UM Writing Center inspires

Caroline Mccutchen

thedmfeatures@gmail.com

As a lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric as well as interim director of the UM Writing Center, the director of the UM Writing Project Teachers and the director of Pre-College Programs, Ellen Ann Shelton strives to make the Writing Center a place where all students feel encouraged and supported in every step of the writing process.

“We all write really rough first drafts, and we all need someone to give us feedback on our writing,” Shelton said. “I know I need someone to review anything I write for academic purposes, and I’ve been writing for a long time. The Writing Center is that judgment-free space for students.”

Not only does the Writing Center, located on the third floor of Lamar Hall, offer support through online and in-person appointments, it also offers workshops and classes as requested by faculty members across all disciplines. The Writing Center representatives visited 35 classrooms last semester alone.

Shelton also shared how the Writing Center is continuous-

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continued from page 1 iconic landmarks. Swain reminded everyone to expect a bit of the challenge on the course, joking that “(Oxford) is not flat. It never will be,” so expect some hills.

Sponsor Blue Delta Jeans announced the return of its Blue Delta Blues Alley off Van Buren Avenue. An alternative venue to the main stage on North Lamar, the alley will feature a collection of blues, soul, Americana and other roots artists in a smaller, more intimate setting.

Representatives of the University of Mississippi Museum, the presenting sponsor for this year’s festival, stated their appreciation for being associated with an event ly working towards creating a space that cultivates diverse perspectives and cultural awareness. The center also looks to pursue campus partnerships in the future in order to help the entire campus community.

“Past sessions have included discussions surrounding culturally sensitive language in student writing, and we are planning sessions based on active listening and peer mentoring for diverse students,” Shelton said.

Ryleigh Felty, a sophomore Writing Center employee and English education major, shared that the center has made a variety of improvements since last semester to foster an environment of personal correspondence and accessible appointments.

Still, she thinks the Writing Center is not equipped to properly accommodate many foreign language students who visit the center for assistance.

“I think our foreign language students could be helped out a lot if our study abroad or foreign language programs partner with the Writing Center to create a new branch of the Writing Center,” Felty said.

Although the Writing Center is most popular among Writ- that has provided so much for the city of Oxford and the university. ing 101 and 102 students, the center is eager to assist students in a multitude of genres of personal or academic writing.

They were followed by Keith Carter, vice chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics, there to represent presenting sponsor Ole Miss Athletics.

“There truly isn’t another relationship between city and school like there is with Oxford and Ole Miss in the SEC,” Carter said.

After this, the lineup was announced following the reveal of this year’s poster artwork, created by Tupelo native Blake Gore.

You can expect to hear more about the acts coming to Oxford as the festival draws nearer and more details of the festival are finalized, so be sure to check the Arts and Culture section of the DM for any updates on the much anticipated festival.

“Our goal is to make this space as welcoming and inclusive as we can, to send the message that all students are welcome,” Shelton said. “In our professional development initiatives, we focus on supporting all writers at any step of the process and being mindful of how we can meet students where they are.”

Available to both graduate and undergraduate students at the university, the Writing Center meets students at any point in the writing process from all academic disciplines, whether they are in the brainstorming process or polishing up a final draft.

“I was worried about getting help with my essay because my topic was pretty obscure,” Julia Harless, a freshman Arabic and

Biology Major, said. “It was really validating for me to find someone who really liked my writing and was interested in the same topic I was and able to help me.”

Shelton invites students to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment at writingcenter.olemiss.edu and follow them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more information about their services.