Long Night Against Procrastination
"Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow." ~Gerald Vaughan
The CWL was the first US university to participate in the Long Night Against Procrastination, and we have been participating every year since 2012. This event began at Viadrina University in Germany in 2010 and has become a very popular event, in which nearly all the German writing centers participate, along with universities throughout Europe, in the US, in Abu Dhabi, and probably elsewhere as well.
The Long Night event is designed to help us confront those writing tasks we have been procrastinating: papers, grant proposals, homework, and more (we all know what our own specifics are).
At the CWL, we begin our celebration at 3:00 p.m. (German midnight) with German treats, public declarations of non-procrastination, and Skype and Twitter with writing centers in Germany. From 4:00 p.m.-midnight, we hold our regularly scheduled tutoring appointments and writing conferences, but we also have special space set aside for those who wanted uninterrupted time to write quietly, eat some snacks, and stop procrastinating! And we have study breaks each hour to help people recharge for more productive work.
Each year, some 50-60 students work in the CWL for at least an hour. Students complete midterm papers in economics, English, German, art history, politics and government; work on thesis research; and even get ahead in their work!
During our first year, we were featured in a radio story on German radio. Not bad for a first-time event! Having learned the value of not procrastinating, we are already working toward plans for next year's Long Night.
Writing Marathon
Monday and Tuesday before Finals Week, students can see our Writing Advisors on a first-come, first-served basis. Guaranteed a reader if you arrive before 10pm, enjoy snacks and a great atmosphere to improve and finish up those final papers of the semester.