My first days in the Center

As my first hour interning in the Center approached, I was not nervous at all. I have contemplated and planned on being a part of the Center for about two years now, so it seems natural to finally become a part of it. I remember my first visit to the Center: I was required to go in to talk about an Environmental Health paper about controversial DDT usage. I had no idea what this so-called Writing Center was, only that I needed to emerge with proof of my visit after my consultation, in order to get full credit for my paper. Instead, I came away with much more than proof. I loved the idea of the Center, and the feeling of community inside. The employees there were friendly with me, and friendly with each other. Little did I know that I actually had a chance to become a permanent part of that community.
Now, two years later, I am a consultant at the Writing Center! No, I haven’t had consultations yet, (although I can’t wait to get started with them), but I have a name badge, and I’m starting to feel like I have finally found my home on campus. My first hour in the Center was on Tuesday, (September 1st). I walked in to see smiling and somewhat familiar faces, and got another short tour of the Center. I even had my own mailbox—now I am legit!

I am humored by my initial idea of what a writing center is as compared to what I now believe it to be. I have come a long way, (and keep in mind that I still have a long way to go, so bare with me as I try to define a center). Last week, we started diving into readings about what a center is. It is not necessarily a resource for those who take a very passive approach to their writing, (although I certainly hope I have a chance to inspire those “types” to be more engaged in their work). More specifically, a writing center is a place for any writer, of any skill level, to talk to people who know writing, who care about writing, and who know how to talk about writing, at any stage. I love the principle that a writing center is a place for anyone who writes. It’s very welcoming and the possibilities are endless, both for the writers themselves and the consultants that work with them.

As I sat at the desk, sorting through old files, erasing old names, and throwing out old information sheets, I overheard a little bit of a consultation. I only heard bits and pieces of it, but that was enough to excite me. The man who came in said he wanted “another set of eyes” to go over his short, one-page paper. You could tell he was eager to work on his writing, and he was very grateful, before and after the consultation. It’s people like that who I most look forward to working with. However, there is something appealing to me about the “crash and burn” consultations, the ones that are resistant or uninterested, because those ones have so much potential to change someone’s perspective, or better yet, inspire them to write as I have been inspired. I want to share my love for the written word, and help everyone see that they all have important things to say, and there are people who will listen!