of $2,500 plus transportation to the 2005 meeting of the Modern Language Association, where the award will be presented. The Norton Scholar's nominating instructor will also receive transportation to the meeting.

Four runners-up will each receive a cash award of $1,000.

The deadline for submissions is May 2, 2005.

(More rules and links to previous winning papers are available at http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/scholar.htm)

Posted by jerz at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The winner of PAPME’s 2005 Ralph Flamminio Memorial Scholarship will receive:

$2,500.00 cash award
A paid summer internship at a Pennsylvania newspaper

Continue reading "Ralph Flammio Memorial [Writing] Scholarship ($2,500 and an internship)" »

Posted by jerz at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

JS Online: Teens may want to leave witty screen names behind

Teenagers often strive for an e-mail persona with punch, something that's simple but sassy, creative but not cloying.
But what seems like a cool e-mail address when you're 16 can make you shrink with embarrassment a few years later. And those witty screen names are gaining a wider audience than ever before, as more students apply to colleges online and use e-mail to correspond with everyone from college admissions counselors to prospective employers.
"We get some like 'hot mama' or 'big boy' . . . goofy names like that that students use with friends and don't think twice about putting it on a college application," said Melissa Marabella, admissions counselor at Marquette University. "It just doesn't look professional."

Posted by jerz at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Remember to turn in your submissions for Eye Contact today!

Eye Contact
The Literary/Art Magazine of Seton Hill University
Special Theme Issue – TRAGEDY

Submission guidelines
Eye Contact invites submissions from students, faculty, and staff of area colleges. A blind judging process is used to evaluate works. Submissions must be previously unpublished, and Eye Contact reserves all publication rights for the issue in question. Attach this information separately: title of work, your full name (no pseudonyms, please), current address, email, telephone number, college, and a one-line biographical statement.

THEME: Tragedy. Inspire fear and pity in your audience. Provide them with catharsis. Make the audience weep or laugh (and then make them feel bad about laughing). Blocked? Consider this: Betrayal. Reversal. Recognition. Fault. Fortune. Curse. Love. Family. War. Death. Feeling tragic yet?

DEADLINE: Friday, Feb. 13, 2004. Mail submissions to Eye Contact, c/o Seton Hill University, Box 246, Greensburg, PA 15601 or Email literature as a rich text file to eyecontact@setonhill.edu

LITERATURE: Individual poems are limited to two pages and prose should not exceed ten pages in length. Entries must be typed (double-spaced), with the title included in the right hand corner of each page. Include a SASE if you want your manuscript to be returned.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY: Black and white entries are preferred; however, color art is accepted for the cover. Artwork will be returned by mail only if accompanied by appropriate postage. Eye Contact does not accept responsibility for work damaged in the mail.

Posted by at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

To post a link to mine on NMJ,
Might bring me bloggers in a vast array...
'Tis what I hope you'll find within your heart
I blogg'd a poem to spite pattern tart.

I don't like Shakespeare with a passion hot;
I hope my writing has not been for naught.

Awh, just go read about it in my blog.
It's titl'd "Paired Five" and it's not too long...

: )

Posted by Karissa at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Wake Up and Put on your Shoes
Go Outside and Sing the Blues
Today's too Nice to sit Inside
Go outdoors and Let Out a Sigh!

It's Sunny and the Day is New
Don't Regret what you Could Do
Let Down Your Hair
And Take a Ride because
You never want this Day to Die

When the Sun goes Down
Get in Your Car
Turn Up the Music
You're Finally Free
Filled With nothing but Glee

Go Home and Dream
Smile to Yourself
And Be Proud!

Posted by Gina at 4:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Alright, fair warning with my "essay" here... The assignment didn't really apply to me, it seemed. It said to compare what we had to look up to understand the text, however, I didn't need to look anything up. Basically, I read them and read what Jerz had online, but it was little help to me and explained very little. Luckily, I knew already what was going on...
That said, I must also point out that this essay is a tad... disorganized. I'm not used to working with such a small word limit, thus, I had to cut back all I wanted to say. Sorry if this isn't suitable, I shall post a longer version of it just for my own use later. Without further delay, here is my silly, disorganized "essay". Ta.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair, by Fitzgerald and A Jury Of Her Peers, by Glaspell both portray the development and death of an early representation of an individual. By this, I mean, the replacement of their entire personality, mostly against their will. These changes may occur due to personal “growth” or due to an addition to the family (such was the case of Mrs. Wright in A Jury Of Her Peers).
Early on in childhood, a person must make choices that dictate who they become later on in life. For example, Bernice (Bernice Bobs Her Hair) stuck with mainly modest and dated material to develop her own personality; however, Marjorie—Bernice’s cousin— struck out on her own to make a new appearance for herself and for women as a whole. This conflict is what drove Bernice to mirror Marjorie, thus changing who she was and abolishing who she used to be.
Mrs. Wright (A Jury Of Her Peers), once a fiery spirit who loved singing and life above all else, changed who she was by marrying into an abusive relationship, thus her old self was tossed aside, leaving her new empty shell in its place. All choices effect who we are to become. That said, one must comment that our own personal choices aren’t the only things that change who we are destined to be. Time plays a major role in dictating how we are to live our lives and what rights are offered to us.
In the short story A Jury Of Her Peers, the main characters—the women—weren’t offered the same rights or respect that the men shared. This was dealt with and tolerated, only because of the time difference. In the short story Bernice Bobs Her Hair, the social differences between men and women were less vast, but still not equal. Thus, the choices available to those women affected how they developed.

Posted by Kitty Kat at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Commence Skimming: Start reading. Now. Or. Whatever. (via Jerz's Literacy Weblog)

I suppose you could say that the subhead trend bothers me because I'm a
writer and I try desperately to perfect antiquated stuff.

Transitions and Flow

Like transitions and flow, and because I think writing, like most everything
else good in life, revolves around flow and rhythm. But the truth is, subheads
bug me even more as a reader. Some of the best editors I've ever had have
justified subheads to me, explaining that they are necessary "eye candy" and
"reader guides" imperative to "reader friendliness."

I'm with Stupid

All I know is that whenever I read a column or story that's been broken up by
subheads, especially a syndicated story that appeared somewhere else first
without any subheads, my inner reader feels violated.--Jim
Walsh