How to Build Your Own CWC Space

For the past year, the consultants at the CWC have been working at least partially online. The Writing Center itself has been limited to only a couple of people in there at a time, making it difficult to fit everyone. While it may not replace the actual Writing Center, here are some tips that I’ve used to create my own Faux Writing Center space.

1. Ditch the Desk

While you may feel more productive working at a desk, you’ll soon find that working at a desk is extremely boring. We are not thirty and working 9-to-5 shifts in boring cubicles; why should we act like it? 

Make yourself comfortable! If you’ve chosen to do your virtual conferences from a different room around campus, don’t be afraid to make the space (temporarily) your own. 

(In other words, no one’s stopping you from sitting on the floor…)

If you’re doing your virtual conferences from your room, that’s got its benefits too! You can write client report forms while on your bed (as long as you aren’t tempted to fall asleep), work on your professional file while laying on the floor, or even hold virtual conferences in a pillow fort! Your imagination’s your only limit; well, your imagination and the size of your dorm room.

2. Your Lighting

As a previous blog demonstrated, the Writing Center’s known for its variety of lamps. Overhead lighting ruins the vibe that being a cozy corner room gives to the Writing Center. If you’re given the chance, why not experiment with different lighting? 

I’m in a single in Murray and the lighting situation leaves a lot to be desired. My room doesn’t even have overhead lighting; instead, I have one rhombus of fluorescent light that exists on the wall next to my bed. In other words, my room is very dark. While that might be nice when I want to take naps between classes, it’s not so nice when trying to give a good impression to the writer you're working with. 

I recently invested in some blue holiday lights that I’m excited to string up in my room but if you don’t have those, work with what you got! I know at least some of you have the neon tik tok lights; use them.

3. Crafts

Look, I’m not endorsing crafting during your shift. There are still things to do if you don’t have a conference. However, Spring 2021 has not exactly been very active in terms of online conferences so far. I’m just saying that if you do want to take a quick break from your responsibilities, taking five minutes to create something instead of doom-scrolling on your phone might be more beneficial. 

Here are some crafts that might work for you:

• Crochet/Knitting

• Coloring

• Origami

• Cardmaking

Your mileage may vary depending on your skills, but don't be afraid to be a beginner. Everyone starts from somewhere!

4. Plants

Low-maintenance plants are great for creating a cozy atmosphere. Not only do plants help to make a room a little more colorful, but they also make a room a lot less boring. Because of this, plants can be a cheap and easy way to make a room a bit more homely. When picking out a plant, make sure you know what you're getting into. Much like dogs, some plants may seem deceptively small only to grow to be huge. While I can't tell you how to live your life, it's probably best to keep the trees outside. 

If you don't have a green thumb, there's always the option of faux plants. Impossible to kill and just as decorative!

5. Candy!

While one of my fellow consultants might be campaigning to change the jolly rancher staple in the CWC, jolly ranchers are undeniably a part of the CWC. While using your self-made CWC, you should have candy too! 

I should probably put a disclaimer here about how I am in favor of jolly ranchers staying the default candy of the Writing Center. Not only are they tasty and long-lasting, they come in so many varieties. My philosophy is that people who say they don’t like jolly ranchers just haven’t tried the right variety pack yet. Strawberry, for instance, is an absolutely amazing flavor. Jolly ranchers are the perfect long-lasting candy for when you need a sugar boost.

If jolly ranchers aren't your style, choose something you like! Because this is your own space, you don't need to buy enough for the entire CWC staff; you just need enough for you.

If you're on campus, don't hesitate to head down to the CWC if you're missing interaction that isn't confined to a Zoom square. For those who can't, though, I hope this helps you emulate the CWC vibe.

Plant Care, Self Care, Same Difference

 

Why hello there! Fancy seeing you here :) 

Most of us have a soft spot for plants (whether you have a green thumb or not) and the CWC is no exception. We have nine plants in the Writing Center and I have six in my dorm room and another eight at home. I adore plants so I knew that I wanted to write about them but I had no idea what angle to write from until I found this quote :

so now that I am properly inspired, I present

Plant Care, Self Care, Same Difference

Even if you don't have a green thumb, I'm sure you know the basics of their care, 

• Sunlight

• Water

• Miracle grow

These basics all directly apply to how we should care for ourselves! If you don't believe me, let me show you...

Sunlight : 

        The weather outside is no longer frightful, so go outside! Or at least open your blinds. Take advantage of the warm weather and study on the quad, or take a walk through the Alumni Garden. Sunlight increases serotonin which will boost your mood, and exposure to sunlight has a host of mental health benefits. Sunlight can help improve your sleep which will also boost your mood in the long run.  Don't forget the most valuable benefit of the sun, vitamin D will help strengthen your immune system to fight off that pesky virus! 

    

Water : 

This one seems pretty self explanatory, drink water! I am guilty of ignoring this cardinal rule as I thrive on the daily Dr. Peppers I get from the Caf but in the interest of practicing what I preach I am attempting to drink 32 oz a day and you should join me!

The less obvious part of this rule is give yourself time. The soil does not soak up the water instantaneously, it takes a little bit, and then you have to wait for the soil to dry out before you water it again, so give yourself time to absorb new information and new experiences! When stressors arrive remember to take time to process them before you let yourself spiral. 

Miracle Grow

        Plants don't always need food like Miracle Grow. You feed plants at the beginning of growing season or when you notice they are a little extra droopy. Don't be afraid to "treat yo self" right before a growing season, or when times are tough. Go buy some cookie dough from the pub (my favorite is the brownie kind), or order your favorite Starbucks drink. Show yourself a little extra love, however that manifests itself.

I promise these tips will work for yourself even if they don't always work for the plants in your care. If you find yourself stressed this semester remember, take a deep breath, and check in with yourself. How have you been taking care of you? And maybe stop by the Writing Center for essay help,  Jolly Ranchers, or just to check out our lovely plants!

Liminal spaces on Coe's campus

Have you ever wandered to a part of campus and incidentally spent four or more hours there without realizing any time had passed? Me neither. [Self-imposed fact check: this is untrue.] Well, in case there’s no location that instantly pops into your mind when I say “liminal spaces” (slightly creepy, and leaving you with no real concept of time passing), here’s a list of places on campus where my friends and I have experienced some form of unprompted environmental disconnect from the natural world. 

1. The basement level of Stuart Hall, in general. I have to clean these spaces as part of my work and no offense, if I see another living human being wandering around down here, I will flee immediately. 

2. Anywhere in Eby. I am not here often, but when I am, there’s no shortage of liminal spaces. Not featured: the room that they sent me when I got selected for random COVID testing and which I had a very difficult time finding. 

3. Specifically the women’s bathroom in Dows, but probably all bathrooms in Dows. They have weird lighting. They are also unusually chilly, like there’s a draft somewhere. 10/10 turn the lights on before rounding the corner. I haven’t heard of a ghost living in there, but I wouldn’t put it past the Dows bathrooms to be housing one. 

4. The tunnel and the elevator in Peterson Hall. Although I don’t end up in Peterson often, these two spots have made an impression on me, nonetheless. The elevator has an undergoing-construction kind of feeling that when combined with the same chilliness you can find in the Dows bathrooms, is more than a little unsettling. Meanwhile, the tunnel lined with cafe tables always leaves me feeling like if I sat down at one, I might lose track of time and end up sitting there for my remaining two years at college. 

5. The basement of Murray. All the same amenities of AD Lobby and more, but in a basement. And that makes all the difference. 

6. Under the stairs in Voorhees, where some of my floormates and I hung out for a couple of hours playing Go Fish during the derecho. I have considered making a pillow fort there because it’s extremely peaceful and time doesn’t feel real (although this may have been due to the natural disaster occurring outside). 

7. The costume & prop dungeon in the basement of Marquis. I could not get a photo of this elusive spot due to the fact that I do not have keys to it, nor any reason to be there nowadays, but it is by far the most liminal space I ever had the opportunity to visit during my freshman year. Basically, it’s a large room full of individual prison-like cells full of old furniture and props waiting to be pulled out of storage. To have your own chance at visiting the costume or prop dungeon, volunteer to work in the theater department. An experience like this cannot be replicated. 

In conclusion, please a) explore further or b) avoid these spaces entirely. It’s all up to you. 

NB: This post was created by consultant Rose Birgy, whom Blogger--for some reason--did not recognize, so I copy-pasted her blog post here! JCN

Long Night Against... Pandemics?

My First Long Night Against Procrastination

Brett Porter

    LNAP is a wonderful tradition that the writing center has been apart of for years and years now. Unfortunately, as a first-year student, I have only had the pleasure of attending one of these nights (although I have admittedly had my fair share of long nights on my own). Of course, with this year bringing some special circumstances, we had to do things a little differently. I mean, I don't know any different, but to everyone else, I'm sure it was. Honestly, for a while, I wasn't even planning on going, but it just so happened that I had a religion paper due the following day that I had been procrastinating on. What a lovely word- procrastinating. Anyways, I ended up dragging myself away from my PlayStation so that I could come work at the writing center; only I wasn't working as a consultant but rather just a lowly writer in desperate need of assistance. When I walked in I was warmly welcomed by Myah and... no one else. Oh well, I was mostly just looking for a nice place to work anyways. Besides, Myah would prove to be extraordinarily helpful a short while later. While the two of us were "working" we noticed very few people in the library at all. We were however visited by a mysterious faculty member who provided some... amusing conversation for a few minutes. We also had our picture taken, and made it on Coe's very own Instagram page.

I tried to continue grinding out my paper, but alas, we were disturbed again- this time by none other than Charlie Kohawk himself. Not knowing what to say to a walking bird-person that I can't communicate with, I did what any good consultant would do: I asked him if he would like to have a conference. I soon realized that this was a grave mistake, and would turn out to be the most difficult conference of my life. Still, I tried my best, and I think our special client left feeling satisfied with our conversation.

By this point, I realized I had already wasted precious time that could've been spent on my paper. I knew that I needed to take drastic action. I was completely stumped on what to write about, so I asked Myah if she could help. Indeed, she could, but more than that she knew of someone who could turn my paper into a masterpiece. She called her roommate Rose, as apparently we needed all hands of deck for this mess. She arrived at the scene minutes later, and was able to work her magic. About an hour later, we had finished the paper, and had thus successfully defeated my greatest enemy: procrastination. 

8 candies that are unquestionably better than Jolly Ranchers

Candy: the most versatile tool in any person’s arsenal. Need a quick snack? Eat some candy. Want to spend too much money at a movie theater? Substitute popcorn for candy (or do both, it’s your rodeo). Need to appease psychotic, bloodthirsty five-year-olds at a birthday party? Get a paper mache animal, fill it with candy, and hang it up for kids to beat the crap out of blindfolded.

Honey, I’m starting to worry about Billy.

In my experience, the best use of candy is to entice people to go somewhere they may be hesitant about going in the first place.

I’m talking about the Writing Center of course! For those of us who remember simpler times, when people’s faces were visible and the library was bustling, how often would we be sitting at the Beaver desk, diligently doing our Topics work, when someone would walk in and awkwardly stand there waiting to be addressed? Being the diligent Beavers we all are, we begin the spiel we perfected in the mirrors before our first ever shifts: we welcome them to our slice of heaven, inquire if they’ve been here before, ask if they would like some tea, request their name, ask for their mother’s maiden name as well as their first pet’s name, etc. We go through all this, only for them to reply, “Oh, I’m just here for some Jolly Rancher#.”  

Sure, we train long and hard in Topics class for this kind of rejection, but it still stings when the universe reaffirms that the common person’s desire for instant gratification from corn syrup, sugar, and food coloring far outweighs their academic needs.

And look, I can’t even say I necessarily blame them. I know I am not the sweetest person in the world. I, too, would more often than not choose the option of candy over interacting with a stranger that calls themselves a Beaver and I think might have an obsession with drawing goats. What hurts the most is the fact that they chose JOLLY RANCHE#*.

It does not matter that they are the only option of candy available to candy-seekers in the library. They are literally the worst candy in the world. I would rather walk to the Maldives barefoot than willingly suck on Blue Raspberry Jolly Ranch!%* (and the rest of them too, they all stink).

I believe we are doing many people a disservice by having Jolly Ranc$^@* as the only candy option:

 1) Think of the poor freshman, quivering in their boots as they prepare to be ridiculed for their high school writing habits. They walk in and are so nervous that when offered, they feel obligated to reach for the Jolly Ran^$!?#, anything to settle their nerves. “Oh no, why am I doing this?” they ask themselves, as their hand involuntarily reaches into the jar of rainbow hard candies. “I hate Jolly Ra!#^$?¡, they stick to my teeth and make my tongue feel like it bathed in cough syrup,” their brain reminds them, but they unwrap the disgrace of a sweet and put it in their mouth anyway. Too distracted by the nastiness invading their senses, they cannot focus on the knowledge we are bequeathing them, improving their paper becomes an impossibility, and they end up getting a bad grade. All of a sudden, they have a bad connotation with the Writing Center, and we lose a potential long-term client.

 2) Think of the consultants, day in and day out, wishfully dreaming of better candies to condemn our cravings to Hell. Think of the productivity that could be achieved if we all knew there was something sweet for us waiting on the other side of a conference, a topics assignment, or that goat picture we are drawing.

3) And most importantly, think of all the people we can entice to the Writing Center. People who never experience a brainstorm, for fear of having to eat Jolly R#%#!^*&. People who may otherwise be attracted if they knew they could indulge ever-so-slightly in their sweet tooth cravings with candies worthwhile. Like I said before, candy is great at opening doors to people. We could necessitate that in order to get a superior piece of candy, they must have a piece of writing to share with us. Either that or hire someone to fend off the candymongers.

I pledge my life and honor to the Writing Center…

With this idea in mind, I set out to figure out the best replacement candies. How did I come up with this list you may ask? Very, very scientifically and carefully. The idea come to me in a vision (complete with sugarplums, also a better alternative sweet) and I immediately sent out an email to my colleagues at the writing center, asking for their five favorite candies. Reponses flooded in, and I developed a system for ranking the preferred sweets of my peers.

Order of favorites	Points Allotted
First Favorite Candy	10
Second	8
Third	6
Fourth	5
Fifth	4

So, the fewest points a candy could get would be four, if it only gets mentioned by one person, as their fifth favorite candy. I also took into consideration how many times a candy was mentioned, as there obviously was overlap between peoples’ lists. So, while one candy might have 20 points because two people listed it as their favorite, another might have 20 points because four people listed it as their fourth favorite. You can clearly see the ethical conundrum such an important question brings to the surface.

This list is based mostly on this system. However, I will ignore scientific results, choosing to inject my opinion into my list when I see fit. For that reason, you will not agree completely with this list. Heck, you may not even agree that all the candies listed are better than Jolly $@!β*֍¡&. That’s fine and all, just understand that you’re wrong.

#8 “You can tell a lot about a person by how they eat Jellybeans."

For the sake of transparency, I will let you all in on something: the replies I got to the question of everyone’s five favorite candies showed a strong preference for chocolate-type candies. As a result, this list has more cocoa-flavored treats than fruity flavored ones. Is this because chocolate is the superior flavor? Are humans naturally predisposed to it, rather than artificial fruity flavors? Does Nestle have control over our thoughts?? I am not sure. All I can say for certain is that I happen to enjoy lots of fruity candies, and many of them were mentioned in the poll, they just didn’t get enough points to warrant placement on this list. So even though the number eight spot should be going to a generic chocolate bar, I am going to call an audible and get the fake fruits some representation at the table.

With that in mind, I am going with a candy that covers a huge spectrum of flavors, depending on which ones you get. They come in varieties like Starburst, Sweetart, Krispy Kreme donuts, Sunkist, Cold Stone ice cream, sour fruits, tropical mixes, superfruit mixtures, and even ones derived from Harry Potter. So, am I cheating a little bit here? Maybe. But there is literally something for everyone when it comes to Jellybeans, so they should therefore never be underestimated when it comes to their ability to please a crowd.

#7: Won’t the real Slim Shady please stand up?

Coming in at numero seven is another candy that has lots of variations: peanut, caramel, fudge brownie (my personal favorite), mini, pretzel, peanut butter, milk chocolate, almond, dark chocolate, and even coffee nut (who knew?!) were all mentioned by someone. I thought it would be a little too nit-picky to separate them all, so here I am lumping them together under their generic title.  In much the same way that determining which of Eminem’s original songs is his best, it is difficult to determine which kind of this candy is the most delectable. So, including them all it is!

6: Everyone’s least favorite “Peanuts” character, possibly their least favorite candy too, but I do not care.

Time for the first of my personal biases affecting this list. This one, however, has some precedent, as more people than just myself listed this type of candy in their top five.

Sugar ruins our teeth. As much as I hate to admit it, this is not propaganda created by the Big Dentist industry to keep us coming into their offices, allowing them to continue to raise their costs of operations (there is frightening evidence that candy was invented for this purpose, in which case this whole blog post, as well as a lot of our lives, are controlled by dentists…but that’s a post for another time). At the end of the day, it’s nice to have nice teeth, so practicing good oral hygiene and limiting the sugar we chomp is a good idea.

But what if there’s a candy that makes your mouth cleaner[1]? What if there is a sweet that keeps your mouth in Mint condition?

I’ll be honest, there is more to this selection than just taste. Eating it is an experience. The smell; the goosebumps; the sensation that your mouth undergoes after chowing down on this combination of freshness incarnate and chocolate—first chilly, and then slightly warm, followed by icy breaths; the sip of water afterwards—one that no one in their right mind can say isn’t the most refreshing sip of water in their lives. And it can never be overstated how satisfying it is to snap a patty in half.

Yeah, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

 I’ll be pretty lax on this and allow your brains to replace any candy from this family in this slot. They’re all good tasting, but most importantly, take your senses on a trip. That’s a heck of a lot more than Joll* ¿?<[&@!% ever did for you.

#5: Aren’t you all a little young to be having these?

Great candies take us straight back to our childhoods. If your childhood happens to be relived whenever you have a certain hard candy, regularly available in the Writing Center, I only assume that your time growing up was as uninspiring, substandard, and off-putting as those candies. The candy at number five, however, doesn’t just send us back in time; for many of the people who put it in their list, I imagine they actually modeled a lot of their behavior off of this sweet’s mantra: sometimes things (i.e. children) are Sour, only for things to sweeten out later. What’s important to remember when dealing with Kids is to always be sure to Patch over the bad times.

Bonus Candy: Going on a diet? Good news! You do not have to cut out sweets. Rather, just try the Watermelon variation of these candies. It’s got fruit in the name; you can’t go wrong!

#4: Aww man, really?

The top three candies of this list are based purely on the results of the poll. I really, really wanted to put this on in the top three, because I do believe that is where it belongs. Ultimately, I didn’t want to upset the masses and end up like Nicholas II, so fourth place is as high as I dared to put it. That being said, its inclusion is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows (only three people (myself included) had it in their top five candy list, so I guess only six eyebrows will not be raised). I just do not understand the hate this candy gets. It being so bad and disliked was even a semi-important plot point of a TV show this past year.

If you know, you know.

It is a unique candy with a unique taste. I, for one, am tired of the countless candy bars that have some combination of chocolate, a nut, and some other ingredient—possibly exotic in nature. C’mon candy companies, grow some coconuts! Don’t be the wheel, break it, and roll with your own thing! I think doing so would bring Joy to a lot of people.

#3: I don’t get no satisfaction.

As previously mentioned, I am conceding the top spots on this list to candies that actually scored well among my peers. Our number 3 is not a bad candy in my opinion—I admit it does a wonderful job of fulfilling actual hunger—but neither is it a stellar one. I believed other candies should have done better in the uber scientific and official poll, so I looked into taking legal action to reverse the results. Alas, none of my lawyers agreed there were grounds for repeal (the bastards probably like Jol&^ @#$%^&*@). At the end of the day, I am willing to put the opinions of my tastebuds aside for this, as the ultimate goal is to attract writers to the Writing Center and help them have a better experience. Laugh and Snicker all you want, but I really believe this is my calling, and I intend to do it well by presenting what the people want.

#2: Give me a break.

Again, I will be transparent and say that the candy that easily got second in the points and mentions by my fellow centaurs is not in my personal top ten list. Are they better than Jo^*& #)(%@#!*? They aren’t J!><? ¿!@$^()%*, so yes. Are they better than six other candies though? I do not think so. However, I’m afraid some of my picks earlier in the list will raise hell within our ranks at the CWC, so I will concede the #2 spot to a solid, albeit lackluster, candy. We’ll go Kit for Kat and call it good. 

#1: Is there any question about this?

And now, for the number one candy, both in my opinion and by popular vote. Do I actually need to type out the name that was mentioned most often by my fellow consultants, had the most points in the point system, and is just unequivocally the best tasting combination of two flavors in the world? I don’t think I do. 

Do you hear Will Arnett speaking? Damn, marketing got us again.[2]

On an unrelated note, anyone seen Rheise lately?

Well, there you have it. Eight Candies that are undeniably better than $#*(@ $%#@!&¡¿. And this is only eight of the 55 candies mentioned by people! In fact, it took until the last response for the hated candies to even be listed by anyone, and she listed them as her fifth favorite (you know who you are). Bonus fact: items like Oreos and sugar wafers had more points than the candy in question; so, things that aren't candies are still better candies than they-who-must-not-be-named!

It is apparent to me, after this groundbreaking research and the above dissertation, that change needs to occur. The world altered rapidly in the last calendar year, and in order for our dear Writing Center to keep up, we have to adjust with it. We must find ways to welcome people back to our cozy corner, and nothing does that like good ol’ bribery. It is my hope that this list becomes the catalyst to the installation of superior, delectable candies in the CWC. It is my dream that more people come back to in-person conferences, revitalizing our old way of life.

Change is difficult, especially when we want to get rid of something ingrained in tradition, ritual, and budgetary constraints. But change we must, if the survival of the Writing Center is to be assured in this new age of people wanting to do everything online.

---

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/does-mint-actually-teeth-clean-030000932.html

Wait, so corporate America lied to me?? Damn you, Dom Draper, you handsome devil.

[2] 

11 things you wish you'd known your first semester at Coe (a poem)

Your first semester at Coe,

There are things you should know...

Some are fun,

some are scary,

(like your weird Uncle Larry.)

---

Thing number one:

Get your homework done.

Thing number two:

There's always stuff to do.

Thing number three:

There's a ghost in Voorhees.

Thing number four:

Leave open your door!

That's the best way

to make friends on your floor!

Thing number 5:

Call your mom,

and you'll thrive.

Thing number 6:

Always greet Dougie!!

He's the coolest there is!!!!!!

Thing number 7:

You're a Kohawk til heaven.

Thing number 8:

Find things to celebrate!!!! 

Thing number nine:

Be wise with your time.

Thing number 10:

Talk like you write in pen.

Thing number 11:

Go to Coe's writing center,

they're open past seven :)

Pack yourself a picnic!

 Pack yourself a picnic

It’s slowly getting warmer outside and creates the opportunity for you to partake in one of my favorite activities for when the weather is nice, a little picnic. So whether it's 50 degrees or 75 degrees, whether you like peanut butter and jelly or veggies and dip, or whether you have a blanket or prefer just sitting on the grass, it's time to pack yourself a picnic and read about my favorite places to have a picnic on campus. Below are my favorite spots, in no particular order, to have picnics throughout the warm weather season.

Spot 1: The Alumni House Gardens

When picnic-ing at the Alumni House Gardens, you don’t even need to have a blanket. All throughout the garden area there are beautiful flowers you can sit next to and smell. Along with these flowers, the garden has multiple benches, a gazebo with a table and chairs, and the fountain which you can sit on to eat your delicious food. However, if you don’t feel like sitting in a “normal” spot, you can always bring a blanket to sprawl across the comfy green grass.

Spot 2: The front VoHo quad

Now I am not one to be biased about certain areas on campus; however, if I must tell the truth, the front VoHo quad is my absolute favorite picnic spot on campus. When you first think about this spot, you might think “but that must be so noisy! You’re right in front of the horseshoe with a bunch of cars coming and going!” and while you are slightly correct with this statement, you're missing out on the best part. The front VoHo quad is super close to the heart of campus meaning you are basically in the center of everything Coe has to offer. 

One day while picnic-ing you might see the group of guys who role play Star Wars, the next day you might get to see a handful of people walking their dogs and if you're lucky enough, you might get to say hi. A little added word of advice: one thing you might definitely want to bring is a blanket, whether you want to sit on it so you aren't sitting on the hard ground, you will definitely want it for a little extra warmth depending on the temperature and the amount of shade coming from the building and the few trees in the area.

Spot 3: The AD quad

This spot for picnic-ing depends on the convenience for you. Personally, I think that the AD quad is a fun and quiet place to have a picnic. Similar to the front VoHo quad, this quad is an area for high traffic. You might get to see dogs, there might be some people playing spike ball, or you might get to see the ultimate frisbee team practicing. Also for this area, if you do not have a blanket don’t panic, there are plenty of areas around the quad that have spaces where you can sit on the concrete.

Spot 4: The New Apartment quad

For the final spot on my top favorite picnic places is the New Apartment quad! This quad is one of the biggest on campus and it gets both a lot of sun and a lot of shade from both the buildings and the couple trees. What is nice about this quad is that, like the front Voorhees quad, you can see and say hi to people who walk by. This is a great central location to gather with people who live in all different areas of campus. Also similarly to the AD quad, there are also times where people might be playing spike ball or you might see the Ultimate frisbee team practicing but what is nice about this is that the quad is large enough that if you feel more comfortable being secluded there is plenty of space to do so.

Have you packed your picnic yet?

Coe has so many more places on campus where you can picnic other than just these four. If you didn't see your favorite spot on my list, feel free to comment and let us know where we should picnic next. Maybe a picnic isn’t for you, in this case pack up your homework and do it outside. Maybe a picnic is for you, in this case I can’t wait to see you outside when the weather is warmer. So what are you waiting for, grab your blanket, your food and/ or your homework and get going! The weather is so nice! Go take advantage of it!

The Storm of August 10th 2020

Thinking it was just another normal Midwest storm, I was certainly mistaken. Everyday, before classes started, my friends and I would enjoy the beautiful weather. Playing any sport and activities we had on our minds, we didn't care what time of the day it was, we were going to do it. Hearing that there might be a vigorous storm the next day, we didn't think much of it and kept planning our next event.

On August 10th, the hurricane, also known as “Derecho”, hit Iowa. The storm formed in Nebraska and swept to Indiana, but Iowa was hit the hardest with 110-140 mph wind. The gusts destroyed powerlines, buildings, and landscapes. Forty percent of the corn and soybean crops in this "agricultural state" were damaged by the blows. In the Cedar Rapids area, it also destroyed at least half of the trees and caused a blackout for a week. All this destruction across the states added up to a damage estimation of $11 billion dollars. Being in the “hard-hit city” Coe College couldn’t have prepared for this storm.

Coe College already allowed students to move in because of sports and other commitments they had to be on campus for. I was there because I'm apart of the Coe College soccer team, which needed to arrive a week early. Classes weren’t starting until August 20th, so two-third of the scholars hadn’t arrived. Hearing about the storm that was going to hit their city, they warned everyone on campus to be safe; they couldn’t have imagined how reckless the “hurricane” was going to act. My friends and I perceived the rainfall to just be like the others so our minds acted like it was just a sunny day. In the morning on August 10th, the skies were bright blue. All the students carried out their day in normalcy, but the tides changed around 1:00 o’clock. Getting lunch to bring back to the dorms, I was in the cafeteria when the skies turned a dark dusty green with grey cumulonimbus clouds. I was just about to walk out the door when the wind decided to pick up. Out of the large window at the front, everyone examined the gusts smacking the glass with violence. At this point, tiny and hefty tree branches began to hit all the windows. With concern for safety, the lunch servers declared everyone to get back into the kitchen all the way to the pantry. Not knowing how rough the storm would get, I gladly followed everyone to the back.

Crammed like sardines into a cafeteria cupboard, we all waited for them to say it was okay to come back out. To our surprise, we wouldn’t be let out for an hour. Even though it was stuffy and sweltering hot, students were talking amongst themselves and playing games. Finally, one of the servers announced everyone to go back to the eating area. Thinking that we would be exiting the building soon, everyone was excited to finally get out of the tiny pantry. Through the windows, we were able to examine the wreckage outside. Tree debris and other miscellaneous items were piled against the glasses. At this time, word went around that we had to stay in the room until it was safe outside, which would take another two hours.

After everyone was bothered about how long we waited, we finally were let out of the dining hall building. Walking out, everyone's mouths dropped and phones were held up recording or taking pictures of the mess that Coe College was in.

Around the whole campus, over 200 trees were uprooted or pushed to their side. Students and faculty could not believe what they were witnessing. 

After everyone collected their thoughts, made sure everyone they knew and everything they possessed were safe, they came out to help fix up the campus. Groups of students were raking, pushing trees out the way, helping people get their cars out under tree branches or whole trees, and collecting the debris that flew around the campus. 

The Derecho was a terrifying time for people to experience and was physically damaging to Coe College. However, people came together, not feeling like they were in a pandemic for a little bit, and assisted Coe College to get right back to normal. The storm that hit on August 10th in 2020 will be remembered by many because of how much distortions it caused, but also because to achieve one big goal.