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Writing Center
Newsletter write here. write now.
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
The Taylor University
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
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From the Director Dear Writing Center consultant alumni, I think of you all often and with great thankfulness for your service! The effects of your service remind me of a little snowball being pushed down a snowy hill (yes, there is still snow on the ground in Upland!). Think about the number of students you worked with and how your little 30-minute session made a difference on the grade of a paper. Then push that little 30-minute snowball down the hill of time: you helped a student improve a paper, which improved their course grade, which helped them graduate and get a better job (since they became a better communicator). In addition, you not only helped the student become a better writer, but even more, you had a little tiny snowball influence on that student’s confidence and sense of self-worth. Your contribution to students’ sense of self was small perhaps, but still a valid, important contribution. Thus, each one of you has enriched the lives of students in a way that continues to bear fruit, even today. This is why I, like Paul, thank God every time I think of you! Barb/Dr. Bird
Everybody Hearts the Writing Center “I love the Writing Center!”
I WC
“Every time I come, it is very helpful!”
“I’ve enjoyed working at the Writing Center and will miss my work here!”
“I loved working at the Writing Center!”
“I’ve learned that the Writing Center is a place that I can use as a benefit to my papers.”
“You guys are great.”
“Working at the Writing Center was one of my favorite parts about college. The people I worked with and tutored there were kind and intelligent; the experience really stretched me personally and academically.”
“The service was great!”
“Just keep being awesome.”
“I am very thankful for the help that you provide. Thank you for helping me.”
“I am so glad to see and hear about the Writing Center thriving. Keep up the good work!”
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Responses from a recent survey of our Writing Center consultant alumni Endless M&Ms. :) On a more serious note, seeing students improve and become more confident in their own skills.
I loved working with Barb and I learned so much about the value of encouraging people from her. I also really enjoyed the clients who came back regularly. There are too many fond memories working at the writing center to choose just one. Working at the writing
center was one of my favorite things I did at TU.
Our staff meetings were always a joy, and I truly enjoyed the company of everyone I got to work with. I am so grateful for all the friends I made through the WC, consultants and clients alike. Honestly, I have so many positive memories! Because I worked the final shift of the night, I often walked back to the residence halls with my student or students. Through the Writing Center, I developed friendships with people I never would have met otherwise!
The candy, of course! I think my favorite memory would be working with three Christian Ed. senior papers my sophomore year. I really enjoyed helping them with an assignment that they cared about more than just the standard research paper. Developing ongoing friendships with both coworkers and students who came in for help! I enjoyed interacting with and learning from Dr.
Bird and the other tutors.
My freshman year, the Writing Center student
director invited all of us on staff to go up to Fort Wayne to see a movie. It was an awesome way to get to know everyone and make new friends on campus. It was the perfect start to my time working in the Writing Center as a student.
Meal passes and the writing center meetings. I loved working with freshmen in particular. I loved talking to the students whose teachers forced them to come to the Writing Center and who may have been frustrated with their projects and making the writing process more fun and less burdensome. I have never been very good at all of the mechanics of good writing—like whether or not I just used the correct dash before this, or whether I should I have used a dash at all. But when I could work with a student and
show him or her that he or she wasn’t voiceless and had valuable thoughts about which to write, it was one of the most rewarding times of my experience at Taylor. I remember a number of appointments I had that started with a student who was frustrated and ending with a student who was excited. That sort of memory is my favorite memory. (The meetings were fun, too... if you weren’t looking for something so deep.)
The M&Ms! There are many, but one that came to mind first was
working consistently with one of the Bible majors on an extensive research project. We met regularly with a student, and the one I was paired with was just so enthusiastic about her topic and about learning how to improve her writing. I loved the look on someone’s face when they were excited about something they wrote! It was exciting to feel that I had helped someone create something they were proud to share. Working evenings with Evan Rotert—funniest man ever. From no one else have I learned the true definition and practice of wit. Also, watching YouTube videos before WC meetings that included a Yo Gabba Gabba tune entitled “Don’t Bite Your Friends.”
Staff meetings with Barb and the other consultants. They were always fun, encouraging, hilarious, and never lacked in peanut M&Ms :)
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
What’s your favorite memory from working in the Writing Center?
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
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Writing Center News Writing Center Adds New Location This fall, the Writing Center opened a new location in Taylor’s Kesler Student Activity Center. The new location is part of a space called the Academic Coaching Center. In addition to serving as an extra Writing Center location, the Academic Coaching Center is also a space where students can meet with tutors from the Academic Enrichment Center or log study table hours.
“I love seeing and being a part of the new Writing Center location,” says consultant and women’s soccer player Courtney Selle. “I think it is valuable for athletes and I love working with fellow athletes!”
Though conceptualized as a convenient option for student-athletes, the Academic Coaching Center is open to all students. For students unable to schedule an appointment in the Zondervan Library location, it offers different and additional hours, especially useful in light of this year’s large freshman class. This year, consultants in the new Writing Center space are either studentathletes or Exercise Science majors, two key groups the space particularly hopes to serve.
Photo courtesy of The Echo.
Assistant Director Position Added This fall a new position was added to the Writing Center staff: Assistant Director of the Writing Center. The position involves regularly meeting one-on-one with students—particularly at-risk students—to work on reading and writing skills, often across the semester. The Assistant Director also provides support for the Director of the Writing Center and assists with various projects for the Director of the Academic Enrichment Center as well. This academic year, the position has been filled by Kelsey (Warren ’10) Mitchener, who worked in the Writing Center as a consultant and student director from 2006-2010.
“It’s been great to be back in the Writing Center again,” Kelsey says. “I really fell in love with this type of work when I was here as a student. I remember working in the library one night my senior year and wishing there was a way I could just get a job in the Writing Center full-time, so it’s been really fun to watch that happen this year. I’ve also really enjoyed working alongside Dr. Bird again.” The position is open for the 2016-17 academic year and will be offered as a part-time position. Interested applicants can watch for the job to be posted at taylorjobs.silkroad.com or email Dr. Bird for more information at brbird@taylor.edu.
WE’RE HIRING With 72% of our student consultants graduating this May, we’re looking for new students to join our team this fall.
Know a current student who would be a great fit for the Writing Center? Encourage him or her to apply!
Each year the Writing Center hosts or takes part in several campus events, including workshops, meetings with academic departments, collaborations with the Calling and Career Office, and of course, our annual Writing Center Homecoming Reunion. In this issue of The Writing Center Newsletter we’ll focus on two events that are being newly celebrated this year: the International Write-In and Writing Centers Week.
International Write-In December 10
On December 10, 2015, the Writing Center hosted its first International Write-In in collaboration with Zondervan Library and the International Write-In community, led by Swarthmore College. From December 1-10, Writing Centers at 94 schools worldwide held Write-In events. Taylor’s event ran from 7-10 p.m. on December 10 and featured help sessions with writing consultants, research assistants, and university librarians so that students could receive end-of-semester help with reading, writing, research, and citation. The Writing Center also offered freebies and snacks (including pizza) for the event’s 40+ participants. The spring Write-In event will be held April 28, 2016.
Left and above: Extra consultants were on hand throughout the evening for drop-in appointments, which met throughout the library. Right: Staff designd Write-In–themed stickers as a fun way to identify attendees.
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
Writing Center Events
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The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
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Writing Centers Week February 15-19
From February 15-19, 2016, the Writing Center celebrated Writing Centers Week on campus and alongside writing centers around the world. We hosted a handful of activities throughout the week, including poetry, fiction, and APA workshops; word game competitions; an open mic event; snacks and prizes; and lots of other fun odds and ends. The English Department was an important partner in the week’s activities. Over 165 people participated in Writing Centers Week at Taylor, and over a thousand people were part of our Writing Center’s festivities online.
Dr. Aaron Housholder (above) and Prof. Dan Bowman (right) brought their Fiction Writing and Poetry Writing classes, respectively, into the Writing Center’s library location. Snacks and old-school word games were also a draw throughout the week.
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Above: Dr. Bird met with Business majors on Thursday for a special APA Workshop.
Left and above: On Thursday night our consultants got together for a laid-back staff meeting (we’re meeting in the library break room these days). Part Writing Center Week party and part staff appreciation event, it was a relaxing hour spent together with food and games.
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
Left and below: The English Department’s Thursdays @ 2 group met in our KSAC Writing Center location for an open mic event. Texts incuded original poetry and flash fiction, excerpts from Annie Dillard and A.A. Milne, and more.
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Writing Center Alumni News & Notes 2005 Rachel (Oliver ’05) Stevenson My family has moved back to Pennsylvania as we fundraise for our ministry in the Philippines. In the meantime, I am taking courses in special education and working as a graduate assistant at Shippensburg University. [Rachel is pictured at right.]
perville (and the Compass Church) as home. I’m still working for the Illinois State Medical Society/ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company, now as Assistant Director of Communications, and after six+ years there I still love my job and my co-workers. I miss all my writing center colleagues and am sad every year when Homecoming and the WC reunion fall on the weekend of a board meeting or my annual pheasant hunt, but one of these days I’ll be able to make it!
2010 Kelsey (Warren ’10) Mitchener
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This year I’ve had a blast as the assistant director of Taylor’s Writing Center. It’s been great to be back in the writing center space. Back in 2013 I started a freelance editing business—creatively named Kelsey Mitchener Editing—and this summer I’ll launch that business full-time (send any nonfiction projects my way!).
Marci (Klayder ’06) Gibbens
Tyler Shockey ’10
I am in my tenth year teaching high school English. Currently, I teach AP Language and Composition and Standard English III: American Literature. I just completed my MLS from Emporia State University, and I plan on becoming a high school library media specialist in the near future. I am married, and we have three daughters, ages 5, 3, and 1.
I am currently trying to get my band, Shocrates and the Wise Men, off the ground. We released our first EP in December, and we are now looking for opportunities to begin the winding journey that is a music career. [See inset, opposite, for details.]
Brittany (Harty ’06) Webb
Nathan Biberdorf ’11
I live in Indianapolis with my husband and our two children. I work as a family nurse practitioner in the inner city, serving primarily low-income and immigrant populations.
2008 Sarah Stebbe ’08 Rowe I earned a PhD from Michigan State University and now work as a school psychologist. I still get to write a lot, mostly research articles and in educational reports. While not working, I spend time with my husband and daughter.
2009 Evan Rotert ’09 Still loving life! Elizabeth and I are living in Oak Park, Illinois, for a couple years while she completes a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at Rush University, which she’ll finish in the spring of 2017, but we still think of Na-
2011 I split my time these days between working at the Johnson County Public Library, tutoring at Ivy Tech, and eking out new chapters of my novel. Occasionally I write posts for my blog, Mindless Productivity.
Christina DiNardo ’11 I am currently living in Cleveland, Ohio, where I just completed my Master of Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. I have taken a few weeks off to travel to the Middle East and Eastern Africa with a good friend and former Taylor graduate. I began a new job as a dual diagnosis counselor at a community mental health center in Cleveland at the end of January. I work with individuals diagnosed with co-morbid mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Down the road, I hope to pursue a PhD and eventually teach social work at the undergraduate or graduate level. God has blessed me tremendously here in Cleveland, and I plan on staying rooted here for some time.
Kayla (Birt ’11) Flegal In August 2015 I moved (back) to Indiana to accept the position of Access Services Librarian at DePauw University. I brought
in downtown Chicago, defending corporations in litigation matters.
Sharon (Kerk ’11) Reyes
2013
I recently got married in 2015 to a wonderful guy I met at law school. I’m practicing with a mid-sized law firm in Virginia— Kaufman & Canoles—in the Labor and Employment Group. My husband and I have a lab mutt named Hershey who keeps us on our toes when we’re not at work.
2012 Robbie Maakestad ’12 I’m currently in my second year as a Creative Nonfiction MFA candidate at George Mason University. I’m teaching Creative Writing at GMU this semester (they’ve also had me teach Comp. and Lit.) and I’m also an assistant director at the GMU Writing Center. After graduating from TU in 2012, I got my MA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from Ball State University (2014) where I also taught Comp. and tutored in the Writing Center. I’m currently working on a series of essays examining the City of David Archaeological Park through a historical, Biblical, and archaeological lens.
Jenna Stupar ’12 I graduated from Taylor and went straight to law school in Chicago at DePaul University College of Law. I graduated this past May, with honors, and am currently an attorney at a law firm
Chris Martin ’13 My wife Susie (May ’13) and I live in Nashville, Tennessee. Susie works as a match support specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. We moved to Nashville in September 2013 so I could manage the blogs and social media of three of the six vice presidents at LifeWay Christian Resources. In February I transitioned out of that role and into a new role at LifeWay. In my new role, I work as an author development specialist, coaching our curriculum and book authors on how to better communicate their message through their online presence and in their print publications. In addition to all of this, I have completed about two-thirds of my Master of Divinity degree. We enjoy living in Nashville, but we’re both from Fort Wayne, so we miss being so far away from friends and family, too. Let us know if you ever plan to visit! We’re happy to make any recommendations for good food and fun activities around the city.
Lauren Sheard ’13 Since graduation I have worked with HOPE International, a Christian development agency that fights to alleviate poverty around the world through microfinance and savings education. For the last year and a half I have been living in Burundi, a small central African country,
Alumnus Spotlight: Tyler Shockey ’10 Tyler Shockey ’10 worked as a consultant in the Writing Center from 2007 to 2009. At our Writing Center Homecoming Reunion this fall, we caught up with Tyler on his life since graduation.
aspects to change immediately. Now, as a songwriter, I am constantly trying to find the right word, the right rhythm, the right tone, and I think the split-second nature of that process at the Writing Center has really helped me.”
The English Writing graduate is now songwriter and lead performer in the band Shocrates and the Wise Men.
The band’s first EP, Elementary Philosophy, is available on iTunes.
He says that his experiences as a consultant gave him a unique skill set he is able to apply in his work as a songwriter. “As I think about what I am doing now, I think the Writing Center helped me to think critically about writing in a limited time frame,” Tyler says. “To help a student improve a piece of writing on the spot demanded the ability to find
Band members include (left to right) Trevor Shockey, Tyler Shockey, Daniel Moorehead, and Gardner Stewart. Photo courtesy of Fayth Marie Photography.
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with me my fiancé (now husband), Chris Flegal, whom I met at a bicycle shop in Pennsylvania. We had a beautiful bikes and books wedding on October 24, 2015.
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as program manager for our work with the people here. I absolutely love living here and have found great friends and community.
Nathanael Warren ’13 I am recently engaged and looking to begin ministry in the Basque Country of Spain.
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Kara Heiniger ’14 I am in my second year of teaching high school English at American International School in Accra, Ghana. My school is small, so I get to teach all grade levels and AP. While this keeps me busy, I love the variety of subjects and literature that I get to study and teach for all my classes. I’ve also enjoyed getting to travel since graduation. One of my traveling buddies and coworkers is also a Taylor graduate, which makes watching Silent Night online extra fun!
Heather (Costerisan ’14) DeJong
2015
After graduating, I moved back to my hometown in central Illinois for a year where I worked at a crisis pregnancy center as a Sexual Risk Avoidance Educator—teaching in middle school and high school classrooms working to prevent teen pregnancy through sexual health education and the promotion of abstinence before marriage. During that year, I also got engaged! Marriage moved me to Wheaton, Illinois, last September where I live with my husband, Michael, and work for Wheaton College in the Graduate School Admissions Office. [Heather and Mike are pictured at right.]
Abby Fisher ’15 After graduating in May of 2015, I moved to northern Chicago and began working as a live-in nanny/personal assistant. Employed by a wealthy and powerful family, my responsibilities include tutoring the children, coordinating travel plans, serving at dinner parties, and just making life run smoothly! Amidst this often hectic job, I also now find myself engaged to a former Writing Center student director! Christopher Girgis ’14 and I are very excited to officially join forces in July and continue discovering God’s plan for our lives as husband and wife.
Send us your updates!
Email brbird@taylor.edu to share your news in the next edition of The Writing Center Newsletter.
at facebook.com/TaylorWritingCenter
Join us this fall for our annual
Writing Center Homecoming Reunion facebook.com/TaylorWritingCenter
Saturday, October 15, 2016 Details to come. Stay tuned!
Responses from a recent survey of our Writing Center consultant alumni I learned how to listen to other people’s struggles. I learned strategies for helping them work through difficult concepts and new ideas, while also learning the value of celebrating even small successes. It was also just the beginning of my work with people who are different from me and who have different skill sets from me, and I learned to value our differences and work together to reach a common goal of improving my clients’ writing. At the writing center, I began to appreciate the power of writing to give people a voice and present a good impression of themselves to the world. I learned great editing skills that I can apply to just about every area of my life. There is always an opportunity to improve someone’s writing no matter what career you pursue! I think I also grew in my ability to connect to a variety of different people in authentic ways—a skill I use often in my current career. I gained a better understanding of how to teach English—it’s one thing to know how to write, but trying to explain the rules (and why they exist) is much tougher. I gained an attention to detail and learned how to turn a
boring topic into engaging writing!
I learned a lot about working in an office with a team, and also how to ask questions and listen to clients. It was invaluable to my career now as an English teacher because it was the foundation for working with students on their writing. I conference with my students all the time about their writing, and I am always seeking out ways to help them improve. When I am a librarian, I plan to open a Writing Center in the library.
when they are warranted, and the tact to do so in a way that communicates the importance of good writing without implying anything negative about the underlying ideas or the writer himself/herself. One valuable thing I gained was experience in tutoring/ mentoring students who were older than me. In my job now I am managing several people, most of whom are older and/or have more experience than me. It can be intimidating (in the same way that I was intimidated as a Taylor sophomore trying to help graduate students with their theses!), but it is not so bad if you just focus on the work that has to be done instead of on the disparity between you and your colleague, which is mostly in your head, anyway. I grew my own writing expertise and my ability to work with and teach others. I learned how to teach writing skills through coaching and consultation. These skills I’ve carried with me to my work and personal life. I learned that rather than telling someone how to fix a mistake you see, it’s often more effective to ask questions and get to know their writing process. From there I could help them analyze their own writing and find places they could improve. I find that people are their own best teachers! I also learned a lot about the technicalities of good writing, which helped me be successful in graduate school with publications, grant proposals, and my dissertation. Because of my time working as a writing center consultant, I have found myself critically revising and editing my own writing in graduate school, as well as on the job.
I continue to love writing and editing. I was an editor
My Writing Center work experience has been one of the most
of a journal at my law school and have published an article in the journal as well.
writing courses and write my own papers.
I gained the perspective of trying to find the balance between showing and guiding. With students, I try to guide them to the right answer before just showing them how to make a change in their papers.
lasting beneficial academic experiences I gained at Taylor. I credit this experience for best preparing me to teach
What didn’t I gain? First of all, I gained strong experience as an editor—not just a proofreader, though that is also true and very helpful, but as an expert who is in a position to work with a writer to help the writer better express his or her ideas. I do that all day at work, and the writers I’m working with are often senior executives, making it all the more important that I approach their ideas with respect and remember who is in the driver’s seat! At the same time, having this experience gave me the confidence and credibility to make strong suggestions
Working as a Writing Center consultant definitely increased my ability to communicate ideas gently and clearly. Specifically, from the instruction of Dr. Bird, I now
feel confident providing constructive criticism to others. While clearly helpful in tutoring children, this skill has translated into countless areas of my life!
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
What did you gain from your work as a Writing Center consultant?
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Meet the Writing Center Staff 2015-2016
The Writing Center wouldn’t be what it is without our outstanding consultants. “The Writing Center has a great reputation among faculty and administrators because of our consultants,” explains Dr. Bird. “Their work with students truly makes a difference in their academic lives.” Here’s a look at the current staff, with a peek into each person’s strengths, as described by student clients, faculty, fellow consultants, our director, and you, our consultant alumni.
Andrea Sanders
Annabelle Blair
Dr. Barb Bird
Caroline Nurkkala
Andrea is the utmost professional. She is timely, detailoriented, and possesses strong communication skills. It is truly a pleasure to partner with her!
Annabelle is sweet and encouraging. She’s great at articulating what students are doing well.
Dr. Bird is a phenomenal director, teacher, encourager, and spiritual leader. Everyone who has an opportunity to cross paths with Dr. Bird personally or professionally has no choice but to be enriched intellectually and spiritually.
Caroline is honestly so energetic and invested with her students, and the way she talks about the Writing Center in off hours shows me how much she loves it.
Charnell Peters
Chin Ai Oh
Chris Meier
Courtney Selle
Charnell is very encouraging to the tutee. I always feel like I learn so much as a consultant just by seeing her do consultation work.
Chin Ai is the best! She is very clear and direct with honest feedback and good suggestions for improvement in my paper.
Chris never rushes through explaining things but takes time to help people understand concepts more deeply. He is always positive and has a good attitude.
Courtney’s dedication to bringing out the best of students’ ideas in their papers has made a big difference in not only students’ quality of writing but also their confidence as academic thinkers.
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Josh Vahle
Julia Camara
Katie Calamos
Danielle really helped me improve the flow of my piece. She also helped me enhance and maintain my academic voice throughout my essay. Overall very helpful and so nice!
Josh firmly believes that every single student has greater reading and writing competency than what they realize, and he instills that belief in those he works with.
Julia is calm and very knowledgeable. She makes me strive to become more knowledgeable and competent with writing.
I admire Katie because she relates really well with students from the beginning to the end of her sessions.
Keely Krebs
Kelsey Mitchener
Liz Syson
Malinda Patterson
Keely’s passion for helping students contributes so much to help students learn.
Kelsey is awesome. This is why I like meeting with Kelsey: she explains things so much better.
Liz’s amazing ability to tailor her sessions to each student’s personality and specific writing needs makes each student walk away with exactly what it is they need.
Malinda interacts with students really well and is good at helping them however they need it.
Morgan Morris
Sarah Lyons
Stephen Cho
Suzi Rhee
Morgan is great. She always knows exactly what to do with a paper.
Sarah models confident improvisation. She is able to maneuver through problems in lots of ingenious ways. She models her sessions to each student’s needs very skillfully.
I admire Stephen because of his love and eagerness for the job!
Suzi put us right at ease! She sought first to understand our needs and then helped us get the ball rolling with brainstorming and research. Now I’ll be more comfortable in the future about coming in for help.
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
Danielle Riehl
The Writing Center Newsletter, SPRING 2016
14 The Taylor University Writing Center aims to inspire and equip students to reach their potential as writers and critical readers.
“My consultant walked me through my paper and picked it apart with me. I was able to learn from my mistakes through our collaboration. It was helpful. Job well done!” —Writing Center client
“We want to help students to not only write better, but also to think better. And hopefully, eventually, to also enjoy the writing process. [We] want them to be skillfully and confidently equipped.” —Caroline Nurkkala ’16, lead consultant