The Review Stylebook
modified and updated by Ryan Mignone
Spring 2004
This comprehensive list compiles any style points, which are
particular to The Review and may or may not appear in the Associated Press
Stylebook. This should not be used in any way to replace or negate
AP style;
it should be used as a supplement to clear up any confusion and ensure
accuracy and consistency in every page of The Review. Some entries
were
drawn from the AP Stylebook. I highly suggest buying the latest
version of
the AP Stylebook, if you don't already own one. Good luck and happy
editing!
a cappella Literally "in the church style." An unaccompanied vocal
music
style. The a cappella groups on campus are the Deltones, the Y-Chromes, the
D-#Sharps# and the Golden Blues.
abbreviations Do not use postal abbreviations for states. Do not
abbreviate
cities except in direct quotes: "We're going to L.A.," he said.
When used
before a name, abbreviate the following titles when used outside direct
quotations: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen. and certain
military titles (see AP Stylebook). Do not abbreviate president.
See
courtesy titles; legislative titles; religious titles; states.
abortion Use anti-abortion instead of pro-life and abortion rights instead of
pro-choice or pro-abortion.
academic degrees If mention of degrees is necessary to provide credentials,
try to avoid an abbreviation: John Smith, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc. If necessary to
abbreviate, use the following forms: B.A., M.A., Ph.D., etc. Only use
after a
full name, never just a last name. Do not use a courtesy title if the
abbreviation follows the name: Dr. Paul Rogers, Ph.D. is wrong.
accused A person is accused of, not with, a crime. To avoid any
indication
that the person is being judged before a trial, avoid phrases such as accused
rapist John Gray. Instead, use John Gray, accused of raping.
acre Equal to 43,560 square feet. No abbreviation after number: He owns
14
acres of land, the 14-acre field.
acronyms In general, spell out on first reference and use the acronym on
second reference. Do not put the acronym in parentheses after the name:
Several organizations on campus, including the Black Student Union and the
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Union, held events on campus this week. The LGBSU
held a poetry reading in Memorial Hall Thursday evening. See
abbreviations.
acting Always lowercase when referring to a person substituting for another
person's position: Present at yesterday's conference was acting Secretary of
State Linda Burns.
addresses Abbreviate St., Ave., Blvd. only when used with street address that
includes a number. Do not abbreviate if number is not used: Mignoner
arrived
at his house on Haines Street. But: Bender lives at 127 Haines St. in Newark.
Every other street address title is written out: 97 New London Road, 2306
Scholar Drive.
adopt, approve, enact, pass Amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are
adopted or approved. Bills are passed; laws are enacted.
adverse, averse Adverse means unfavorable: He predicted adverse weather.
Averse means reluctant, opposed: She is averse to change.
adviser Not advisor.
Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Co. Just Aetna on second reference.
affect, effect Affect, as a verb, means to influence or impact: He had no idea
he would affect such a large amount of people. Effect, as a noun, means
result: The show had a tremendous effect on its audience.
afterward- not afterwards.
Afghanistan, Afghan, Afghani Afghans are the people of Afghanistan.
Afghani
is the name of the country's currency.
African-American - The preferred term is black. Use African-American only
in
quotations or the names of organizations or if individuals describe themselves
so. See black.
ages Always use figures: He is 9 years old, the 9-year-old boy, the room was
filled with hungry 9-year-olds. See numerals.
AIDS, HIV Acceptable in all references for acquired immune deficiency
syndrome. AIDS is an affliction in which a virus has weakened the body's
immune system and cancer or serious infections have occurred. A person
with
human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, which is the scientific name for the
virus, can develop AIDS after serious symptoms have occurred.
aid, aide Aid is a noun meaning assistance. An aide is a person who serves as
an assistant.
alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae An alumnus refers to a man who has attended a
school; an alumna refers to a woman (alumnae when used in plural); alumni
refers to more than one man or woman.
al-Qaida Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
all right-Never alright. Hyphenate only if used colloquially as a
compound
modifier: Ryan is an all-right guy.
animals Do not apply a personal pronoun to an animal unless its sex has been
established or if the name is given: The dog ran to its owner. Or:
Princess
is afraid of her own shadow.
annual- An event CANNOT be annual unless it is held for at least two
consecutive years.
apostrophe When using singular possessive case, apostrophe goes before the
"s.
" For plural possessive case, apostrophe goes after "s."
It affected the team
's ability to perform. The Hens' leading scorer was out with a knee
injury.
Watch out for titles: Hens head coach Tubby Raymond, the Hens' head coach.
arrested To avoid indication that a person is being judged before a trial, do
not use the phrase arrested for. Instead, use arrested and charged with,
or
arrested in connection with.
Arts and Sciences, College of Always capped.
assassin, killer, murderer An assassin is a politically motivated killer. A
killer is anyone who kills with a motive of any kind. A murderer is a
person
who is convicted of murder in a court of law.
atheist, agnostic An agnostic is a person who believes it is impossible to
know whether there is a God. An atheist is a person who believes there is
no
God.
attorney general, attorneys general Never abbreviate. Capitalize only
when
used before a name: Attorney General Jane Brady.
attribution Always put verb after name: Smith said, not said Smith. The
only
exception is if the person's title is long: "He is an excellent
businessman,"
said John Bishop, assistant vice president for student life.
In most instances in news stories, said is preferred. In feature stories,
use
present tense (says) unless otherwise specified.
Bury attribution in longer quotes or quotes that have a natural break: "I
always thought she would become successful," Smith said, "but I never
expected
her to become a celebrity." Or: "The fire broke out at around
midnight," she
said. "I was standing across the street when I saw the flames.
To avoid repetition, use pronouns he or she instead of speaker's name.
Attribute leads unless it states common knowledge.
bachelor of arts, bachelor of science A bachelor's degree or a bachelor's is
acceptable in all references. See academic degrees.
ballpark, ballplayer, ballgame, ballroom Always one word, no hyphen.
bands Refer to bands in singular form: Blink 182 released its (not their)
third album in 2001. Also applies to any other group or organization when
describing the group as a whole.
barbecue Not barbeque, Bar-B-Q or BBQ.
benefit, benefited, benefiting No extra "t" necessary.
bi- Generally, do not hyphenate: Bifocals, bimonthly, biweekly, bipartisan.
Important: The Review is a semiweekly, not biweekly, newspaper.
Bible Always capitalize when referring to the Scriptures in the Old or New
Testament. Lowercase when used as a nonreligious term: The Review
Stylebook
is my bible. For standard names and order of books in the Bible, see the AP
Stylebook.
bin Laden, Osama Leader of al-Qaida terrorist network, prime suspect in Sept.
11 attacks. Use bin Laden on second reference.
bioterrorism
Black Student Union Can be abbreviated as BSU on second reference. See
Registered Student Organizations.
blond, blonde- Use blond as a noun for males and as an adjective for all
applications: Agnes has blond hair.
Use blonde as a noun for females: That blonde sitting on the bench is
attractive.
brackets Use only if necessary to clarify quote. Paraphrase if possible,
especially in features:
"We have the biggest selection of pastas [in Newark]," Wilson said.
Use
instead:
Wilson said his restaurant boasts Newark's largest variety of pastas.
brand-new Hyphenate only as an adjective.
buildings Always capitalize the name of university buildings. Do not
abbreviate.
burglary, larceny, robbery, theft The legal definition of burglary involves
entering a building (not necessarily by breaking in) and remaining unlawfully
with the intention of committing a crime. Larceny refers to the wrongful
taking of property. Robbery involves the use of violence or threat in
committing larceny. Theft refers to a larceny that does not involve
threat,
violence or plundering.
Career Services Now known as the MBNA Career Services Center.
Carpenter Sports Building Located on North College Avenue across from McDowell
Hall. Do not use the CSB or "Little Bob" as a reference. Do not
confuse with
the Bob Carpenter Center, located on South College Avenue next to the stadium.
Except headlines, do not use The Bob or BCC.
CDs- acceptable term for compact discs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Located in Atlanta, the centers are
the U.S. Public Health Service's national agencies for control of infectious
and other preventable diseases. CDC is acceptable on second references.
Notice Centers, not Center.
cents Spell out and lowercase, using figures for amounts less than a dollar: 5
cents, 75 cents. Use the $ sign for amounts more than one dollar: $5.40,
$1.99.
chairman, chairwoman Capitalize as a formal title before a name: company
Chairman Henry Ford. Do not capitalize as a casual, temporary position:
meeting chairwoman Joan Odell. Do not use chairperson unless specified by
the
source. See titles.
chief Capitalize as a formal title before a name: She spoke to Newark Police
Chief Gerald Conway yesterday. Chief Gerald Conway of the Newark
Police.See
titles.
city council Capitalize when part of a proper name: The Newark City
Council.
Lowercase in other uses: The Newark and Wilmington city councils, a city
council.
clean up (verb) cleanup (noun and adjective)
co- Hyphenate when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indication or
status: co-author, co-host, co-worker, co-star, etc. Do not hyphenate in
other combinations: coed, coexistence, coordinate, cooperate, etc.
collective nouns Nouns that denote a unit take singular verbs and pronouns:
class, committee, club, family, band, team. Do not use they. The
club met
yesterday to discuss its upcoming event, the jury reached its verdict, a herd
of cattle was sold.
colleges Always capitalize with name of college: College of Business and
Economics, College of Arts and Science. Lowercase departments and
programs.
See departments, programs entry.
commas The last object in a list is not preceded by a comma: Cindy Crawford,
Tyra Banks and Christy Turlington are supermodels.
Commencement Capitalize when referring to the graduation ceremony.
communication No s when referring to the major.
compose, comprise Compose means to create or put together: She composed the
concert, the band is composed of five men and two women. Comprise means
to
contain, to include all or to embrace. Use only as an active verb
followed by
a direct object: The United States comprises 50 states, the band comprises
five men and two women. Comprised of is never acceptable.
Congress Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S.
Senate and House of Representatives. Also capitalize when referring to
foreign congresses: the Brazilian Congress.
constitution Capitalize references to the U.S. Constitution, with or without
U.S. in front of it: The lawyer was familiar with that part of the
Constitution.
contractions Avoid excessive use, especially in news stories.
controversial issue Redundant. All issues are controversial.
counseling The Center for Counseling and Student Development is located on the
second floor of the Perkins Student Center.
courses Do not capitalize course names in a general sense: general psychology,
introductory chemistry. Get exact name to be specific, and put course number
in parentheses after name: Human Heredity and Development (BISC 105).
courtesy titles Refer to both men and women by first and last name. Do
not
use Miss, Mrs., Mr. or Ms. except in direct quotations or when needed to
distinguish people of same last name. If person's gender is not clear
from
first name or story's content, indicate gender by using he or she in
subsequent references.
dash Use only when necessary to break up sentence: However, she did not have
to look far - the dog found her first. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Alt + minus sign at
far right-hand corner.
dates Use apostrophe for two-digit form: '98, '77. For plurals, no apostrophe:
the 1980s, the 1860s.
daylight-saving time Not savings. Note the hyphen.
decades The 1990s (no apostrophe) are abbreviated '90s, not 90's or 90s.
Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress Abbreviated DUSC on second reference.
See Registered Student Organizations.
Delaware Diamond The baseball field behind Delaware Stadium.
DELCAT The university's library database. Always written in caps.
departments Programs and departments within the university are not
capitalized: department of foreign languages and literatures, department of
English or English department. Colleges are capitalized. City,
federal or
other departments are capitalized: Delaware Department of Transportation.
See
colleges; programs.
defendant Use only if the person has been arrested and charged with a crime.
dependent, independent
digits See double-digit rule.
dimensions Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. The man
was 5
feet 10 inches tall. They must be no longer than 6 feet by 7 feet.
The storm
left 4 inches of snow. See AP Stylebook.
Dining Services The university's food service organization. Always
capitalized.
directions and regions - In general lowercase north, south, east and west when
referring to direction. Capitalize these words when referring to a
specific
region or area. Ex: Stormy weather is expected today in the
Midwest. Pete
loved the weather in Southeast Asia.
discreet, discrete Discreet means prudent or circumspect. The noun form
is
discretion. "She told me to be discreet after delivering the bad
news."
Discrete means detached or separate.
doctor Abbreviate Dr. only if the person is a medical doctor: Dr. Joseph
Siebold, director of Student Health Services. See courtesy titles.
dorm Never used. Always use residence hall.
Double-digit rule Any number less than 10 should be spelled out. Make
sure
larger numbers are accurate and consistent.
Du Pont Hall, Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Lammot du Pont Laboratory. Check
spellings carefully. The Wilmington-based company is always DuPont. The family
and the hotel are du Pont.
ellipsis Three periods that represent the omission of a word or phrase within
a direct quote: "I haven't seen him . in several years." Place a
single space
on either side of the ellipsis.
e-mail Always hyphenated. Do not italicize e-mail addresses. Not
email. Or
Email.
entitled Not needed when referring to books, movies, etc. Use titled
instead.
The book, titled "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," is
a national
bestseller. But, the clerk said she was entitled to a raise after six
months.
ethnic groups If used as an adjective and two words, use a hyphen: the
Latin-American community. If used as a noun, do not hyphenate.
expletives Only when absolutely necessary.
every day (adv.) everyday (adj.) - She goes to work ever day. He wears
everyday shoes.
Faculty Senate The university faculty's governmental body. Capitalize
official names of committees within the Faculty Senate.
fall See seasons.
Fall Semester See grading periods.
female, male Use only as adjectives
fiancé, fiancée One "e" refers to an engaged man. Two refers to
a woman.
FLEX account is the official name of the UD#1 Card account. Do not confuse
with points.
flier, flyer Use flier when referring to both a person who flies and a posted
advertisement. Flyer is only used as a proper name, The Philadelphia
Flyers.
fraternities See Greek organizations.
gender specifications Use spokeswoman or spokesman, not spokesperson, unless
requested by the source.
GPA Acceptable in all references.
grading periods Always capitalized: the Fall Semester, Winter Session, the
first Summer Session. When referring to university semesters, Fall
Semester
and Spring Semester are acceptable. Not the same as the seasons fall and
spring. See seasons.
Greek organizations Spelled out and capitalized. Use sorority or fraternity to
specify gender: Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority.
Predominantly black fraternities should be referred to as historically black
fraternities. The university's Greek organizations are listed as follows.
Sororities:
Alpha Chi Omega sorority
Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
Alpha Phi sorority
Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority
Alpha Xi Delta sorority
Chi Omega sorority
Chi Upsilon sorority
Delta Gamma sorority
Delta Sigma Theta sorority
Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
Kappa Delta sorority
Lambda Kappa Beta sorority
Phi Sigma Sigma sorority
Sigma Alpha sorority
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority
Sigma Kappa sorority
Zeta Phi Beta sorority
Fraternities:
Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity
Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity
Kappa Alpha Order fraternity
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity
Kappa Delta Rho fraternity
Kappa Sigma fraternity
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity
Lambda Theta Phi (Latin Fraternity, Inc.)
Omega Psi
Phi fraternity
Phi Kappa Tau fraternity
Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity
Sigma Chi fraternity
Sigma Nu fraternity
Sigma Phi Delta fraternity
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity
Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity
Theta Chi fraternity
Theta Xi fraternity
Zeta Beta Tau fraternity
Other (Honor societies, academic, ethnic, etc.)
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Zeta
Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting)
Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society
Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society
Gamma Sigma Sigma
Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society
Mu Iota Sigma MIS Honor Society
Omega Chi Epsilon
Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Honor Society
Phi Sigma Pi National Coeducational Honor Fraternity
Sigma Alpha Iota Society
Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society
Tau Beta Pi
Green, the Capitalize the grassy field between classroom buildings that
stretch from Brown to Laurel halls. (Formerly known as the Mall).
Hanukkah Official AP spelling of the Jewish holy day, it occurs around early
to mid-December or late November.
Harrington Beach The grassy courtyard in the middle of East Campus (surrounded
by Gilbert, Harrington and Russell residence halls) with volleyball and
basketball courts. The Beach is acceptable on second reference.
headlines Avoid passive voice in headlines. Do not abbreviate states with
AP
abbreviations; use postal abbreviations (PA, DE not Del. or Pa.) Avoid
man or
woman; use driver or mother, etc.
health care Two words.
holidays Capitalize all holidays: New Year's Day, Groundhog Day, etc.
Homecoming Weekend Acceptable when referring specifically to the university's
homecoming. Homecoming is acceptable on second reference.
impostor Not imposter.
Interfraternity Council The governing body for campus fraternities. IFC
is
acceptable on second references. See Registered Student Organizations.
Internet Always capitalized. For more information and related terms, see
the
AP Stylebook.
in, into In indicates location: He was in the bathroom. Into indicates
motion: He walked into the bathroom.
incorporated Usually not necessary, but if needed as part of a corporate name,
abbreviate and capitalize as Inc.
italics Generally not used, except in subheds and rarely in Mosaic to
emphasize quotes in columns or features.
it's, its It's is a contraction for it is or it has: From the way it's going,
we might never get home. It's been a long day. Its is a possessive
pronoun:
The storm was at its worst this morning.
Jehovah's Witnesses is the official name of the religious denomination.
judge Capitalized before name when it is the formal title of the person who
presides over a court of law: Judge Mills Lane. Do not pile up long court
names before name of judge: Use Judge Joseph Reilly of New Castle County
Common Pleas Court, not New Castle County Common Pleas Court Judge Joseph
Reilly.
junior, senior Abbreviated as Jr. and Sr. only with person's full name: John
Smith Jr., Edward Jones Sr.
larceny See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft
last Avoid the use of last as a synonym for latest if it might imply finality.
Newark has had five fires in the past year (not last). Do not use
last with
days of the week. The disaster occurred last Tuesday.
last names Use last name on second reference. Never use Mr., Dr.,
etc. If
the same last name occurs more than once in a story, use the person's full
name on all references.
legislative titles Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one
or more names in regular text. Within a direct quote, spell out these
titles.
Add U.S. before title only if necessary to distinguish what the person
represents: State Sen. Harry Mitchell spoke with U.S. Sen. Chris Parker
yesterday.
It is not mandatory to provide a legislative title in first reference if it is
made clearer in subsequent references: Barry Goldwater endorsed President Ford
today. The Arizona senator believes.
President George W. Bush
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., D-Del.
Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del.
Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del.
State senators, state representatives, and city council members need DISTRICT
NUMBERS
Ex: Sen. Liane M. Sorenson, R-6th District, City Councilmen Karl
Karbacher,
3rd District
let up (v) letup (n. and adj.)
lyrics Put song lyrics in quotation marks and italics. Separate lines with
slashes: "A long, long time ago / I can still remember how that music used
to
make me smile / And I knew." Put single space on either side of each
slash.
millions, billions - Use figures with million or billion in all except casual
uses: I'd like to make a billion dollars.
miles per hour - The abbreviation mpg is acceptable on second reference.
months Abbreviate when used with a date but write out when used alone: The bar
will close its doors Oct. 5 and reopen the following September. They will
have to wait until December 2003. Months to abbreviate: Jan., Feb., Aug.,
Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. All other months are written out in all cases.
Morris Library Acceptable in all references for the Hugh M. Morris Library.
names If no preferred title or name is specified, use source's full name
including middle initial.
National Organization for Women NOW can be used on second reference.
National Pan-Hellenic Council The national governing body for historically
black Greek organizations. NPHC is acceptable on second reference. Do not
confuse with Panhellenic Council. See Registered Student Organizations.
naval, navel Naval is the navy. Navel is the belly button or the orange.
Newark Acceptable in all references. Avoid city of Newark. The city is
acceptable if reference is clear.
NHPC Acceptable on second reference for the National Pan-Hellenic
Council.
See Registered Student Organizations.
not only should be followed with also or as well. Not only was he late, he was
also completely unprepared.
numerals Write out one, two, up to nine, unless used with "million"
or
measurements such as meters and yards, or "years old." Use
figures for 10 and
up. Write out any number if it appears in the beginning of a
sentence. Spell
out first through ninth when they indicate sequence in time or location:
First base, the First Amendment, he was first in line. Starting with 10th
use
figures. Use 1st, 2nd, and 3rd when the sequence has been assigned in
forming
names. Such examples are geographic, military and political.
Ex: 1st Ward,
7th Fleet and 1st Sgt. Refer to AP Stylebook for other rules
regarding
numerals.
off, of should never be used subsequently. The ball bounced off the
goalpost,
not off of.
offices Capitalize university offices: Office of Admissions, Office of Public
Relations. If clear, the office is acceptable on second reference.
OK, OK'd, OKs Do not use okay. "The request was OK'd by city
officials at the
meeting," he said. "He did OK," he said.
Olympics Capitalize all references to the international athletic contests: the
Olympics, the Winter Olympics, the Olympic games.
on-campus Hyphenate only if used as an adjective: The university provides
convenient on-campus housing for freshmen. But: Students who do not live on
campus are not provided with a meal plan.
online Always one word.
organizations In general, capitalize all administrative, student and academic
organizations at the university, including centers, services, laboratories,
institutes, etc.: The Center for Community Development and Family Policy, the
Institute of Energy Conversion, Student Health Services. See Registered
Student Organizations.
Panhellenic Council Capitalize the governing body for campus sororities. Do
not abbreviate. If clear, the council is appropriate on second reference.
Do
not confuse with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is the governing
body for historically black Greek organizations.
PATRIOT Act -Always refer to it in all caps.
parentheses Do not use to replace words within a quote. See brackets.
Parents Day Always capitalized.
per Use instead of a in phrases such as twice per week and $10,000 per year.
Perkins Student Center Capitalize the home of The Review, the University
Bookstore and The Scrounge. Do not shorten. See buildings.
pill Do not capitalize in reference to the birth control pill. Use birth
control pill on first reference if not clear.
plagiarism
points Do not capitalize when referring to the UD#1 Card credit dollars. Do
not confuse with FLEX.
police Treated as a title: University Police, Newark Police, New Castle County
Police, Delaware State Police, etc. See Public Safety.
political classifications Comply with AP standards: Sen. Thomas R. Carper,
D-Del., is appearing in Wilmington today.
popular titles Place titles of all books, movies, plays, television shows and
any other popular art or media forms in quotation marks: He said he thinks
"Castaway" is deserving of an Oscar.
postseason, preseason No hyphen.
president President George W. Bush on first reference, President Bush on
second reference and Bush on subsequent references. Also the president, not
capitalized. University President David P. Roselle on first reference, Roselle
on second reference.
principal, principle A principal is the head of a school, or an adjective
meaning "important." A principle is a fundamental truth, law or
documenting
force.
professor Do not abbreviate Prof. Capitalize if used before a name
without
designation of department: Speaking at the lecture will be Professor Dennis
Jackson of the English Department. If used with department, or after the
name, do not capitalize: English professor Dennis Jackson. Dennis
Jackson,
professor of English. See titles.
programs In general, do not capitalize university academic programs and
majors: women's studies, criminal justice. The exception is, of course, proper
names, including all languages: English, Russian. But do capitalize the
following: the University Honors Program, the Science and Engineering Scholars
Program, the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, the Dean's Scholars
Program, the Medical Scholars Program, the Arts and Humanities Scholars
Program, or any other scholars programs the university provides. See
colleges; departments.
Public Safety Not the same as University Police. No definite article. See
police.
RA Acceptable on second references for resident assistant. See resident
assistant.
race Only note when relevant, as in police reports or missing person
stories.
Use white and black. African-American (v.) and African American (n.)
acceptable in direct quotes only. Do not use a racial description as a
noun,
only an adjective. See ethnic groups.
really, very, very much, so much Avoid unless in a direct quote. She said
she
is really looking forward to beating Towson.
Registered Student Organizations Abbreviate RSO on second reference. Do not
attach abbreviation at the end of the full name of the organization in any
case. Here are some popular on-campus RSOs to look out for:
Asian Student Association: Can be abbreviated ASA on second
reference.
Baha'i Club
Ballroom Dance Club
Black Student Union: Can be abbreviated BSU on second
reference.
Business Student Association
Campus Animal Rights Educators: CARE on second reference.
Chabad House, or Chabad Center for Jewish Life (director Rabbi
Eliezer Sneiderman)
Chinese Students and Scholars Association: CSSA on second
reference.
Circle K
Civil Liberties Union: CLU on second reference.
Clowns for Medicine
College Democrats
College Green Party: Can be referred to as the College Greens
on second reference.
College Republicans
Commuter and Off Campus Organization: COCO on second
reference.
Cultural Programming Advisory Board: CPAB on second reference.
D-#Sharps#: watch style here!
Dark Arts Performing Dance Company: Dark Arts on second
reference.
Delaware Consumer Interest Council
Delaware Organization of Undergraduate Geographers: DOUG on
second reference.
Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress: DUSC on second
reference.
Deltones
E-52 Student Theatre
Education Graduate Association: EGA on second reference.
Field Hockey Club
Figure Skating Club
Golden Blues
Golden Key National Honor Society: Golden Key on second
reference.
Graduate Student Senate
Habitat for Humanity
Harrington Theatre Arts Company: H-TAC on second reference.
Hillel
Hispanic Organization of Latin Americans: HOLA on second
reference.
Indian Students Association: ISA on second reference
Interfraternity Council
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
Japanese Student Association: JSA on second reference.
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Union: LGBSU on second reference.
Men's Crew Club (also lacrosse, rowing, rugby, ultimate disc
and volleyball, all same format)
Muslim Student Association
NAACP Newark Collegiate Chapter
National Pan-Hellenic Council
Outing Club
Panhellenic Council
Pre-Law Student Association
Presbyterian Campus Ministry
Resident Student Association: RSA on second reference.
Public Relations Student Society of America - PRSSA on second
reference Review,
The
Secular Student Alliance(SSA)
Society of Automotive Engineers
Spectrum Players, The
Student Advisory Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters
Student Center Programs Advisory Board: SCPAB on second
reference.
Student Labor Action Committee: SLAC on second reference.
Students Acting for Gender Equality: SAGE on second reference.
Students Creating Exciting New Events: SCENE on second
reference.
Students for the Environment: S4E on second reference.
Turkish Student Association
University Mentors
Vision
Women's Lacrosse Club (also rugby, soccer, ultimate disc, all
same format)
Word of Life Campus Ministry
WVUD
Y-Chromes
Yoga Club
Young Americans for Freedom
Rehoboth Beach
residence hall Not a dorm. Capitalize hall when referring to specific
residence halls. Russell Dining Hall, Smyth Hall.
resident assistant Do not capitalize. RA is acceptable on second reference.
Rev. - When this description is used before an individual's name, precede it
with the word "the" because, unlike the case with Mr. and Mrs., the
abbreviation Rev. does not stand for a noun.
Review, The The university's student-run, independent newspaper. Do not
italicize. Do not capitalize the when The Review is used as an adjective:
The
party honored the Review staff and its accomplishments. But: Craig Sherman is
a sports editor for The Review. See Registered Student Organizations.
robbery See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft entry.
Rosh Hashana The Jewish New Year. Occurs in September or October.
Route not Rt. or Rte. Always spelled out and capped when used with route
numbers. "The accident occurred on the corner of Routes 4 and 273.
runner-up, runners-up Always hyphenated.
Rush Capitalize the official sorority and fraternity recruiting event.
Lowercase as a verb.
said, says Follow the Yoda rule: said or says follows the subject unless the
source has a long title. ".," said Richard Dieter, executive
director of the
Death Penalty Information Center. For when says is appropriate, see
tense.
Saint Thomas More Oratory
seasons Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter in all references except Summer
Session, Fall Semester, etc. When used with years, no "of"
needed.
Construction will be completed in fall 2003. See grading periods.
semiweekly Means twice per week. Do not confuse with biweekly.
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Use Sept. 11 on second
reference,
9/11 only in direct quotes
serial commas See commas.
SCPAB Acceptable on second reference to the Student Center Programs Advisory
Board. See Registered Student Organizations.
sororities See Greek organizations.
sports facilities See Carpenter Sports Building, Bob Carpenter Center.
sports teams Do not capitalize the names of sports: the volleyball team,
Delaware football.
spring See seasons.
Spring Semester See grading periods.
states Following a city or town in datelines or text, abbreviate as such:
Alabama:
Ala.
Maryland: Md.
North Dakota: N.D.
Arizona:
Ariz.
Massachusetts: Mass.
Oklahoma: Okla.
Arkansas:
Ark.
Michigan: Mich.
Oregon: Ore.
California:
Calif.
Minnesota: Minn.
Pennsylvania: Pa.
Colorado:
Colo.
Mississippi: Miss.
Rhode Island: R.I.
Connecticut:
Conn.
Missouri: Mo.
South Carolina: S.C.
Delaware:
Del.
Montana: Mont.
South Dakota: S.D.
Florida: Fla.
Nebraska: Neb.
Tennessee: Tenn.
Georgia:
Ga.
Nevada: Nev.
Vermont: Vt.
Illinois:
Ill.
New Hampshire: N.H.
Virginia: Va.
Indiana: Ind.
New Jersey: N.J.
Washington: Wash.
Kansas:
Kan.
New Mexico: N.M.
West Virginia: W. Va.
Kentucky:
Ky.
New York: N.Y.
Wisconsin: Wis.
Louisiana:
La.
North Carolina: N.C.
Wyoming: Wyo.
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are not
abbreviated.
Do not use postal abbreviations except in headlines.
When writing a city with a state, ex:
The store was located in Elkton, Md., and offers numerous price bargains.
Do NOT use attach the state for a town in Delaware.
She is from Newark.
He is from Newark, N.J.
street names If the street is a number, always use figures: He lives on the
corner of 4th and Oak streets. See addresses.
student centers See Perkins Student Center, Trabant University Center.
student classification Always denote school year: Junior Mike Jones said his
bicycle was stolen when he left it unlocked in front of his house. Or,
"My
bike was stolen after I left it unlocked in front of my house," junior
Mike
Jones said.
student identification card Acceptable in all references for UD#1 Card.
Student ID card is acceptable on second references.
summer See seasons.
Summer Session Always capped. Indicate first or second session, but do not
capitalize first or second. See grading periods.
suspect Watch for this in police reports. Never say "an unknown
suspect broke
into." Use person instead.
teenager
tense The general rule is that news stories are always past tense, and Mosaic
features, reviews and scene pieces take present tense.
that Avoid when paraphrasing, unless the phrase is incomplete without it. Ross
said his band has been rehearsing for months needs no "that."
Cases where
"that" is necessary: Ross said that although his band has been
rehearsing. Or:
Lee said that if anyone had ever broken Johnson's record before.
Also, do not use "that" to replace "who." The seniors who
will be present to
accept the award are.
theater, theater groups Do not use British spelling unless part of a proper
name. Campus theater groups are Black Student Theatre, E-52 Student Theatre
and The Harrington Theatre Arts Company. BST, E-52 and H-TAC acceptable
on
second reference.
theft See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft entry.
their, they're, there Their is a possessive pronoun: It belonged to their dog.
There is a contraction for they are: They're arriving at the ballpark at
noon. There is an adverb: He went there for dinner. There is no
indication of
a break-in.
When referring to a band, company, business, group, fraternity, sorority use
its not their.
Example: Wrong: The company has tried to accommodate all their
merchants.
Right: The company has tried to accommodate all its
merchants.
time Use figures except noon and midnight: 1 p.m., 11 a.m. Avoid
redundancies
such as 9 a.m. this morning or 3 p.m. this afternoon.
titles Capitalize precise official titles only when used before the name: Dean
of Students Timothy F. Brooks retired in Spring 2001. Or, Betty Paulanka, dean
of the College of Health and Nursing Sciences, said the shortage of nurses is
cyclical. University President David P. Roselle or without University if
clear. President George W. Bush, not just President Bush.
Follow these
standards: dean of, director of, head of, but vice president for. But:
Dennis
Jackson, professor of journalism, said.
Capitalize named professorships: a H. Rodney Sharp Professor.
Use Dr. only if it is a medical doctor: Dr. Joseph Siebold. Never use
courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss).
Never capitalize common or occupational titles: library assistant Nancy
Cosetti, Dining Services assistant manager Jeanette Rengers. See courtesy
titles; legislative titles; popular titles; abbreviations.
Trabant University Center Capitalize the neon temple on South College
Avenue.
Trabant is acceptable on second reference.
today If the event is to be held the day the paper comes out, remember to use
today, not the day of the week.
too, to, two Too means also or as well. He, too, will be successful, I was
there with him, too. To is a preposition: He went to the store. Two
is the
number after one.
toward, towards Always use toward. Bikes will parade toward the Harrington
Beach on Oct. 12.
UD Only use in headlines. Always refer to the University of Delaware as the
university, unless other universities are mentioned. See university.
UD#1 Card Capitalize the students' personal identification card, but student
identification card is also acceptable.
UDPhone Acceptable in all references for the university's telephone
information service.
university use the university, but do not capitalize, in all references for
the University of Delaware, except when other universities are mentioned.
Use
official names of other schools on first reference: Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University before Virginia Tech. Use Delaware when
referring to a university team but only in sports contexts: Delaware softball,
etc.
In general, do not capitalize common offices and organizations at other
educational institutions: The Honors Program offers tutoring programs for
students at the university. But: The University of Maryland's honors program
stinks.
University Honors Program Capitalize the university's honors
organization.
Acceptable on second reference: the Honors Program, the UHP.
Do not capitalize individual degrees and awards within the Honors Program: the
advanced honors certificate, the honors degree, a degree with distinction.
versus Abbreviated v. when referring to court cases. Roe v. Wade.
Washington, D.C.
Web Acceptable in secondary references for the World Wide Web.
Web site Acceptable in any reference to a World Wide Web site. Web is up;
site is down.
whether Avoid using or not; it is implied. He is not sure whether he will
attend the meeting.
winter See seasons.
Winter Session See grading periods.
World Wide Web Capitalize when referring to the Internet graphic hypertext
transfer network. Do not use WWW. See e-mail; Internet.
yearlong
yesterday Do not use when referring to specific days unless in direct
quotes.
Use day of the week if it happened the day before the issue comes out. "We
had
a pretty good time yesterday," he said.
YoUDee the university mascot-- a big, androgynous chicken: YouDee was seen in
the bleachers posing for photos with its fans.