From Transfer Student to The Cyclone Chronicle Managing Editor: A Senior Spotlight on Carmella Vitel

When Carmella Vitel transferred to Centenary University in 2022, she wasn’t just leaving Warren County Community College (WCCC) behind; she was changing her future. She originally saw herself as a future therapist, but when her passion for writing took over, she pivoted and found herself pursuing a degree in communication. From being on the Dean’s List to finding a love for journalism at The Cyclone Chronicle, Vitel has overcome many challenges. Now with her time at Centenary coming to an end, she’s proven that the best stories begin when plans change.

Why did you come to Centenary?

Right around the time I had graduated from WCCC, I decided I wanted to pursue my hobby of writing as a career. Funny enough, I was originally planning on becoming a therapist! Most of my courses taken at WCCC were psychology courses. Poor mental health and personal circumstances made me give up that dream. I needed a school that was a reasonable commute from home, and one that could support my studies. Unfortunately, some universities are slowly killing off the communication and writing programs, so I was so relieved that Centenary actually had a well-rounded communication program. 

What’s your favorite class at Centenary?

My favorite class is actually a tie between three classes. Newspaper Production has absolutely been a course that I will never forget. I wish I had taken it sooner. It has helped me develop my writing more efficiently than any other course that I've taken so far. I loved the constructive feedback that I got, and I never felt more involved on campus than when I had to hunt people down for an interview. 

In second place would be Intro to Creative Writing. What a fantastic class and fantastic teacher Professor Presto was! I think I already knew most of the writing tools and resources that we had discussed in that class, but Professor Presto helped me apply those tools practically. I also got to write a lot in that class, which really challenged my chronic writer’s block, but I was able to push through and develop a lot of my ideas! However, we’re not gonna worry about my writer’s block coming back immediately after the semester was over. 

Thirdly, I really loved Television Production I. Television Production II and III focus more on the interview process, which I still enjoyed, but nothing has surpassed the practical studio experience from TV Prod I. I loved working as the director/assistant director. Both roles were very stressful at first; it was multitasking hell for my little ADHD brain, but it helped focus me. I would definitely be interested in pursuing a career down that avenue. 

What are some things you’ve accomplished here that you’re proud of?

My writing is definitely up there! I’m so proud of all of the articles that I’ve managed to write for The Cyclone Chronicle. Even in my own personal writing, I’ve been able to use a lot of the tools that I’ve learned to improve my personal projects. I cringe a little less when I read my writing back now. 

I’m super proud of my academic achievements. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve been on the Dean’s List three times now, I was just inducted as a member of Chi Alpha Epsilon, and I received the EOF Academic Achievement Award! I’ve gotten A’s in every single one of my classes (including the ones from WCCC). All except one. It was my first in-person class, my first semester here. I was a few minutes late a few times because I kept getting lost on the top floor of Seay! So anyway, I got a B in that class. 

What’s your favorite article you’ve written for the Cyclone Chronicle?

Oh God, I think if it really, really came down to it, I’d have to say (as of now) that it’s my Career & Internship Fair article from last semester. That was the first time that I had to tackle such a large event with so many factors to take into account. I’m very proud of how that article turned out, and I’m glad I could cover so many different aspects and the behind-the-scenes of that event. I really love the video game reviews that I’ve been able to collaborate with Liz on, too! I might not look it, but I’m a big video game nerd. Or maybe I do look it, who knows.

What drew you back to the Cyclone Chronicle for a second semester?

Well, I was already planning on coming back as a club member before the first semester was over. I had to focus on taking my last four required courses for my major in order to graduate, but I knew that I would still be itching to write and hang around The Cyclone Chronicle. Again, I just really loved the writing process and environment that the class provides. Thankfully, the course I was supposed to take didn't run during the Spring semester, so I was able to substitute it with Student Newspaper Production Studio!

In your free time, what do you do? How do you balance adult life and having hobbies?

I feel like I’m balancing things so poorly, but somehow, miraculously, I’m managing. I think you definitely have to learn how to make sacrifices. Sometimes you have to spend the day at work, and then immediately hustle to get coursework done. It’s hard to learn that. I would say time management is one of the most essential life skills that the sooner you learn, the better. 

As for my hobbies, I love games, movies, and reading. I’ve mentioned it before, I’m a huge gamer. Marvel Rivals and Final Fantasy 14 are my obsessions at the moment. I also love the Resident Evil franchise. Do not talk to me about Leon S Kennedy, I will yap for a solid 20 minutes about him and why he’s one of my favorite characters in fiction of all time. I binge-watch movies and TV shows. I’m currently watching American Horror Story for the first time! I also love to read. I usually read fantasy, but I’m currently reading through Project Hail Mary. Always read the book before watching the movie, that’s the policy I live by.

I write a lot as well! Mostly one-off projects, but most of my works connect to a larger story that I’ve been working on for a few years now. A vibrant world lives in my head, if only I could get it onto paper, though. I find DnD to be a major source of inspiration for my writing as well. Setting the gameplay aside (who wants to do all that math anyway), the game at its core is about building characters and worlds in a collaborative experience with your friends. Improv is fantastic for learning how to write natural dialogue, in my opinion, so you could say that DnD is my writing homework. Definitely not an excuse for me to goof off for four hours with my friends every Friday. 

What type of stories do you write? 

I mainly write fantasy! I don’t really enjoy writing about a modern setting, I feel like it really limits my creativity to the rules and logic that surround reality. When I write, I’m able to go crazy with my premise and then invent the rules around it. Every story benefits from an ancient eldritch being, friend, or foe. I write a lot of mystery and horror too, but it’s usually incorporated into the fantasy project, rather than being its own independent work. I tried writing romance one time. Never again. 

Do you plan to make a career out of writing, or is it just for fun?

I would love nothing more than to make a career out of it! Whether it be as an author, a screenwriter, or a video game story developer, I want so desperately for my stories and ideas to get out there. If I could pay the bills while doing so while I’m at it, that would mean the world to me. Unfortunately, for now, it stays as a hobby. Then, when I can find my footing in a stable career, I would like to move it up to a side hustle. Who knows where it will go from there? 

How do you balance writing and college?

Barely. I don’t know, I think it really circles back around to my time management comment from before. If I have an idea that I really want to start working on, or if I want to continue writing for one of my hundreds of unfinished projects, then I’ll decide that writing is the activity of the day. If I have other responsibilities to get to and I can only pick one hobby to entertain for the day, I’ll choose to write while the inspiration is fresh. Gaming can come another day. 

What do you plan to do now that you’re graduating?

I plan to get my master's in communication! I will be attending Rutgers this coming Fall semester. I really enjoy the idea of becoming a college-level instructor and teaching journalism, writing, or even broadcasting. I definitely need practical experience in those fields first, so my goal would be to land a job in either of those fields. Teaching feels like an end goal objective at the moment. 

Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen?

Get involved. Definitely. The sooner, the better. I think a lot of people don’t realize that your course experience can be listed on your resume. Any volunteering or planning you do for events on campus can be listed on your resume. For example, in my Television Production classes, finding and scheduling an interview guest can be counted as scheduling or management experience. Another example would be for CycloneCon. I’m going to be selling tickets for the event. That counts as sales or cash management experience. These are all skills that can be applied to most jobs. The more leadership or planning experience you can get, the better. 

Also, take your classes seriously. I’m not saying that you have to treat it as life or death, but when you belittle the work that you are doing, or are disruptive, or offensive, it creates an unpleasant impression of you as a person. Impressions are EVERYTHING. A single one-off comment can and will stick with someone, regardless of how pleasant you act after the fact. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Something to that effect.