Care, community and conversation in the Canisius Writing Center

By: Kaitlin O’Meara, Copy Editor

If you’ve ever been working on a paper and wished there was a place on campus that could help you out, you should check out the writing center! Now located on the bottom floor of the library in what used to be the maker space, the Canisius Writing Center is a place to go for help with any kind of writing assignment at any stage of your process.

This week, I spoke with three senior tutors – Mackenzie Harmon, Brody Jones and Sara Swenson – about what made them want to be tutors and the work they do in the writing center. Before becoming a tutor, students must take ENG 390 (Tutoring Writing) – which is running next semester – to learn about pedagogical methods of assisting writers and creating their own tutoring philosophy. Harmon commented, “I always give them something, like a tool they can use later, even if the appointment wasn't that successful,” which she connected to be part of her tutoring philosophy she established during the class.

All of the tutors in the writing center are very dedicated to the work we do and truly enjoy doing it. Swenson – my fellow copy editor here at The Griffin – noted that she wanted to become a tutor because she loves teaching English and the language itself, and she felt like this would be a great opportunity. Personally, I became a tutor because I knew how helpful the tutors were to me, and I wanted to be able to help others in the same way – and the tutoring doesn’t stop once you become a tutor. So many times when I’m in the writing center with other tutors, we’re helping each other with ideas, coming up with words, editing papers and more. There is a community in the center, which I feel is thanks to our director, Dr. Graham Stowe. ENG 390, which he teaches, is centered around not only the practice of tutoring writing, but “what [he] believe[s] will help our center and our tutors be better people in the world.” With Stowe’s focus on our tutors not only as tutors, but as students and as individuals, we are able to put the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis – caring for the whole person – into action while working in the writing center.

For those of you who have never had an appointment in the writing center, I asked these tutors what you could expect. All three emphasized the importance of getting to know the students and understanding their assignment to provide the best help possible. Jones said, “I kind of just let [the student] lead where they want to go, because every appointment is a little bit different.” There is no one-size-fits-all approach to tutoring, and all the tutors are committed to making sure that every student gets the best possible experience and help that they need. 

To make an appointment at the writing center, you can find the link on my.canisius.edu under student services. From there, you will be directed to a Google Form, where you can set up an appointment. You can also just walk into the writing center, and any tutor there is willing and able to help you at any point!