Pinson opened up to us about the writing center. Mrs. Pinson works in the English department and is the coordinator for the writing center. For those of you that don't have a clue about the writing center, I'll school you. I won't mention too much about it; since Pinson let us in on all of the details we needed to know. The writing center is used for students to improve their writing. Other students are to tutor the students that come in and ask for help. However, Mrs. Pinson made it clear that they are not a "fix it" program. Students are to see what they need to improve on their paper. A few students, Mr. Harwood, and I asked Arah Pinson more details about the writing center.Q: What are your thoughts about how the writing center is regarded and how well known it is around campus?
A: You know, I always thought that everyone knew where the writing center was and what the writing center is for. But I have come to realize after talking to a lot of students, a lot of people don't know that the writing center is here or that there are tutors here. So it's not widely known. I've been a writing coordinator since August. So one of the things I want to do is to start a new initiative. To get students to come to the writing center for help with their papers. We have training classes where the tutors sit down for a whole semester and they train and they work with other tutors. When we get a tutor to work in the writing lab is someone who knows what they're doing. We want students to come. We need students to come. They're paying for it and not only that it can help in so many ways. When you come to the writing lab you get one on one assistance. No they're not teachers, but they're proficient at writing.
Q: How do you know that the students are good for being tutors?
A: Well first of all, there are some criteria that they have to meet. Students who are tutors have to have an A or B average in English 150 and 151. And they have to pass the English proficiency exam. We normally get recommendations from English teachers, but if it's a teacher who feels like he or she has an excellent writer then we are more than glad to talk with that student. I would interview the student and ask why he or she would want to be in the writing lab. Not everybody who qualifies would. necessarily make a good tutor either. Some people are people friendly and some people who come here just because they need a job.
Q: Is this a work study?
A: They have to qualify for work-study in order to get the job.
Q: You mentioned that the students here are paying for the writing center. Is it apart of the tuition?
A: Yes. It comes out of the student service fees. They are apart of what they pay for.
Q: What does the writing center offer?
A: We have two sections of the writing lab. Students can come in and do anything they want to on the writing lab computers within reason. We're hoping that this room can be converted into just a tutoring lab. So they can come and get help on their papers. Students who work with organization are making sure that students have a good thesis statement and strong topic sentences. We start wherever they are in the writing process and help them with that. They are not going to correct the papers. Thats not what we do, we don't edit. We want to paint the walls and have a mural on the wall.
Q: Do you think this location is good?
A: Ideale no. It should be in the center of the campus. It's located on the far end of the campus. It's on the third floor. If it was on the first floor most people would attest past by it in some point in time. If students don't have a reason to come up here then a lot of times they don't know we exist. It's better upstairs than downstairs. It's better than being in the basement.
Q: What's your passion as far as writing in general?
A: My passion is our students, I want our students to succeed. And whatever it takes for them to be successful writes thats what we need to do.
Q: You mentioned that you're thinking abut painting the walls. What colors do you have in mind?
A: That's the golden question. The colors the are relaxing for students are your blues and greens. Those are the ones that make people feel comfortable. The colors that stimulate energy are reds and yellows. So we haven't decided yet, I actually wanted to get input. It depends on what theme we come up with.
Q: Five things people should know about the writing center
A: Were here hello! Were available to assist with others. We have been doing a lot workshops. We are not a fix it shops. Were not going to fix a paper. We work with the writer not the paper. Our tutors will not try to guess what grades they might get on a paper. Their jobs are not substitute teachers. You leave with a lesson.
