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News and Events Archive September 26, 2006 --OUR ON-SITE WORKSHOPS BEGIN IN OCTOBER Our on-site workshops begin in mid-October. To register, call the writing center at 703.993.1200. If you forget to register, feel free to drop in the day of the workshop:
"How to Evaluate, Document, and Cite Your Sources" March 30, 2006--PEER TUTOR MILLION FIKRE WINS STUDENT VISION AWARD George Mason University Writing Center peer tutor Million Fikre won this year’s Student Vision Award, given by the Office of Diversity Programs and Services. The award recognizes students for excellence in academics, leadership, social justice, and building of community harmony. Million Fikre has displayed excellence in all of these categories. He maintains a 3.54 GPA and displays strong leadership as Vice Chair of Special Events at GMU’s Programming Board, Member of the Ethiopian Student Association, Peer Tutor at the Writing Center, Peer Advisor at the Freshmen Center, Editorial Board Member for the Student Media’s Focus on Diversity Project, New Century College Diversity Committee Attendee, Member of the Leadership Institute Planning Committee, and attendance at this summer’s Leadership Institute. Fikre also shows social consciousness through his work with the Ethiopian American Constituency Foundation, the Center for Service and Leadership, the Hunger Banquet, Meals on Wheels. Fikre plans to attend law school and start his own private practice in the area of immigration law to help arriving immigrants acclimate themselves to the US and get involved in the political process. Congratulations to Million Fikre! March - April, 2006--RESEARCH PAPER WORKSHOPS The Writing Center is repeating its popular series of workshops designed to help students working on research papers. These workshops will take place at the Writing Center (Robinson A114); we prefer that students register ahead of time by calling 703/993-1200, but students can also simply drop in for the workshop. Below is a list of this semester's workshops.
How to Evaluate, Document, and Cite Sources:
How and When to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote Your Research:
Making Your Research Paper Flow:
March, 2006--PERSONAL STATEMENT WORKSHOPS
Are you graduating soon? Applying for an academic scholarship? Need help in
crafting a personal statement? The University Writing Center can help. Come to our
workshops this semester and let our tutors offer writing advice, share strategies
and answer questions.
Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School & Scholarship Applications: October 25, 2005--TUTORS & WRITING CENTER ADMINISTRATORS ATTEND NATIONAL CONFERENCE Our writing center was ably represented at the October joint conference of the International Writing Center Association (IWCA) and the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing held in Minneapolis. Tutors Anna Habib, a graduate TA and Tonka Dobreva, a undergraduate peer tutor and writing fellow, both presented papers, Anna’s on "Cultural Awareness in the Tutoring Room: Alleviating ‘Culture Shock’ in Student Writing" and Tonka’s on "Defining Identity and Adapting Authority: The Dynamic Role of the Peer Tutor In and Out of the Center." Director Terry Zawacki and former assistant director Scott Berg presented on tutor training and faculty expectations in a WAC-WID (writing in the disciplines) writing center. In addition, new assistant director Angela Rhoe attended the conference gathering information and ideas on how to make the writing center a more racially-inclusive space. For more information about the conference and IWCA, visit the "Peer Centered" blog and http://writingcenters.org/2005/index.html. October - November, 2005--RESEARCH PAPER WORKSHOPS The Writing Center is repeating its popular series of workshops designed to help students working on research papers. These workshops will take place at the Writing Center (Robinson A114); we prefer that students register ahead of time by calling 703/993-1200, but students can also simply drop in for the workshop. Below is a list of this semester's workshops.
How to Evaluate, Document, and Cite Sources:
How and When to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote Your Research:
Making Your Research Paper Flow: October 13, 2005--PEER TUTOR WINS NATIONAL AWARD Tonka Dobreva, peer tutor and writing fellow in Provost Peter Stearns' History 125 class, was one of four undergraduates selected from a national writing center applicant pool to receive a peer tutor scholarship and travel award by the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, an affiliate of the International Writing Center Association. October 11, 2005--WRITING CENTER RESUMES SUNDAY TUTORING The Writing Center will resume Sunday tutoring at our main location (Robinson Hall, room A114) beginning Sunday, October 16. Sunday tutoring will be available October 23, October 30, November 6, November 13, and December 4. Sunday hours will be 12:30 to 5:00. May 31, 2005--WRITING CENTER SCHEDULING GOES ONLINE The Writing Center now provides its clients with web-based scheduling. No need to phone. No need for appointment slips. Now you can make and manage your Writing Center appointments for face-to-face tutoring sessions online. Click here to get started. Please note: Online Scheduling is separate from our Online Writing Lab (OWL). If you'd like to send us your writing for OWL tutoring, please continue to register here. May, 2005--THE DEBUT OF THE WRITING CENTERS AT PRINCE WILLIAM AND ARLINGTON CAMPUSES WAS A SUCCESS Thanks to all the staff, faculty, and clients who worked so hard to make it happen. Although these two locations are closed for the summer, they will re-open in the fall. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call our main location us at (703) 993-1200. See you next semester. March, 2005--THE GMU WRITING CENTER COMES TO THE PRINCE WILLIAM AND ARLINGTON CAMPUSES Thanks to the many student and faculty requests, the Writing Center has opened branch locations at both the Prince William and Arlington campuses. Trained Writing Center tutors are ready to assist clients at any stage of the writing process. The Writing Center operates by appointment. Clients may drop in for tutoring without one, but a tutor will only be able to work with him or her if no other client is scheduled for that time slot. Prince William sessions begin on the half hour, while Arlington sessions begin on the hour. Sessions at both locations last 45 to 50 minutes. Details for the Prince William center: Location: Room 204, Occoquan Building Spring 2005 Hours: Tuesday 12:30-5:30pm Wednesday 2:30-7:30pm Thursday 10:30am-7:30pm Friday 10:30am-2:30pm Phone number: (703) 993-8425 Details for the Arlington center: Location: ARL212 (in the main SPP suite) Spring 2005 Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 2:00-7:00 Phone number: (703) 993-3762 (Silva Pecini) March 20, 2005--WRITING CENTER RESUMES SUNDAY TUTORING The Writing Center will resume Sunday tutoring at our main location (Robinson Hall, room A114) beginning Sunday, March 20. Sunday tutoring will be available March 20, April 3, April 10, April 17, April 24, and May 1. Sunday hours will be noon to 5:00. Please call the Writing Center at 703/993-1200 to try to schedule an appointment for Sunday tutoring. We can also help you try to schedule an appointment during our Monday-Friday hours. We'd love to help you with your writing! February through April, 2005--RESEARCH PAPER WORKSHOPS Faculty across the curriculum: Please consider forwarding or otherwise distributing this announcement to students working on research papers this semester. If you or your students have any questions, contact Scott Berg, Assistant Director, GMU Writing Center, 703/993-1773. The Writing Center is repeating its popular series of workshops designed to help students working on research papers. These workshops will take place at the Writing Center (Robinson A114); we prefer that students register ahead of time by calling 703/993-1200, but students can also simply drop in for the workshop. Below is a list of this semester's workshops. Note: Workshops may be taken out of order.
How to Evaluate, Document, and Cite Sources:
How and When to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote Your Research:
Making Your Research Paper Flow: September 20 & 21, 2004 --THE UWC TEAMS UP WITH FALL FOR THE BOOK The UWC teamed up with Fall for the Book this autumn, hosting a two-day open house and a pair of unique workshops. The first, Mind Over (Writing) Matter, focused on the basic tenets of Zen Buddhist meditation and how a calm and focused mind can enhance one's writing. The second workshop, What is the Sound of No Hand Clapping? offered secularized zen koans as aids to the writing process. March 30, 2004--UWC TUTORS WIN NONFICTION THESIS FELLOWSHIPS University Writing Center tutors and MFA graduate students Lisa Arnold and Sara Pipher have won this year's Thesis Fellowships for nonfiction. The two young writers share the same star sign: Aries. April 5, 2004--FORMER UWC TUTOR WINS 2003 YALE YOUNGER POETS AWARD Former Writing Center tutor and Mason alumnus Peter Streckfus has won the prestigous Yale Younger Poets Award for his book, The Cuckoo . The award is given each year to a book-length manuscript of poetry written by an American writer under the age of forty. March 16, 2004--UWC TUTOR WINS 2004 MERIDIAN EDITOR'S PRIZE MFA poetry student and University Writing Center tutor Danika Myers has been awarded this year's Meridian Editor's Prize in poetry. Her winning poem, "After the Open Heart," will appear in the Spring/Summer 2004 issue of Meridian , a semiannual literary journal published by the University of Virginia. March, 2004--UWC TUTOR FINALIST IN NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW'S KURT VONNEGUT FICTION PRIZE MFA fiction student and University Writing Center tutor Art Taylor has been selected as a finalist for the North American Review's Kurt Vonnegut Fiction Prize. The chosen story, "Visions and Revisions," will appear in this summer's edition of the North American Review . February 2, 2004--FORMER UWC TUTOR WINS McSWEENEY'S FIRST EVER AMANDA DAVIS AWARD MFA fiction student and former University Writing Center tutor Jess Anthony has been chosen as the first winner of the Amanda Davis Award, given by McSweeney's quarterly journal to honor the writer killed in a plane crash. Amanda Davis was the author of the novel Wonder When You'll Miss Me and the earlier book Circling the Drain. The McSweeney's quarterly will publish one of Jess's stories in Issue 14, and an excerpt from her novel-in-progress already is posted on the McSweeney's web site. As the editors noted in their announcement, Jess "writes about metallurgy, bullfighting, Hungary, love, monkeys, and meat." The excerpt is from what Jess expects to be her thesis as she wraps up her MFA at Mason. Last spring, she was awarded a Thesis Fellowship to work on the book. January 16, 2004--FORMER UWC TUTOR PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON CITY PAPER MFA nonfiction student and former University Writing Center tutor Huan Hsu has been published twice recently in the Arts section of Washington DC's City Paper. The first feature was about a writer's decision to leave his career to join the fight against global warming. The second detailed the decision of a video game designer who challenges the violent nature of video games by creating one wherein the player advances through acts of altruism. November 15, 2003-- GEORGE MASON'S WRITING CENTER AND FALLS CHURCH HIGH SCHOOL: COMMUNITY OUTREACH George Mason University's Writing Center provided training for nine students from Falls Church High School on Friday, November 15, 2003. The training was provided to help the teens establish their own peer-tutored writing center at the high school—one modeled on GMU's Writing Center. Karen Mackall, an English teacher at Falls Church High School and graduate student in the George Mason University Education graduate program, along with nine of her most promising student-writers are spearheading the effort to establish a writing center. Ms. Mackall, Department Head John Gabriel and the nine AP English students spent 5 hours at GMU where the training included discussions of writing pedagogy as well as step-by-step modeling of a tutoring session. George Mason Writing Center tutors Lisa Arnold, Megan Kelly and Lisa Pierce led the training. The Falls Church High School students who attended were Leif Alleman, Sabrina Askari, Lisa Biddle, Elena Brownback, Asma Chaudhary, Ailene Dumo Janelle Grace, Kezia Ofiesh, Kathryn Scheirer and Danielle Tipton. Fall, 2003--FORMER UWC TUTOR HAS FICTION PUBLISHED IN FIVE POINTS By the Sea, a short story by former Writing Center tutor and current MFA fiction student Ginger Walker appears in this Fall's issue of Five Points , a journal of literature and art. September 13, 2002--MASON'S WAC PROGRAM NAMED 4th BEST IN U.S. BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT George Mason's Writing Across the Curriculum program was named the fourth best "writing in the disciplines" program in the U.S. in the U.S. News and World Report "Best Colleges" issue. Other universities in the top five include Harvard, Cornell, Yale, and Princeton. According to the magazine, "Colleges with these programs typically make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum. Students are encouraged to produce and refine various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines." Dr. Terry Zawacki, director of the Writing Center, also serves as director of WAC. The Writing Center and its tutors--who bring a variety of academic and professional backgrounds to their work--play an integral role in the success of the school's WAC program. August, 2002--UWC TUTOR COMPLETES INTERNSHIP AT THE WASHINGTON POST Future University Writing Center tutor Bret Shulte was one of 20 interns selected by the Washington Post's Summer News Program in 2002, which received 600 applications for the year. Joining the Style section, Schulte worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and essayist Henry Allen for the duration of his twelve-week internship. While at the Post, Schulte wrote an A1 feature on the fizzling malt beverage fad, introduced the term 'post-irony' in a story about underground poster art, and received not a single death threat when he described Harley-Davidson riders as "gray ponytails" who were "more myth than menace." April 12, 2002--UWC ESL SPECIALIST PRESENTS AT IWCAC CONFERENCE UWC ESL Specialist Sonja Knecht-Hoshi delivered a talk entitled "Training Tutors to Work with ESL Students" at the International Writing Centers Association Conference (The Art of Writing Centers) in Savannah, Georgia. Sonja's talk focused on providing practical advice for tutors faced with the challenges and complexities of ESL tutoring sessions. October 20, 200s--UWC TUTOR'S NONFICTI0N APPEARS IN PRINT "Pointing the Finger," a nonfiction essay written by UWC tutor and MFA fiction student Art Taylor, has recently been published in Lifeboat: a Journal of Memoir . March 25, 2002--UWC PEER TUTOR AWARDED RESEARCH APPRENTICESHIP The Center for Teaching Excellence awarded UWC Peer Tutor Erica Wilmore a research stipend to work as an Undergraduate Student Apprentice with Chris Thaiss, Chair of English, and Terry Zawacki, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum and the University Writing Center. Erica is assisting this spring with research on writing in the disciplines. The highly competitive Undergraduate Student Apprenticeship program provides support for a student to spend a semester working closely with a faculty member on a project of mutual interest. Students receive a $1000 stipend, 3 hours credit in a special research course, and the opportunity to interact with other students at the university involved in these projects. March 8, 2002--UWC TUTOR AWARDED $10,000 NONFICTION FELLOWSHIP Former UWC Tutor Matt Scanlon has been awarded George Mason University's Creative Nonfiction fellowship for 2002-03. The fellowship includes full tuition remission and a $10,000 stipend. Matt will use the year to continue work on his essay collection, "The Reluctant Athlete." March 1, 2002--UWC TUTOR AWARDED $10,000 HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP UWC tutor Dani Sandal was awarded the 2002-2003 Heritage Fellowship in Fiction by the graduate faculty in creative writing at George Mason University. The award, given for exceptional promise in fiction writing, carries a $10,000 prize. January 22, 2002--UWC INTRODUCES SUNDAY TUTORING The University Writing Center announces Sunday tutoring at our library location in JC 134H. A tutor will be available in the afternoon on a same-day sign-up basis. The UWC plans to test-run Sunday tutoring this semester with the purpose of making weekend tutoring a permanent part of the schedule, beginning in fall of 2002. December 1, 2001--UWC TUTOR AWARDED LANNAN FELLOWSHIP UWC tutor Bianca Diaz has been awarded the 2001/2002 Lannan Fellowship. The fellowship provides an MFA poetry student with complimentary dinners, readings and seminars with established poets at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. October 5, 2001--UWC PEER TUTOR TO PRESENT AT NATIONAL HONORS CONFERENCE UWC peer tutor Maya Johnson will attend the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference in Chicago in November of 2001. She will assist Dr. Mack Holt in a presentation entitled "How to Organize a Conference", as George Mason University hosted last year's spring conference. March 8, 2001--CURRENT AND FORMER UWC TUTORS WIN CREATIVE WRITING CONTESTS Three past and present UWC graduate tutors won first-place awards in the 2001 Mary Roberts Rinehart creative writing competition. In the fiction competition, current tutor Katy Trainor won for her short story, "Jie." In the poetry competition, current tutor Christi Kramer and former tutor Kaia Sand shared first-place honors; Kramer for her poem "Our Mythology" and Sand for "Progeny." January 5, 2001--UWC PEER TUTOR NAMED RESEARCH ASSISTANT UWC peer tutor Maya Johnson was named research assistant for Dr. Toni-Michelle Travis of GMU's Public and International Affairs department. October 5, 2000--UWC GRAD TUTORS WIN FOLGER FELLOWSHIP UWC graduate tutorsCynthia Hoffman and Matt Smythe received 2000 Lannan/Folger Fellowships. These fellowships involve expense-paid attendance to a series of readings, seminars, and dinners at the Folger Shakespeare Library through the 2000-2001 academic year. September 5, 2000--UWC UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE The completely redesigned and renovated UWC web site has opened its doors at a brand new address: writingcenter.gmu.edu. New features include a revamped overall design, easier navigation, clarified links, and this highlights page, designed to keep the university community and other interested parties informed of the latest innovations, honors, and events connected with the UWC. May 3, 2000--UWC PEER TUTORS WIN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT RECOGNITION UWC peer tutors Cindy Beauchemin, Rachel Lindsey, and Karen Van der Reit were among 11 students named Outstanding English Majors at George Mason for the academic year 1999-2000. This award results from nomination by at least five members of the English faculty, and indicates both a very strong academic record and exceptional commitment to the study of writing and literature. April 20, 2000--UWC PROJECT TAKES TOP HONOR AT INNOVATIONS 2000 A UWC and Dept. of Public and International Affairs project--"Peer Tutor Collaboration in Development of Web-based Writing Guides"--won first prize and $100 in the Community Partnership category at this years Innovations showcase. Innovations 2000, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, University Life, the Century Club, and DoIIT, showcased creative technological projects by graduate and undergraduate students. April 12, 2000--UWC PEER TUTOR NAMED SENIOR OF THE YEAR UWC volunteer peer tutor Sonia Montero was presented with George Mason's Senior of the Year award at the university's annual Celebration of Distinction today. The award is given for contributions to academic excellence and student life, service to the university, and leadership. March 30, 2000--UWC PEER TUTOR ACCEPTS TA-SHIP AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN U. University Writing Center Peer Tutor Kerry Hansknecht has accepted a teaching assistantship in the Biology Department at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where he will work toward his MS by studying the behavioral ecology of snakes. He has also received a six week assistantship from CMU to conduct snake research in July and August on Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. March 22, 2000--UWC GRADUATE TUTOR WINS NATIONAL POETRY AWARD Markings on Earth , UWC Graduate Tutor Karenne Wood's first book of poetry, has won the North American Native Authors First Book Award. The book will be published by the SunTrack series of the University of Arizona Press & will appear in 2001. Karenne will go to Oklahoma in May to accept the award, a $500 cash prize plus publication. She'll be there with Chip Livingston (Seminole), who won for First Fiction, and Louise Erdrich, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. 1998--FUTURE UWC TUTOR COMPLETES FULBRIGHT STUDY IN THAILAND Future UWC tutor Sara Pipher has completed a joint economics and sociology Fulbright fellowship at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While there, she continued intensive Thai language study that she had begun as an exchange student in college, and took individualized courses in development and microeconomics, and gender sociology. She completed research on the effects of the Thai financial crash (of 1997) on elderly women, which involved interviews of women over 60 years of age in rural and urban settings. |