Spring 2011 events

Feb 13: Valentine Card Making Party. 7-9 pm, Writing Center

Feb 15: 1:30-2:00 “Make Your Paper Flow” WC Workshop

Do you have trouble making your whole paper fit together? This workshop will give you strategies for organizing your paper and connecting one idea to the next in a clear way. It’s so simple that you’ll soon be presenting your ideas clearly and seamlessly.

Presenter: Prof. Gayla Mills teaches in the Department of English and directs the Writing Center.

Feb 28: 5:30-6:00 "You Can Quote Me On This" WC Workshop

This workshop explains the fundamentals of using quotations in a paper: using direct quotes, paraphrasing, integrating quotes with original thoughts, and more. Quotes are an engaging way to express profound primary sources in one's work- and fun to use!

Presenter: Ms. Elanya Chin is a Writing Center Tutor and a junior majoring in International Studies and Philosophy.

Mar 7 1:30-2:00 "Punctuation: Preserving Your Sanity and Saving Lives" WC Workshop

Many students have difficulty in properly using punctuation. As a result, they may commit major grammatical errors that frustrate and confuse readers. This workshop aims to clarify the proper usage of commas, semicolons, and colons to help students improve their writing.

Presenter: Ms. Angelica Yost is a Writing Center Tutor and a senior majoring in English.

March 15: Deadline for submissions to the R-MC Spring 2010 Writing Contest:

For academic papers in any discipline written during the 2011-12 academic year. The purpose of the competition is to recognize and promote quality nonfiction writing in the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural Sciences.

Rules:

1. Papers are limited to 15 pages in length.

2. Students are limited to 2 submissions each.

3. Papers must have been written in the 2011-12 academic calendar year.

Prizes will be awarded based on discipline and class year. Finalists will be published online. The judges will be faculty from various disciplines at R-MC.

Submission guidelines:

1. Format papers including citations in the style of the discipline (MLA, APA, CMS, etc.) except that only the title of the paper should appear on the first page. Do not include your name in headers or on the first page.

2. The paper should be accompanied by a cover page listing:

· The title of the paper

· Your name, email address, and class year (freshman, sophomore, etc.

· The name of the dept, class, and professor for whom you wrote the paper.
Please email your contest submission or questions to: gmills@rmc.edu by March 15, 2012.

Mar 27 5:30-6:00 “Five Tips for Precise Science Writing” WC Workshop

Science writing is different than writing for the humanities, and this can be frustrating for students in a college science course for the first time. This workshop will offer five quick tips for improving your science writing.

Presenter: Prof. Cedar Riener teaches in the Department of Psychology

April 18 1:30-2:00 “Own Your Revision!” WC Workshop

You read the professor's comments on your first draft, and you revised it accordingly. But you still got a bad grade on the final paper! What are you missing? This workshop will show you how to make the most of your revision opportunities with Prof. Meagher’s "Rules for Revision" - tips on how to edit, seek out help, and--most importantly--learn to let go.

Presenter: Prof. Richard Meagher teaches in the Department of Political Science

All workshops will be in the Writing Center on the second floor of the library. Refreshments will be available. For more info, please contact gmills@rmc.edu

Winners of the R-MC Spring 2011 Writing Contest:

For academic papers in any discipline written during the 2010-11 academic year. The purpose of the competition is to recognize and promote quality nonfiction writing in the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural Sciences.

Arts and Humanities Upper level

First Place: Kimberly Dutton for The Moral Debits and Credits of Chaucer’s “The Shipman’s Tale”
Second Place: Mark Lotts for The Agnostic Buddhism of Stephen Batchelor

Social and Natural Sciences

First Place: Carlie Pendleton for How Women Rocked the French Revolution
Second Place: Tracilyn Babington for The A“maize”ing Contributions of Barbara McClintock

Arts and Humanities 100-200 level

First Place: Katie Mumford for “Kissing You”: The Only Port in the Storm