Monday, November 17, 2008

WC Minutes 11/17

The subject of the evening is apparel. At last week’s meeting someone brought up the fact that the “store-room” of WC shirts/hoodies is almost empty. Bob took action, coming to the meeting armed with samples and ideas. A sampling:

-Nulla dies sine linea, “never a day without a line.” My personal favorite (my preference, sadly, falls on deaf ears)

-“Comma sutra” cartoon

-“The Coe Word Trade Center: We’re Still Standing.” Deemed inappropriate.

-The classic swirling “WC” symbol with a Wittgenstein quotation

-Vasec nominates “Death to Carthage” in Latin, giving a bad name to Classics majors everywhere (ahem). Bob responds: “When you have your own writing center you can do that.”

-Fleeces are eliminated because they’re expensive (and lame).

-Despite my valiant effort, polo shirts (so cute! so retro! so business-chic!) are also overruled.

So many choices. We narrow it down to six options and a vote is taken. The breakdown (with commentary from Ezra):

Karate/kung fu thing: 25 votes (“that’s a lot”)

Baseball style: 15 (“a decent amount”)

WC tree: 3 (“not many”)

Multiple languages: 9 (“somewhat”)

Latin: 6 (“a smattering”)

Comma sutra: 20 (“we have two winners”)

The choice is now between the karate thing and comma sutra. A voting sheet is on the main desk – you have till break to make your voice heard.

Other business/news:

- WC alumni Tanner Curl and Emily Dussault are engaged, upping the statistics on WC marriage rates. Bob has been invited to officiate the wedding, which he will, “If scheduling allows.”

-There are fewer than three weeks of classes till break. So there’s that.

-Ezra is so loud.

-Re: the grocery list. Nothing will be purchased till after break. We have very limited funding, especially since this year our coffee business is “not running in the black.” Our yearly budget is about $750. So far this year we’ve gone through $500. People should pay for coffee unless they are getting/giving a conference or working a shift. Bob suggests “appointing someone as a badass,” but ventures that this might be petty.

-No meeting next Monday

-December 1st will be “film fest” night – Topics people will be showing their short films. We’re told that there will be puppets. Should be a hoot.

-Nina warns us all to back up our computers. Her big deal science presentation thing was lost, so the event is happening tomorrow at 4:00 in SH203.

-Also tomorrow: the creative writing seminar people are presenting their writing tomorrow in Kesler, also at 4:00. So, choose wisely. You should note that Nina is offering baked goods in exchange for attendance at her event. Keep that in mind.

Now some serious business:

-Some of Bob’s students will be coming in to pick up gift certificates. They need to sign a form in the back room before taking them.

-On Friday of this week FYS portfolios are due. Literally, a collective sigh. All FYSs are arriving at the same time. People working Friday from 12:00 on – don’t schedule any conferences. Come to work on time. We will be incredibly busy sorting. If you’re behind in hours, we could use some extra hands. Should be “wild and tense.”

-ORCHID FORMS.

1) Some people have zero entries. To retain your position in the writing center, you need to have recorded 25 conferences over the course of the year. That’s one conference/week (12-13 per semester). If you don’t meet this number, you’ll be fired. Seriously.

2) Conference summaries have been terrible. You need to provide detail and information. One sentence is inadequate. Be precise, present an accurate, thorough portrait of the conversation. What did you talk about specifically? What advice did you give? What types of ideas did you generate? The WAC program is heavily dependent on this data for maintaining funding and credibility. Record all conferences.

3) Do not be sarcastic or derogatory in your descriptions of students or professors. This is public information that can be accessed by students and instructors at any point. Consciousness of your tone and attitude is critical. Be professional.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Things I Learned in Las Vegas

1. Clocks are an optional accessory in any establishment
2. Marriages are far more comman-place than one would expect
3. Always bring a box of blister pads while traveling
3b. Shoes are for comfort, not for show
4. There is a significant gap between IWCA's idea of breakfast and my own idea of a breakfast
4b. Bring your own food
5. When everyone in town is on vacation, they're all friendly
6. Diversity is important

- Johanna

Tuesday, November 11, 2008


Las Vegas

support your peeps

There are two important events which you are requested to attend this week: Sakinah and Nina are giving science-y senior presentation things today and tomorrow, and they want your support to diffuse actual questions from actual biologists. So. You should all attend.

Sakinah: Today (Tues) at 4:00 in Stuart 203
Nina: Tomorrow (Wed) at 4:30 in SH 203.

Also - thanks to everyone who sent me headache-diffusing tips. They all sound exciting and I'll probably try them in the future (though a reasonable night's sleep worked for me yesterday). And sorry for embarrassing you, Grant.

Monday, November 10, 2008



Also: We all survived Vegas (even Andrew K, sort of).

sittin' pretty

To start things off, Casey ♥ Grant. I don’t remember why, exactly. He also gave woefully unprepared me a sheet of loose-leaf paper, which was so nice. And four doses of non-prescription pain reliever (Which, sadly, has not been working. Clarissa suggests drinking more water for headache relief. I will try this. Any other ideas?). Thanks, Grant.

Other WC men are apparently in need of love. This is too bad.

The feature presentation is introduced by Andrew, who, along with other members of the service committee (is that right?) “searched high and low for ways to help.” They found Wendy Rodriguez from the Catherine McAuley Center.

This is a non-profit, independently-funded adult education center in Cedar Rapids with the mission of providing free basic education to adults, with a particular focus on literacy, language acquisition for non-native English speakers, and GED preparation. The Cedar Rapids branch serves people from 46 different countries, mainly in Central and South America and Africa.

You can help by becoming a tutor. The McAuley Center is staffed almost entirely by volunteers (~100 students/week are helped by ~80 volunteer tutors), because its services are free and it receives no government funding. A 10-week commitment is requested (1-2 hours/week), and you will be assigned to work with the same student every week, enabling you to build a relationship with a single person. If you’re a student of Spanish or French you may have the opportunity to practice your language skills by being assigned to a native speaker of one of those languages. There is a set curriculum based on a book series – you are not expected to come up with lessons or materials on your own.

There is usually one morning and one evening tutor training session each month, but the Center can accommodate your schedule if neither time works.

Why you should become a tutor:
-It’s an opportunity to make a difference in the community
-Students are highly motivated
-Coe has a service-learning requirement (and you may be able to count your hours at McAuley toward work study or fellowship hours) which this fulfills
-Looks good on a resume
-Is great preparation for anyone interested in teaching or international anything

The McAuley Center’s Hours:
9am-8pm Mon-Thurs; 9am-4pm Fri; 9am-12pm Sat.

Location (within walking distance): 866 4th Ave. On the corner of 10th St and 4th Ave, next to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Contact our own Andrew for a tutor’s perspective or the Center’s director, Wendy Arnold-Rodriguez, for more specific information. Yellow tutor information packets can be found in Andrew’s WC mailbox – feel free to look through them.

__

Final WC business:
--Danielle is looking for a dog sitter over Thanksgiving weekend (next Wednesday-Saturday). Enticements: you can stay at her house and eat her food in exchange for feeding her dog.
--Ariel and Emily (activities committee?) want to know whether anyone is interested in going rollerskating or bowling sometime. It may or may not be free, but will almost certainly be more fun than the question made it sound.
--A fracas ensues after Bob proposes that an orgy would be cheaper than either of the former activities.
--Keep entering orchid forms.
--“Does anyone remember Catie Steinman?” This is somehow related to orchid forms.
--There are only two staff meetings left in the year
--Has anyone seen Leta and Clarissa’s respective copies of the Enchiridion?
--Dave: “I’m sittin’ pretty.”

And that’s the end.