Jerrica has A Way with Words
Creative Nonfiction and Essay
What is a TTRPG?
Essay- Expository - September 2024
This essay was written for the course "Professional Writing I" which had a focus on plain language writing. My aim with this essay was to explain what a table-top role-playing game is for the uninitiated, while still giving some interesting talking points to someone already somewhat familiar with the idea.
What is a TTRPG?
A group of friends sits around a dining room table with a one inch grid dry erase map at the center. In front of each person is a set of polyhedral dice, a notebook and a pencil. One person stands out from the crowd sitting at the head of the table shrouded in mystery behind a cardboard trifold; that is the Game Master. Ready to play?
A Table-top Role Playing Game (TTRPG) is a style of game centered around roleplaying at a table top. “So it’s like when we played house on the schoolyard as kids?” Yes, and no. The rules are a bit more concrete than the ephemeral rules of the playground. You may have heard of, and think you understand, the popular Dungeons and Dragons, but there's far more variety. By defining game, table-top and roleplaying we can understand the whole.
Many definitions for game center competition; I propose a definition with entertainment at its core. Many games today (whether card-, board- or video-) are cooperative or solitary in addition to the traditional competitive format. For our purposes, a game is defined as a physical or mental activity conducted according to rules with an overall goal of entertainment for the participant(s). Chess is a mental game where soccer is a physical game. TTRPGs are like chess; some even share strategy as part of their rule set. Chess and TTRPGs are also both table-top games.
Table-top refers to any game that you can play at a table. You may be familiar with many table-top games; you just know them as board- and card games. In the case of TTRPGs, the term “table-top” is used to separate it from video game RPGs. While the digital age has borne virtual table tops, the table-top concept is more the exclusion of machine-control than the physical top of a table. In video games machines control the reactions; in TTRPGs the players are both actors and reactors. This human control allows for greater freedom in players choices which is a main draw of TTRPGs.
Roleplaying is acting in a role other than your own. Other familiar times you may have encountered roleplaying include therapy, work training sessions and video games. In therapy, you may roleplay as your partner to gain deeper understanding of their point of view; in a work training session, you may roleplay as a client so your colleagues can practice their selling skills; in a video game, you may roleplay as a scarred warrior skilled in wielding a great axe. TTRPGs ask the participants to step into their character's shoes and make decisions based on the character’s background and skills rather than the player's. If you’ve ever been to an improv show, you’ll see familiar tactics while playing a TTRPG.
So what is a TTRPG? An activity governed by rules in which humans are in control of action and reaction, where participants pretend to be someone else with the overall goal of entertainment. The structure sets this apart from schoolyard-pretend with rules and themes which change from game to game. Rules may have you use dice, cards or a toppling tower to add randomness to the game's outcomes. Some games require a rules mediator, while others may be played without or even solo. Your setting may be ancient or modern and you may play as an elf, human or cat. Games may be competitive, cooperative, or somewhere in between. However, thanks to the media, many people think: medieval Europe, polyhedral dice and players versus an evil game master, but there is so much more.
The predominant TTRPG in pop-culture is Dungeons and Dragons, (see Stranger Things or The Big Bang Theory.) However, the world of TTRPGs is bigger than that. Dungeons and Dragons is a game with a mediator that straddles the line of cooperative and competitive, you play as a hero and its setting is inspired by medieval Europe. Sweaters by Hedgehog on the other hand is a solo game that takes place in a forest where you play as a hedgehog using regular playing cards and a journal. Playing a TTRPG allows far more freedom and creativity than any other game you will play, and there is a style and theme for everyone. Grab some friends (or just a journal,) step into the shoes of a new character, and enjoy the entertainment TTRPGs offer.
Black Knot, Drupe Fruit Trees and Integrated Pest Management
Essay - March 2024
This essay was written for an elective course called "The Fungus Among Us." Its purpose was to explore the relationship between a fungus and a plant, and then further explore how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) would be used with this relationship. It is part persuasive in that it is for IPM, but part expository in explaining the fungus and the relationship it has with the plant.
The Relationship of Black Knot and Drupe Fruit Trees and the Importance of Integrated Pest Management
Apiosporina morbosa (Dibotryon morbosum) is an ascomycota fungus that affects a variety of fruit trees from the genus Prunus, but is most frequently found on plum (Prunus domestica) and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). Apiosporina morbosa is the causal agent of Black Knot, which is aptly described on Mushroom Expert, by Michael Kuo (2021), who says, “It looks a bit like dried cat poop on a stick.” These growths are called galls and contain both plant and fungus matter; the fungus creates these by releasing chemicals that tell the tree to grow extra, unusually large plant cells (Milner Gardens and Woodland, n.d).
The 430 trees and shrubs classed under the genus Prunus are native to North American temperate regions, the neotropics of South America and the paleotropics of Africa. These trees grow in the wild, but some are cultivated for ornamental purposes, and others still are cultivated for their fruit. Their fruit are called drupes, which are commonly known as stone fruit, and include, among many others, plums, peaches and cherries (Prunus, 2024.)
This relationship is parasitic. Black Knot takes from the tree or shrub while the tree or shrub receives nothing, and, in fact, is damaged in the process. Prunus species differ in how tolerant they are of this infection. Some trees will show signs of infection including wilt, while others you won’t be able to tell until winter when the leaves naturally fall from the trees and you're able to see the bare branches and therefore the galls themselves. This infection is not systemic, but will continue to spread if left untreated, both through the infected tree and to neighbouring plants (Milner Gardens and Woodland, n.d). The black knots that Apiosporina morbosa create not only cause damage to the tree, but also creates an opening for other pests to get in. These pests include both insects and other fungi. This is especially true of galls found on the trunks of the trees (Milner Gardens and Woodland, n.d, Dibotryon morbosa, 2024).
While certain cultivars, especially older, healthy individuals, can withstand black knot to a degree they will still spread spores every spring so treatment, as part of prevention, is key for a healthy orchard. Left to its own devices this infection will eventually overcome even the largest trees if not by itself then with the help of other pests it let in.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (2009) there is no established threshold but they suggest that removing knots is crucial because “a single knot can produce thousands of spores” and that means one infection could easily take over an orchard. Prevention and maintenance are the keys to success; this is done with pruning, removing and treating. To prevent spread, pruning these knots during the dormant season is paramount (Milner Gardens and Woodland, n.d.). The pruning will otherwise just encourage the spores to drift into the wind onto the infected plant’s neighbours. Milner Gardens and Woodland (n.d.) suggests pruning 3-4 inches below the knot before April 1st. After pruning, tools should be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol, and all infected material needs to be completely removed from the site as it may still contain an active source of inoculum. Removal options include burning and burying, or if neither of those are an option, removal from the area (and preferably far from any other susceptible cultivars.) The final step, if you are so permitted in your area, is to treat with a fungicide. These should be “generally applied at bud break and every week to two weeks, especially before rain, until terminal growth stops,” (Milner Gardens and Woodland, n.d).
In this particular case IPM allows you to keep your orchard healthy without strong chemicals (though the use of chemicals can be a part of it) by keeping an informed and watchful eye on the health of your plants and acting safely, and quickly to signs of an infection. This particular infection isn’t systemic, which means as long as you’re being mindful, it is possible to stop it without losing too much or causing a large disturbance in the surrounding environment.
By taking a holistic approach, like those in IPM, you are caring not only for the plant you are focused on but keeping in mind all other organisms present. For example, a pesticide may be a successful approach, but IPM will keep in mind whether it is the safest for the surrounding area and have less destructive suggestions if they exist. I think a very important aspect of this is that IPM practises will prevent, or at least attempt to prevent, a domino effect of environmental collapse. Just because a solution is a solution doesn’t mean it's the best solution.
References
Dibotryon morbosa. ( 2024, January). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dibotryon_morbosum&oldid=1194833282
Kuo, M. (2021, March). Apiosporina morbosa. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/apiosporina_morbosa.html
Milner Gardens and Woodland. (n.d.). Why do my fruit trees have black growths?. https://milnergardens.viu.ca/why-do-my-fruit-trees-have-black-growths
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. (2009, march). Ontario Tender Fruit IPM. https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ipm/english/tender/diseases-and-disorders/blackknot.html#advanced
Prunus. (2024, March). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prunus&oldid=1213091917
Social Media as a Tool for a Healthy Democracy
Essay (Persuasive) - December 2023
This essay was the culmination of the course "Fundamentals of English." It explores how, if used correctly and a few problems are accounted for, social media can be a useful tool for a healthy democracy.
Social Media as a Tool for a Healthy Democracy
Though the current state of social media and the political climate present some barriers, social media has the potential to be useful in building a healthy, robust form of democracy by fostering information sharing, discussion, and accessibility. For democracy to work, everyone needs to be able to equitably participate in an informed manner. Social media, for the purposes of this essay, is defined as any online forum where information sharing and discussion can be done including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook, and X. These applications provide an easily accessible place for information to be shared and discussed not only with peers but with groups different from our own and experts on the information in question. There are barriers to overcome like service coverage and financial burden in internet access, and a lack of media literacy among users in equitable usage, but with accessibility and general media skills boosted, social media can become a tool in the healthy democracy tool belt. For social media to be that tool, these barriers need to be addressed; accessibility is first and foremost, because if it’s not accessible to everyone, then it's not an equitable tool.
When it comes to accessibility and social media we’re talking about two sides of the same coin: the boundaries that exist for acquiring the use of social media, and the boundaries that are removed by social media for marginalized communities. The former is something to overcome, and the latter is a reason in support of social media as a tool for a healthy democracy. The United States Government Accountability Agency talks about the digital divide being created by both finances and location. In fact, they report that “[n]early a third of Americans who do not have broadband say the reason is that it costs too much,” (U.S Government Accountability Office, para 4) and there is, “a significant gap in broadband access… within urban areas… where high-speed broadband coverage is often more limited in low-income areas, and between U.S. urban and rural populations because of infrastructure limitations.” (U.S Government Accountability Office, para 5). This trend continues in Canada as well; looking at a map of internet coverage from Industry Canada shows that, while much (but still not all) of the country is covered with satellite, most of the country does not have access to service better than that (9) making using the internet, and therefore social media, a frustrating and unreliable tool. The higher levels of internet service are located where there is a higher population, but if not everyone has reliable access, then the tool of social media cannot be used to the best of its ability. Even those with locational access can be at a disadvantage financially, and, with the cost of living rocketing as it is now, fewer and fewer people will be able to afford this service without intervention. It isn’t all bad though, because when access is had there are so many benefits, for not only the average person but, for disabled and otherwise marginalized groups; unfortunately, many of these people fall victim to the aforementioned boundaries as well.
Social media provides a place of assembly that, if access to service is well addressed, everyone can attend. For people with mobility issues, compromised immune systems, and mental health struggles stopping them from assembling in the offline world, social media provides a new way to collaborate and organize. This is a key part of democracy. Emily Parker said, during a debate on Intelligence Squared, “A world with social media is more democratic than a world without it,” (Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate 6:10 - 6:14) and uses China as an example explaining that before social media there was one voice but now that the population has access to social media they are able to discuss, organize and be heard (Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate). While China isn't a democracy, it can be argued that access to this assembly is more democratic than it would be if the citizens could not. While in North America we have the right to assemble, if our only way to do so is in person we are excluding a large, important demographic of people unable to join or that feel it is unsafe for them to join. With all of these barriers broken down, the people need to learn new skills to be able to safely interact with social media; we need to educate on media literacy.
When using social media we need to be mindful of the information we see as well as how it affects us. Media literacy teaches critical thinking in consuming and creating content in media (including but not limited to social media) to ensure critical analyses of information and conscious choices surrounding your mental health (Wikipedia). The skills acquired through media literacy education “constitute core competencies of citizenship in the digital age [and] have enormous practical value[;]” it allows “people to take social action and truly engage in actual civic activities that improve their communities[;] they need to feel a sense of empowerment that comes from working collaboratively to solve problems,” (Renee Hobbs, viii). An informed and empowered population is a key ingredient to a healthy democracy, but without being able to parse through misinformation and propaganda the citizens lose this power. Learning to ask questions, find multiple sources, and learn what a credible source looks like are key elements of media literacy. One element that is often forgotten is the hygiene aspect. This aspect is knowing when to step away from social media and take a break from the onslaught of constant information. Taking time to process emotional reactions and consider alternative viewpoints is healthy for the individual, and in turn, healthy for the population. Educating everyone about staying safe and healthy in the digital age is an ongoing process, as things change so quickly; this education must continue past primary and secondary school. Part of that early education needs to include the necessity for self-directed, continued education; not necessarily in formal training but in keeping an open and active mind.
Keeping oneself available to new information leads perfectly to the true “why” for social media being a tool that can be used to foster a healthy democracy. It allows for an easily accessible exchange of information that reaches far beyond where sources reached before the internet and social media existed and were as widespread as they are. People are able to talk amongst not only their peers but see viewpoints from groups different than their own as well as interact with experts and politicians. Social media allows for a deeper understanding of issues and other people. When used with skills learned through media literacy training it allows the people to learn and grow; stagnation is harmful to democracy and society at large. The fast-paced, always-at-your-fingertips nature of social media also allows for quick action and education when the community needs to come together. There’s no more waiting for the update to show up in the morning paper; if something happens at eight o’clock pm then it is likely to be on social media by eight thirty if not earlier! The faster the people know about new information the faster it can be processed. The biggest part of this information sharing though is not the information itself but rather the ability to discuss it.
With all this connection and information comes the ability to talk to people, and more importantly, people that may have never had a voice before. A much deeper understanding of issues that have existed for a long time such as racism, sexism, and classism is an easier feat with the ability to connect over social media. Being informed on all of these topics makes for a more robust understanding when it comes to voting, which is what all of this comes down to for democracy. An informed vote is a good vote. When people stop to listen to the voices of those most impacted by the issues at hand they can garner a better understanding of those issues. Before social media, it was much easier to stifle the voices of marginalized groups, but social media allows individuals to voice their concerns. Before this it was only those chosen to write for the media; it was journalists and news anchors, but “the Internet has brought diversity to the public square and the public conversation. Going around gatekeepers like [Jeff Jarvis] a [self-proclaimed] old white man gatekeeper, around institutions… And so finally, we have the opportunity,” (Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate 18:50 - 19:03) to get involved and have everyone's voice heard. Within this debate on Intelligence Squared, many movements were brought up including Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and The Women’s March (Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate); it is possible that none of these movements would have happened, or at least not in the same way, without social media. Currently social media is being used to speak out to our governments in protest of supporting the genocide of Palestinians. This assembly of citizens would not look the same if the information couldn’t be shared so far and wide; without social media, it would likely have been hidden from us with propaganda. Social media is allowing us to interact on a global scale so we can take action on a national one. Beyond these socio-political issues and learning from the fellow man, there is also the ability for non-experts to understand issues in more scientific fields by interacting with experts in a more casual way using plain language terms.
Specialists in biology, physics, medicine, and countless other fields are available to the users of social media. Part of media literacy is learning how to find these experts and using them as a trusted source of information. Many issues that need to be addressed by the government require expert opinion; because politicians are generally not experts in all of those fields, the people should be able to seek that information elsewhere. As citizens, it is important to know which politicians are listening to experts, and which ones are telling the population what they want to hear instead, or which politicians are leaning on faith more than fact. In the end, it is up to the citizens who they want to vote for, but knowing how to tell the difference is important. Thus, having access to information from the experts themselves and being able to discuss these matters with them is a powerful use of social media. Creators like Hank Green, Mama Doctor Jones, Doctor Mike, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye (to name only a few) make it their mission to help the general population understand complex topics. In addition to these, there are also lawyers and political scientists who explain ideas around government that are still too complex for many people to wrap their heads around without the jargon being explained. Having access to experts, rather than only listening to campaign speeches meant to persuade you to simply, “vote for me,” means voting can be a more powerful tool because an informed vote is a good vote.
By boosting accessibility and social media literacy, social media can be used as a powerful and robust tool to foster a healthy society and democracy. Even with a few boundaries to overcome, it has proven itself as a tool of information and discussion among a vast group of people, on scales as wide as global, down to organizing within cities and neighbourhoods. As future goals we need to crack down on privacy, security, and government censorship within social media because these problems have become more pervasive, “but it's become more pervasive precisely because authorities recognize social media as a threat to their power,” (Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate 38:47 - 38:55). Authorities should not be seeking to control the population; their job is to serve the people. In the future social media and the internet can be an even stronger tool. Voting applications could be implemented to vote on even small issues giving everyone an even more active place in our democracy. Think about how loud the voices of the people could be with access, information, and discussion. An informed vote is a good vote, and voting is the central pillar of a healthy democracy.
Works Cited
Industry Canada. "Tracking Broadband Service Coverage and Gaps across Canada." March 2014, https://www.canwisp.ca/Resources/Broadband/SITT-STIT-_383530-v1-Stakeholder_Engagement_Mapping_Deck_PDF.PDF. Accessed Nov 2023.
Renee Hobbs. "Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action." The Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, The Aspen Institute, November 2010, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Digital_and_Media_Literacy.pdf. Accessed Nov 2023.
"Social Media Is Good for Democracy: A Debate." Films Media Group, 2018. Films On Demand, https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=103248&xtid=165891. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
U.S Government Accountability Office. "Closing the Digital Divide for the Millions of Americans without Broadband." Feb 2023, https://www.gao.gov/blog/closing-digital-divide-millions-americans-without-broadband. Accessed Nov 2023.
Wikipedia. "Media Literacy."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_literacy. Access Nov 2023.
A Message from Horror Creators and Lovers to H.P. Lovecraft
Creative Response (Letter) - November 2023
This creative response was an exploration of removing artists from art in the "Role of the Writer course." My goal was to examine how, despite being a horrible person, H.P. Lovecraft’s influence is still strong today and consider if that’s ok. Ultimately, I think this is a case-by-case issue and it’s okay to give Lovecraft attention because he gains nothing for it. I chose to write this as an anti-love letter from horror lovers.
Dear Lovecraft,
You are insidious. A monster of your own making. Just like the monsters you feared. That’s right, your worst fear was to be the monsters; you’d rather go mad. But we won’t let that happen. You created us, you made this cult of worship. Worship though is not quite what we have in mind anymore. Your influence is as cosmic as the horrors you once created, spanning time more than matter, but unfortunately for you, times have changed. You became an old one yourself, but one that we can manipulate and tear pieces off of. An ever writhing mass of brilliant execution and ill intentions. We take what we want and throw the rest back. Perhaps the opposite of a god somehow. We, the living, have become the god, while you rot in your grave being stripped for the pieces worth salvaging leaving your diseased ideas behind.
As petty as it may seem, we are glad you did not reap the benefits of the rotten seeds you sowed. You may have laid the groundwork for something great, but you left behind a putrid vein that runs through the stone of the horror genre.
Your fear of mental inadequacy festered. Though, it is clear that you fell into its traps, for your love of science should have turned you in another direction, but you had already been brainwashed into fear of the unknown and the other. Rather than continuing that scientific curiosity across the borders of discipline and into the social world, you cowered behind your hate-filled words. While it may not have been syphilis that ruined your mind it was indeed filled with holes and lesions of hate festooned amongst a great and creative mind. What you might have done without this sludge mucking up the works!?
We appreciate, and will take full advantage of, your overt allowance of fan-fiction, but we promise you will hate it. We will use what you hated against you as a treatment of sorts against your racism and xenophobia. How you must toss and turn at the thought of works like Lovecraft Country and all the marginalized people whose hands were used to build them. We will continue to turn your ideas on their head. It’s not that you had bad ideas, but more so that your perspective was skewed by a privilege that still exists. It’s time for us to put on a new lens and see your work for what it is; not to forget it, but to build something anew. So while we think you were a horrid man, we still thank you for what you created. We will break apart your tortured prose in order to move forward with the good and leave the rest to be a distant memory; not forgotten but not revered.
Signed,
Modern Horror Enthusiasts
A Mistake
Flash Creative Nonfiction - November 2023
This story was written as part of a communications course rather than a creative writing one. I just love it so much. It encompasses the emotions felt during a dinner rush in a commercial kitchen so well.
I used to work in a restaurant. I’ve worked in many restaurants, and I’ve made many mistakes while doing it. This will not be about one single incident, but rather something that happens time and time again due to the nature of the job. I made this mistake, and new people made this mistake, and even the Kitchen Manager made this mistake. The mistake? Dropping food on the floor. This mistake’s repercussions are compounded when its the middle of the dinner rush, and you’ve got tickets streaming out of the printer playing the song of our people on repeat with no breaks, “doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo doo doo-doo doo-doo doo.” Servers coming up to the window complaining about their orders taking so long; meanwhile, other orders sit in the window while we ding the bell and call, “order up!” to no avail.
Then it happens, someone goes to take the tray of perfectly topped burgers out of the oven to place on the neatly organized buns. For once, the fry cook has a fresh bowl of gently salted fries ready to go and the tray ever so slightly touches the oven door as it closes throwing the balance just off; the tongs twist; the cook over compensates; all six burgers are on the floor. Everyone’s heart sinks. Silence. Silence except for that, “doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo-doo doo.” We can’t stop. It doesn’t matter how angry, or sad, or frustrated or defeated you feel. You suck it up. Let the tears fall if they must. Let out the longest string of the most creative profanity you’ve ever uttered. But you must turn around and just keep trucking. No amount of emotion is going to make those burgers clean again, and it won’t matter at the end of the night. As my boss used to say, “Let the anger flow through you.” And, oddly enough, after a while you do indeed learn to use the stress as a focus rather than a hindrance. But what happens now?
The grill cook finds more room on the grill. The Middle continues to pull new tickets from the printer and try to calm the impatient servers, or more likely throw a few profanities at them of their own. The fry cook is tasked with cleaning up your mess, adding another point of guilt on your conscience. Middle continues calling orders to the grill cook while they struggle to find room on the grill. And you are tasked with figuring out the most efficient way to fix this mistake. Are there burgers in the oven that can replace those ones? Are there easy re-tops? Do you need to just do it all over again and hold back that order? You decide and you communicate, “Push that order back, I have tables 32 and 28 ready in the oven.”
“Heard!” the chorus of the cooks responds. These types of mistakes really hone the, “no use crying over spilled milk,” response. If you have a good team, by the end of the night everyone will be ribbing on you, and you’ll be having a good laugh.
What is there to learn from a mistake that happens over and over? A lot actually! You get better at not making the mistake. You learn new ways to fix it. You learn that not every mistake is a huge deal. Getting better at not making this mistake does work to a certain degree. You get to know your body and the kitchen and auto piloting takes over. What is extra important is keeping present anyway. That’s the difference between a good cook and a great cook in this instance. You learn techniques for re-topping burgers like how to flip melted cheese off in order to add things. Mostly it’s about moving on quickly and learning on the spot problem solving skills. Nothing beats experience.