Brent Gill, Staff writer
The Writing Center held an open house Wednesday, Sept. 7, for students to become familiar with the staff and tutors.
Tutors in the Writing Center assist with student writing, structural errors, format concerns and provide writing tools to help students improve. They also assist with scholarship applications, resumes, cover letters and can even clean up outlines for public speaking classes.
Tutors emphasize that they are not proofreaders or heavy editors.
“We help make better writers, not better papers,” Taylor Walton said.
Walton is a graduate and transfer student from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, and has a Bachelor of English degree from Armstrong. She has been a tutor in the Writing Center for over a year and explained that the Writing Center is not just a tool for remedial students but is useful to people of all skill levels.
Graduate Assistant Reese Shellman was the head tutor at the Writing Center for several years during his undergraduate study and now works under Associate Professor of English Deborah Reese.
“This is not a fix-it shop; we help students get their thoughts together. We want them to get better at thinking about writing,” Shellman said.
The Writing Center is not just about tutoring, but offers a space where students can come to work. There are PCs available equipped with the Microsoft Office suite and a number of cubicles where students can spread out. There is even a typewriter available for those who need to fill out forms, complete applications or type envelope labels.
Freshman Biochemistry student Kayla Holmone attended the open house Wednesday.
“I come here for the free printing and writing advice at least once a week,” she said, although she admitted she was only there for the free tacos last Wednesday.
The Writing Center is located in Gamble Hall rm. 123. Tutors are available from 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Fridays.
Students should make an appointment in advance by calling 912.344.3072 or emailing writing.center@ armstrong.edu to reserve a 30-minute period with a dedicated tutor. Try to contact the tutors several days ahead of time, if possible. Students should aim to bring their work in a week before it is due in order to have plenty of time for revision
