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Writing Center consultants present ideas in Nashville |
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
by SARA HAYNES
Intern News Reporter
Five Appalachian State University graduate students recently had the chance to represent the university at the Southeastern Writing Center Association conference in Nashville, Tenn.
Writing Center consultants from universities in 12 states roamed the Doubletree Hotel for three days in early February to compare notes and attend sessions on a wide variety of topics.
The conference was titled, “Static and (dis)Harmony: Tuning into Writing Centers in the Music City.”
Many of the sessions used some aspect of this theme in their presentations.
Shauna L. Gobble, a second-year composition and rhetoric graduate
student, and Sarah Vanover, an English literature graduate student,
gave a workshop-style presentation entitled, “One Man’s Music,
Another Man’s Noise.”
The workshop focused on helping writers tone down words that are
“everything from blatantly offensive to mildly abrasive” without
changing the meaning of their work, Gobble said.
Lori Beth Dehertogh, Jon T. Burr and Kyle J. Warner, all working to
obtain a Master of Arts in English literature, headed a session called
“From Tutoring to Teaching and Back: How the University Writing Center
Prepares Expository Writing Teachers.”
In its session, the group shared why working in the Writing Center,
which is part of their teaching internship, helped prepare them to
teach, but also how teaching better enabled them to evaluate papers.
In order to present at the conference, the students had to come up with
their session idea and submit it to be reviewed by the SWCA.
“A lot of people go because it looks good when you’re trying to enter a
doctorate program,” Gobble said, but also added that she simply wanted
to go. “In every session I went to, I learned something I can translate
to my work with the Writing Center.”
She said she is very interested in the “Speaking Center” that has been
implemented in conjunction with the Writing Center at some universities
but feels that Appalachian’s Center is very up-to-date technologically.
“What made the conference a success for Appalachian was the connections
we were able to make with other universities,” Burr said.
He said the Writing Center is a good resource because “even the best
writers in the world have editors who give them feedback on their rough
drafts. I use the Writing Center, and I work there.”
The University Writing Center is located in the bottom floor of Belk Library & Information Commons.
Their services are free and open to any student, faculty or employee at Appalachian.
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