Welcome!

My name is Lauren Cappuccio and from the first time I picked up a pencil, I knew I was born to write. 

I am a staff writer and photographer for The Public Opinion newspaper in Chambersburg, where I cover local news in the surrounding areas.

I attended Shippensburg University and received a Bachelor's Degree in Communication/Journalism.

I also do photography as a side hobby and like to incorporate it into my work as well.

On the side, I do creative writing and was chosen in 2012 to participate in a National Poetry Student Conference at Tulane University in New Orleans where I shared my research on studying dialogue in poetry as a means to reveal intimate information and how this work and journalism combine.

I have some work examples of articles I have done and also have some examples of some photography I have done over the years.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at lauren.cappuccio@gmail.com

Poetry project unites SU with Tulane University

originally published Dec. 4, 2012

The Poetry Exchange Project, or PXP, was a new and experimental collaboration between poetry classes between Tulane University in Louisiana, lead by Professor Andy Stallings, and SU, led by Zach Savich.

Both classes looked at and discussed Julie Carr’s book of poetry “100 Notes on Violence,” Daniel Khalastchi’s book “Manoleria,” Kiki Petrosino’s book “Fort Red Border” and Shane McCrae’s “Mule.”

First in the weekend came a creative writing class with Andy Stallings at Tulane University that focused on essays, poetry and fiction. Poets Kiki Petrosino and Savich spoke to students, answering questions about their work and about Petrosino’s choice to include poetry about her afro.

Originally, she had it straightened as a child and felt, she said, that her “natural hair wasn’t good.” Now, it adds to her confidence and she refuses to let it be tied to anything political.

Questions about her character of Robert Redford in her book of poetry “Fort Red Border” came up, as well as her decision to include him, in particular.

“Why not? At any given moment Robert Redford was on TV,” Petrosino replied, smiling as the students laughed. She went on to talk about one particular Redford film “Out of Africa.”

“Scenes spoke to my internal dynamic between speaker and Redford and what he represents, like un-attainability and masculinity,” she said.

Student presentations on the work varied from student to student and were a culmination of their work throughout the semester.

One project focused on the idea of text-less communication and had communication entirely by videos. There was also a response to violence with words in images, a look into mental illness, children and violence and a discussion of violence and the ability to express it without the usual violent wording that resulted in original works of poetry.

There were also several panels during the conference, including one on publishing, editing and community building within poetry. Representatives and poets came from all over, including Daniel Rosenberg from the online magazine “Transom,” Caryl Pagel from “Rescue Press,” Nik De Dominic from “The Offending Adam” and Carolyn Webster from “Bayou.”

Discussions included the idea of varying reading styles, the idea of print versus online literary journals and magazines, as well as the idea of developing relationships within the poetry community.

“Respect others’ work and help them. Feed each other first,” Petrosino said on the community.
Daniel Khalastchi, poet of a discussed book and panelist, also spoke on the topic.

“The poetry community encourages those who have been silenced to speak out,” he said.

One of the books studied is Petrosino’s “Fort Red Border.” While developing her dialogue for her characters in the book, she used some interesting ways in finding her inspiration.

“The best conversations are at meals,” she said. “I base a lot of it around food.”

And on her character of Redford, she thinks of him as a “ghost of something,” more than just a person.

“He’s not as flat as a symbol or round as a person,” Petrosino said.

She is currently working on another book of poetry, which will feature work inspired by Andrew Jackson’s “Notes on Virginia,” namely Query 14, in which he discusses the “scientific reasons” that white men are superior.

“I found the most horrible line and decided to write poetry from it,” she said. The line she chose reads as, “They secrete less by the kidneys and more by the glands of the skin, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odour.”

Some have talked about her work being similar to fan fiction or stories written off of or based on real life or famous people.

“I don’t think it’s fan fiction because fan fiction takes characters who are presented and corresponds to the real world,” she said. “It is all about the speaker’s perceptions and version of Redford, not what Redford probably is like.”

What is a main question she has for readers?

“I want the reader to be curious about the speaker. Why are they attracted to specific parts? I want them to want to know more about her.”

At the end of the conference came readings by Kiki Petrosino, Michelle Taransky, Blueberry Morningsnow and Daniel Khalastchi.

At the end of the night, it was obvious that the conference and project had been a success.

Poet and student alike sat together and talked about everything from writing to publishing poetry, to New Orleans culture, and most importantly, to the ideas that poetry brings up and what the future holds.

Article is here: http://www.theslateonline.com/article/2012/12/poetry-project-unites-su-with-tulane-university

'The Metal Children' clang on stage

published November 13, 2012

(photo by William Hinton)



What is art? Who has a right to determine what is appropriate? How far is too far? Should life imitate art? Most importantly, what rights does an author have over his or her own work once readers get their hands on it?

“The Metal Children,” directed by senior Evan Hallman, asks all of these questions and keeps one searching, whether or not there is just one answer.

The play, written by Adam Rapp, focuses its attention on novelist Tobin Falmouth (Tim Hippensteel) who is in a rut. Or, as he calls it, “artistic impotence.”

His novel, “The Metal Children,” is currently being contested in the small town of Midlothia. At the advice of his agent Bruno (Matthew Kline) and after a passionate letter written by the head of the English department, Stacey Kinsella, (Cory Stevens) he goes to visit and finds himself in a place where things are all too familiar.

His novel centers around a city where young women are becoming pregnant and disappearing shortly after.

Meredith Miller, the heroine of the novel, becomes a symbol in the town, representing ideals of suicide, pregnancy and inspiring a cult-like fraction to begin forming.

At Falmouth’s arrival, he realizes that the young women of the town are getting pregnant, there is a group of people running around in pig masks terrorizing the town (a reference to his own book) and there is a vault in the local church that is holding all copies of his book, as if it were a volatile weapon (many member of the church seem to believe it is).

He is aided by the local owner of The Blue Moon Hotel, Edith Dundee (Ashley Stoudnour), and meets Edith’s niece, Vera Dundee (Kimberly MacAlister) who is spearheading the movement to keep the novel in schools which are obviously passionate about the cause.

He is also joined by Otto Hurley (Daniel Lindgren) the head of the school board, as well as performances by freshman Jessica Lavallee in the roles of Lynne, Cooper and Nurse, as well as sophomore Zachary Clark as Kong, Pig Mask Boy and Boy X.

The story twists and turns like a play should, eliciting gasps from the audience. I thought I saw several jaws hit the floor at certain scenes along with shocked whispers.

Despite the serious plot and subject matter, there were funny and downright awkward moments as well, highlighting a realistic sort of world in a fantastical show.

I was impressed by the type of portrayal of realism and especially in the individual performances. Stevens’ performance as Kinsella, an idealistic bibliophile and free-thinker, was heartfelt and lovingly endearing.

His comedic timing was also spot-on and more often than not, his expressions were enough to get the audience to respond.

For Hippensteel, what a better way to start his theater career here at Shippensburg, then by taking the lead role of Tobin Falmouth? Honest in Falmouth’s struggle and imperfection, Hippensteel brought life to this quirky and quite unpredictable character.

It was a fresh change of pace to have this lead not necessarily be the man you would want to date, but maybe the one you would like to have coffee with on Sunday afternoons.

Also, I found Carolyn Webster’s performance of Roberta Cupp and Emmaline Johnson’s performance of Tami Lake to be perfect.

The “uppity” idealistic nature of these religious characters was strong enough to portray an entire viewpoint of the town of Midlothia, even with their short time on stage.

“The Metal Children” leaves the audience with bigger questions then answers and the realization of just what words can mean and what people should do with the ideas that authors create.

SU steam system in need of updates

published November 13, 2012

(photo by Lauren Cappuccio)

Anyone walking by Naugle Hall on the way to class or by Reisner Hall to eat might see a portion of sidewalk that has been torn up. Several days ago, steam was seen rising from the cracks before guard rails were put up to surround the area.

The rising steam was due to a leak in the steam system, according to William Lensie, assistant director for maintenance and operations.

The steam system that is currently in place at SU provides heat to all the buildings by transporting steam through pipes that run underneath the sidewalks and when there are cracks or faults within the pipes, they must be dug up and replaced to keep the system running efficiently. Every year, there are usually several leaks by the system that need to be fixed or replaced.

Lensie was informed about the steam leak on one of his daily rounds and saw steam coming out of the concrete box near Reisner.

Those boxes are actually vent boxes for manholes. When steam escapes due to leaks in the system, it comes out through the boxes.

This usually indicates something is wrong.

Lensie also said that there is a grant currently in motion that would replace the antiquated steam system used to heat the buildings and make room for a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.

It is in the works to be established for the 2013-2014 school year.



Down to earth poet talks race

published November 6, 2012

(photo by Lauren Cappuccio)

"How did you begin writing poetry?"

He paused.

"I never know where to start telling these stories," he said. "It usually ends when everyone leaves the room."

The students laughed around him, many holding the poet's first published book of poetry, "Mule," in their hands.

Shane McCrae, an award-winnig poet and author from Iowa, arrived at SU on Thursday to talk to students at three separate sessions. There was a talk on education and diversity, a general writing Q&A session and later on in the evening, a poetry reading of his published and some non-published poems.

McCrae was sponsored by the John Taggart Reading Series, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, the Office of Social Equity, the Multicultural Caucus and SU's literary magazine, The Reflector.

During his Q&A session in Horton Hall, McCrae talked about his experience as a professional poet and answered many questions that students had.

In the beginning, McCrae used poetry as an outlet as he struggled with academics throughout school. It also helped him to express his feelings. His first poetry, he said, was written when he was 15. He claimed it was pretty dark and said it was mostly inspired from his first poetic influence, Sylvia Plath.

Now, he looks back at that time as dark and full of angst and felt it was the beginning steps to where he is today. He spent this time developing his love for poetry, which is something he feels most people are raised with a "healthy" distrust of, including himself.

"I couldn't read poetry until after I got published," he said, referring to a magazine that published one of his poems when he was 17. "I had a heavy disdain for poetry."

But, he continued with it, he said, partially due to his academics being poor and the encouragement he received from his poetry.

There were several questions regarding his unique style, which includes the repetition of certain words or complete changes in attitude during the lines. McCrae said during the writing process, he feels the writer thinks their way through and goes back and forth, just like the process of thinking.

In terms of how he writes, he said he edits as soon as he writes lines, which is somewhat different from what other poets do. To him, if the first line is off, then those that follow will seem wrong as well.

He wants his poetry to be "uniquely" his and is sub-sequentially known for the visual quality of them, including double spacing and repetition. Also, he spoke of a "blurry clarity" quality that he feels are what his poetry goes for.

His first book "Mule" was baed on personal experiences, including his last marriage that ended in divorce, his son's diagnosis of autism, race, identity and religion.

Later on in the evening after the Q&A, Zach Savich, associate professor or English, introduced sophomore Brittany Torrez-Alvarez, who had won a competition in her poetry class that required her to write a poem in McCrae's style. Torrez-Alvarez, in turn, introduced McCrae to read his work to a packed house in Old Main Chapel.

He read several poems from "Mule," including "The Cardinal Is the Marriage Bird," "Are Roses Are," and "In No Place."

He also read from his upcoming book "Blood" which is about life before the Civil War. The first section is about Margaret Garner, made famous by Toni Morrison's "Beloved," for reportedly killing her daughter when forced to return back to her slave owner.

Poems he read from this book included "Mercy" and "Children," both written from Garner's point of view about the act of "saving" her children from that life.

He also talked about the 1811 German Coast Uprising, where a reported group of 500 slaves rebelled.

Article located here: http://www.theslateonline.com/article/2012/11/down-to-earth-poet-talks-race

Bearing his sole: senior goes barefoot

published Oct. 31, 2012

(photo courtesy of Zared Shawver)

You may have seen him walking around campus, but what you noticed may not have been his clothes or even his smile; it might have been his feet. Namely, the fact he does not wear shoes.

Zared Shawver, 21, from McClure, Pa., is a senior psychology major and has been going barefoot for a year.

"I don't like having my feet covered," Shawver said. "I've never liked shoes and I finally just decided to stop wearing them completely."

Shawver is a founding member of Alpha Chi Rho, president of the Adventure Club, active member of the Environmental Club and goes on hikes and other activities barefoot.

If anything, he said he prefers to be barefoot while being outdoors.

"Not wearing shoes had made me more confident about where I put my feet and the steps I take," Shawver said.

He described the difference in being separated from the ground by shoes and how it is easier for him to gauge where to go and step when he does not have shoes between them.

But is her worried about the health risks or hurting himself while walking and being active?

"No, with a caveat," he said. "I understand and appreciate the risks of the things that may hurt me, for instance venomous creatures and glass are the biggest immediate threats, but I don't let that fear hold me back, but use that trepidation to raise my awareness of potential harm."

His decision has had some negative effects, such as being called names and met with solid opposition, but he has looked into laws regarding his lifestyle and he believes he is in the clear.

"The whole No Shirt/No Shoes/No Service idea isn't a law," he said. "It was actually created during the '60s and '70s to keep members of the counter culture out of businesses."

Laws passed by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) require only employees to wear footwear.

There are no state health codes that require that customers must wear shoes.

Individual buisnesses, however, are free to refuse service as they so choose.

And he has been refused service before, but refuses to let it hinder him. He knew that his lifestyle is different and is a change from what some people think.

"I don't like the fact that change is viewed as 'bad,'" Shawver said. "Naturally the way to do things doesn't always mean it is right."


The article is located here: http://www.theslateonline.com/article/2012/10/bearing-his-sole-senior-goes-barefoot

Arts flourish with the help of local artists and students

published September 24, 2012

At first glance, Shippensburg does not seem to be at the cultural hub of Pennsylvania. It is a small town known for its university and annual Corn Festival but does not seem to be the type of place to find spoken-word poetry readings, art studios and independent film premieres.

However, with efforts from local artists, as well as through the local university, Shippensburg has begun to have a rash of artistic endeavors opening up and flourishing.

A main hub for arts in Shippensburg is the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center. Located on Shippensburg University’s campus, it has hosted such events and performers such as Jeff Dunham, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, Brian Regan and Randy Travis.

“The response from the community and region has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic and reflects the number of patrons who have attended our shows,” said Leslie Folmer, associate vice president for External Affairs at the Luhrs Center. Luhrs has had 34 sell-outs since the center opened in January 2006 and is now a recommended attraction on TripAdvisor.

Folmer also said the patrons of the theater have been known to attend performances locally at other places such as the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg and the Carlisle Theatre.

On Garfield Street in downtown Shippensburg, there is The Thought Lot, run by Aaron Treher, which features many different types of artwork, live music and other art galleries and openings. In the past, it has featured exhibits such as “Naturally,” an exhibit featuring pieces carved out of wood. The current exhibit features the art work of Haitian artists, especially traditional masks.

The SHAPE Gallery, located on West King Street in downtown Shippensburg was founded in 1999 in an effort to bring arts to Shippensburg. Since its creation, it has hosted close to 100 galleries and exhibits. It offers art classes to the community, as well as highlights local artists.
At the university itself, there are many ways to pursue creative interests.

For those who like the written arts, there is The Reflector, the college’s literary magazine, which is accepting submissions through Oct. 31. Also, there is The Spawning Pool, an annual creative magazine that publishes every three months.

The newest addition to the creative culture at the university is the Creative Writing Club, which meets every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Horton Hall.

“Participating in the arts is about more than self-expression; the arts can complement and enhance students’ other studies, while connecting powerfully to their lives,” said Zachary Savich, an associate professor in the English department. “In my creative writing classes, for example, students practice creative and critical skills that should help them in many future situations.”

In terms of the performing arts, there is Act V Productions, a student-run acting group that has put on such shows as ”The Mousetrap,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Twelfth Night” and “Urinetown.”

For those who like less scripted performances, there is also Game On! Improv.
In the music and theater department itself, there are also many opportunities for students wanting to act.
Paris Peet is a theater professor at the university and is also currently directing a production of “The Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris on campus. He calls the anti-“Christmas Carol.”
“It’s irreverent and somewhat sardonic, but funny. I think audiences will enjoy it. It’s a refreshing break from sugar plum fairies,” Peet said.

He does believe that this area has certain values that may not be reflected in every area.
“I once heard an old line that ‘every community gets the kind of art it really values.’ I think that’s absolutely true. What we value is reflected in what audiences pay to attend.

I believe a substantial portion of our community places a high value on entertainment. It prefers spectacle and sentimentality. I don’t believe those preferences have altered,” Peet said.

“The change I have seen is that these same values are more readily embraced by our entire society. We choose our local art experiences primarily based on familiarity and familiarity is, more than likely, dictated by advertising. We have not been educated or encouraged enough to take risks on new or unfamiliar art and if we do, and don’t like it, this merely confirms our previous buying habits,” said Peet.

But Peet is optimistic about the arts in Shippensburg.

“On a more optimistic note, I believe the choices that some of the students make are very exciting. Act V is currently producing plays by Neil LaBute and Adam Rapp and these kinds of works are much more exciting to me than a Disney musical,” Peet said.

“I also believe these choices are more indicative of the kinds of work we should be insisting on at the university level.”

As for the arts in Shippensburg, they seem to be growing and expanding with every year. There are new student-run clubs in the creative arts popping up and different creative havens locally making the area a more artistic place to live.

There are still people who feel like there are not enough arts here at Shippensburg and at the university.

“For students who want more from the arts, I encourage you to start a magazine, a band, a radio show, a salon, a performance series, an exhibition, a one-person play you perform in Starbucks,” Savich said.

“I know this is a community that will be eager to see what you do.”



Article here: http://www.theslateonline.com/article/2012/09/arts-flourish-with-help-of-local-artists-and-students