The Creative Force Behind The Cyclone Chronicle: Alexis d'Ambly Spotlight

Alexis d’Ambly, editor-in-chief of The Cyclone Chronicle, brought a creative force into the chronicle when she joined in 2024. 

d’Ambly started her college career at Warren County Community College (WCCC) where she obtained her associate’s degree in English. 

She came to Centenary in 2024 to pursue her bachelor’s degree in writing with a minor in English. 

Samantha Swayze, managing editor, sat down with Alexis to talk more about her experience at Centenary and her passion for writing. 

Where did your passion for writing begin?

I always had some sort of interest in writing. When I was little, I used to write random stories on loose-leaf notebook paper. If I looked back at them now—which I don’t have access to—they’d probably be horribly written. But, I really enjoyed it and I used to do that all the time in my free time. I would just write these little stories anytime I got an idea. 

My teachers kept pushing me in the direction of computer science, so I was going in that direction even though I was not good at it and I didn’t really enjoy it. Then when I got to my senior year of high school, we had a poem of the day; that’s where I got into poetry. 

When I was in film class and we had to do all the steps of making a film, my favorite part was the scriptwriting part. I even took a scriptwriting course online through the Academy of Art in San Francisco because I really enjoyed it. 

That’s when I decided that I wanted to go into writing, even though I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I have always had this interest in writing, even if I was studying other things. 

What is your favorite genre/form to write? 

I love fiction. I love writing realistic fiction. I love writing character development, but especially fiction.

Why did you transfer to Centenary?

I knew they had a good writing program. It’s also really close to where I live. I also wanted the experience of getting involved on campus that I never got to have before. I knew that being so close to Centenary—even as a commuter—meant I could get very involved on campus. 

How did you find The Cyclone Chronicle?

When I was registering for classes, my original advisor had put me in all English classes because I was an English minor and had an English degree from WCCC. 

Then, Dr. Lisa Mastrangelo reached out to me and said “we need to put you in some writing classes,” and she put me in Intro to Journalism and Student Newspaper Production Studio. I had no expectations going into it at all. 

I thought “okay, I’m in the newspaper. Maybe I should start reading the news to see what the news style of writing is.” I did not expect how far it was going to propel the trajectory of my college career. 

What is your favorite article you’ve written for the chronicle?

I’ve written a lot of articles, but any of the articles that I wrote when I had to cover events. I covered Leslie Ross Stevens's art exhibit in Taylor Memorial Library. That was a really fun interview because that was something that I did outside of my typical area of expertise. 

I also enjoyed the guest speakers we had: Amy Bridge, Joyce Estey, and Mike Shapiro. I really enjoyed covering the guest speakers. It was really fun because I got to meet and talk to them. 

I also really appreciate the work that I did on reviews, such at the Broadway review or Pasta Grill review. Those were also really fun to do because they were also outside of my area of expertise. They were so much fun. 

What do you enjoy about being the editor-in-chief?

My favorite part is the community of writers, as well as getting involved on campus. It really helped me get to know the people on campus. Also, I get to work with a huge group of fantastic writers and really have that community bond that I never got to have before. Working with everyone has been the greatest time during my time here at Centenary; it’s been the best part of my two years. 

What inspired you to bring back Open Mic Night and what is your favorite part about them?

I love Open Mic Night. I wanted to bring it back because I started going to Professor Presto’s Mic Night in Lafayette at Black Dog Books. That was so fun because it’s this great small group of writers who are all sharing their work and collaboration. We have discussions about each other’s work and are super encouraging. 

I wanted to bring that here to Centenary because I wanted the students here to have the same kind of environment where they can share their work and feel encouraged and inspired. 

What skills have you learned while at Centenary?

Definitely my writing. Over the last two years, I really improved my craft of writing, organization, flow, different forms of writing, and how to integrate my own creative writing into journalism and professional writing. 

I think my writing skills have drastically improved since starting here because I got to work with all these different professors and students in different courses I’ve taken. I’ve really figured out how to improve my writing here.  

What has been your favorite accomplishment during your time at CU?

Becoming editor-in-chief is the big one. When I started at the newspaper, I wasn’t thinking “oh, I’m going to be editor-in-chief within the next few years before I graduate.” It wasn’t something that I had a goal to do. When I started, I went into thinking whatever happens, happens. 

Then it just so happened that the last editor-in-chief was graduating a semester early, and because of all the work that I had already done with the website and being a managing editor, Professor Zatta asked me to be editor-in-chief. 

It was such a huge accomplishment for me because she saw potential in me that I didn’t realize I had. I think that was a really big accomplishment and I’m so happy that I was able to have that experience. 

What class has been your favorite (other than newspaper, of course)?

Rhetorical theory. It was such a fascinating class taught by Dr. Mastrangelo. I think that class really fascinated me because I found something I wanted to study at the graduate level. It was such a fascinating course in the history of rhetoric and how there are so many different ways to think about rhetoric. 

Different rhetoricians have theorized about the topic outside of just ethos, pathos, logos, and the core concepts you learn in Composition and Rhetoric I and II. I can’t wait to keep learning about it as I go into the graduate level. 

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be going to Seton Hall to get my master’s in English with a concentration in writing. I’ll also be working as a TA, which means I’ll be teaching the first year core English courses. That will give me the experience I need because I eventually want to become a writing professor. 

Do you have any advice for the class of 2027 (upcoming seniors)?

The best way that I was able to get the most out of my college career was getting involved on campus. I know that’s not a thing that everyone can do, but if you can, maintain the connections with your professors and students you meet here. 

Networking is very important. I know people say it all the time, but when you network with people in your community, it can really be beneficial. You also gain support from them, especially professors and faculty here. A lot of them are very supportive and will happily give you advice or help with anything you might need moving forward. 

Being a senior, you’re trying to figure out what’s coming next. Taking any sort of advice from the professors you’re close with is important. I think that the reason I’m doing what I’m doing after graduation is because of the advice I got from the professors that I’m close with. 

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Congratulations to Alexis d’Ambly and the class of 2026!

d’Ambly will be graduating in May, but her legacy at The Cyclone Chronicle will never fade.