Don’t Have a Draft? Try a Brainstorming Conference!

Picture this: It’s Monday afternoon. You’ve completed most of your classes for the day and were given your normal assignments--end of chapter problems, reading responses, etc. You arrive to your last class of the day. You sit down thinking that everything will be fine--just your typical lecture and you’ll be on your way. But your professor comes to the front of the classroom and their first announcement is: You have a 5 page essay due by the end of the week at midnight. No exceptions. 

You sit there in your seat wondering how could this be?? How did you not see this coming? You could’ve sworn it wasn’t on the syllabus schedule! The only plausible explanation would be that your professor is obviously trying to make life harder for you! Knowing well that you have plenty of homework assignments from other classes, including this one, and they must get a kick out of seeing college students suffer! Ok, that last point is a bit of an exaggeration, but nonetheless, that’s how we all feel, right? 

But now is not the time to be kicking yourself! You need to start coming up with a game plan for how to tackle this paper! Because if you were to divy up your time, to ensure that all other assignments are completed on time, outside responsibilities are taken care of, and achieve optimum sleep for a college student...you should’ve been planning this essay 3 days ago!!!

And as if matters couldn’t get any worse, you take a look at the writing prompt, and despite the fact that you are going through the good ol’ college student early life crisis, you can’t seem to understand what is being asked of you. Are you supposed to argue a point? Make your own stance on an opinion? A Shakespearean Sonnet?? Who knows??? And to rub some more salt into the wound, the professor states that they won’t take the class time to explain the details of the prompt since it was explained on syllabus day, but will happily explain during their office hours.

But wait--You can’t attend their office hours. You have work later that afternoon, and God forbid if you were to skip work, because as every broke college student would say “every penny counts!”. But you really need to get a start on the paper because you definitely don’t want to cut into your sleep schedule and start skipping out on that healthy 3-4 hours every college student needs to keep from going insane! 

Oh what would a college student like you do in such a dilemma?? But wait! Midway through your angst, you realize you always have the CWC! You realize that you could always pay them a visit and they could help you out with this assignment! But you pause, deep in thought:

And that answer is 

!!! You certainly DON’T need to have a draft prepared beforehand in order for us to work with you! That’s why we have special conferences we conduct just for these situations: Brainstorming Conferences! 

Brainstorming Conferences are specifically tailored to help students in the beginning of the writing process, whether or not you know what you want to talk about! During these conferences, we can talk about what your professor expects from you in your paper, what type of approach you want to take, what ideas you have, as well as help you generate more, and any additional concerns you may have, all over a free cup of coffee or tea along with a Jolly Rancher or two! 

So don’t fret over that assignment quite yet; remember there’s a whole team of people eager to help you through your writing journey, whether or not you planned for it or if the professor wanted to add an “impromptu” essay to the curriculum! 

Writing Center Recommendations-Winter 2020

What are the consultants into when not scribbling answers to questions on the whiteboard and giving conferences? From books, music, movies, and TV, plus a few miscellaneous recommendations thrown in, take a look at media our Writing Center consultants are into as of late.

The Infamous Whiteboard

The infamous white board. 

What is the white board?

If you have ever been to the Writing Center, whether working a shift or partaking in a
conference, you’ve probably seen the white board with a truly thought provoking question on
top. Maybe the question is “What would you bring back from the 1920’s?” or maybe it is
“Who would you want to see perform at the super bowl next year?” Whatever the question
may be, it makes you think.

The thought-provoking questions.

The best part about the white board questions occurs when you are in the room
during the creation of them. About a week and a half ago, there was a quite unusual question
regarding how tall everyone is. To be specific, “How many foot lengths are you? Are your feet 1/6th
of your body height?”. This question was brought up during a conversation between two of our very
own consultants during a late night shift. The main consultant involved in making this question was our
very own Zoe Bakken-Heck. Even though I was in the room while Zoe was creating the question, I
decided to email her asking the inspiration for it. Zoe replied saying she was reading a book for one
of her classes and a “passage said that Vetruvius claimed that a person's (man's) foot was one sixth of
his height, while the chest and the forearm were one fourth. Supposedly that made an ideally
proportionate man back in the 1st century and it's claimed that Leonardo used that for his statue
proportions, which is why they are so beautiful.”. This specific quote sparked the question of is this
still true in today’s society; leading to the follow up question of, “How many foot lengths are you?
Are your feet 1/6th of your body height?”. These questions required the participants to measure their
foot in inches and their height and then divide the one by the other.

While some of the white board questions are just a way to unwind and express some wild thoughts,
others are more serious. The one question that everyone always asks is, “If you could have any
superpower what would it be?” However, what they never ask is, “If you were a superhero, what would
be your greatest weakness?” So the centaurs of the writing center brought this into their own hands
and asked the question on the white board. While this question is not as unusual as the other questions
you may typically see on the white board, it is still just as quirky and mind boggling as any other. I
mean, when asked about being a superhero, who really thinks that their greatest weakness is rather
than what their superpower would be.

And so it continues…

If you had the chance to put your question up on the white board what would it be? Would it be
serious and thought provoking or would it be strange and something you would have never thought of.
The infamous white board is one of the CWC greatest traditions in my opinion. So, next time you are
in the writing center, give the stand up white board a glance; maybe you will find a question you never
would’ve thought of if it hadn’t been for the work of the beautiful centaurs.

It's Cold Outside. And You Know What Will Keep You Warm? Hats.

Picture it: The raw temperature outside is below zero, the temperature with windchill is, needless to say, even colder. It’s a Thursday morning which of course means Topics at 8:30 AM. You roll out of bed at 8:20. You hurry over to the Struve Communication Center and head to Room 4, ready to learn how to be an effective Writing Center consultant. But when you enter the classroom, something seems amiss. You look around at your fellow consultants and that’s when it hits you: the majority of the exceptional human beings you call colleagues have not worn a hat to class on this bitterly cold morning.

Hopefully you are right now feeling the same indignation that I felt when I first realized most of my classmates don’t wear hats around campus, even when the temperature has dipped far below freezing. And it led me to wonder just why this was the case. (It also led me to loudly and extensively chastise my hatless classmates. I am sorry. I cannot promise it won’t happen again.) So let’s take a look at what the people have to say about the topic of hats, and then let’s take a look at what I have to say about the topic of hats.

The Hatless

            It wasn’t hard to know who to turn to to get some opinions about the benefits of going hatless. Many of the consultants in Thursday morning Topics continue to leave their heads exposed to the elements despite my not-so-gentle prodding otherwise. Their reasons were as varied as the hats they could be wearing.

            Fashion

            Some were worried about the effect hats may have on their appearance. Elliot was honest. “My face just doesn’t look good with hats,” he said. Maggie seemed to second the appearance-concerned sentiment: “If my hair is wet, I’m not putting a hat on.”

            Comfort

            Comfort was a priority for Bryonna, who put in her two cents, saying that “[hats] don’t fit on my head.” Interestingly enough, Bryonna also had an argument in favor of warm winter headgear, which we’ll look at further on.

            Hoods

            Jordan provided a simple explanation for his lack of hat and lack of coat all in one statement: “I wear a hood, and a sweatshirt keeps me warm enough.” Paige echoed this argument, saying, “I also have a hood that’s insulated.” Are hoods an adequate replacement for hats? These two consultants sure seem to think so. I am still skeptical.

            Fear?

            A lone voice piped up from the side of the room, raising a unique concern. “Hats scare me,” Evan said.

            These argument, while valid, are not airtight. Let’s take a look at what Team Hat had to say about all this.

Team Hat

            It’s important to note that not all the consultants in Thursday morning Topics refused to cover their ears in the morning. While few and far between, there were some consultants that sported hats to class and/or aligned themselves with Team Hat.

     

            Fashion

            Taylor arrived to class, a lovely hat sitting atop her head. I was, of course, thrilled, and had to get her statement. She provided an exceptional explanation as to the benefit of her hat:

“I came in wearing a hat because it’s cold outside, and I would like to keep my ears warm. I also shower in the morning, and my hair freezes, and the hat helps prevent that. It’s a little inconvenient because it pushes my wet hair down against my scalp, but in the long run, it’s worth it. Also, it’s a Harry Potter hat, so I want to flash it around.”

This statement speaks for itself, of course, but let’s highlight one of the most important argument made. Taylor chooses warmth over a perfect hairstyle. We all want to look great in the winter, but is it worth freezing for? Taylor seems to think not, and I have to agree. We lose body heat quickly when our skin is exposed to the chilly winter air. Keep that melon wrapped up!

            Myah, who was not wearing a hat, did have something positive to contribute to the hat conversation. “I wore a hat yesterday,” she said, “because it looked good with my outfit.” Hopefully this comment makes it very clear that hats can be and so often are part of a cute and well put-together outfit. Do yourself a fashion favor and add a warm winter hat to your look.

            Comfort

            Bryonna, who originally argued in favor of the hatless, came in later with a great argument for Team Hat – sort of. “I wear earmuffs,” Bryonna said. She added that she is “allergic to the cold.” This of course nullifies her original argument. If hats don’t fit your head, try a pair of earmuffs or a cute knitted headband! While not quite as warm as a good ol’ hat, they’ll do in a pinch!

            Hoods

            The argument that a hood is a respectable replacement for a hat was particularly troubling to me. None of my classmates seemed to have a comment on this line of reasoning. Fortunately, I do! “How many times have you been walking with your hood up and the wind has knocked it down?” I question. “Hats are snug. They won’t blow off your head, leaving you cold and alone right when you need them the most.” So true! Hats will not forsake you

            Fear?

            So what about the argument that hats are scary? Well, I think it’s best to let some of the most recognizable icons of Team Hat speak for themselves.

            If these hat-wearing cuties don't help you get over your fear of hats, I don't know what will.

     

The Writing Center magical black hole

By Paige Waskow

My theory about the Writing Center is that there is some sort of magical black hole that brings together all the weird and random that Coe has to offer. The conversations, the food (whether from Tuesday Tea or someone’s leftovers), the whiteboard drawings and writing, to mention a few, make the Writing Center itself as much as the actual writing consulting that happens. I’d like the time to reflect on this microcosm on campus and how spaces like this can be a catalyst for creativity and change in the college experience.

Walking into the Writing Center, you never know what you are going to find on the tables or around the room. Last week, for instance, there was an instrument case by the Beaver desk for days. There were mini sphere-shaped donuts. There were new plants and random papers. The walls were and are still decorated with memes and animals. My point is that someones’ lost item, leftover or new food, trash, or whiteboard doodles bring character and questions to the Writing Center. Who does this belong to? Can I eat this? Should I eat this? Can I throw this away? Will anyone be sad if I erase this?

The collection of random items inherently starts conversation and a further sense of community to both consultants and writers. It creates a more relaxed environment. Last year before I was a consultant, for instance, coming in for a conference was a little bit less intimidating when I was given free food. Emma Hodges and I joke that when we don’t want or need something, it should go to the Writing Center. And normally, it does (she donated a berry fruit tea that’s sitting with the other teas as I write this).

Besides simply going to the Writing Center for work or a conference, people come here for lots of reasons. The magical black hole brings people to see friends, to steal food, to look for office supplies, to procrastinate. You name it. And normally, they leave something with the Writing Center in return. A simple need to hole-punch some papers turns into a 20 minute conversation about a roommates’ cat. Sometimes, a friend will pop in to say “Happy Wednesday,” regardless of if it is actually Wednesday (because, if you really think about it every day kinda feels like Wednesday). One might stop in to grab yet another jolly rancher, apologize, listen to the Beaver remind them that’s it’s definitely okay - and suddenly, a little piece of connection, of community is created.

Conservations stick around in the Writing Center. People get loud and enthusiastic as they recall memories of old conversations whether from a day or a year ago. As much as it is our job as consultants to consult writing, we also have found a way to foster a time capsule of verbal stories. And I think that is pretty rad.

As we move forward as a Writing Center and continue our trek to consult writing, we must always keep in mind the power of community and of pure undiluted weirdness. The magical black hole that lives in the Writing Center is only meaningful if we support it (which is not really how black holes work but this one has complex feelings and is magical, bear with me on this metaphor). The opportunity to be welcoming, to question, and to bring anything you don’t want to the Writing Center is in of itself powerful and necessary. Yes, job number one is to support writers with that writing, but job number two is to let the weird thrive. It makes consulting much more rewarding, and it reminds anyone who steps through the door that you never really know what you’ll find on the other side.

Consultants on the Main Stage

This past week, five of our Writing Center consultants starred in Theatre Coe mainstage productions. One worked behind the scenes as an assistant stage manager as well.

Stones in His Pockets, an Irish tragicomedy directed by Dr. Deanna Downes, starred Lila Dabill '22 and Luke Reynolds '22, with Andrew Sloth '23 as assistant stage manager. The show follows Charlie Conlon (Reynolds) and Jake Quinn (Dabill) as they star as extras in a movie filmed in the Irish countryside. Dabill and Reynolds play a variety of roles, all designated by the turn of a shoulder and a variety of costume props. Although predominantly funny, the show has its darker moments, a local tragedy revealing that Hollywood takes advantage of people and a life of fame isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Andrew Gunsch '20, Emma Lassen '23, and Hannah Hass '23 were part of the Student One Act Play Showcase; the first two starred in "The Bear," a Russian period farce, while Hass starred in "Feeding the Moonfish," a surrealistic drama. "The Bear" follows a widow (Lassen) who is visited by a man that her late husband owed money. She can't pay back the debt because she hasn't got the money, and this situation escalates until a surprising ending. "Moonfish" follows a young man named Martin, haunted by the voices of fish that feed at the end of the dock (one of them is played by Hass). A girl who works at the restaurant he frequents reveals her presence, and the two strike an uneasy bond over their violent pasts and haze-cloaked air.

Congratulations on all your hard work, consultants! Thank you for some truly great shows. Pictures by Stephen Eckert will appear after the cut. More photos can be found on Eckert's official Facebook page.

"Shitty First Drafts," the Writing Process, and the Coe Writing Center

“Shitty First Drafts”, the Writing Process, and the Coe Writing Center

Sienna Stucke

Throughout high school, I considered myself to be a pretty good writer; I got good grades on almost all of my essays and writing assignments and I knew how to organize my ideas. It was never something I really struggled with.

This changed when I took a Composition course though a University of Minnesota program. Prior to that class I was able to write a paper by brainstorming, outlining, and then just writing- it had worked for all of my previous papers. I figured it would be the same with this class… I was very wrong. 

In my first assignment I really struggled with starting- I stared at my computer screen for hours feeling pressured to have a perfect opening line as my first sentence of my rough draft. My other problem was that after peer-editing and conferencing, I only made simple changes that were “small stones.” After writing my rough drafts I usually would just comb through for spelling and grammar problems and it would be good enough for me (and my previous teachers). 

When I got a bad grade on that paper it really forced me to take a step back and be very critical of myself; Where did I go so wrong?

link to Lamott's piece

After our first assignment my class was assigned to read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. This was the first step in uncovering how I could improve my writing. 

One part that really caught my attention was a chapter on the very beginning of the writing process, what she referred to as “shitty first drafts.” Anne Lamott wrote about the importance of starting, the act of just putting words on a page. I knew I struggled with this in my first paper. It was eye-opening because Lamott was very honest and blunt about her writing process and her struggles. She argued that to start writing you just need to put words on a page- even if it is terrible nonsense. The only way to start is to start because if people could write perfectly the first time around, there would be no such things as rough drafts. She went on to say that “Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of shitty first drafts. All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts” (Lamott 1994). 

From this I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to get away with writing a draft and just editing to polish it up and turn it in. I was really going to have to challenge myself, put more time and effort into these drafts, and even more time and effort into the revising process. I decided that I was not going to be able to cheat the writing process any longer. 

What I learned from Anne Lamott that has improved my writing:

1.     Write down anything, anything that comes to mind when starting a writing project

2.     Accept the fact that it won’t be pretty the first time (or maybe the second time)

3.     Accept that it will take multiple drafts to get it right

4.     Revising is much more than spelling and grammar, it is the “big rocks” too

5.     The more effort you put in, the more satisfying the final draft is

How does this connect to the CWC?

First and foremost, I think it is important to remember that the purpose of the writing center is to make better writers. Part of making better writers is fine tuning the writing process, we have to remind them that it takes patience in order to get a final draft that they can be proud of. They also need to accept that it won’t be perfect in the rough draft and that it takes time. 

What can we do as consultants?

Specifically, we can encourage clients to sign up for multiple meetings instead of one long one in order to keep looking at it with fresh eyes and let the writing process work out the kinks of the paper. For example, we may have a brainstorming session, an outlining session, and conferences for each new draft until they are content with their work. We also need to keep in mind that it takes vulnerability to share their work with us (especially if it is an early draft) and we need to respect that by gaining their trust at the beginning of each conference. Maybe if the clients were anything like how I was, they may not even understand the revision process and everything that it entails. This means that we can share the words of writers like Anne Lamott and tell our clients that it takes multiple drafts for any piece of writing to look better. Ultimately, we must remind them that as ugly as they may be, shitty first drafts are a necessary evil in the writing process.

Top Ten Reasons to Visit the Coe Writing Center

The Coe Writing Center. For most students, it's a place you visit only when your required by your professor or when you’re under extreme stress from an assignment. But did you know there are so many other reasons to visit this corner of the library?
1. We can help you with literally any piece of writing at any stage of the process

Yes, you heard it right! You can come in empty handed. You can come in with a cover letter, a poem, or an important email. The assignment doesn’t have to reach a certain level of seriousness or completion for our assistance. If it’s writing-related, we can help!

2. We are open nearly 80 hours a week.

If you’re working on a writing assignment, we’re probably open and ready to talk with you about it.
No matter the time of day, we will likely be here and ready to help!

Our hours are:

Sunday: Noon- Midnight 

Monday- Thursday: 8AM- Midnight 

Friday: 8AM- 5PM 

Saturday: Closed

3. We have consultants from almost every discipline.

You probably know at least one of our consultants. Our staff is composed of a variety of students from all different majors, sports, clubs, and greek life chapters. If you want to meet with someone you know, log onto our online appointment system and schedule a conference with that specific person. Otherwise, just walk in and we’ll be happy to help!
4. We have free coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.

If you come in for a conference, you get a free beverage. We’re more than happy to make you some tea or hot cocoa.Otherwise, you can get a voucher for a free coffee at Common Grounds. After all, all great conversations happen over a warm beverage!

5. We hold a weekly talk with cool professors & free food.

The Writing Center hosts Tuesday Tea in the Richter Room of the Library every week from 4:00- 5:00 PM. You can stop by the Writing Center to see which professor will be visiting us on Tuesday. Attending Tuesday Tea is a great way to meet a lot of interesting professors and eat some great snacks!

6. We hold fun and unique event

From time to time, the Writing Center likes to host some fun events for our fellow word nerds. This academic year we’ve celebrated International Pronouns Day by making buttons, decorated cookies on International Punctuation Day, and we’ve held a Transcribe-a- thon of Civil Rights Documents.

7. It helps to talk an assignment out with a fellow student.

Even if you think you know what you’re doing for an assignment, talking to someone else always helps! By allowing a fellow student  to look at your paper, you can hear new ideas and gain a new perspective on your assignment. It also ensures that your paper makes sense to other people who don’t share your same thought process.
8. We always have an interesting question on the white board.

Come in and answer the random question on the white board. However, you must be prepared to see quirky and sarcastic responses.

9. We have couches and chairs that are seriously comfortable.

Sick of sitting at a desk chair? We’ve got you covered.

10. We are part of a long Coe tradition. 

Coe is one of the largest undergraduate student-run writing centers in the country. We have a long tradition of research and a reputation for excellence. Come be a part of the tradition by having a conference!

Late Nights in the CWC

This semester, I elected to take a 3 hour block of time, 9 PM to 12 AM, on Sunday evenings. Last semester, I only had busy shifts, weeknight evenings in the realm of 7-9 PM, so I thought I would split the load and take a quieter shift. How has that gone for me? Wellll.....   

This is my brain during these shifts when I'm working on homework and no one comes in. Why is this? Wouldn't the expectation be on a quiet shift be that with the odds of a client coming in lower, your concentration can be 100% focused on your homework and you'd have a greater concentration? Perhaps, but that doesn't have to be the case! Even though we sometimes complain about being busy during a shift and that we hate multitasking because we're bad at it... 

...we're better than we give ourselves credit for! When my shifts were all busy, I had a laser-sharp focus on what I was doing, because I wanted to complete high quality work in the time I had, and the key is that I never knew how much time I would have. On a quiet shift, I can afford to slack because the odds of it hindering my work are slim. On a busy weekday night, this isn't the case. So although quiet shifts are nice, and theoretically should result in more completed work, is that really the case? I don't think so!