Sustainability!

So I have to write this paper for geology about sustainable living. You know, "going green" and low carbon footprints and all that jazz.

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In the world of 2009, the pursuit of “green” seems to seek out and infest every sector of our lives. What if I want a new car? The tide of the times urges me to “go green”. And if I want a new toilet? The tide remains constant. Even in line at the grocery store we are presented with the cursory choice to take up our cloth shopping bags and fight for the good of the environment. How do we know that “going green” isn’t just the next buzzword to come out of a marketing machine, but is instead a legitimate chance to preserve a clean Earth? A mixture of common sense and hard science provide us the backbone for the green agenda. Yes, there are alarmists who spout environmental boilerplate ad nauseum, but what does it matter if the end is relatively quick or relatively slow; an end is an end–and this one is avoidable. It is easy to imagine filling one’s own home with trash until it is a noxious hole. It is also easy to envision eating all of the food from one’s refrigerator and then having none left. However, applying these simple concepts to a global scale baffles most minds. How could the Earth be so large and not be limitless? It defies logic for one person to think his actions make any real impact, and in a world with only one person, they wouldn’t. Applied to billions of people, however, it becomes quite a pickle. So how do we motivate people on that scale to change their thinking? Maybe a good buzzword is what we need after all.

More Pics from National Day on Writing

More National Day on Writing Pics

First National Day on Writing!

The Learning Center's own Sarah Cook put together the decorations to celebrate October 20th, the first National Day on Writing. Here are some photos of the event!

Bright banners announce the day to students wending their way through construction

OU-C students get involved by letting us know their thoughts on writing, whether it be how writing allows them to communicate with the rest of the human race... or whether it simply causes their hands to cramp :)

More post-cards to come in the following blog entry!

Twilight?

In my ENG356 course (Young Adult Literature with Dr. Schmittauer), we are given an article a week for which we have to write a blog response. This week's article (found here) is about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.

I have a confession. No, I do not love the Twilight series. In fact, my confession is this: I have refused to read Twilight so that I can maintain my prideful sense of superiority over those that love it. Awful, right? I actually considered reading it for the same reason that Kellen Rice, the author of this article, says she did (to see what all the hype was about). But I abandoned the idea rather quickly when I realized that I might actually end up liking the books. Then what superiority could I cling to? I would have nothing left.

Thankfully, Kellen Rice has saved me the trouble and stroked my ego in one sarcastic and sharply-written article for Blast Magazine. But, as an Literature major and future Library Science student, I am starting to wonder if I should read them anyway. I'd really rather not.

How about you? Twilight: Love it or hate it? Should I feel a sense of obligation to read the series?

Happy Columbus Day?

Christine Armario from the Associated Press covers an interesting story today:
The Darker Side of Columbus Emerges in the US Classroom.

Thoughts?

Writing Contest Announced!

mad-lib blogging :)

1. adjective
2. noun
3. noun
4. gerund
5. adjective
6. adverb
7. infinitive

Working in the writing center has been a [1] experience for me. I've learned a great deal of information about [2] and [3] definitely improved my [4] skills. I've met some [5] people in my short tenure here, and I [6] hope [7].

Getting in the groove...

Well, I have now been working in the Writing Lab for about three weeks and all is going well. I've had some difficult tutoring sessions, and some that went like a breeze. Before I had my first tutee I was a little nervous about what to expect, or about how I should handle certain situations. But the guidelines given about the Writing Center's goals have really been helpful. Keeping in mind the "big picture" goal of helping students become better writers (vs. helping them get a good grade on one paper) is a guideline that is really helping me to remained focused on what I am doing here, and why I work in the Writing Center.

There is something extremely satisfying about helping someone. That may sound like a "duh" statement, but as I get older I am finding it to be increasingly true for me. Having someone come in completely confused about an assignment, unsure of themselves, and fearful of bad grades, and then helping them focus on their own goal and leave the Writing Center feeling confident and purposeful is very satisfying.

All the people that work here are great. This is my last quarter before I graduate (YAY!) but I'm finding myself wishing that I had started working here earlier in my OU-C career. But hey... graduation is graduation, right? I'm still looking forward to getting out of here, even though I know I will enjoy the time that I have left.

Working for me

Working in the WC is, and has always been, an experience. I think this year's experience is an improvement over last year's. The new computers (especially the Smartboard) help so much. Communication between everyone seems to have improved tremendously. Plus, I always love to see all the new faces that come with a new Freshman class.

The number off English classes is up, and we have been busy for most of this past week. I prefer to be busy tutoring when I'm here. So far, everyone I've worked with has left with a smile and seems eager to learn.

To date, this year is working for me.

Uno, Dos, Tres

10:16am and there's only coffee. I'm still hoping that an Iced Tea Maker will find it's way to our fishbowl shores sometime before Christmas, but who's to say what lies ahead. My LC experience this quarter has been staccato at best. I have only helped one person, and that wasn't even during my shift. A last-minute barrage of tutees overwhelmed Julie amid an evening lull and I happened to be around. This sort of flexibility is something that makes the LC a casual and enjoyable environment.

What do you think...?

Have any of you heard about the uproar regarding President Obama's speech to students? If not, here's the link for most of the speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js-5nAOPDtY

Evidently, there is/was a huge uproar. There were parents who refused to let their kids watch it in school. Some people are calling it "propaganda" and an attempt to play "Big Brother" to American students.

Let me know what you all think! This will make for an interesting debate...

Back Again!

I hope everyone enjoyed the brief time off! I know I was able to breathe and catch up on some needed rest! However, it wasn't long enough for me to recover from my burn-out.

I must say that I feel like our training helped me a lot. I think I have a better overall understanding of what our focus must be during sessions. After the hardcore training and time afterward to reflect, I think I'll be able to enter tutoring sessions with more clarity and perhaps a bit more confidence than before. Hopefully I'll be able to help other students more and more as time progresses.

WELCOME FALL 2009

What an exciting time to be in education!

Hundreds of thousands of people are headed back to school this fall,
and we, here in at OU-C's Writing Center, are a part of that history.

Sipping my vanilla nut coffee this morning, I began to wonder:

how will my own work contribute to an educated, democratic society?

My first day in the Writing Center

Hello! My name is Julie, and I am one of the new Writing Center tutors for this fall. I am a senior here at OU-C, and am in the BSS program, majoring in Literature and Communications. I will graduate after Fall Quarter, and I plan on going on to grad school for Library Science. In the mean time, I am really looking forward to working here and helping my fellow students improve their processes for writing papers. I have helped Dr. Kasbekar with tutoring her students over the last couple of quarters and have thoroughly enjoyed it, so coming here to the Writing Center seems like a natural transition for me.

Today was the third day of orientation for the Writing tutors, but my first day. I missed the first two days of orientation because I was just hired yesterday afternoon. Today, we covered some interesting topics--dealing with biases, research methods (with Head Librarian Allan Pollchik), tips for engaging tutees, and the like.

Thanks to Debra Nichols for this opportunity, and thanks for all of the veteran Writing Tutors for welcoming me into the group. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you better!

Howdy!

Hey, all :)

Okay, so day 3 of training is behind us. I feel like I got a lot out of our sessions. While covering Caleb's shift today, I had a tutee come in, and I was able to remember some of the things we discussed--i.e., "Why?" I found myself focusing more on fleshing the paper out than on grammar, which I had been getting bad about. I would love a full-time job as an editor or proof-reader, but alas.

Ankle is throbbing. Can't wait to go home and prop my feet up, snuggle my kitties, then watch some Spock on Star Trek. :D

Day Two: Online Training & Best Practices

Was it just me, or was training today a ride on the Vortex?

Thankfully, Jenn Slone popped in and shared her vision in regards to the online tutoring she helped to create last Winter quarter. Although the piloting program wasn't, er, exactly successful, I guess we have identified some of the gut-plunges (to keep up with the roller-coaster metaphor). I do agree that our current route is simply too wordy in the instructions and potentially overwhelming for technologically-naive students--we may be back at the first rail, but we have more experience now to develop something more useful in the future . . .

I was so glad to have the sample papers from McClain's class--the explication of "Daddy" matched up very well with our student's "Snake" paper. I need to publicize more often how intellectually you folks approach your work--working with you on identifying "Best Practices" was a fantastic conversation. I especially liked Caleb's observation that we will be "doing less, just more intensely"--which is just what we need.

Finally, not to be the debbie-downer, but I wish we had not ended by twisting through the "corkscrew of imbalance" in regards to the writing/math challenges of balanced work n the Center . . . one thing to keep in mind, though, is that although we all tutor, we do have different approaches and philosophies to it. I'm sure we can learn from each other as we continue to work side-by-side this year.

So there! Here's our Blog for All today. Enjoy your evenings!

Learning Center URL

Anyone have ideas for what a good url would be? "www.ouclearningcenter.com" or maybe "www.learnatouc.com" or something.

Anyway, here is the link to the template I chose for our prospective website.

Thoughts?

WC Training: Day One

I think today's training really got me in the mode to learn more about becoming a better tutor. I enjoyed the discussion and stories among the group. The article we reviewed today, written by William Macauley Jr., provided some great ways to mentally organize the path of a session as well as to bring focus to a student's assignment. Setting an agenda for a session also allows the tutor and tutee to get and remain on the same page. I plan on giving this strategy a shot by implementing it in future sessions.

In my opinion, today's training was successful. I was stimulated and thought critically about our work here as writing tutors. I look forward to the rest of our training.

Welcome to Fall Training and Orientation 2009

Welcome back! Fall presents such a terrific opportunity to begin a fresh and envision an exciting future.

Here at the Writing Center, we value your return, peer tutors, and your commitment to providing quality writing support, freely, to OU-C's students. The university is certainly lucky to have you on board!

As we wrap up the first day of our training, would you give us some of your thoughts on the up & coming Fall quarter? What are your hopes and/or concerns for the Center? What advice would you give to a freshman who might stumble across this page? And/or, more specifically, what did you find useful from, say, MaCauley's chapter on "Setting the Agenda" or Cristy Null's visit?

Book Review: "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar

A Beautiful Mind

"A legend by the age of thirty, recognized as a mathematical genius even as he slipped into madness, John Nash emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim." ~ from cover of book

Though not a good selection for someone looking for a quick and light read, A Beautiful Mind is an intense biography of John F. Nash, Jr., a mathematician who rubbed elbows with the likes of John von Neumann and Albert Einstein. His arrogance was outweighed by his eccentric genius, which eventually won him a Nobel Prize in economics.

Before this award, however, Nash slowly lost his grip with reality and, by his thirties, fell into full-blown schizophrenia.

I have no particular interest in the field of mathematics. Nevertheless, I found this biography fascinating and poignant despite its occasional slow parts. Perhaps because biographies/autobiographies deal with the lives of real people, I overlook the "slow parts" by simply remembering that I am a voyeur into someone's life. Now that I have read the book, I have added the movie starring Russell Crowe to the top of my Netflix queue :)

Contest Ideas

If we continue the writing contest next year,
what ideas do you have for topics and themes???

Happy Belated B-Day Blog!

Our blog was officially ONE on July 7th!

YeAh uS!

Winner of the Spring Writing Contest

A warm congratulations goes out to Sarah Cook for winning the Spring Writing Contest, LMAO: Writing with Humor.

Her piece "Monday's Misstep," as well as the other finalist from this year, will be available to read electronically soon. Stay tuned!

Happening Now: The Learning Center's Discussion About Music Genres

I understand that people naturally have different tastes and opinions. What I don't understand is how people (who claim to be open-minded) close themselves off completely to entire genres of music. Especially people who are "musicians" or say they are "musically savvy" say things like, "I don't like Corporate Rock." It seems that these people say these things because they are trying to differ from the mainstream. A classic phrase that I hear a lot is, "I like everything but Country." Grrr... Pet peeve!

I always express that I judge music on a song-by-song basis. I try not to judge a song by its genre. Obviously I have styles of music that I tend to like more than others, but I try to give each song a chance. I think over-generalizations are annoying--even when it comes to music!!!

How to Give a Cat a Pill

Got this in an email a few years back. I've just re-discovered it and thought I'd share!

HOW TO GIVE A CAT A PILL

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill inside. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by the cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in the end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow pill down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door on neck; leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey to compress to cheek to disinfect. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for SPCA to collect 'mutant cat from hell' and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.



HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL

1. Wrap pill in bacon.

2. Toss it into the air.

(Blog Jar) I saw the funniest thing...

it was my purple-tinted face in the reflection of the aerobic room mirrors while doing pilates!

When I leave OU-C, I will best be known for...

The lucky topic that I drew out of the blog jar...

When I leave OU-C (will that EVER happen!?) I think I will be known for several things. Obviously not everyone here knows me; I don't think I'll be leaving this institution as a legacy. However, those who are fortunate enough to have been graced by my presence (toot, toot) will most likely remember my perfectionistic, ever-enduring work ethic. Perhaps they will remember my sometimes unhealthy, passionate, borderline-obsessive, frantic attempt to tackle assignments. On a personal level, I think I will be known for my deeply caring attitude and for wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Positive, negative, or somewhere in between, I think these qualities are some that are most striking about my personality. In my time left here, I hope that I will make a deep enough impression on someone so that I will "be known" for something!

Grand Finale

Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, June 10th, at 3:00 pm.

Bring edible yummies!

Random English 151 Sentence--Mid-Paragraph

"I like everything from tacos to lasagna which shows how I do not believe in discrimination through race, ethnicity or religion."

Of Whining and Websites

I was able to work all but 1 hour of my shifts this week in the library and in the Tutoring Center. Feels good to be back, but I don't have all my strength back yet. I seem to get tired SO easily! (That's why I am minus one hour in the library--I begged Allan to let me go home a little early on Thursday because I was so tired I was goofy.)

Several times in the past week I have slept well over 12 hours. Last night I slept 13, and though I woke up feeling energized at last, it waned before too long.

I guess I'd forgotten how much being moderately ill really takes it out of you. It's been awhile since I've been really ill, and stupid me tried to fight it off on my own--hence the slow recovery, I'm sure.

Thankfully the antibiotics have been doing their job. I'm feeling MUCH better, and the cough is gone. Once I get my strength back up, I'll be good as new.


Now, to stop whining about myself, I thought I'd share a nifty-cool website with you all. This may be of interest to those of you who are bibliophiles. The website is called LibraryThing, and its address is simple: www.librarything.com. Basically, it is a virtual bookshelf. It doesn't store ebooks or anything like that, but it lets you keep track of books you have read, are reading, or want to read. You can write reviews and read the review of others. You can add friends and comment on other people's profile pages, add your own tags to your books, and more!

Basically, if you love books and have an obsessive-compulsive complex with organization, this website is PERFECT for you!

Yuck & Blah

I was felt yucky and blah today. I think I figured out why. I didn't have anything to do. That is amazing. I think my body and mind were perplexed and didn't know what to do. It is an odd feeling when I am used to going...and going...and going. A free day made me feel all funny inside. So, in my free moment I blogged.

Blog Jar: I wish I could change....

....the religious tolerance of people living in this area.

....the lack of appreciation for knowledge and intellect in rural areas such as ours.

....piracy laws.

....drug laws.

I realized, at the onset of beginning this blog post, that all of the things I desire to change are BIG issues, issues that will no doubt label me an atheist, an elitist, a pirate, and a druggie.

When I vocalized my concerns to those in the Writing Center with me as I began this post, Dr. Knight said, "Wow. It's amazing that you aim for such big things. Most people would respond to that (blog prompt) with things they'd like to change about themselves."

The thing is, if there are things about myself which I desire to change, I know fully well that I have the power to change them. It is issues like those listed above that require the voices of many to make a difference.

Recently, I became very enveloped in the Southeastern High School graduation debate. A pagan student voiced his concerns regarding Christian prayer being led during the graduation ceremony. He felt that his religious freedoms were being trampled on because he was being forced to partake in a Christian ritual. In the end, Washington groups contacted the school and told them that the student was correct, and that holding a Christian prayer during the ceremony would, indeed, be in violation of the Constitution.

I followed the Gazette as they covered this story, and I found myself arguing with fundamentalists on the paper's web forums, and realizing how very uneducated many of our local residents are. Those who spoke out against the student's debate called him a "spoiled brat" and said that he should be ashamed of himself and that all of the audience at the graduation should turn their back on him when he walks up to obtain his diploma. The fundamentalist Christians who reacted against the board's decision to forego the prayer at the ceremony did so emotionally, without thinking about the issue intelligently. I was both disgusted by the religious hate on the forums and proud of the religion-tolerant people who were willing to support the boy and his efforts to bring equality to the opressed within his school district.

What this story taught me is that we have a lot of educating to do in this area if we expect to change any of the things I've listed above. I know that a lot of "change" is happening as we speak. I'm confident that our new administration is doing a great deal to combat the willful ignorance that has plaqued our country for so long. I'm not saying I'm a fan of what Obama is doing for piracy, however. Appointing one anti-piracy attorney after another to his team of administrators particularly disheartens me.

So, label me what you will based on this post. I'll continue fighting for truth and knowledge, and I'll hold my breath while those who oppose it die off!

Thought I'd Share This Odd Dream With You...

I'm not sure exactly where the dream began, but I know that I was ill and came to the Tutoring Center to be sure that someone had covered my shift for me. Sarah was at a computer but didn't know I needed the shift covered. When I mentioned it, she said, "I'd be happy for those hours," and I replied, "They're still available if you want them." She agreed.

My mind was put at ease at least for that. In the library, there was some construction going on. They were re-doing the break room and back office area. I told Allan that I wouldn't be at work this evening.

Next thing I know, I'm back in the Tutoring Center, still hanging around even though I wasn't supposed to be working. Leona was there, too, and she was going to help Sarah cover my shift.

Suddenly I'm driving on Liberty Hill, and I see a desolate old building nearly overgrown with weeds, and the architectural style looked just like Bennett Hall, except that it wasn't as wide as Bennett Hall. I tried to read the carving above the door, but I couldn't make out the words; I made a point to ask Allan if OU-C used to be in a different location.

Then I'm back in the Tutoring Center. There are some students there being very loud. Substitute teacher mode kicked in, and I scolded them all for being too noisy when we're supposed to make it "an environment condusive to learning." They quieted down, but then got loud again. I got loud again, too ^_^ Second time's the charm, apparently.

Then one of the construction workers from the library came over and asked if we wanted a television installed. Some people heartily agreed; a few other tutors and I said no, that it would be too distracting.

Finally I went home. Sitting in my car in the driveway, I felt something under my right arm. At first it looked like a piece of lint, but when I pulled it out, it was a dead goldfish--all decayed and skeletal. I shuddered and threw it to the ground... then I noticed its gills were still moving faintly. I thought, "There's no way that thing can still be alive... nothing like that should be alive." I was trying to work up the courage to finish it off when it began to rain. The water re-hydrated the fish, and it soon swelled into a plump, healthy-looking fish. I began looking for a bucket so that I could put it back in some water.

----------

At that point I woke up.

Oddness, though... I just found my betta dead upon waking. Spooooooky! (Don't worry, it wasn't under my arm!)

Grr...

I wish students would not bring their sick kids to campus with them. I tutored a student for 45 minutes last week while her sick child hacked all over me. Needless to say, I was sick the next day... AND I'VE BEEN SICK FOR A WEEK SINCE!

*makes throttling motions*

For the sake of the sick kid AND everyone else, leave them at home!

Comments: The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring (specifically on-line tutoring)

Well, all of my issues have been validated! Wow, does that feel good. There is a section in Chapter 12 that focuses on on-line tutoring. The main point that jumped off the page to me is "Papers with lots of error are best handled in a face-to-face session. Don't hesitate to say that" AND "It's hard to do an error analysis on-line. The tempation will be to edit" (165). So, so true. I think that ENG 150 is not the place to be piloting an on-line tutoring program.

Blog Jar: "My dream job..."

I've had so many different dream jobs---I mean, I've dreamed of them but not actually had them.

When I was about 12, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist.

By 12 1/2, I wanted to be a photographer with National Geographic so that I could travel the world. (I still love photography and I still want to travel the world.)

By 16 I wanted to be a novelist.

By 18, I didn't know what the hell I wanted to be.

I'll be 30 in three months, and while I never accomplished these dream jobs, different aspects of them still are with me. I adore photography and am saving up for a digital SLR, with which I hope to do some psuedo-professional art (I sold my first photograph a little more than a year ago!). Though I've not been overseas, I still have gotten a decent amount of travelling done in this country. I love to write and hope to one day get something published. ...the ocean scares me, though, so I don't know what started that Marine Biologist kick.

I am more than halfway through my master's degree, which will allow me to get a job that I feel will be good for me. This job will allow me to be my own boss, put my OCD organizing skills to use, and to work in an isolated and cold room for hours on end.

This, my friends, is the life of an archivist.

I've been volunteering for OSU and working several hours per week in their archives. I adore it.

So my most recent dream job is something that I'll actually (hopefully) be doing soon.


(And I'll moonlight as a photographer and novelist, of course.)

Blog Jar: "My Dream Vacation"

This is easy. GREECE!

But I'm more picky than that. I do not want to go during the summer when it is hot, when the tourists outnumber the natives. Brandi no like heat. Brandi no like lots of people.

I would like to go to Greece in late autumn, or even in the dead of winter. Southern Greece would still be fairly mild, and northern Greece would have sheets of snow and ice. Oh, how I would love to see the black sands of Santorini as the cool waters of the Mediterranean lapped at my bare feet... How I would love to walk around Demeter's "birthplace" of Eleusis... How I would adore going to Athens and meet my friend Martha...

I can't wait for the day when I can put a Greek stamp in my passport and can put into practice my pathetic Greek vocabulary. Just thinking about it fills me with wanderlust!

Meeting Free Write

I am officially the big 30! So....I'm going to attempt to "live my life like it's golden." This is a lyric from a song entitled Golden by Jill Scott.

I blogged, so therefor I am...
being a good tutor.

Following My Own Advice... Outlines!

I am the type of student who works well under pressure, who waits until the pressure of the ticking clock becomes nearly unendurable before I truly set to work to finish a paper.

As a writer, I let the blinking cursor on the screen lead me to whatever weave of the tale comes next.

Aaaaand these things lead to problems. Sometimes I stress myself out over a paper that I waited too long on. And with my writing? I've barely made progress in a story I've had in my head for several years now.

When a student comes in with the need to brainstorm for ideas, I always tell that person that an outline is a good idea. An outline is the skeleton of your paper--all it does is support the frame and tell you where all the pieces go. What you fill in from there is the flesh that will finally create the whole body of your paper.

But then I think, "Wow, why don't I follow my own advice?" How hippocritical of me to lecture about outlines when I don't make them either?

So I've decided to start creating outlines. At least for my creative writing. I'm starting with a general one, then I'll add detail until I have a mini-outline created for each separate chapter. And you know what? A lot of pieces fell into place with the plot that I've been struggling with for the past three years.

I'm really excited for summer break. Though I'll still be working at one place or another--I hope!--I won't be taking any classes until fall. That will leave me with three months to play with these outlines and start doing some creative writing again. I even brought along a binder to work today, one which had been buried in a box and contains all the old notes for my story. It was such a treat--sometimes a cringe-worthy one--to read some of my old scribbles. Re-reading old notes also cast long-forgotten ideas back into the forefront of my mind.

After an overlong respite, my muse is starting to stir again. (I think that might account for my having, what, three posts now in as many days?) And all because I decided to work with an outline.

Sometimes stubbornness does not pay off.

(But sometimes it does!)

Friday Meeting Free Write

What is beautiful in my life?

Right now in my life there is beauty in the learning processes that I am going through. Of course the process of my formal education is great, but I'm talking about my personal journey...

I am in a phase where I am constantly contemplating what it is that I want out of this blink we call life--what is truly important to me. I realize more and more each day just how short my time here is. Things that I used to stress about (and still do to some extent) are the things that I am teaching myself to let go. This is a very difficult but very freeing experience. I am learning self-acceptance; that I'm not a superwoman, although I am a super woman.

Being a newlywed, I am learning things about my husband that one can only know by living under the same roof with a spouse. Not only do I know what his "roses really smell like, ooh ooh ooh..." but I am learning how to compromise in ways that I never dreamed of.

In the past five months, I have watched my brand new nephew, Ahston Jordan Gilbert grow and change in the most fascinating ways. Never have I been so close to a baby before. He is in the beginnings of rolling over. His smile lights up his face. He has blue-gray eyes curtained by thick eyelashes. People say babies all look alike, but I could pick this little man out of a million! It makes me want one of my own so badly, but I'll just kidnap him for a while until we're ready.

What is beautiful in my life?
Looking at a pile of dirty clothes and sometimes forcing myself to sleep instead of doing them, arguments over who left the lights on, getting to hold a precious baby boy without having to change mountains of poopy diapers...
What isn't beautiful in my life?

What to write about?

So many things have been going on lately, within my own personal life and here at the LC. I often find myself distracted by the least little thing. I want to know where all the tutees have gone. Hello!!!!???? Anyone out there???? I'd really like to help you with your writing skills! I'd much rather be helping a student than blogging. No offense to those who love to blog. Peace out peeps!

From the Blog Jar: "I have one grammatical pet-peeve..."

Actually, I have at least two grammatical pet-peeves.

First, alright. "Alright" drives me up the wall. Any dictionary will tell you that "alright" is the incorrect spelling of "all right." All right. Two words.

Eventually the masses will force a change upon the dictionary, causing "all right" to become obsolete and "alright" to be the norm. Anything is possible. After all, I saw "thru" used last week in an online news article, and no, it wasn't for "drive-thru" either.

*shudder*

Anyway, until "alright" becomes all right, I will continue to spread the word. ALL RIGHT?!


Next, everyday vs. every day. Two different styles. One is an adverb, one is an adjective. And they are NOT interchangeable.

First, the adverb. An adverb modifies a verb or another adverb. Example: "I really seriously do not like this." This person seriously DOES not like. See? The "seriously" goes with a verb. Also, the "really" modifies the "seriously," and since we have already established that "seriously" is an adverb, we can say that "really" is an adverb, too, because it is modifying another adverb.

"I wear these shoes every day." How do you wear them? Every day. You're explaining how you wear them, or when you wear them... you're explaining a VERB. To wear. Because of this, "every day" is an adverb. Actually, 2 adverbs stuck together. Which day? Every day. What about the day? That's when I wear my shoes.

Every Day = adverb.


Now, the adjective. An adjective describes a noun or pronoun. The tall man, the green grass, the everyday shoes.

This time, "every day" becomes "everyday." You're not describing the VERB of wearing them any more; now you are describing the NOUN--the shoes. "These are my everyday shoes. I wear them every day."


I know, English is a strange and untamed beast. But I have a whip and a 3-legged stool, so it is my job to take control of it.


I am the lion tamer.

I am the tiger trainer.

I am...
...the English Tutor.


(A little dramatic? Sorry :)

Morning Freewrite / What is beautiful in my life?

My daughter, Gracie, is the most beautiful, precious thing in my life.

When I find it hard to smile, I think of her.

She's the motivation behind my waking up every morning.

She's my pride and joy, even though it's cliche to say so.

I want to teach her so much about life, but, inevitably, she's the one who teaches me.

She teaches me how to be compassionate,
how to have fun at all costs,
how to make every day "The Best Day Ever,"
and how to beat every Lego superhero game known to man.

She's starting kindergarten this year, and I'm not going to be naive enough to say I won't cry.

My beautiful, precious girl is growing up. That's definitely reason enough to smile.

Blog Ideas

In light of our morning discussion regarding blog topics, I did a little research (Okay, it only involved Googling "blog ideas," but, hey, I did it!) and discovered this nice page with a zillion blog ideas. Not necessarily "ideas" as in topics, but "ideas" as in ways to write blogs and use them to your advantage.

And for a more light-hearted approach to "topics," look here.

Ah, I write in here more than I thought I did!

Here I thought I hadn't written anything here since my acrostic poem about Winter Quarter, but I'd forgotten about my nearly-spring-break post a few weeks ago. See, Deb? This blog isn't dead! Just... sluggish. ^_^

As promised, I am posting my free-write that came from our meeting earlier today.

Pushing myself toward my goals is something that only I can do. The situation I'm in now is not ideal, but neither is it terrible. Reminding myself that it could only be worse, I continue trudging through the snow of obstacles--sometimes ankle-deep, sometimes waist-deep--toward whatever horizon awaits me.

In the valleys and foothills to come, I hope to find peace but not complacency; rest, but not laziness; solitude, but not loneliness.

Only I can meet my future.

Links

Folks are giving me lots of links to personal blogs and sites of interest, which I am finding pretty cool!

Why not use this space to share links? If you are looking to start an online community, you may find a built-in audience here . . .

Winner of the Winter Writing Contest

Congratulations are in order for our very own Jenn Slone, who won last quarter's Writing Contest: Gaming and Its Impact on American Culture with her essay "Literacy Through Gaming: A Testimonial."

Good work, Jenn! Keep writing!

SI La Vi Spring Break

Thanks, Denver, for arranging the, erm, bowling event for last Tuesday. Having arrived a little after six and discovering that only the, um, three of us had made it, we decided to head over to BW3 for appetizers and drinks. After some BBQ nachos, we thought The Watchmen sounded interesting enough--and it just happened to be bargain Tuesday! So, after Denver and I pulled Jessica away from the lanes, we headed over to Danberry's and watched what Jessica would later dub as "soft . . ." (rhymes with corn). The Watchmen?
What do you think?

So, yeah, bowling was a bust. What about an occasional movie night?

Spring Break!

Oh, thank goodness for Spring Break.

Have any of you ever experienced these phases in new terms?:

1. All right! A new quarter/semester! I'm going to kick butt!
2. I'll do the paper later.
3. Ugh. It's only week 3?!
4. Let me DIE.
5. *walks around in zombie-like stupor for an indeterminable span of time--could be days, could be months--for time no longer has meaning*
6. Okay... I think I've found my groove.

This year has also been my first experience with semesters. A strange beast. As my OU-C classes begin a new quarter next week, my KSU classes... are still on-going. Thankfully some of them end next week due to being accelerated 10-week courses, but my Genealogy class continues on into the distance, ending somewhere beyond where the sky meets the horizon and where the tumbleweed fails to tumble.

By the smiling of the gods upon me and the aligning of the planets, spring break for OUC and KSU fall... ON THE SAME WEEK! OH EM GEE!! Break from both schools at once!!! But then realization dawns that I have a final exam and a 15-page paper due next week, so that sort of sucks the "break" out of "Spring Break."

At least I have managed my taxes, though. Usually I have them done by February, but this year the fog lay heavily upon my cognitive abilities. I would come home from class in Columbus, sitting down at last at 11:00 p.m., looking at my tax forms, and invariably this would happen:

"Okay... enter the amount from box one on line one. *deer in headlights* What's a box? What's a line? OMG! What's "one"?!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!!"

So yeah, I postponed doing them until my first day of Spring Break. (And let this be a reminder to all of you to get your taxes done!) And 1040EZs are GREAT! I love being poor, single, and child-free! Well, at least single and child-free. I'm not such a fan of being poor.

Have a great spring break, all. Sorry I couldn't make it for bowling. I was in physical pain all day :(

Tutor Bowling night

We are getting together on Tuesday evening, the 24th of March, at 6pm at Shawnee Lanes for some bowling. Come get rid of that stress that you built up over Winter quarter by knocking over a pin or ten.

Shoe rental is $2.00
Each Game per person is $3.25

I am working on getting a group discount. I'll update one way or the other.

Student sucess

Last day of the quarter. A student brings a final revision. In two sessions the paper went from a 65% at best to a 95%. Hmmmm I suppose some people do listen to us.

Writing to Learn

How can we best help student writers sort through the writing they do have to help them find out what they really want to say?

How can we help writers shape their "jumbled messes" [their own words and sometimes ours! :-)] into coherent work ready for readers?

Often, I find the juiciest, most meaningful writing in the very last paragraph of a writer's paper . . . I wonder if she could have gotten there without writing all of that "other junk" first?

Reflections

Today has been a rather strange day. Lately, I've been helping tutees who are so overwhelmed by their work loads that they're stressing out about even the most mundane issues.

When it comes to the writing process, these tutees are, instead of taking the time to think things through logically, sitting down at a computer furiously pumping out words to try to reach a quota on a deadline. Everyone keeps forgetting, though, that you can't sit down and start writing a paper until you know what you're going to write about. This quarter I'm realizing, in my own studies and here in the center, that an outline is where it all begins, and without one, you don't have a map to keep you on course towards your destination.

I worked with a tutee today whose instructor had supplied her with a blank outline sheet along with instructions for structuring a paper. I thought it was excellent, so I made copies and created a new slot in the mailbox for them.

These will be helpful, I think, when we sit down with tutees who can't stay focused on their thesis or when we're helping someone who doesn't yet know what to write about. To us, of course, brainstorming and outlining seems necessary. But to someone who isn't as well-versed in the structural components of an academic paper, this would be very beneficial. And these handouts read a little more easily than Hacker. Of course, these won't be necessary for every assignment type, but feel free to use them as tools whenever necessary.

Winter Quarter

Wind, cutting and biting, as
I walk from Bennett to Stevenson.
Nose dripping, feet tripping on branches
That met their demise in the ice storm.
Everything piling up at once: dental bills,
Radiator needed for car, midterm exams--

Quit! 2009, you've been sucking so far... but
Underneath the slush and ice and muddy snow
Are spring flowers and green grass
Ready to re-emerge.
Think you can hold out until then?
End of Winter Quarter is in sight. Hang in there.
Remember to breathe, to smile, to enjoy a moment of silence...

While buying sandwiches from a local deli, I was directed by the cashier to follow these instructions carefully. Was my signature too messy? I think of it as "full of character." Apparently, more character than the deli clerk and her fortress of education cared to tackle.

I was asked to "please print legibly". Instead, I reached for my phone and snapped this photo. Judging by the strange look on her face, the appreciation for the counter (and the delicious irony inscribed upon) was all mine. =)

This photo is a good look at what good an extra 5 minutes to proof-read will do for anyone presenting themselves publicly - especially business owners. Good spelling and grammar is a mark of professionalism and polish. Spelling "legible" incorrectly is a little mistake with a huge dose of irony; and thus reflects poorly upon the proprietor. The point of the sign is a legitimate one, but the execution is lazy. As a writing tutor for the university, I see a lot of this sort of thing. Good ideas dressed in bad mechanics. Generally we focus on content rather than the technical aspects, but this is such a good example of the need to proof-read. In this case, I couldn't resist playing the part of a Grammar Nazi (or, for the uninitiated, someone who is a stickler for spelling)

We Need a Comic Board

What do YOU think?

Email.

Email etiquette on campus can be a big issue for some. Apparently, not everyone defines and/or practices email etiquette in the same ways! Go figure.

I think it's high time we had an open, public discussion about what our expectations for email writing are in 2009--and what better place to have such a discussion than the WC blog??

Post your thoughts on the following:

1) Under what circumstances is it appropriate to email a professor back? Even to just confirm that you received his or her email?

2) Should emails follow academic grammatical and mechanical conventions? If so, which ones? If not, why not?

3) What is an acceptable time frame for responding to an email that asks a direct question?

Congrats on the Writing Contest!

We need to congratulate Denver Karshner on his win for the Fall Writing Contest with his short piece "Battleground"!

Denver will be receiving his prize, a $75.oo gas card, from Dean Bebee on Monday and having his picture taken. Afterward, the Writing Center hopes to announce the new contest for the winter quarter.

Good job, Denver!

Therapy

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has found this quarter stressful. It seems like every direction I turn, I run into another struggling individual pouring out their woes. As of late, I've served as a kind ear for many, but it's not so easy for me to open up about my emotional torments. I'm pretty good at bottling it all up until I overflow: a habit I'm destined to manage in the new year. And I think I know where to start. Dishes.

Leona and I had a discussion the other day about cleaning and our most loathsome household duties. She detests laundry; I hate dishes. I'll let dishes go for as long as I can stand it. But, Leona claims washing dishes is "therapeutic." That really resonated with me this weekend. What do I do for therapy? And why do I hate dishes so much?

I don't know what it is about dishes. I started washing them at home as a chore when I was probably seven or eight. I remember my mother pulling a kitchen chair up to the sink so I could reach. I probably begged her to do them at first, like Gracie begs me to help out now. Boy, I wish I had bitten my tongue. Maybe I wouldn't resent washing them so now. I think my aversion to the task is that, when I was younger, I cut my hands on knives and broken glasses hidden by the soapy suds on a couple of occasions.

When I grew up and got married for the first time, I was the only spouse diligent enough to wash the dishes. I remember my ex-husband washed the dishes ONCE in our seven years together. It was after I'd spent three full days and nights at the hospital with my mother. The ex washed the dishes before I came home for a nap and a shower just so that I could make him a steak dinner while I was home. And things haven't changed. Now that I'm remarried, my current husband still avoids washing the dishes. The last time he did it? Mother's Day 2008. I swear. I can remember, because he said he'd do the dishes since it was Mother's Day. I guess that's the one day a year I get to take a break. However, he changes the litter box and takes the trash to the dumpster. I guess I can't argue too much.

The point of my dishes rant is coming soon. The other day, I had a particularly stressful phone conversation with my mother. I was angry, I was hurt, and I had all kinds of raging energy. I set Gracie up with her video game in the living room and said, "Honey, Mommy's going to do the dishes now, because I'm in just the right kind of mood." I took my laptop to the kitchen, started blaring some White Stripes and ran the hot, sudsy dish water. The dishes were piled high. I think every glass, bowl, plate, and pan we own were dirty. That just made me even madder. So, I took to the daunting task of washing the dishes.

I had finished the silverware, then the glasses, all the while staring into the foam and thinking about all of the things that I've been carrying around. I thought about how terrible things have been in my family since my mother and father divorced; I thought about the person I used to be and the person I want to be; I thought about friends I've gained and lost. And as I thought, the tears started flowing. All of the emotions I'd been harboring inside came flowing out into the sink, and I thought, "This IS therapeutic! Leona was right!" It took me a good two hours to finish the kitchen, and by the time I was finished, the tears had started and stopped quite a few times. It was a purging that I needed. Not only did I cleanse my heart of ill feelings, I cleansed my dishes with them!

I like the idea of turning my worst nightmare into something nourishing. That's a start for the new year. :)

Funny of the Day

Today, while on my way in to the Learning Center, I witnessed an advertisement for Burger King's newest rage: The Angry Whopper.



Is it now Burger Kings' intention to incite rage among its consumers?! Now that's customer service!

Photo Board

Hey, everyone! Kate is working on getting our photo board together, and she needs all of our "specialties" to list beside our pics. Could you each please post your areas of expertise here?

Thanks!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!

We're now working on generating ideas for a possible remodel of The Learning Center! We, the tutors, have been asked to create a "wishlist" of items to include in the revamping! If anyone has any ideas please feel free to post them or let Debra Nickles know your thoughts. We want your input because we are committed to creating the most productive, creative, and inspiring environment possible. This is your chance to voice your opinion. Don't miss out on your chance to initiate change!

It's a New Year!

Well, we're all back to work, and I'm very excited about this quarter! We're working hard on getting our online tutoring system up and running, and I promise to stay in touch and keep you all updated on how that's going. For now, how about a little shameless self-promotion?!

Some friends of mine and I are starting a new blog, and I want you all to check it out! My first post is a piece I wrote about my Top 15 for this year.

http://snobmusic.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Welcome 2009

Quite a few changes this year for the Writing Center are expected.

Be sure to attend Friday's meeting on the 9th from 10-12noon.