Writing Center

The Hilles Writing Center has been flooded with calls and visitors since its opening a week ago, Joan L. Bolker '60, preceptor of Expository Writing and one of the three staff members at the Writing Center, said yesterday.

The Writing Center, founded this year by the Expository Writing Department, is a place where students can receive informal help with their writing, Bolker said.

Although the staff primarily sees the Center as a drop-in clinic, Bolker said "we want to emphasize that we don't think of ourselves as a service station (to turn B papers into A's.)"

"We expected to spend the first week staring at the wall, but we seem to have uncovered a real need," Bolker said, adding that workers at the Center had spoken with about 30 students about every aspect of writing in the last week.

The Writing Center is sponsoring six informal mini-courses and two lectures on writing this semester. Bolker said yesterday that four of the six courses, which are limited to 15 students each, are already oversubscribed.

This year's outlay for the Center will be about $20,000, Donald Byker, assistant director of Expository Writing, said yesterday. This includes salaries, furnishings, and the possible installation of computerized text editors in the spring semester.