Topics Tuesday: TOTAL TACO FIESTA

Hello all!

Welcome to the last Topics Tuesday of the 2013-14 academic year (say whaaaat?). It's been a whirlwind of a semester and it's been so great to share all things Topics in Composition with our awesome readers!

Since I missed last week's post, I figured I would give you some top secret evidence...

That's right, the ever-coveted taco I have obsessed about since I started this weekly feature. Today, it's a delicious hard-shelled taco with the perfect amount of juicy beef, ripe tomatoes, crisp lettuce, yummy cheese, and (probably too much) sour cream.

Other than providing you with evidence that these tacos are, indeed, served by the Coe College cafeteria every single Tuesday, I have a little analogy for you relating to Topics in Composition.

IT'S A TOPICS TUESDAY TACO TUESDAY INCEPTION.

Every student and every conference is different, but in general, I see a paper a lot like a taco. During a conference, we start by browning the beef (or other filling of the taco -- vegetarians welcome), which in this strange analogy is the student's main ideas for the paper. Sometimes, cooking all those ideas can take a while, but eventually, the ideas are ready to be used. Browning the beef might be similar to a brainstorming conference, where we just talk through ideas and make sure they are ready to go. 160 degrees, folks. Then, we try to put the main ideas into a shell -- a format that allows others to partake of the ideas. This is the student's structure for the paper. Hard shell, soft shell, or spinach wrap... any structure is welcome as long as it holds the beef. As consultants, we try to help the writer select the perfect shell for her paper so she creates just the dish she wants. Then, we are ready to add the toppings. These are all the stylistic flairs that make a boring old taco into a premiere taco of wonder. Again, the student writer must be the one to select the toppings she wants. It's her taco-paper thing.

Sometimes this process is harder than it looks. The toppings might fall out or the shell might crack. But never fear! The revision process allows students to fix the taco or even to make a new one. At the Coe Writing Center, we are certified for all your taco-fixing needs.

Now, you know you're hungry -- so go make yourself a taco in both the literal and the figurative sense.

With just the right amount of seasoning,
Angela