Vol. 1  Issue 8
April 2004

A Newsletter Published by the SIUE Writing Center

Controlled Chaos in the Writing Center
By Chad Verbais

In the Writing Center at this time of the year I can completely relate to Bob Dylan when he said during an interview, "chaos is a friend of mine."  Needless to say, as most of you can imagine, we are quite busy.  Read More

Open Letter to the GBA 300 Student Seeking Assistance in the Writing Center
By Ashley Brady

Admittedly, GBA 300 is not a simple class, demanding well-developed written and oral skills.   In fact, over 50% of the final grade is based solely on critical thinking and writing skills demonstrated in the individual essays.  Furthermore, GBA 300 students are introduced, and hopefully formalized, to a new, specialized, and technical kind of writing expected in their chosen discipline: business.   Read More

Reflections of a First Year Writing Center Graduate Assistant
By Beth Bensen-Barber

As I complete my first year as a Graduate Assistant in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Writing Center, I feel a small pang of regret, yet I also breathe a sigh of relief.  Since August of 2003 I have tutored freshmen to post-graduate students in sometimes intense tutoring sessions.  Read More

The Oxford Comma?
By Daniel Lewis

Commas, much like insults from your significant other's father, should, if you're paying attention, give pause. And in doing so, they, by their very design, separate. (My hope is that you're getting the gist of that as you read this comma-saturated discourse.)  Read More

Virginia's Vocab Corner
By Virginia Bunn

Interested in finding a word to describe meaningless writing?   Read More

More Comma Here!
By Justin Hodgson

The comma splice is a common error we see here in the Writing Center.  What follows is a excellent method to teach students how to avoid such an error.  Read More