Writing Center seeks to improve student papers

In the front-right corner of the library at USD sits a nondesript room that serves as the starting, middle and endpoints for many student papers.

The Writing Center at USD is a tool for students to use as they work toward perfecting their writing. It’s easily accessible, however for in-depth help, people have to make appointments.

“We can help anybody,” senior computer science major and writing consultant Elango Gowrisan said. “We’ve had undergrad students, grad students and faculty set up appointments with us.”

Gowrisan said that the help they offer ranges from brainstorming paper ideas to reviewing and organizing 10 to 15 page-long thesis papers, but they do not proofread. Instead, the center works to help students recognize errors on their own.

To receive help, the center encourages students to make appointments, which can be as long or as short as they need to be.

The writing center consultants have varying majors so that they can specialize with the different papers students bring in, Gowrisan added. The application to be a writing center consultant is on their website. Consultants are paid $9 an hour.

“When students apply to be consultants, they have to submit their application, informal transcript and one of their best papers as a sample,” said Michelle Gannon, director of the Writing Center. “Even if the student got an A on the sample paper they’re submitting, we would like them to revise it.”

Gannon also suggested that before submitting the paper, students bring it into the Writing Center for consulting.

Gowrisan said he applied to be a consultant because he was interested in writing, even though he is a computer science major.

Senior medical biology major Lauren Fanta said she likes being able to share her love for writing with other students in an interactive way that can help both her as a consultant and the student.

“It is also very rewarding to see a student that I have been working with throughout the year improve in his or her writing,” Fanta said.