writing center minutes

September 27th WC Meeting

The meeting was only required for those going to Baltimore on the conference, where we are responsible for four different poster presentations. A two-page handout that summarizes the information on the poster will also need to be made for each poster.

The four different posters that will be presented at the conference include:
1. Tybee Island Staff Development Course (a.k.a. The writing center beach orgy)
2. Moodle as a Writing Center Management System
3. A Writing Center Assessing a WAC Program
4. A Writing Center Staff: Do They Practice What They Preach?

We broke into semi-equal groups to discuss plans for the poster presentations. One group member was selected to communicate the group plans to Dr. Bob, and he would like to hear sometime this week about any plans that have already developed.

If you were not at the meeting and you are planning on going to Baltimore, you need to talk to Dr. Bob about being placed in a group. Work has already started on the plans so doing this sooner rather than later would be appreciated by the rest of the group.

Dr. Bob will be sending out an email to staff and faculty, excusing those going on the conference from class November 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. If you encounter any problems with staff or faculty just let Dr. Bob know and it will be taken care of.

kids against hunger

here are some photos from last week's meeting, in which the writing center sponsored a "kids against hunger" food drive. each consultant donated $5 (and bob matched the consultants with a $250 donation) and participated in packaging food for underprivileged children.





photos by kevin dyrland

Not Penultimate (but something-ultimate) Minutes

We are presented with nine different conferencing scenarios (scenaria?) and split into groups by table. The goal: to present on the conferencing quandry. Here’s a quick breakdown of the events:

1) Do we follow our own advice? How often do you use the WC? How often do you do what you advise others to do? Food for thought.

2) Plagiarism: what to do if the writer doesn’t think it’s wrong? “If you plagiarize, the terrorists win,” offers Jackie. Other ideas: lay out the consequences (failure, expulsion) for them.

3) Some beat-boxing (is that what the cool kids call it) illustrating cliches. Mike grinds. Kevin and Andrew Klingler make hand gestures. Leta does not got back. Um.

4) My group. What if a student’s paper has errors, but he corrects them when reading aloud?

5) Jorduhn Loord wears some tight tights. Grant is hung out. People enjoy this. Ellen does a great accent, and writes about birds. What to do when a writer doesn’t think her (bad) paper is bad? I’m not sure that a consensus was reached.

6) Ezra is a great friend, but a really bad writer (this is a fictional tale): how do you conference a paper about “book” when the student hasn’t read said book?

7) (the numbering is way off – my notes got a little hazy) – You hate poetry. Someone wants poetry conferenced? The solution is...conference it anyway. Be polite and useful, ask questions.

8) A faculty member’s “corrections” for a student’s paper don’t make sense and are grammatically incorrect. No solution reached. Any ideas?

9) We only had eight tables.

A reminder: if you signed up to send a postcard or call an accepted high school student, be sure to get on that, right quick.

Next week will be the Kids Against Hunger pack-athon. Be sure to bring in your $5, and sign up for a 20-minute shift. I believe people are still needed for the 6:40-7:00 time slot.

I’m still running way high on “Coe cash,” for the semester. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to buy in the Pub? So far I’ve been stocking up on toothbrushes and toothpaste, chapstick, hot cocoa, and cinnamon gum. Those are no-brainers. Some experiments:

--“A Taste of Thai” instant pad thai: surprisingly not that expensive or cholesterol-laden, and tastes pretty good, though not, of course, like actual pad thai)
--Kashi “Strawberry Fields” cereal: insanely expensive – almost seven dollars! – and, for me, a little high on the grain flakes and low on the freeze-dried berries. There are also little weird grain pellets that will assault your molars, even if you let the cereal sog-up a little before chewing
--Triscuits: again, overpriced, but you can’t really mess up Triscuits
--“Mary’s Gone Crackers” Organic, wheat-free, gluten-free crispy crackers: grossly expensive (I’m sensing a theme), but what can you do. These are apparently really healthy, and contain no ingredients that will make you break out in hives. I wanted to like these crackers. I really did. And, to be honest, they’re okay. But they’ve got this weird, plastic-y hard texture, like a poker chip, and they’re so very, very brittle and crunchy.
--That popcorn stuff: I haven’t tried the caramel yet, but the “aged real cheddar” and classic kettle corn varieties are entirely satisfactory. And fairly priced.

Can I say something about the Pub “coffee”? No, I don’t want to start. Honestly, as I told Becca in the ninth-floor lobby this afternoon while microwaving noodles, it makes me want to cry. I want so, so badly to like it. This coming from me, a person who enjoys even the dingiest, grittiest of diner coffee. It’s not real coffee. The “espresso” is an abomination upon the lord. I can’t continue with this discussion.

Anyone have any Pub faves?

Gia su,
Jenna

Goodness Gracious, How about some Minutes

Here’s what happened at the Monday night meeting:

Bob informed us that acceptance letters have been sent out to students invited to join the WC next year. Behind the desk there will be envelopes, stationery, and postcards on which you can write messages to prospies you interacted with during the competition weekend encouraging them to come to Coe. I guess there’s some sort of spreadsheet listing the students, and you should write your name, indicating who you will be contacting. Phone and email is also okay, though be sure not to be too creepy or insistent.

Something happens, and Bob blushes, giggles, and says that he loves Victoria’s Secret essays.

We divide into committees. Discuss committee things. I am on the blogging committee. My fellow bloggers are Leta, Ezra, Johanna, and Taylor.

On April 20th, we will be working with Kids Against Hunger to package 2,000 meals for underprivileged children. The boxing up will happen during the Monday night meeting, and people will be asked to work in one of three 20-minute shifts. Each person is asked to fork over $5. Anyone with fundraising ideas should contact Andrew Boone.

See y’alls next week.

--Jenna

Minute (my-noot!) Minutes

The meeting is off to a...ahem...rousing start as Bob takes one of Marie's "Love is in the Air" sex toy catalogues and says "love...tools" in a horrifying way. Make it stop. Fortunately there is "business to take care of before your erogenous zones can be activated." Eeeeuw.

Posters for studiers-abroad are sent around to be decorated and signed.

---Prospie discussion---

(contact Bob if you have something further to say about any candidates)

By this point there are only eight minutes to go until House begins, so a few last minute items on the agenda:

Andrew Boone and the Service Learning Committee have a few activities. If you'd like to volunteer at Johnson Elementary, please contact Hanna Werner.

The other item of discussion is our potential participation in a Kids Against Hunger food drive. Raising $500 will allow us to package 1,200 meals for underprivileged people: we can choose how to divert these meals. Bob generously offers to go halvsies, which means that we would have 70 people to cover $250. Someone calculates that this is about $5 per person, though I can't verify this calculation. The Kids Against Hunger people will bring the food and shipping supplies to Coe, and we will work to package things on a sort of assembly line following a Monday meeting, most likely within the next three weeks.

And, break.

Jenna

eyes peeled

Since its inception, many moons ago, the Writing Center has had only five directors. Tonight we were lucky to witness the coming together of two in one room: Bob Marrs and Steve Singleton. Steve is here to speak about conferencing lab reports. Bob says that chemistry professors are the most thoughtful, interested in writing-type people at the College, and Steve reinforces this concept by starting the meeting with, "I'm kind of winging this...I had to pull it out of my aaa...head." To be fair, he kindly agreed to be here at the very last minute.

Steve recounts that directing the WC inspired him to incorporate the things he learned into his chemistry classes, and caused him to think a lot about the way people learn.

Lab reports: handouts were circulated (talk to Steve if you want one). In science, there are strictly-adhered-to conventions which are designed, "over eons of honing," to ease communication through standardization. This structural rigidity is supposed to make things easier. Steve makes a horribly crude joke about "spots left over from reproduction" that has something to do with punctuation marks on xerox machines. ?

For citations, find a style guide or journal. Basically, science reports are insanely finicky. Focus on implementation of ideas in addition to the ideas themselves - how to present info graphically.

Some sample dialogue:
Steve, to Bob: "That's a good question, Bobby."
Kevin: "Can we call you that?!"

Now, on to this weekend, which, as you all know, is Prospie Weekend. Yes it is. There are 33 competitors (with 9 potential additions). Because there are only nine male consultants living on campus and nine male WC prospies, all WC menfolk are strongly pleaded with to host. Apparently the weekend will include a scavenger hunt and snacks. If you haven't already done so, please fill out the hosting/shift sheet (see Malyssa Oblander or Katie Blanchard). A revised copy of the schedule will be posted on the front desk on Wednesday.

Does anyone have a cot? Talk to Andrew Klingler.

If you want to be a Writing Fellow next semester, you should register for Topics just in case, as the Fellows program hasn't been finalized yet.

Tentative plans have been made for a January Topics in Composition course on Tybee Island, Georgia! Bob used to do this trip frequently in years past, but it has never been offered during my tenure at Coe. I'm terribly jealous. Keep your eyes peeled for more information.


Tybee Island, 1990s

Ta-ta,

Jenna

bidness

The Original Writing Center Staff, 1987

Okay. What happened at this week's meeting? Several things.

The idea of napkin-collecting as a hobby was brought up by the peeps at my table. Could be interesting.

Prospie weekend is a week from this Friday (March 27). We're encouraged to sign up to host one. Or, "bring a prospie into your den," as Bob likes to say. Shudder. It is best if the prospective students have good experiences here at Coe and decide attend next year, if only to bring in more tuition dollars to fund Bob's salary.

Next order of business: we've been corralled into participating in a letter-writing campaign asking the Iowa Legislature to prevent budget cuts to private IA colleges. The cuts would result in $600 less per year in scholarships for students. If you didn't write a letter at the meeting, talk to Bob or Grant for more information.

Lots of official business, but we still found time for cake.

Tally ho,

Jenna

t-rexs, rabbits and coca-cola bottles

Can you believe it's already March? I think I'm in denial. A happy thing to start off the meeting: Holly tried baklava for the first time and was delighted. People enjoying food delights me.

Cara Cavanagh came in to talk about the Fellowship Competition. Admissions is coordinating it this year rather than the Writing Center. It will be held March 27, and we are instructed to clear our schedules for that evening, what for entertaining the young 'uns. It would also be very nice if you could host a prospie overnight.

Next, we split into groups and discussed proposal ideas for next year's fall MWCA conference, which will be held in Rapid City, SD. I don't want to think about this - I'm too jealous.

Facts about the Badlands:
-They are awesome
-Prairie dogs live there
-There are lots of large, roadside attractions, like giant T-Rexs, rabbits and coca-cola bottles
-You can drive there in one day. Bob has done it.

It is advertised as an "un-conference," and the MWCA is apparently looking for "unusual ways of getting people organized." If you have any additional proposal ideas, email or talk to Bob.

What else...? There was a puppy at the meeting. She is a dachsund-spaniel mix named Penny. She belongs to either Danielle or Clarissa. She was stinky, but very sweet. We should have puppies at meetings more often.

--edit: Danielle has this to say:
The puppy was mine however Clarissa was nice enough to volunteer to accompany me on the trip to pick her up. If anyone wants to come over and play with my dogs you are more than welcome to any day of the week. Penny is cute and fluffy and Olive may seem big and scary however she's probably only capable of licking you to death. So let me know if you ever need a dog break and I will make arrangements!

Doggie Goodness: Olive & Penny

If you haven't yet filled out the self-assessment exercise or the networks of relationships form, grab one from Bob.

That's that.

- Jenna

*Note: I did not take any of these photos

mis-estimated

Well, it seems that I mis-estimated the amount of time it would take to have dinner with the visiting poet, Philip Schultz, so I missed the meeting. Luckily, I found a replacement to take down the minutes. Unluckily, it turns out that the person I asked was also attending the dinner. So, Clarissa helpfully summarized the meeting for me:

-We are informed, once again, not to make two pots of caffeinated coffee at the same time. Use the WC Roast first, then move on to "the klatch." This sounds like a disease.
-Sign up for conferences and interviews with Sam, the UI guy writing his thesis on the CWC
-A form was filled out. Maybe ask Bob about this.
-Orgies were mentioned. Again. Something about the gangly people ratio?
-Next fall the retreat is in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Some people may be visiting Clarissa's family.

Okay.

maybe she just wants free tea

Bob is absent, but Holly reads his words:

-Don’t make WC brew and the other coffee at the same time – it’s wasteful

-We need 20 people to sign up for conferences on Moodle before the end of the week. The University of Iowa student writing his thesis on the WC needs conferences to observe. edit: Every person on staff is to schedule, on Moodle, one writing conference during the next two weeks and to record that conference in the database. As of 8pm this evening, only two people have done this. That's a response rate of under 4%. Come on, people.

-If you must miss a shift or will be late, you need to call ahead of time (and preferably find a replacement). No exceptions.

We have two guest speakers at the meeting: Japanese exchange student from Waseda, Ikue, and ESL professor, Phyllis Rupert. Ikue is overwhelmed by our sheer numbers, but he tells a story about writing three papers for a marketing class: one was WC-conferenced and the others not. He did well on the WC-conferenced paper, not well on the others. That’s good, right?

Hm. Then she gave a nice presentation about what the ESL department does. They split intl. students into three unofficial categories: beginner, intermediate, advanced. As beginniners, they work on clauses and writing and speaking with specific details. Intermediate students focus on grammar and asking/responding to questions. Advanced work on paraphrasing, learning citation, and organizig arguments.

The goals of intl. students are twofold: to make friends and gain English fluency.

Our American-ish names all sound the same to the Japanese students.

A WC success story: after conferencing with Kevin, a Japanese girl named Aie asks Phyllis if she can come back to the WC every day. Then again, maybe she just wants free tea.

Fin.

Mini Minutes, 2/9

No way could these minutes live up to the greatness that was last week, but here goes:

We started out with a whole bunch of shift shifting. People going to the conference in Chicago create scheduling problems.

Hilary advertizes the charms of her shift by saying, "It's a nice shift - no one ever comes in." Bob responds that no one coming in does not make for a nice shift, "unless, maybe, if we were an AIDS clinic."

Bob also suggests the purchase of a WC Harley to go with Jacquie's leather jacket.

It doesn't seem like there are that many people here.

If you want to meet with Bob this week, you must do so before Wednesday; he'll be in Chicago Wednesday through Friday.

Then...we split into groups of five and do a writing exercise. Everyone gets a sheet of loose-leaf and the pages get passed around in a circle, with everyone contributing 5 paragraphs in a story: setting, character, conflict, crisis, and resolution. My group's stories involved a city in Eastern Chile, Ezra and Andrew Boone dropping microbe slides, residence hall yeti, and a "scrimshaw cooliba."

Stories finished, Bob brings out his whistle. Eek. Some reminders: your two weeks are up; it's time to clean up the Moodle.

Chock Full O'Minutes

Oh, it was a content-rich meeting.

Bob handed out tickets to see Jared Diamond speak on Tuesday night. For those not in the know (ie: me until a few days ago), he’s a professor of geography and physiology and UCLA and won the Pulitzer for Guns, Germs and Steel, “a short history about everyone for the last 13,000 years.” Should be interesting at the very least.

It seems that the Peterson recycling system is now “sort of going.” It gets picked up Thursday morning and Tuesday afternoon.

There have recently been complaints about the quality of the WC non-home-roasted coffee (the stuff we get from the freezer, which are cheap beans from Sam’s Club). Some of the complaints may have come from me. We are now getting them from Coffee Klatch, a company in California – the blend is “Bourbon Supremo.” Ezra says the new coffee is actually pretty good.

In honor of this, we will, for the first time ever, be introducing three (3) coffee pots. Whoa. Prices have also gone up to 80 cents per cup. Bob reminds us that because these fancy beans are twice as expensive as the old variety, we might try to be reasonably conservative in our use.

An interesting thing: A student at the University of Iowa is doing his doctoral dissertation specifically on conferencing at the Coe Writing Center. His focus will be on what happens after the conference ends. You’ll be getting questionnaires in your mailbox, which you can fill out if you want.

Willie took one of my five remaining Lucky Charms marshmallows, but makes up for the theft with another interesting fact: she says that both Lucky Charms and Cap’n’Crunch cereals are illegal in the E.U. because they contain some sort of sinister substance. Well.

You can now win prizes. Prizes! There are many varieties of prizes being given out, to both consultants and writers, and the trick to winning them is…do a lot of conferences. Prizes are bookstore gift certificates and dinner coupons to the Lighthouse Inn, which is supposedly the oldest restaurant in CR, and the place where Al Capone ate when he was in town. Bob says they make the best ribs he’s ever eaten. It’s my birthday next week: anyone want to take me out for dinner?

Um, there’s a new remote for the non-functioning tv. You can use it to watch DVDs if you can decode the elaborate system of button-pressing involved in operating the remote. Ask Melissa for more details.

Then we came to the main portion of the evening. You read that right. We haven’t even gotten to the main part of the meeting: the Study Abroad Panel. Here’s a brief(ish) rundown of the conversation:

Willie: Sweden. Classes about movies. Her town is called “Dragon City” because it burnt down three times. Mountains. Baltic Sea. Baltic Sea! She has sweet boots on. Went Xtreme camping with Germans in a forest. Ate noodles by a lake. Jumped in a melted glacier. “That was so cool.” Literally. Ha.

Katie: Pune, India. Class in film. Sensing a trend here. Rode an elephant. Had some girl power time.

Malyssa: San Jose, Costa Rica. Read a great list which will be posted here soon. Took $2 out of the ATM on her first day because she’s not used to being a millionaire. Was drugged by her host mom.

Jackie: Bangor, Wales. 30k town/10k university enrollment. Took a class in scriptwriting. What? Involved with BBC-Wales. Drove through World’s End. Got knocked to the ground by some beastly wind on a Welsh mountain.

Nathan: Ghana. His university had 75-90,000 students enrolled. Took classes in theater. What is this? Drummed, danced, traveled. Went to Burkina Faso. “Mali-wood” movies. Rode a camel, slept with goats. Bob says, “That sounds very kinky.”

Kevin: Sweden. Lived in a cottage in the woods. Shovelled many “metres” of snow. Got robbed in Spain. Hung out with nice English-speaking Dutch people who had a car. Sweden sounds exciting.

And that, my friends, is it.

not skimping

This was quite a succinct meeting. I am not just skimping on the minutes.

Bob says: Go to see Jared Diamond. If there aren't enough people left working in the WC during the presentation, it's okay to close it down for the duration. Next Tuesday, 7:20pm. Tickets are $5 for students.

Dinner was "Peruvian chicken." The secret ingredients were cinnamon and squirt.

We are advised not to totally ostracize the Speaking Center people. Ie: be nice. And does everyone know about the weird moisturizing hand wax heating thing they have in there? It's an experience.

On Feb. 4th at 6pm one of the committees (social activities?) is hosting a WC dinner. On the menu is homemade lasagna. Ezra says, "I hope they can cook." I bet they can.

We split into committee groups and discussed plans for the semester. If you missed the meeting, find the rest of your group to catch up.

Finally, something loud and apparently hilarious happened involving Justin Lord, Andrew Klingler, and a bowl full of spaghetti.

Over and out.

Minutes 1/19

Kicking off the new year one minute early. We met in a different Lower Gage room and the effect was that our chairs were arranged like a giant airplane hangar.

Highlights from the meeting:

-Several sheets were circulated: the WC staff directory, the committee and job assignments, and the spring shift schedule. If you have any further changes, e-mail or talk to Amber.

-My coffee/milk glass separated weirdly. Leta tried to use her barista skillz to correct the problem, since I didn’t want to use my finger as a makeshift swizzle stick. Despite her skilled efforts, the drink separated further.

-Full-staff (re)introductions. I wrote down “Ellen Burns is cute as a button” and “Becca pooped worrisome rocks when she was five.” Don’t remember the details of these notes, though, sadly.

-Welcoming back folks from abroad – anyone want to post on the blog?

-There was much job shuffling.

Some notes for the week:

-This Friday from 3-4:00 there will be a WC Open House which coincides with the Grand Opening of the Speaking Center. Everyone is encouraged to attend, and Vegas people are required to be there to present their conference posters. Everyone gets free pop and a single cookie each.

-We all solemnly pledged to, sooner or later, help clean up the Moodle database. Course names and numbers, professors’ names correctly spelled, and, as always, more thorough conference descriptions. What we’re looking for: accuracy of information and details – be thorough, precise, and helpful.

-No Topics Tuesday or Wednesday. Next week Topics meets in the library.

That’s it.

Year's Last Meeting

As is traditional for the last meeting of the year, graduating WCers shared their favorite moments and memories of their time in the Writing Center.

-Leigh advises us all to “get married.” Her most memorable experience was getting cited for indecent exposure in Las Vegas. We should all be so lucky.
-Dave is absent. Dave? Dave? Well, happy graduation and all that.

Sort-of graduates going abroad next semester:
Heather tells us that crazy things happen in the WC after hours. Something about rolling around in tubes?
Patricia has no memorable moments. Shame on you, Patricia! But, you know, bon voyage.

Scheduling forms for next semester were handed out. You’re advised to hand yours in to Bob by Friday afternoon. Try to be flexible when indicating preferred hours.

For the rest of the term: you’re responsible for your hours until Wednesday’s closing – if you’re leaving early, be sure to get someone to fill your shift. Thursday will be staffed via signup sheet on the front desk.

And now, the long-awaited Topics Film Festival. Oh, yes.

-Julia Child is apparently not in the house, which is too bad, since I have a special affection for Mrs. Child. Has anyone read her quasi-autobiography, My Life in France? It’s okay.

-Things get off to a magnificent start with the “greatest film ever made about coffee roasting in the writing center.” Emily, Hilary and Andrew Boone take us painstakingly through the coffee roasting process. Amazingly, it is very entertaining, indeed, and well served by the addition of beanbags. Some embarrassing moments for Andrew. I learned that roasting coffee beans involves many, many steps, and basically takes forever. Roasters have gained much respect from me.

-Next film involves Jordan and Ezra in some sort of travel show thing. I don’t know what’s going on. WC as South American biosphere, I guess? Ezra is a sciency guy, and he does a field study of the WC speaking in a scary, raspy whisper.

-These films are much more creative than I would have had the energy to produce, were I in topics. Just a thought.

-Film 3: WC, Celebrity edition, starring Lindsay Lohan, Albert Einstein and Luke Skywalker engaged in conferences. Ellen Burns has a sweet light saber.

-Film 4 (the chronology of these might be off, as the notes were recorded on both sides of a pretty small envelope): An untitled piece detailing the many, boring roles of the Frog: dishwashing, coffee maintenance, hiding in the library. Starring Holly and a very unenthusiastic Marie.

-Film 5: Jack and DC: The Grammar Question. After explication by Joe, we understand that this is a parody of a computer commercial. The moral: we do grammar conferences. You can watch it over and over again on YouTube. Maybe afterwards you’d like to see a few recordings of church services in Amsterdam?

-Film 6: WC as house of ill repute. Leta does a little shimmy as the Beeeeaver. No sloppy seconds for her. Grant as sloth gets some action. Later, in real life (not the video), he references his heritage in the “Club Dub,” by flashing uncomfortable (for me) hand gestures.

-Film 7: The puppet show! Finally! There is a lion, a very cutely accented frog with a beret (get it? cause ‘frog’ is a funny name for frenchies?), and some other adorable puppet creatures going about daily WC tasks.

-Film 8: Just as the last of us stragglers are about the walk out of this, the longest WC meeting ever, the last video plays. Theme is “cooking in the writing center,” but what you really need to know is that Andrew Klingler is featured as Julia Child, hump, monoboob, clown makeup, gobbly accent and all. Well worth the wait.

That's it,
Jenna

-Be sure to bid "bon voyage" to the following consultants going off-campus next semester:
Heather, Patricia, Emily, Holly B., Kacie, Andy J., Chris (Asia Term), Vaclav (Greece), Joe (NY Term), Kelly (Washington, D.C.)
-If I forgot you, don't feel bad - I'm forgetful. Leave a comment and your name will be added.

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 1^st 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.

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.

A WC Boondoggle

Any meeting that starts out with Mediterranean goodies and a variety of fruit-flavored ice creams is a good one, as far as I'm concerned.

We discussed the question: what do you do when someone comes in for a conference with a, to your estimation, near-perfect paper? We split into groups of 6 or so and discussed for 15 minutes. Groups' results will be posted to the I-Drive at some point in the future.

Next week's meeting will be in the Lynch Room par normal; we'll be doing a trial poster session.

Reminder: applications for Bob's May Term in the Lake District are due on Friday. For more information, talk to Bob, or one of the WC's three 2007 alumni: me, Whitney, Johanna. See photos below.

Now, Vegas stuff:

-Las Vegas, we learned, means: "The Meadows." And I embarrassed myself.

-The vans to Omaha leave at 7am on the 29th; you should plan to be there by 6:45. Sugary snacks will be provided, but not orange juice, because Kaitlyn is allergic. Weird.

-The flight departs from Omaha around 2pm. We're flying Frontier airlines, "the school bus of the sky." Remember: no checked luggage. Pack light, we may need to walk to the hotel. Bob rarely travels with a handbag, but that's up to you.

-We're slated to arrive in Vegas around 5pm, and once you're checked into your room you have the evening free (Saturday evening will also be free). There are 8 menfolk attending and only 4 beds. Nice. So if you're averse to sleeping with Bob, he suggests you bring a pillow.

-Meals in Vegas: you can count on having 2 meals/day provided; plan adequate spending money to cover the rest. We will not have a car, either, so...plan accordingly, I guess.

-As far as WC shifts go while you're in Vegas, check the schedule to make sure at least one person is working.

-While at the conference: You must keep a journal of your experience, whether you're in Topics or not. More details regarding this forthcoming. You will also be responsible for attending a certain number of sessions at the conference. If you don't want to do this, Bob says, no problem, just give him a check for $500 to cover your expenses.

-As a final note: if you plan to enter into a state of marriage while in Vegas, Bob requests that you please refrain from changing your name - it's a hassle with the airline tickets.

--Till next week,
Jenna

Tiki Hut Tan - WC Minutes 9/29

After a high calorie, low nutrition meal in the caf, the meeting begins. The agenda: posters and conference groups.

But first...general notices.

Whitney is doing attendance - she says that if you want to be counted and she doesn't know who you are you should make yourself known at the next meeting. She is blonde. She is an ASA. She likes show tunes. Whitney.

The social activities committee has a questionnaire about events for the year. If you want to have input, talk to Ariel. My vote is for haunted house tour.

Hilarious request: Leigh's apartment is being fumigated, and her asthmatic cat needs a home for the day next week. Clarissa steps up.

If you're involved in stuff and want a cheerleader, email Heather with dates. Balloons may be arranged. Feel free also to email someone on the blog committee to have events posted online.

First activity of the meeting is making posters for people off-campus. The WC forgot to do this last year (both semesters!) for the first time in 20 years. Hm. I guess now we're back on the wagon. Marie and I (and presumably other off-campus studiers) are very bitter.

On the bright side, we got to break in a brand new pack of gorgeous markers. Sample colors: moonstone yellow, rambunctious red, fandango pink, for-ever-green, prairie berry, and my favorite - tiki hut tan.

If you weren't at the meeting, stop in the WC and add a message to the posters. Also, we need addresses for peeps abroad: Kevin, Willie, Nathan, etc., so email them to Bob.

Finally, Vegas people meet. If you missed the meeting, be sure to check in with your group.

That's the all of it.

--Jenna

A Slow Day for WC Minutes 9/22

Despite Dr. Bob's request to us last week, the Lynch Room was sadly not turned into a conference center. Oh, well. Maybe next Monday?

Updates:
There is talk of the evolution of a new database, but it doesn't exist. Yet. So keep filling out your orchid forms, but don't worry about entering them into the computer. To the database filler-outer person, Casey is apparently missing some vowels. I'm not sure what that means, but take note.

If you're on fellowship, fill out a green sheet every month listing the hours you work (including Topics and Monday meetings); Alonso has retired as record-keeper, so turn your sheets in to Tresa. Work study people: if you don't care about getting paid, don't turn your form in. Otherwise, find Katie S. at the end of the month.

We then split off into committees and discussed things amongst ourselves. If any particular committees have anything particular they want us all to know, let me know and I'll send it out in the minutes next week or post it on the blog

From the blog committee : Read the blog. Andy J. says the blog is boring. We say Andy J. is boring.

Just kidding.