New SFUAD Writing Center

Posted by Andrew Koss in Creative Writing

There is much work to be done to beautify Alexis Hall before SFUAD’s new Writing Center opens on Sept. 21. Gone is the impressive work that papered the walls in the former home of the Graphic Design department. A few colorful traces remain on the surfaces of furniture and tile floors. When the department made its move to Fogelson library, the space was offered to the Creative Writing department to transform into a hub for tutoring and writing. The space will be shared by Hideki Nakazono’s tutoring staff and the Creative Writing program.

Hideki Nakazono, full-time faculty member in charge of the Writing Center. Photo by Christy Marshall

Nakazono scratches red paint off a desk in a small office within the Writing Center. “We’re probably going to put a new table in here,” he says. “This one’s got some personality.” He raises his arms and frames an imaginary poster on the wall. “I think we’ll get some of those cheat sheets to hang here.”

He corrects himself, “Not cheat sheets. Tip sheets. The ones with common writing mistakes. We’ll have some writerly-type stuff like that. Right now it’s tabula rasa.”

Several couches of red and gray sit in the front lounge, the extent of the current furnishing. “I donated that one,” Nakazono says, pointing at the sofa by the door. “We want people to feel comfortable visiting the Writing Center. We’re going to do a few more cosmetic things to make the space more welcoming. Now it’s like, ‘Is this building open? Are we supposed to be in here?’”

The idea for the Writing Center began last semester when several students individually approached Creative Writing Chairman Matt Donovan about the desire for a unique space for the department. They mentioned that Creative Writing was one of the few departments that did not have such an environment for its students. That planted the seed in Donovan’s head. When SFUAD President Larry Hinz mentioned to him in May that the Graphic Design department would be moving to the library, discussions began for Creative Writing to expand into Alexis Hall. “The administration immediately got it,” Donovan says. “They understood the need and the possibilities for our department.”

Matt Donovan, chairman of the Creative Writing department, in the new SWA room in the Writing Center. Photo by Christy Marshall

The Writing Center will act as a space for Creative Writing students to get away from distractions elsewhere on campus. Nakazono gestures toward one of the side rooms in the back of the building. “This is where you write your novel,” he says. Donovan affectionately refers to these rooms as nooks. While the entire building is hard wired with internet connectivity and includes Wi-Fi access, the Creative Writing rooms are incapable of receiving a wireless signal. Donovan feels that the lack of Wi-Fi is actually a good thing. “If students are coming in to write, it will be one less distraction they have to deal with. They won’t be tempted to surf the web or go on Facebook and they can always step outside if they need to do some research.”

Students will be able to sign up for what Donovan calls, “a quiet place reserved for the art of writing and the distillation of work.” The Student Writers Association (SWA) plans to utilize the Creative Writing rooms for writing exercises as part of its regular meetings. Decoration of the Writing Center has been taken on as a joint project between Creative Writing faculty and SWA. “I think it’s going to be a really great addition to our department,” says SWA board member Amaya Hoke. “Our program has been growing rapidly, but we haven’t been able to expand our space until now.” Hoke says she hopes the department can utilize Alexis Hall to help grow and develop the writing community with all of the new students. A small room behind the computer labs will serve as a space for SWA meetings. In the past, SWA held its meetings and events in the O’Shaughnessy Performance Space in Benildus Hall. “I’m looking forward to having a space for our events without worrying about scheduling around the music department.”

Amaya Hoke, board member of SWA. Photo by Christy Marshall

Student work from past SWA events will be incorporated into the space. Hoke hesitates to elaborate further, as she wants to keep a few surprises for students. SWA provided Matt Donovan with a list of items to help give the space some atmosphere. “I like that there’s been student feedback on what would make the space student friendly,” Donovan says. “So far I’ve purchased artwork, couches, rugs, posters and books.” Donovan also asked Creative Writing faculty to recommend some indispensable books to him for writers to refer to at the Writing Center.

A bank of eight Mac computers are set to arrive in coming weeks as part of a new movement to assist students in accessing alternative venues for their writing. Creative Writing faculty member Julia Goldberg will be teaching a class in spring of 2016 geared toward helping writers become more comfortable with digital platforms and online publications. Donovan calls it a “21^st century way of engaging with the work.”

The computers from the Fogelson Library lab can now be found lining rows of room-length tables in the Writing Center. The back rooms of Alexis have been converted into two computer labs for classroom study. Nakazono coordinates booking the rooms, which will be used mostly for Writing Roundtable classes. “We have an in-depth research unit where we go over information literacy,” Nakazono says. After discussing research methods with his students for a few classes, he plans to take them into the labs to practice the skills for themselves. The unit includes identifying credible, scholarly sources that are both academic and peer-reviewed. Nakazono hopes that after completing these classes, students will feel more comfortable doing research and be able to do it on their own. When the computer labs are not occupied by scheduled classes, they will be open for student use as they had been in the past in Fogelson Library.

Alexis Hall Writing Center future writing lab for Creative Writing majors. Photo by Christy Marshall

One of the key functions of the Writing Center is to provide students with a more formal method of tutoring. The Center is open to all students who need help with their writing, regardless of their major or subject matter. Tutoring used to take place in a looser format in Fogelson Library. After the accreditation visit last semester, it was suggested that SFUAD set up a more comprehensive system to assist students with their compositions. Nakazono, who spent six semesters working at the Writing Center at Colorado State University, was the perfect candidate to run SFUAD’s Writing Center. “We don’t fix papers,” says Nakazono. “We’re not an editing service. What we do is identify issues that can use improvement.” In other words, tutors won’t be giving their students the fish, they’ll be teaching them how to fish. This includes assistance with organizing thesis statements, citing sources and mastering rules of grammar.

Tutoring will primarily take place with part-time Writing Center consultant, Robert Sobel, a recent graduate of St. John’s College. Nakazono will also take part in a limited number of sessions. “I’ll be assisting from time to time,” he says. “Just enough to keep my finger on the pulse of the program.” The more times a student visits, the more beneficial it will be. Repeated work with tutors means less time will need to be spent identifying issues and the students can work more efficiently.

Robert Sobel, PT Writing Center consultant. Photo by Christy Marshall

Bethany Windham and Marina Woollven are just two of many students who will be helping out as tutors in the Writing Center. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the other students teach me,” Windham says. “I know a lot about writing, but everyone has a little something up their sleeve. I might be able to take something from them for my own writing.” Windham, a sophomore Design Tech major, is minoring in Creative Writing. “Writing is a secret passion of mine,” Windham says. “I like writing because paper can’t complain. Sometimes, when you’re having a rough day, your friends might tell you to just get over it. But paper’s like, ‘Come on. Tell me more.’”

Senior Creative Writing major Marina Woollven served as a tutor last year in Fogelson Library. She says she feels a lot more comfortable with the new structure. “When I was in the library, I was really left to my own devices and instincts. Under this program, there’s going to be more direction. The school is going to tell us what they want the students to get from us. I think it’s going to be a lot better for the tutors and the students.”

In order to schedule time with a tutor, students will need to register via the Writing Center website. Login information is not synced up with current SFUAD screen names and passwords, so a new login will need to be created, though students are welcome to use the same login information they use for their student portal. Blocks of time may be reserved in one-hour increments, Monday through Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled up to two weeks in advance.

The Writing Center opens on Sept. 21. Details are forthcoming on a small gathering to help mark the opening, but Donovan says that it may include some light snacks. “The facility will be a work in progress. We’ll continue to hear feedback from students on how we can improve the Center.”