#csssa cw

[helpwherearethedirections]

guess what i got emailed on april 30th!!! congrats to everyone who got accepted to csssa 2024 ! please hmu if you got in as well particularly if you were invited to attend the writing department (i’ve been on the hunt on instagram and have yet to found anyone) . <33333

[peachpoem]

csssa 2017: what i wish i had known

hello there! i was at csssa for creative writing and i thought i’d make a list of things that i wish i had known before coming to csssa for everyone applying/attending next year! 

1) there’s a gender neutral hall (at least there is one right now) i know a lot of non-cis people who attended and had no idea that it existed until i got here. i don’t know how to get into said hall, but its there!

2) you have a joint bathroom with the dorm next to yours. you become very comfortable with the people in the neighboring suite. it’s a pretty good idea to make some sort of shower schedule/structure to avoid really awkward encounters

3) its pretty fuckin hot (shocker, i know), but its really fuckin cold inside the classrooms and some of the dorms, especially at night. its a good idea to bring a jacket or sweatpants. layers are your friend.

4) you don’t need a shower curtain. the door on the shower is frosted over and nobody can see inside of it so you don’t really need it unless you’re super uncomfortable without one

5) you don’t need an ethernet cable the wifi’s totally fine (even in the dorms. yes, there is wifi in the dorms)

6) you definitely need a trash can, and probably a big one. the packing list says to bring a small trash can, but my dorm definitely needed a bigger one.

7) kinds of shoes you should definitely bring: flip flops or sandals for showering/pool/generic hot weather, sneakers or every day shoes, and maybe some running shoes if you’re planning on being on the active side while you’re here

8) to avoid having to cross the massive hill from the main entrance of the main building and Chouinard Hall, there’s a little shortcut. if you come directly from Chouinard and just keep walking straight, you’ll see a pair of double doors on the side of the main building. you might want to figure out how to navigate the halls before you use this shortcut, but it’s air conditioned and is a shorter way to get to the dining hall/classrooms once you figure it out!

9) Chouinard is pronounced “shih-nard” CSSSA is pronounced “see-sah” 

10) curfew is VERY IMPORTANT. they mean it when they say that 1 minute late is late (unfortunately). teachers are a little more lax about time, but the RA’s aren’t.

11) the Valencia Shopping Center isn’t as close as they make it seem. it’s not a long walk, but it’s hot. there’s a Von’s (supermarket, basically the LA version of Safeway or Publix), Michael’s Crafts, Party City, and Walmart (amongst other food establishments)

12) you’re allowed to put up streamers and decorations on the dorm walls as long as its done with scotch tape or masking tape. we went to party city and got some Dora the Explorer decorations. edgy, i know.

13) if you forget some supplies, you can get some from the student store on campus! it’s a little more expensive than Von’s or Walmart, but it’s closer

14) there are two cool cafe hang outs on campus! one is Mom’s Cafe, which is by Chouinard and it’s usually pretty crowded but has microwaves and games and you can watch TV and stuff. Tatum Cafe is inside the main building by the nurse’s office. it’s a little coffee shop that is reasonably priced and has really good iced matcha lattes. a lot of cw kids hang out there

15) laundry is a BITCH AND A HALF. on the weekends there are always huge lines (i’ve spent upwards of 3 hours doing one load of laundry) so definitely try and do it on week days or when there’s open washers and dryers. the washing machines accept credit/debit cards and quarters, not cash or dollar coins.

16) they mean it when they say that they’ll expel you for drugs or alcohol or doing anything stupid and irresponsible. just don’t do it. it’s only 4 weeks.

17) always wear your name tag! you won’t get in serious trouble for it like michael fields says you will it’s embarrassing to get called out for forgetting so it’s easier to just wear it

18) it’s super easy to make friends, even in different departments, so don’t stress about it. everyone’s really nice and just wants to have a good time. nobody WANTS to be an asshole

19) the food’s actually pretty good. better than you’d expect. even if you don’t like what they’re serving, there’s always a salad bar, cereal, pastries, and multiple vending machines across campus

20) the sublevel’s fucking awesome (it’s one of my favorite places on campus!) it’s in the main building so just take the stairs all the way down to the basement. have fun!!

21) they don’t let you take prescription medications back to your dorms - you have to leave them at the nurse’s office (in the main building) and take them there when you need them. for non-prescription drugs (like advil) you should let the nurse know that you have them, but you can keep them in the dorms

22) if you’re going to bring and play Cards Against Humanity, definitely keep it on the down low. since it’s rated 17+ most people aren’t really supposed to play it and if the RA’s catch you, they might take it away. just be sneaky about it

23) attach your key to your lanyard/name tag so you don’t lose it. i brought a piece of ribbon and tied my key to my lanyard, other people slid the key on their string, etc. (speaking of lanyards: you don’t need to bring a new lanyard to put your ID badge and stuff into. the ones they give you are fine)

24) go to all the events that you can, even if it’s not specifically marketed towards your department! it’s always cool to see what everyone’s up to

25) the cots are actually pretty comfortable (arguably more comfortable than the Actual Beds) so don’t flip out if you’re sleeping on them.

26) so many people dye their hair at csssa. it’s fun and kind of a rite of passage, but just rinse the dye out in the showers by the pool so it doesn’t stain the bathrooms

have fun at csssa - it goes by way too quickly! if you have any questions message/ask me and i’ll help u out.  good luck on future applications, packing, and attending!!!!!!!!

[pesthoe]

csssa alum!

i went to csssa for creative writing last year and am Here and Ready to answer your questions for 2018!!! (i also applied and got in for theatre too so if you want advice on that app i can help u out)

[awriteratcsssa]

Day 28 - 11:06

I can’t believe I’m writing this from my own room...

- I actually woke up early today (7:00) without an alarm. I think my body knew that it was a big day. I went through my morning routine, packed some more, then headed to breakfast. for once, almost the entire squad was assembled at 8:00. 

- bfast: strawberry crepes, hash browns, fruit

first time I cried today. one of my friends wrote me a handwritten note and two others wrote me poems. I read them at the bfast table and collapsed into tears. I love these people all so much.

- group photo in front of the calarts blue wall! plus a profile pic for me :) 

- last of packing for me. the room looked so bare :(

- down to sublevels for more group pictures! our squad is better than yours (Don’t Ya Wish U Were Us)

- 10:00 = last creative writing event, graduation ceremony. this entire thing made me so unbelievably emo. essentially, all of the teachers singled out each student with a few sentences before handing out certificates and medals. I started crying for other ppl and I basically didn’t stop crying throughout the ceremony. Adrianna said the nicest things about me but I can’t even remember most of it bc I was just crying through it. after everyone had been addressed, we had half an hour to hang out with our department. which just became more of a cry fest with everyone hugging everyone else. we were all one giant mess of tears. this entire group of 75 ppl has really become like a family, even though I don’t personally know everyone. only we will ever really know what these past 4 weeks have been like, and what a special bond that is.

- my group of friends decided to stop festering in tears and went back down to the sublevels to hang out amidst ourselves. only we just started crying more bc someone decided it was a good idea to give a speech that made us all ball. and then another of my friends followed with her own address. my eyes started to hurt bc I was crying so much.

- lunch: burger, fries, cookie

this is my last meal at csssa. holy shit.

- closing remarks by michael fields. they aren’t kidding when they say he is an outstanding public speaker. everything he said was so motivational and I am so proud to be a part of this csssa community. I have gained so much from this experience and I want to keep contributing back to my art. I held it together for the most part until he said that csssa 2017 was officially over and “don’t stop believing” started to play and beach balls rained down. then the floodgates opened and didn’t close for a solid fifteen minutes. more hugging ensued, and I don’t understand how i’m not out of tears yet. I got to meet one of my friend’s parents, which was kinda cool.

- back to dorm for final check, returning key. then we ran back out to take a final group picture, only not everyone showed up in time. we had some final words and hugs and then my roommate and I sprinted back to dorms to get our luggage and head to the curb to wait for the shuttle, since we were already late. only we really weren’t, considering the fact that the shuttle didn’t arrive for another 30 minutes and we were stuck waiting in the heat. I think that was probably the reason I started to feel sick right as the shuttles finally arrived. my vision felt blurred and brightened, like a filter. it was weird. also my head hurt and I felt slightly nauseous. luckily, I was able to get on the bus pretty quickly, and after a couple of minutes hunched over in my seat I felt better. the rest of the drive went pretty smoothly, save for the moment I thought I lost my earphones (I didn’t.) 

- baggage check-in and security at the airport went pretty quickly and I got to the gate with more than an hour to spare. I met another csssa student (animation) and we started talking. she offered me dried mangoes, so basically she’s the best. slowly but surely, other csssa students started to join us. I really hadn’t talked to some of them at all, but in that limited time we all bonded over interesting stories and shared experiences. the plane ended up being delayed a little over an hour. during that time, I treated myself to a matcha green tea latte, a caramel apple lollipop, and more dried mango than I should’ve had. 

- finally we boarded the plane, and I sat next to two of the csssa students I had been talking to. the flight was quick and easy, and I listened to music the whole way through. once the plane landed, we all walked to baggage claim together. I lowkey chased my suitcase around the conveyer belt before finally getting it off. after that, I waited for a while for my parents to arrive. 

- car ride home was nice. I do really love my family, and it was so good to see them again after a month. I regaled them with all sorts of stories, although it’s impossible to sum up an experiences such as csssa. even though i’m a creative writing student, there are no words.

- dinner = Chinese food!! yassss I've missed thissss

- I've just been chilling - I tried on the clothes that i’d bought online before csssa started, watched some youtube, scrolled through social media, talked to my brother. i’ll admit, being in the comfort of my own home is pretty nice.

that’s it. csssa 2017 is over. I still can’t really believe it. this month has no doubt been one of the best of my life. I've made friends faster and deeper that ever before. I've grown as a writer and a human being. I've learned and challenged and experienced. i’ll forever be grateful to this program. that’s a wrap from my “daily“ blog entries, but please do feel free to ask me any questions! i’d be happy to answer them, even if I will no longer be updating this tumblr. thanks to all those who have read and stuck with me. <3

[csssaconfessions2018]

Now that we have been at csssa for a week how would you stereotype each department? Open to anyone

dance kids - cryptids, heterosexualmusic kids - cryptids, but nice cryptidscw kids - fucking weird as shitani kids - weird as shit; busy all the timetheater kids - busy all the time; literally god in the fleshvis arts kids - validfilm kids - i have never met a fuckin film kid

[csssa2018]

do you know if we're allowed to choose our roommates at csssa? and also if you are allowed, is it possible to room with someone from a different subject than you (i.e. someone doing VA and someone doing CW)

from what ive heard in the packet you get when you get accepted you can put like "id prefer _____ as my roommate" but i havent gotten accepted ever so i have no information on it besides what i have been told. I know youre allowed to have roommates who aren't your major though!

[csssa-stuff]

Sun, 7/29/18

     Hey pals. Today was really good. Was ready at like 8:45 and caught breakfast with Marissa, Val, and the cw kids. Then went off to wait for Tatum’s to open. It opened half an hour late. It was actually super fun waiting there with all the cw kids (more joined than just the outside group). We finally went in but left soon for lunch. Lunch was me, Zeke, Craig, Lena, Amberly, and Manasi. it was pretty nice. They served some weird orange soup (don’t get the chicken noodle) and nachos? It wan’t the best but oh well, whatcha gonna do?

     After lunch, back to Tatum’s with Zeke. Then Naseem and Akasha walked in and invited us to “All about Eve” which was showing at the Bijou. It’s a fucking fantastic movie so that was neat. (how many times have I used the word neat?) Then dinner with Naseem, Lena, Sophia (yet another Sophia! she’s amazing and very calm yet whimsical), and Akasha. It was a super nice conversation and after I hung out w Annie in Vore Dorm. Alright kids gotta blast but looking forward to Monday, although sad CSSSA is ending so soon.

[csssaconfessions2016]

I had a dream about CSSSA and I had to just sit there and cry a bit. I miss all of you guys so much. Even though I'm taking a CW class at my school, it's nowhere close to Phinny's humour and the script writing process, discussions of short stories in Chris' class or the way Hilary nurtured people's poems. For anyone thinking of applying for CW and thinking your writing is shit, you should still apply. Here's the secret: you're better than you give yourself credit for.

[cottont33th]

CSSSA 2023 Visual Arts Assignment A: TAXIDERMY

CW// discussion of extreme gender dysphoria, disturbing imagery, gore, and depression.

Poem transcript:

I think there was once a time where nature didn’t hurt

Dysphoria.

I want to ask myself if this struggle, this tightening rope around my neck would be there if all the eyes would stop staring

If all the mouths would stop gaping

If the words would stop

The ants under my skin hurt as you hold a sugar cube just above the surface

my weak limbs tying me down. And I’ll explain myself

and tell you the ants are there

But you laugh and call me dramatic

Because you have no ants

So I’ll skin myself

I’ll start with an incision across my horrid chest

and down my too-thin waste

and over the large bones of my hips

And no one will help me

They want to see me skin myself as proof that I suffer

It’s not enough to tell them about the ants

And I’ll plead and cry and grovel like a child on the cold hardwood floors but nothing changes

My skin is still too tight, and my bones are still misshapen

I can’t reshape my skin

Not yet no matter how hard I plead and pray and cry

So I’ll wear another

The skin of a dog so that I may be a dog instead

and take comfort in that illusion as I once did long ago

And the pain may become less

and the ants will go back to sleep. 

I think I’ve been a dog for a long time

Because the ants only woke up the day I decided

to stop playing pretend and join what my parents called

The Real World

And suddenly I was no longer a dog

And the little boy had to look at himself in the mirror

And see a stranger

So I put the skin back on

And pray to be a dog again

So I can ignore the ant bites

But I’ve outgrown the old skin

And am stuck to my own again

Curled up and shivering next to the old beloved taxidermy

I become rabid

And begin to chew through my palms

I suppose even a dog can’t ignore pests for long

And maybe even a dog could hate himself

For the fleas he carries on his back

And maybe even a dog will trick himself

Into thinking the rest of the pack hates him too

 

So maybe then I’m a stray

And like a stray

I’ll do what it takes to survive for as long as I can stand on my own

And if my ants don’t get removed soon enough

Then I hope there will be someone there in time

To help me limp the rest of the way

Like the starved animal that I am.

[peachpoem]

csssa alumni!

heyo so the csssa app panic is going to start up again and i’d just like to let everyone who has questions about applying that i went for creative writing last year and would be more than happy to answer your questions and talk about the whole experience!!!!! good luck friends!

[pesthoe]

Was CSSSA CW fun? Was it hard. I want to know everything

cw was the most fun i’ve ever had, honestly. i was a little apprehensive of choosing it over theatre just because i couldn’t shake the notion that it was going to be like a regular english class and we weren’t going to do anything super exciting or collaborative and the people were all going to be weird and private, but that was NOT the case at all!!!! 

it was not like any sort of regular english class whatsoever so if you’re worried about it being boring, you have nothing to fear. everyone is super lively and energetic and wants to collaborate and build off of ideas - no idea is too crazy! they’re all so passionate about writing and it’s honestly intoxicating and such an amazing inspiring environment to be around. people are super supportive of everything you want to share (especially if its really personal) and everyone is just all around great.

i wouldn’t say it was “hard,” but it was definitely demanding. i spent a lot of my time doing my writing assignments in my dorm or at the cafes (i had around two hours of work to do per night), but it was fun work so it didn’t feel too horrible. even for the assignments that i didn’t particularly enjoy doing, i still loved the challenge of writing out of my comfort zone. if you’re passionate about writing and are willing to take risks and work with others on ideas, you’ll love csssa so much

[awriteratcsssa]

Day 27 - 10:40 pm

I can’t believe today is the last day. I’m listening to “More Than a Band” right now and I’m emo (emo nemo).

- our toilet is clogged. why.

- bfast: pancakes, potatoes, fruit

I went back to dorms for a moment bc I forgot to bring my anthology.

- core: last day of core, last day of workshop. honestly, it felt like every other day. we worked through all of the pieces, and knowing it was the last day, I tried to stay as engaged as I could. and then we said goodbye. it wasn’t as bad for me bc I knew I would be back in the classroom after lunch. I've always been closer with my focus than with core, but it’s still sad to break away from a group of ppl you’ve spent 4 weeks reading and writing with.

- lunch: soup, salad, cookie

- I spent recess just enjoying the company of my focus class. one of my (and everyone else’s) favorite ppl in class wasn’t signed up when she was supposed to be, so we called her. our teacher got on and told her she was in trouble, and we could hear her start to run. it was really funny. then she came in with gift bags for everyone and it was the sweetest thing ever. there were all sorts of sweets and snacks inside (airheads, lychee jelly, ring pops). I also got everyone to sign my anthology, including adrianna. it’s like a makeshift yearbook of sorts, and it really does feel like we’ve all been together for a year.

- focus: last class of csssa. we had 3 pieces to work through, and we definitely were a little distracted with our goodies and just the whole atmosphere. we had even more meme comments than usual, and it was all good fun. the pieces were all really good, and it was a great note to end workshop on. after workshop, we did two reflection activities. for one, we had to write a letter to adrianna outlining our thoughts about the class and csssa creative writing as a whole. then, we filled out 2 notecards - one to give to adrianna, one to keep for ourselves as a post-csssa reminder. adrianna said a lot of nice things and it was all very sweet and sad and too much. once we were all finished, we took a class photo. adrianna told us we were free to go 30 min early, but no one wanted to. we all stayed back and talked in small groups. somehow the conversation turned to college and all of the seniors started stress talking but adrianna was very reassuring and then it was dinner time and we said goodbye. I didn’t cry or anything, but it was definitely bittersweet.

- dinner: mushroom stir-fry w/ noodles, churro, bagel (w/ peanut butter and jelly)

- film screening! we went about an hour after it started and left an hour before it ended, but we still got to see a fair number of student films. i’m so impressed by how professional the films looked considering the time and resources. there were some really funny ones and others hit deep. the talent at csssa is truly unreal. I only wish there was more collaboration between departments!

- dance showcase! two of us left the film screening to go watch the dance performances. I loove to watch dance (I dance myself), and this was such a treat. there was an assortment of ballet, modern, and student choreographed pieces. once again, I was floored by everyone’s talent. the choreography of the students was so mature and nuanced, and the performances were all gorgeous and intricate. I was definitely shooketh.

- back to dorms to pack. I got a fair amount packed, took an early shower, and then headed over to my friend’s dorm. it’s the last night, after all. for some reason, we (there were three of us) all looked at each other’s houses and schools on google earth. then we just talked and looked at things and generally enjoyed each other’s company. at around 10, we figured we should probably meet up with some of the others. we called the group chat, and two more of our friends came down to the room. the other two started to sing the suburbs by arcade fire and somehow we all started crying and it was a cry and hug fest. I think it was just starting to hit us all that this is it. we had to all say goodbye pretty quick bc of curfew.

- I brushed my teeth and hit the bed to write this blog post. I really can’t process the fact that csssa is over and i’ll be home in less than 24 hours, so I won’t. one more day.

[csssaconfessions2018]

From the csssa discord: theater kids - horny. dance - straight. cw - hopeless gay romantics. vis arts - absolute freaks. animation - thot life depression. music - ????? beautiful enigmas

[csssa2018]

What do you know about the creative writing program? I just got accepted and I'm a complete newbie and I don't know anyone who's been to csssa at all and I'm super super curious! Also, any general tips or info about what to bring, what to expect, what the food is like would be great!

@pesthoe​ was in cw last year and shes actually answered an ask about this here and we’ve also got a tips tag going for all the useful posts out there for packing, general info and etc. hope this helped!

[csssaconfessions2017]

hii i heard that a lot of cw kids got a postcard from csssa confirming that csssa received their info and stuff, but i haven't gotten one yet :-( should i be worried / contact them?

You might wanna call them just to be safe. Every student should receive a post card and then another information packet about field trips in May/June. (There's time, S'all good, but call them if you feel like something's off)

[csssexy]

csssa blog but it’s a mess

csssa blog but it’s a mess