Writers' Corner

Writers' Corner, Westmont’s writing center, is a creative space where student writers can find friendly “test readers” as they develop projects for professors, employers, and others. Tutors coach and collaborate with peers as they mature into more skillful and confident writers.

Come visit us in Voskuyl Library 215 in the library’s Learning Commons. Clients with appointments are given first priority; drop-in clients are also welcome. All tutorials are free of charge.

Make an appointment: https://westmont.mywconline.com/

Fall 2018 Open Hours
 

We are closed for the first week of classes, on holiday weekends, and during Finals Week.

Writers’ Corner tutors are skilled writers who are nominated and trained by faculty. They are happy to assist peers with a range of writing concerns:

• Genres of writing (understanding assignment prompts)
• Invention (getting started)
• Arrangement (getting organized)
• Thesis statements
• Paragraph development and structure
• Integrating sources
• Common citation styles (MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian)
• Sentence style (grammar, mechanics, etc.)

Tutors are pursuing majors and minors in the following academic areas:

• Karis Cho: English, Math, Religious Studies
• Jack Dickinson: English, Religious Studies
• Sharon Ko: English, Art
• Emily Peterson: Computer Science
• Caleb Rodriguez: English, Biology
• Jordan Strandness: English, Philosophy
• Sarah Verdegan: English

Professional tutor for international students and multilingual/ESL writers:

• Professor Robert Speiser: Available by appointment only. Typically, tutorials are held in Reynolds Hall 105 on Mon./Wed. after 9:15 a.m. To request an appointment, e-mail Prof. Speiser (rspeiser@westmont.edu) at least 24 hours in advance.

Staff bios:

Karis Cho fell off a Golden Retriever and into a pool when she was three—and so began her love of dogs and swimming. A California girl through and through, she's prone to favoring colloquial language over proper grammar. That hasn't stopped her from pursuing a major in English with a minor in Religious Studies, though. She believes that, when wielded correctly, words are our most powerful, electrifying tools. For instance, referring to herself in the third person makes her feel awfully awkward. Like, right now. (Recommended reading: Dog Blessings: Poems, Prose, and Prayers Celebrating Our Relationship with Dogs)

Jack Dickinson is double majoring in Religious Studies and English, but he is convinced that the English department is conniving to turn his English degree into a degree in poetry. His favorite author is Jules Verne, and yes, that is the guy who mostly writes children’s books. As a staunch supporter of the DC food, he spends more time polishing off cookies than he does polishing his essays, but he isn’t too bad at either activity. Finally, if you get the chance, you should ask him about his Fantasy Football team (this year, the players’ first names form the acrostic “Left Foot”).

As an English major double minoring in Math and Music, Carolyn Gruss (returning from abroad in Spring 2019) is a proud disappointment to her scientist parents and understands what it's like to have a finger in all of the disciplinary pies. Her love affair with the written word started at a young age, and has only grown ever since, in tandem with her vast collection of books. Being the raging pedant that she is, she is also the rare student who enjoys writing papers, and thinks that walking alongside someone in the writing process is an immense privilege. As evidenced by this bio alone, she heavily favors the use of semicolons and em dashes—and you can pry the Oxford comma out of her cold, dead, and lifeless fingers. A native of La Crescenta, CA, she avoids the sun like the plague; hence, you can spot her running around campus with a large hat (as well as her book-shaped book bag). While drinking tea and daydreaming about moving to Wales are constant states of being for her, you can find her contemplating her existential dread practicing her music or reading Keats (or perhaps some Tolstoy or Saint-Éxupery), in her rare moments of leisure.

From wading in the glimmering Mediterranean waters to gazing upon millions of Istanbul city lights as stars; from ever-dancing with Zulu children under the scorching South African sun to devouring warm kürtőskalács in the brisk Budapest air, Sharon Ko has seen the world with her eyes and her heart. Writing is what helps ground her global identity and materialize the immaterial. As an Art and English double major, Sharon is passionate about interweaving visual art with verbal communication to powerfully convey the state of human brokenness and the hope of painful, beautiful healing through Christ. As if visual and verbal expression are not enough, Sharon embraces the musical through Chapel Band, College Choir, and Chamber Singers. Language is undoubtedly an art to her--along with Korean and Turkish, English is a diverse palette of words ready to be painted with. Come join her in this endeavor to extend our minds onto paper.

Emily Peterson is a Computer Science major who probably spends as much time writing prose as she does programs. A Santa Barbara native who needs Google Maps to find her house sometimes, her favorite place to get lost is in a good book. In the wise words of Gaffer Gamgee, “It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.” Sometimes the most difficult—and scariest—part of the writing process is simply putting one’s pen to the paper—don’t be afraid to start! When Emily isn’t daydreaming about Middle-earth, you might find her lifeguarding at the Westmont pool or in the DC eating more french fries than she should. Ask her about her unabashed addiction to em dashes—they’re pretty em-azing.

Caleb Rodriguez finds life in connecting seemingly disparate things. From majoring in English and Biology, to discussing racial and ethnic identities as a co-leader of the Multi-Ethnic Student Association, he pursues common threads that are often overlooked whilst celebrating inimitability. His eyes widen in captivation whether gazing at the deep ocean, at Gudetama paraphernalia, or at vibrant words adorning book pages. Excellent treats for Caleb include impromptu dance parties, Korean BBQ, pondering the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, delving into the magnificent abilities of octopodes, and, especially, writing. The written word, for Caleb, brings those specific, inexplicable thoughts or feelings within the labyrinths of our minds into reality. When we find the right words, we can see a reflection of ourselves on the page. He hopes to help you do just that.

Professor Robert Speiser is a Ph.D. candidate in Education (Language & Literacy) at UC Santa Barbara. He teaches ENG 002 (Composition) at Westmont and has previously taught English and linguistics courses at UCSB, CSU Northridge, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Certified in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) since 2005, Prof. Speiser is fully bilingual in English and Spanish and enjoys working with students from a variety of cultures.

Jordan Strandness is an English and Philosophy double major; he figures that if he must write, he might as well write eloquently and thoughtfully. He is also co-captain of the tennis team, copy editor for Westmont’s yearbook, and a philosophy TA for Professor Vander Laan—he anticipates experiencing the consequences of such foolish actions soon. When he isn’t writing or studying, he likes to draw Japanese-style manga, even though he knows virtually nothing about it. He is excited to join Writers’ Corner this year among so many talented writers, and if he has learned anything from life (which is doubtful, considering the philosophy of David Hume), he’s learned that people need fans. He hopes to be yours.

Nathan Tudor (returning from abroad in Spring 2019) thinks aesthetically excellent writing is not required for a compelling thesis; however, it might make the world a better place. Nathan does not know when his (arguably excessive) love of the em dash began, but you can bet it will rear its head sooner or later in anything he writes. As a Religious Studies and English major, he likes books that confuse him since they invariably make the most sense. He also laments that the enlightened, contemporary world takes reality so seriously it has blinded itself to the supernatural—the most real reality we dare grasp. It may therefore come as little surprise that if offered the chance to have dinner with a dead person, he would choose the “prince of paradox,” G.K. Chesterton. His Romanian heritage predisposes him to Stoker’s Dracula, and much like the Count, he could use more sunlight.

Chena Underhill (returning from abroad in Spring 2019) is a Political Science and Data Analytics major. That may change in the foreseeable future. Who knows! She is from Georgia/Maryland/Illinois and is a Jane Austen enthusiast. Other favorite authors include L.M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott. Basically, she prefers books where not much happens, but the words are pretty, the characters human, and the endings happy. Her favorite part of the writing process is constructing super-solid outlines so that the actual writing is easier. She is also passionate about pole vaulting, classical ballet, polar fleece sweatshirts with zipper pockets, and all things dessert.

Sarah Verdegan is an English major who enjoys writing essays more than reading, and procrastinating more than writing essays. The product of a Japanese mother and a Wisconsin father, she pronounces "cardigan" as "cardigahn", calls dinner "supper", and will cheer on her Packers any day while feasting on gyoza and sashimi. Verdegan has discovered that writing untangles the multilingual mess in her mind while reading reveals the beauty of her Refuge and Redeemer. While she learns the most in the writing process from struggling, her favorite part is finishing, so she is excited to support you through the struggle and to the finish line. Let’s do this.